Who here does backcountry skiing...?

I'm getting ready to drop the dime on some BC skies and gear and was wondering if anyone here did it, and any recommendations you might have.

Consider carefully how you will be using the skis most. If you're a solid downhill or tele skier and want to make some big decents, your going to need to sacrifice lighter weight and touring capability for rigidity and sturdiness. If your goal is simply hiking around in deep snow with the skis, you can afford a lighter boot and ski. Examine the intended performace of each ski/boot/binding combo and get advice from pros at a local shop before buying.

oh yeah, of course I am doing a ton of research for the type of skiing I invision myself doing. I primarily want to trail/off trail skiing, without any of the big desents you mention. Lockable bindings would be a good idea I think for the downhills. Sure weight is a factor, but am willing to carry a bit more if I can get more out of them. Sometimes talking and getting tips from people who aren't selling the stuff can be a good idea I've found. Thanks

Hehe, Jeremy, I too am in the market for good pair of touring skis, also called Randonee skis. They are similar to telemark skis, except for the bindings, which you can lock down for downhills. Unfortunately, these are quite expensive at around $1500 for a full set. I'm trying to figure out how I can afford a pair.

I've done it, I do it, I did it today but I don't do it a lot. Every year I hike up Saint Helens and ski that, and I'd be able to run out the door at pretty much a moments notice with my back country/telemark gear. I have an old pair of Scarpa T2s and a newish pair of K2 Piste Stinks. I've been telemarking for more than twenty years now. I'm not awesome at it but I'm pretty good and could survive anything your normal person would ski.
The guy I was with today has the Randonee set up. He's a fully awesome skier and could out ski me on barrel staves easily. As far as which ones to get, I'd mention to go light for ones. Sooner or later you'll have to carry those sucker and along with all the other junk you have, you want them to be light. Boots are a different matter. Do you value the skiing more than the hiking? Are willing to go with more comfortable boots at the expense of ski control. Or would you rather suffer on the hike in for awesome ski control. If you were bucks up, you could get a pair of each boots, stiff area boots and softer hiking/skiing boots.

Thanks Mark. This is actually what I can afford this season.
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48065666,48065687,48065698,47831751,48065705&view=mid&include=06_xcntry_pkg5
I figure it is enough to get the bug started and maybe next year or the year after upgrade. What do you think of this.

This set up is way, way lighter than my telemark set up. Unless you are a totally awesome skier you would pretty much have died if you had gone with us yesterday. The snow condition were pretty tough and the exit trail was thin and chewed up. If you took this set up to Saint Helens this spring, You'd be hating life on the icy top section, doing fine in the perfect spring skiing section in the middle and would be planting face quite a bit in the slushy bottom. This set up, with skins will be real nice to travel across flat lands and up hills. Carrying these skis will be a breeze.
I would call this set up a serious cross country skiing set up but not really beef enough for skiing, i.e., Saint Helens or Adams.

also, this set up would have been the lightest set up I saw on the mountain yesterday. My buddy, the awesome skier, had a system with almost downhill quality boots, full down hill skis, but bindings that would let his heel move for going up and across flats but lock down for the downhill skiing.

Yeah the randonee stuff will have to wait a year or two. Thank you. I don't have a ton of experience skiing anyway. Just gonna get'm and fake it til I make...I guess. Doing this will kinda get me into knowing what direction I want to go with it. Ultimately I just want to be able to get kinda far out there and shoot/camp. Hopefully these will work.