My telemark story

[Jestocost]

Hi everybody.
I just want to share my telemark story.

I skied downhill for 28 years and loved it. They in the late 90's, I watched a Roger Miller film while skiing in Yosemite,
It changed my life. There were three skiers, a snowboarder, an alpine skier and a Telemarker. They were skiing impossibly steep slopes but I was fascinated.

The next day, when we went to the ski area, I rented a set of telemark skis and hit the slopes.
The top of the bunny hill looked like Everest to me. I didn't know how to turn and it took me almost an hour that I could have done in 5 minutes on Alpine skis.

I was so hooked that I only tied Alpine skis one time in the intervening years. I rented a pair in Utah, skied for half a day and turned them back in to use my tele skis.

Part of my journey was skiing at Mt High in So Cal. I met Mitch Weber.
He became my guru.
I took many lessons from him at Mt High and Big Bear and even climbed MT Baden Powel with him and skied down (one of the best experiences of my life).

I lost track of Mitch when he moved to Mammoth but kept on skiing.
In fact, it was at Mammoth that I had a telemark epiphany and finally got into deep turns.

This went on for many years and I took my wife out and introduced her to skiing (but not tele).

But, alas, age and a hard life caught up with me.
Back surgery and knee replacement put an end to my skiing.
I also seemed to lose my sense of balance after contracting Covid a couple of times.
Getting old sucks. The alternative sucks even worse.

Keep skiing, it makes your life so much better.

[phoenix]

Solid post Jestocost, and welcome. Shows your kinship with the community for you to want to be a part even is not on skis. A number of us here were members on Mitch's forum back then. Hope you enjoy being here.
(And just for amusement: I think you saw a Warren Miller ski movie; Roger Miller was the guy who sung that old song "King of the Road" in the 60's!)

[Manney]

The loss of balance is unfortunate… the rest is the result of an active life. Many ppl won’t ever get to experience what you have… your gain is a loss they’ll never feel. Count yourself among the lucky.

Do try to keep at least one pair of skis in your collection. Hang them on the wall as monument to good memories… or stick them under a bed. They will stir good memories after your current feelings fade.