Hoks
Sometimes you just want to go tramp through the woods or meadows. The
Hoks (sold by a small company in Curlew, Washington) are short, wide
skis that work a lot like snowshoes. I like them better than snowshoes
because they slide forward a little as you walk. And they slide
down hills! (Not very fast, but that's ok...) They have a large patch
of mohair on the bottom giving excellent grip. Many people get
them with the universal bindings which allow you to use any winter
boot. I got NNN-BC bindings so that I can use my backcountry ski
boots.
They come in two lengths. Not so much for the
size of the person as for whether you are using them walking in heavy
brush or in more open areas where you want them to be more like a
regular ski. The shorter model has the same amount of mohair as the
longer one, so it has even better grip (and is pretty slow on the
downhills.)
The one place that I don't really like them is on
icy slopes. Because of the width of the ski, they extend beyond the
edge of your boot, so that edging them on ice is awkward.
I
believe that Yeager's has a few pair with the universal binding to
rent; you can also talk to Pete about borrowing a pair to try out.
The 3 numbers: 124.110.122
Altai
company (maker of Hoks) website
