by Mr.
Klister
Cures for Clumping
Perhaps the most common complaint I hear about cross-country
skiing (other than why does it take three times as long
to go up a hill as down it) is how clumping spoiled a
great day of skiing. Clumping occurs when snow sticks
to the bottom of a ski, with the sudden and unpleasant
result of converting your skis to long skinny snowshoes.
Clumping occurs for a variety of reasons and can be avoided
if you know why it happens.
Ski Temperature versus Snow Temperature. If you take
a warm pair of skis outdoors and lay them on the snow,
they will melt the snow and a layer of ice will form on
the bottom of the skis. This ice layer will then continue
to accumulate more snow as you try to ski. Avoid this
problem by placing your skis outside to cool before you
use them.
Encountering Water. Sometimes, especially in low areas,
you may encounter open water across the trail or patches
of very wet snow. As you pass over such areas a layer
of water is picked up which then freezes once you move
back onto cooler snow. This ice will then continue to
pick up snow, resulting in clumping. Avoid this problem
by either going around wet areas or taking your skis off
to cross them.
Wrong Wax. If you choose a wax that is too soft snow
crystals can become embedded in it. As you ski, these
snow crystals melt and become ice crystals. Eventually
enough ice crystals are present to form a layer, which
attracts snow in sufficient quantities to form clumps.
The solution here is to begin skiing with a grip wax that
is appropriate for "colder" conditions, only
adding as much "warmer" grip wax as you need
to keep from slipping.
New Wet Snow. Perhaps the most common cause of clumping
is new snow falling when the temperature is right around
freezing. This situation can be doubly frustrating, because
this is comfortable weather for skiing and it is frequently
quite beautiful. The reason for clumping in these circumstances
is that wet snow sticks to everything. For waxless skis,
the answer is to treat your skis with a silicone product
like Speed Cote (available at Mt. Brighton) before you
go skiing. When using products like this, make sure your
skis are dry when you apply the silicone. Wait a minute
or two, and then buff the bottoms of the skis lightly
with a dry cloth. For waxable skis, use a hard glider
wax and reduce your kick zone as much as possible. For
grip wax use a small amount of klister. Regardless of
which type of ski you use, when out on the trail keep
moving. If you do stop, keep sliding your feet back and
forth. Don't let the snow get a chance to adhere to ice
that has managed to attach itself to the bottoms of your
skis. Also, before starting out again after a stop or
before going down a hill always do a little shuffle to
kick off any build-up.
