The Fischer Drought

[エイダン.シダル]

Randoskier, glad to hear that about the Zamberlans. I've had four pair over three decades, and never been let down. I only wore out the leather uppers on one, but they were a lightweight version, I crossed hundreds of kilometers of Japanese mountains with just fine, but murdered with a couple of Toronto winters - salt everywhere. I only buy Italian outdoor boots, and will go out of my way to get Zamberlans.

[randoskier]

Randoskier, glad to hear that about the Zamberlans. I've had four pair over three decades, and never been let down. I only wore out the leather uppers on one, but they were a lightweight version, I crossed hundreds of kilometers of Japanese mountains with just fine, but murdered with a couple of Toronto winters - salt everywhere. I only buy Italian outdoor boots, and will go out of my way to get Zamberlans.

I drive over to their factory, they have an attached mountain shop, always fun to see what they are coming up with. They are very nice and very helpful people, proud of their craftmanship. Well crafted hiking, hunting, and climbing boots, They know leather. I wish they would make some Nordic touring boots! I did not realize that Vibram moved most of their production from Italy to China. I think a lot of people might soon begin re-shoring.

[wsjones]

I'd been hoping to see some updates on the Excursion 88's as they became available through the winter, which apparently hasn't happened. My plan was to get my wife a new pair of metal edged skis to replace her old Salomon Snowscape 7's, and the T78'S looked to be the ticket. My me-plan was a new and better pair of boots this year and new 88's next year. Tough year for plans.

I actually did find the T78's in her size in time for Valentine's Day (always a good excuse to buy interesting things). But as the situation in Ukraine got grimmer by the day I figured I'd just go ahead and jump on whichever of them I could find in my size. For the T78's it was easy - I need the longest ones. But I was on the fence between 189 or 199 for the Excursion, and from the variability in construction reported here really wanted the most up to date info before deciding.

Dressed and ready to ski I weigh 210 - 215 lbs. Skill level's functional intermediate. Mostly we ski on ours and neighboring land, which is a nice mix of tractor-width trails through thickets and hardwoods, pasture & old fields, sloping to moderately hilly, always untracked to start. The hardwoods are open enough to ski through if the snow's deep enough to cover downed logs, limbs, rocks. Snow conditions are the typical wildly variable NE US type, although some winters it can be nearly perfect from Christmas (or sooner) until mid March. It's sort of xc "back 40" skiing as opposed to skiing IN true backcountry or real mountains.

Given my skill level and intended use I think an 189 E88 should be the better choice - except for the potential wild card variability in stiffness.

So, has anyone been able to ski or examine any new-stock E88's since January? What's the verdict?

Thanks. Scott