and I think they start to work in more powder conditions,
breaking trail, or generally in truer backcountry conditions.

That is exactly why I went for the new Mountain design. I wanted a
"true" backcountry ski, in my own definition at least. Which entailed
not deciding where exactly you would be at any time *hey those few
trees look cool* *oops, had to stop and deal with the dog in deep
snow kind of thing*. Plus, the conditions here in Northern Colorado
are changing all the time. We can go from piles of soft snow you shall
not break trail in any ski I don't care if it's a boat - down to a
nice thaw cycle with a nice shiney surface. And mind you, this is all
in motion and happens kinda fast here. I wanted to go with a true tour
setup as well, but the Mountain XCD ski is demanding of a burlier
setup just due to the width alone I imagine. Which is fine, because I
would like to have a Backcountry setup with a boot where I do not have
to worry about my feet becoming cold. I think the Garmont Excursion
will fit this bill. I won't mind sacrificing a little more touring
knowing I will be able to basically do whatever I want and not have to
worry about my toes freezing off. This is probably even more of a
consideration with true Backcountry skiing due to the fact you might go
out on a day trip and possibly have to belay.

I think the real question, once again, is what binding to throw on a
"Cirque Class" ski like this. Ok, I am probably not going to take
them to any Cirque, but I could, and I most likely would if I put a
cable binding on them. However, that certainly is not my intent with
these skis. I have two other AT setups for that sort of thing. I
guess it would be fun to use them at the ski resort area on the more
tame slopes and practice Tele turns and seeing how far I could push
them, but that also does not sound very wise in terms of I value my
equipment more than that. So we are once again, in the Backcountry
for a nice day of strolling with your dog and possibly making a few
turns that at least feel good!

I had to throw in a little extra fun though since I was worried I would
not float or glide as much as I had hoped with a pair of skis like
these, got em' in a 185cm length. I weigh no more than 130lbs and I
am short by european standards, so these skis should ride like a
train, but a very very fun train! Got a pair of moderately heavy
Alpina backcountry poles in a 145cm length as well, should prove to be
a good workout nonetheless! Sometimes I rethink about a 175cm length
for the Mountain ski but with a decent sized pack (which is typical for
backcountry travel) and all my gear I can easily start to edge closer
to the 150lb range.

I still would like to find a glidier setup, but unfortunately I think
I the Pinnacle would be the 'least' in terms of construction I would go
for the type of terrain where I live and play. My backyard is over 30
degree vertical in some spots! haha - sure wish it snowed at my
house more.