I'm done skiing: Year end report

[MikeK]

Whilst others continue to argue on about plastic boots v leather and such, my mind has turned elsewhere.

I was in the South-western Adirondacks this weekend for my first spring backpacking trip. It was fantastic! The snow is all but gone at this latitude and elevation except on some north-facing slopes, or at resorts where they have packed and added to their snowpack.

It's really a wonderful time of a transition. The trails are a combination of rotten snow, ice and mud with bridges of dry. It's still a great time to be outside as the daytime temps have been in the 60s! I got my first bit of sunburn drinking a beer on the shore of a backcountry pond - from now on I'll be applying spf 50 to my delicate northern European skin... skin cancer runs in the family. People complain here in NY about lack of sun and whatever. I have no idea what the fuck they are talking about. I spent so many beautiful weekends and days outside this ski season I can't relate. If I didn't have to work it would have been double or triple that!

I ended up skiing 28 days this year, all on natural snow, and only 2 of those on groomed terrain. I could have easily been in the 30-40 range but I was lazy through much of February. It wasn't much by ski bum or internet forum bragging standards, but I had a lot of fun, and it was the most I've ever done, Nordic or Alpine. Even with a season pass for a resort I doubt I used to get more than 15-20 days. In past years it's been more like 5-10. Last year was probably in 20's (didn't count) but I was cut short by a health issue. So anyway, I'm ramping up - and learning more and more as I go, and more important to me, I'm getting this time where I want to be getting it: out in the woods.

So what did I learn... well I have learned through this whole thing to listen carefully to others and to yourself, it's easy to get swayed in a direction that doesn't have any bearing on what you are doing. It's also easy to get in over your head and get discouraged. So it's a lot of patience. This year I learned a lot about the spectrum XCD skis just by buying and trying as much as I could. The options to demo this stuff are limited here, so you just have to bite the bullet and go for it. Overall for touring in the Adirondacks, I think too much emphasis is put on DH aspects. It's great to have gear that is focused for that and to work on that too, but a lot of it is overkill for long, rolling, rugged touring, and not every skier will feel comfortable on the same setup. Some will favor speed, other control.

Also I'd say people put telemark on too much of pedestal. It's hard, especially in certain conditions and with certain ski combinations, but it's not the impossibility that some people project. It's also not something I'd say you are ever going to master in a short time. Thing is for skiing mellower stuff it doesn't matter... don't go that fast through the trees and if you bite it, in most conditions, it's not bad. I'd say you are more likely to get hurt at a resort than puttering around in the backcountry, at least here in the east and if you don't try to ski anything too much beyond your skill level.

Overall being on free heels and using light, metal edge skis gives you the freedom to explore all sorts of stuff, be it ski/bike/hike trails, fields and meadows, glades, or just bushwacking through the forest. They really do bring you back to the roots of skiing IMO, and that's what I love about it. It's simple and devoid of all the bullshit that comes along with resorts and/or racing/competitions.

I don't have an exact quote but I recall reading somewhere where Otto Schniebs mentioned something about feeling like skiing had died or at least been compromised when the lifts started being built. For him skiing was as much about climbing the mountain and/or getting there as was the descent. IIRC it was something to the effect that the descent was merely a privilege you got for climbing a mountain with skis, and only the best skiers could do such a thing. I feel like that greatness is gone. Ski mountaineering is dead. All you need is money, a little bit of alpine ski training, and a free pivot. Real xc skiing is dead. It's all about going fast on a track and figuring out the wax du jour.

I'm so glad there is a small group of people enjoying and keeping the real spirit, IMO, of skiing alive. Those that take their xc skis away from the groomed track. Those that climb to enjoy the descent. Telemark, or more generally, free heel skiing is at the core of that. So embrace it, and share it, and keep it alive.

[CIMA]

Overall being on free heels and using light, metal edge skis gives you the freedom to explore all sorts of stuff, be it ski/bike/hike trails, fields and meadows, glades, or just bushwacking through the forest. They really do bring you back to the roots of skiing IMO, and that's what I love about it. It's simple and devoid of all the bullshit that comes along with resorts and/or racing/competitions.

I don't have an exact quote but I recall reading somewhere where Otto Schniebs mentioned something about feeling like skiing had died or at least been compromised when the lifts started being built. For him skiing was as much about climbing the mountain and/or getting there as was the descent. IIRC it was something to the effect that the descent was merely a privilege you got for climbing a mountain with skis, and only the best skiers could do such a thing. I feel like that greatness is gone. Ski mountaineering is dead. All you need is money, a little bit of alpine ski training, and a free pivot. Real xc skiing is dead. It's all about going fast on a track and figuring out the wax du jour.

I couldn't agree with you more, MikeK.
Earn your turns and liberate your mind from materialistic greed, that's it.

I wish I could invite you over here.
Spring ski season has just started.

[merak]

It's all about loving to be in the mountains and wilderness. All the rest are side effects - skiing, rock climbing, mountaineering in general. It's very easy to forget the main purpose and get lost in details.
I'm a lonely bear, myself, sniffing the morning air and decide whether to go for it or not. I don't like planning and statistics. I don't care about telemark as a ski style but I love the 3-pin binding.

[Johnny]

I won't do my 180 days this season, blame my old knees and stupid house work... Probably more like 150-160... My friend from Montreal, who doesn't have a car and only does 'urban' XC skiing has already more days of skiing than me...

As I said, for me skiing is just an excuse to play outside and meditate in the woods. The ski or downhill aspect doesn't matter much to me when I'm XCDing... I'm just being one with nature and mountains, and I get to ski powder when I reach the top as a bonus...

something about feeling like skiing had died or at least been compromised when the lifts started being built. Ski mountaineering is dead. All you need is money, a little bit of alpine ski training, and a free pivot. Real xc skiing is dead. It's all about going fast on a track and figuring out the wax du jour.

Life's what we make it my friend. It's not dead as long as you're doing it. If they need money and free pivot, good for them...! You don't have to... Just do what you like and suddenly it's alive! It doesn't matter if they'll never get it, as long as you keep it alive and cool... Glad you had a lot of fun and shared your passion with us!

[Johnny]

I wish I could invite you over here.

Please do!!!

[lowangle al]

I got in the least amount of ski days this year than I have in the last 25 years but the quality of them made up for it. Due to it being a low snow year I spent a lot more time in the alpine on 25 to 35 degree slopes than I normaly do and was almost always able to find good snow even when it didn't seem likely when starting out on a tour.

Some highlights of the season were seeing my wife turn into more of a turn hunter, willing to stick it out for as many laps as me. (thanks to the vectors)

A run in we had with a moose that turned out was uneventful, but at the time was scary and made for a memorable day.

I went out for a tour on my xcd-gts one day not expecting to find good snow for turning due to a muti day wind event. I was checking out some meadows I ski to see what still had snow and what was blown off, when I came to a cross loaded gulley of about 30 degrees that I have skied in the past that didn't look too bad. Had I been on any other ski that day I probably would have skied it. So I passed on it and continued on and about a half hour later I looked up at the gulley and there were 3 skiers digging a pit at the bottom off to the side. They remotely trigged a slide that swept them off their feet and took their skies and gear with it. I watched for a while and nobody was hurt but my friend who came by almost an hour later said they were still looking for gear. This gulley is only about 30 yards long and 100 yards wide and I always thought of it as a low consequence spot if you got caught, but with a 3 foot crown and it running over exposed rock it may have ended bad for me.

Spring corn season is just starting here and there is still lots of snow up high but because of work I'm just about done. I am thankful for not have any injuries this year and am hopeful for a lot of snow next season.

[MikeK]

I am thankful for not have any injuries this year and am hopeful for a lot of snow next season.

I'll drink to that.

I'm hoping to ski as many days as I am old next year, 35. I may do like 4-5 at a resort to get some telly practice though.