@just jane Perfect.
So first - misspoke a bit on the Traces. They didn't change, Powder7 just had inaccurate info. They're still around 1400g per ski, not 1250.
In terms of width, I'm assuming you're in CO based on your trip info. I think that mid-90s to mid-100s is a really well rounded touring ski for that zone. (I'm in WA, and tend to recommend 98+ around here, but our snow is cement-y-er and terrain is a lot of steep trees. It's hard to get a ton of speed, so we need all the help we can get to get our skis to plane).
Also, in terms of demoing, I'm a huge fan of Evo's 365+1 return policy. You can always snatch something up and wait to mount it til you see if you get the chance to test it out.
You mentioned your inbound skis being 88, so the other consideration is whether you want this ski to come out on any resort powder days.
- Armada Trace 98: Is it a freeride ski or a 50/50 ski? The Trace really skirts the line. Blister called this model the best place to start for beginner tourers with absolutely no clue what they want. They're intuitive to get used to, and also fairly forgiving. Heavy enough that there's no adjustment process coming from a resort ski. Deep rocker lines make it float well for its width. Holds an edge well. If you want a ski that can do resort duties on powder days, this is a great ski to narrow in on.
- Atomic Backland 98 / 100 (same ski, skis get wider with each length): These have an incredible reputation for stability at their weight. I've heard from several sources that they're not the most compliant when you're shifted into the backseat, but as long as you're leaned forward, they're easy to bend into carves or slide into surfy, pivot-y turns. They have a cap-wall hybrid construction, where there's some sidewall underfoot to help with torsional stability and edge hold, but the cap portion keeps weight reasonable. Atomic launched these last year and seems to have overforecasted. (Their old women's 102 was a mega hot seller, but also had a $499 MSRP). There's a lot of last year's units on the market on sale, and the new 2022 topsheet seems to be in healthy stock most places. (They delivered pretty early in late summer).
- Faction Agent 2.0X: Fairly similar story to the Backland, but ~100-150g heavier. Most of the Agent line gets a pretty burly reputation, but Faction scales the Agent pretty dramatically. (A 180 Agent is going to be a lot stiffer, more rearwardly mounted, and have a longer turn radius than a similar sizes Line Pandora/Sick Day. But at a 155, they're fairly similar). These are mounted a smidgen further back than its peers, so I imagine it's similar to the Backland where it's not the easiest to steer from the backseat, but otherwise pretty compliant.
- K2 TalkBack 96: Similar weight to the Backland, but easier to ski, and more intuitive and forgiving like the Trace. Semi cap construction.
- Moment Sierra Tour: In that 1400g ballpark like the Trace. Mounted closer to center (-5cm) and full twin tip and deep rocker lines, so these are going to be very surfy and pivot-y. I'd consider them the closest thing to a touring-specific Sheeva. If you want to feel confident in trees, these things turn on a dime. Also really nice for feeling in control on challenging and unfamiliar terrain, knowing that you've got top notch maneuverability.
- Santa Ana 93 Unlimited: Around 1300g, so if you're not sure if you want something that's the Trace/Agent weight or something the Backland/Talkback weight, this splits the difference. Middle of the road mount point, middle of the road rocker depth.
- DPS Pagoda Tour 100: Caveat, these are mad expensive. But they're extremely light and very stable for how little they weigh. Insane amount of rocker and a very tight sidecut, which means the ski is super maneuverable. I have a heavier (50/50 ski sort of weight), older version from Craigslist, and I'm very impressed how easy they are to ski, but unlike a lot of approachable skis, I've never found their top end when I ski them aggressively.
There are a few others from Volkl, Black Diamond, Voile, and G3, but some of them are full cap construction and a number of them lack any good comprehensive reviews or stats. But I'm happy to dig into more if something here isn't jumping out or if one of those has been recommended.