[Scott Johnston]

Thanks for writing in with your question.  Steep booting (on 50-100% grades)  is bio-mechanically different than running even on moderately steep trails (20-30% grade).  Steep booting is like climbing a set of steep stairs except that sometimes the steps give way under your weight.   Combine the steepness with the fact that you have skis on your pack and you are making a good case for getting stronger legs.

I would do a focused max strength training block of 8 weeks doing box step-ups with a heavy load.  Something like 6 sets of 4 reps that start at 75% of 1RM and build to 90% of 1RM for the last 3 sets when reps drop to 2-3.

Then move to an ME phase where you use a stairmaster machine with will closely mimic the steepness of your typical boot pack.  Use a weight that gives a mild burn. Hold that effort for a minimum of 30min and try to work up to 60minutes.

This will give you a much faster booting speed.

Scott