Things have changed a lot in 20 years, Ray. And then again, they haven聮t. Most of the stuff you might look at would be fairly recognizable.
The Escape Pilot 7 bootI suppose the biggest change is that you won聮t 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, 聮s X-Cruise 53 skis ($165) may be the ticket. They聮d 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 light聴they聮re a pretty good upgrade from long-ago skis.
For something a bit more classic and rugged, it聮s hard to beat 聮s XCD GT backcountry skis ($299). These are real touring skis聴full 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 can聮t 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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