Here’s a thread from the BackpackingLight forum full of helpful info on Light AT skiing, a topic overlooked most everywhere else (except at wintertrekking.com).
It’s about skis that you can take anywhere off the groomed trails. That’s a LOT of the skiing that people do! OK, “AT” usually implies fluffier, steeper snow than most people ski, but it’s still a popular kind of skiing!
(Most of today’s “AT” skiing — as it’s covered in the ski medi and promoted most in shops — involves shredding the steeps in extreme gear. This emphasis is suitable for shops in the big mountains. What about everywhere else? Also, what we used for bumping the double-blacks in the late 80’s would be considered light today.)
There are a couple other good “Light AT” threads over there at BPL…
www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=1873
www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=16965
https://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=25865&disable_pagination=1