Hi Fellow Steemians.
Had a great new dump of snow. So we got out for another ski. Wow 2 days in a row.
GPS anyone
We had to break tail again as our track was completely snowed in. At -3 it was almost Powder snow but a lot heavier and settling. In fact as we skied one could here the womp as we broke the surface tension and the slab new snow settled.
There are many theorems of trail braking. Here is mine.
Each person in the troupe has a job to do in the process of creating and maintaining the track.
The first person in the line is doing the hardest work. As they are slogging though the snow at whatever depth the skies will float at. This person is also setting the initial width of the track though the snow.
Over the years of track setting I have found that Tracks always get narrower with each use. So person one should keep there feet about Shoulder with or a bit wider. As will all tracking it is a shuffle not a step. You let the weight of the ski and boot be supported by the snow The shape of the ski will make it look from behind that you are stepping when in fact its the snow under the ski pushing up on the bottom of the ski.
This video shows trail braking in the woods. You will step more here than in open areas because of brush and other obstacles that you want to crush down into the base of your track
If there is a crust you may have to lift your ski to keep it on top of the crust. You will waste a lot of energy but it may have to be done. It will mean that you will have to rotate out more often.
On this point it is my opinion that it is your condition that will dictate when you step to the side and let The 2nd person take over. For me it is the amount of energy I have which translates into the about of sweat I am creating. Moisture in your clothing is your worst enemy for survival. You can die from not keeping your layers of clothing dry. Good gear will wick this moisture away Cotton WILL NOT. Never take cotton on a winter ski adventure.
In time practice will show you just how much moisture will wick and dry in your combination of clothing.
Back to points of the first tracker. You should move as quickly as you can. Have to remember those behind you are progressively working less hard than you so they will chill in cold weather. So work hard then step out you will be going to the back of the line so you will not be working hard at all Assuming more than 4 or 5 in the group. So keep that in mind of how wet you will allow yourself to get. You will soon not be working so you may get a real chill.
This point is why some think you should go a pre-described number of steps then step out. All the time working as hard as you can. I personally am not a counter so I loose track real fast.
Person 2 has the next hardest job as you are now actually creating the track for the skies to fallow. I keep my feet wide in the trench created by the lead. Anticipate turns especial turns coming back on the same track. This I will talk about in another post about route finding. As you can see it was incredibly hard to demonstrate with one hand holding the phone. Got to get a real video c
You are aiming here to create a rough track Shoulder with or better apart getting the snow from the out side walls of the trench. The build up of snow on the outside is why the track get narrower.
You keep your skies on the snow so it will pack under creating a base for the next guy.
Each person keeps the same principals in mind. Correcting the 'errors' as they go.
It takes at least four people to create a good track and not be totally used up at the end of the trip. The more the better but rotation becomes more important. The more people Work harder on point and step out quicker. The colder the weather the more you have to watch how wet you get. Though you will find more people die at 0 to 5 below c than at colder temperatures.
