Things have changed a lot in 20 years, Ray. And then again, they havent. Most of the stuff you might look at would be fairly recognizable.
The Escape Pilot 7 bootI suppose the biggest change is that you wont really find any of the heavy leather boots that still were popular for backcountry skiing back when George H.W. Bush was prez. More common is a boot such as the Escape 7 Pilot ($140), a lightweight but competent boot that can handle tracks as well as reasonable off-trail stuff. Note also that these use the fairly new “Pilot” binding system, which have a lot more in common with bicycle clipless pedals or downhill skis than the three-pin bindings you remember. I kinda like the old style, but the Pilots are okay.
For skis, s X-Cruise 53 skis ($165) may be the ticket. Theyd match up well with the boots and bindings mentioned above, plus they are designed to work pretty well both off trail and on groomed tracks. Nice and lighttheyre a pretty good upgrade from long-ago skis.
For something a bit more classic and rugged, its hard to beat s XCD GT backcountry skis ($299). These are real touring skisfull metal edges, built for plowing through deep snow. Match them with a pair of Alpina BC 1575 backcountry ski boots ($160), which are meant for three-pin bindings. Real classic gear.
Yeah, waxless bases are pretty good today. I cant say they are X or Y better, but most now have designs that work on both glide and climbing. Some add-ons such as Swix Easy Glide ($14) help make the ride smoother.
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