Tell a story

This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
User avatar
greatgt
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:37 am

Tell a story

Post by greatgt » Sat Jun 19, 2021 7:15 am

Were skiing under a canopy of Old Growth Forest....Gigantic bases and on top of the high ridge trees don't grow very high....Looking down we see our destination....A large shallow pond 1200 feet down....through Old growth....large openings and tons of snow....`Our equipment consisted of Cross country skis with pins and floppy leather boots...Telewheels knew infinite areas for exploration and we were here to have a blast...As we hit the lower part of the ski one of Telewheels friends from Stowe did an unimaginable thing....he slipped his skis together and elongated and did a turn we had never seen.....Didn't even know what it was called....but it was an Epiphany....Somewhere around 1980....We were hooked....lined and sunk....Teleking saw the same thing as did Dana....and a couple of others....to say we became fanatics is an under statement.....and now your story.....TM

User avatar
greatgt
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:37 am

Re: Tell a story

Post by greatgt » Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:51 am

Oh well!....anyway we are NOW on the way to wintah!....Yes!!!!! TM



User avatar
Nick BC
Posts: 264
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:04 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Ski style: Free heel Resort/Backcountry
Favorite Skis: Voile Vector BC,Trab Altavia and Hagan Ride 75
Favorite boots: Scarpa TX and T3
Occupation: Retired Community Planner

Re: Tell a story

Post by Nick BC » Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:18 pm

I do enjoy your quirky posts greatgt. As someone who probably started tele around the same time as you, I’m not a great grandad, just a humble grandad, but I’ve offered a bounty for the first grand kid to give us a great grandkid 😀. Both sets of parents looked a bit tense when we ran that up the flagpole, whatever.

I guess my point is, there are many ways to slide down a mountain. Whatever floats your boat. It’s all good, and at 79 years old I’m enjoying my T3’s for the little bit of extra support they give my creaky arthritic knees in XCD skiing.

I’m at the point, after reading all the waxing posts on this site that I’m considering getting some klister to add to the cold waxes I already have, but have never used, and try it on my smooth base Trab Altavias. I ski them with the discontinued TX boots, which actually tour acceptably and the TTS system kicks and glide OK. Can’t wait for next season, aren’t we at the Equinox.?



User avatar
greatgt
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:37 am

Re: Tell a story

Post by greatgt » Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:21 am

Heading toward Winter!....Played golf with Telekid, my son yesterday....He gives me lots of strokes to make the encounter "competitive"....Two on the par fives....one on the par fours....When he gets up two holes he up's the strokes to two on the fives two on the fours and one on the three's....he still wins....You might get the idea he is waaaaay better than me or.....I'm the worst player in The kingdom....Both would be true.....Every time there is a bite in the air I think snow.....have mapped in my mind some cruises up into the Wheelock ridges....Lots of different animals up there and some decent short drops....Been working on one knob and hope to get in about 4-5 hundred verts down the West side...Will see!...TM



User avatar
lowangle al
Posts: 2732
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
Favorite Skis: powder skis
Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.

Re: Tell a story

Post by lowangle al » Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:46 am

It sounds like you may be using double camber golf clubs Gt. It's the gear not the golfer. ;)



User avatar
Woodserson
Posts: 2968
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:25 am
Location: New Hampshire
Ski style: Bumps, trees, steeps and long woodsy XC tours
Occupation: Confused Turn Farmer

Re: Tell a story

Post by Woodserson » Fri Jun 25, 2021 2:16 pm

I was ruined... my back in shambles from ski injuries and seats at work that the company refused to fix and my ass would fall through the seat cushions... my back hurt so bad my wife had to put on my underwear for me in the morning... I had to stop alpine skiing all the slow downs and bumps and all the bending at the waist... I decided to start XC skiing for rehabilitation and to slide on snow... got good at it... started going to down big hills on 55mm waisted skis and NNN boots... realized I was going to get hurt in another way... thought I should step it up a bit... bought some Antarctics and Outtabounds and went to the local ski area... I didn't have any money because I couldn't work because of my back injuries but they had a generous skinning policy so I skinned up and skied down... ate a lot of shit... slammed my knees a lot... hardpack on knees on shoulders on head... Ski patrol tele guy would watch me with lots of concern... kept going... then one day... I linked three turns on this knoll... not a grassy one but a snowy one... three turns back and forth... the feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel... this is what it's like I said... this is what everyone talks about... this is a drug... the feeeeeel it feeeeelssss so gooooooood...

didn't stop can't stop



User avatar
Stephen
Posts: 1451
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:49 am
Location: PNW USA
Ski style: Aspirational Hack
Favorite Skis: Armada Tracer 118 (195), Gamme (210), Ingstad (205), Objective BC (178), Nordica Enforcer 94
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard Advance, Scarpa TX Pro
Occupation: Beyond
6’3” / 191cm — 172# / 78kg, size 47 / 30 mondo

Re: Tell a story

Post by Stephen » Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:23 pm

Careful there, my friend.
You might be morphing into the greatwoods and end up being bad-mouthed by “radical left” elements of the interwebs.

Sorry, my very questionable sense of “humor” couldn’t resist…
:oops:

What is it about that feeeeeeeeling of gliding effortlessly over the snow that just puts a smile on my face?
It’s like the best of being a kid — a sense of freedom and wonder and magic. It’s almost as good as being able to fly.



User avatar
greatgt
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:37 am

Re: Tell a story

Post by greatgt » Sat Jun 26, 2021 7:36 am

Nick if your ever in this part of the world....And....you ski with us....your going to have some pain in your side....Not from the skiing but the laughter!....Tele is just plain fun! Woody, had some wicked home grown....then....lifted several large chunks of wood....then moved big chunks of busted concrete.....Then played golf and horseshoes....Both shoulders separated from something....sciatic shots from my back and all i can do is Brush Hogging....And can't get any physical therapy cause they are all filled up....Damn hope it doesn't take the entire summer to heal....cause those ridges are calling...Why??????? because of the TELE FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! TM



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2510
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Tell a story

Post by fisheater » Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:06 am

For me, I was skiing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula a few times a winter starting in the mid-80’s. Since I was pouring concrete for a living I could be up for a week at time. I started seeing Telemark skiers and I was immediately interested
I was interested, but my buddies and I were primarily interested in skiing the steepest terrain we could find, and mastering that technique. Then sometime in the very early ‘90’s I saw a pair of waxless base Karhu’s in a U.P. ski shop. My head was spinning with the possibilities. However by then we were basically skiing to train for our annual Utah trips. We only skied on piste to get off piste, and it was always steep and deep. We were in our prime, and our rules were simple, keep up or get left behind.
Well, I still had that Telemark interest, and then the 1994 Lilleheimer Olympics occurred. I watched the opening ceremonies and that was it! I had my first Telemark equipment within a month. I spit time between Telemark and Alpine until 2002 when my son was born. I haven’t been back to Utah since 2001. My skiing became much less frequent after my son was born, no more free skiing because I didn’t have time to spend evenings at the ski school. When I did ski it was on Telemark gear. The Great Recession put me on the road for three years, and no winter. Once I was working again in Michigan I bought a pair of S-112, as I’m still a downhiller at heart. I found this site in early 2016, and now I spend more time on skinny skis. It’s not that I don’t still love “the turn”, it’s just what is more available close to home. My local trails are quite fun on a mountain bike, and I enjoy them even more on skis. I still turn as much as I can.
.



User avatar
Franz
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2019 2:05 pm
Location: Maine

Re: Tell a story

Post by Franz » Tue Jun 29, 2021 2:34 pm

My story is similar to Woods'. Alpine skier for 40 years. Then, in 2008 I had my second neck surgery with discs removed and titanium plates put in. So I started cross country skiing and being a down hill skier at heart I had to try turns too.
I haven't been to a resort since. Neck is still holding together.



Post Reply