The problem of spring ski touring is necessity to walk with a heavy backpack to reach the slope or culuoir covered with snow.
On the other hand when everything is green all around, in the mountains we have the best conditions for skiing (exept for winter fresh pow of course).
The snow is safe, because of stable snowpack and the low risk of avalanches. Moreover the spring skiing is so awsome due to corn snow. It'a a wet but fast type of snow, usually found in springtime. Corn is so-named because of the large, rounded-off snow crystal structure that results from an ongoing melt-freeze cycle. Warm days melt the snowpack, allowing small cold grains to merge together, forming larger crystals. Clear, cold nights in the spring re-freeze these wet, larger crystals and they become slightly more angular (squarish, like a kernel of baby corn). The longer the melt-freeze cycle continues, the larger these grains become (http://skiing.about.com/od/downhillskiing/a/springskiing.htm).
Spring days are longer, warmer and the slopes are less crowded than in winter time.
We should only remember to avoid the late day melt-down when the skiing becomes more like water floating and the frozen corn layer at the top of the snowpack during cloudy and cool or windy days after clear, cold nights because the snow is hard like a rock.
But how to overcome the problem of a long and exhausting walk with a heavy backpack with skis, ski boots and other equipment attached to it.
Today I came across an inspiring article about using our bike as a transport to our spring skiing goal. Sounds absurdly but it's very interesting alternative for walk. More at: http://boobicycles.com/ski-mountaineering-bike/
See below how to prepare our bike for a ski touring ride :)
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