I am thinking about buying back country skis that can be used in the wood or on trails that have either deep snow or no tracks and minimal grooming. I've had 2 experiences that lead me to believe that my Spyders are exactly the best for these conditions. Last year we went to Franconia and skied on some very, very difficult trails. It was the climbing that bothered me, even though that was extremely strenuous. It was the descents. I can't descend without snowplowing and being able to turn my skis for the turns. The issue was the area next to the tracks (if there were any tracks) was barely groomed and very narrow. I wanted to ski here, but my skis kept catching in the piles of ungroomed snow, causing me to fall. Then there was my descent last week, where it was essentially an unplowed road that I had descended once when it was groomed. This was about a mile or maybe a little less of fast turns and very fun when groomed.
I like being in the woods, and would like to try more of this. I need shorter skis, no matter what. The Spyders are a huge improvement over the skis I had before, and if I get a second pair for back country, they need to be shorter, too. I know nothing about back country skis. Guess it's time to research.