Tt.com: Hey
John, welcome to Telemarktips.com...so Rock and Roller by night
and granola eating teleskier by day, how'd that come about? How
did you find out about this sport and get started? How long have
you been backcountry skiing?
JD: I can't
say that granola is my favorite, more like bagels & cream
cheese. I blame my wine & beer swilling friends for getting
me into this calming/extreme sport. I started, like most, on
the old fashion nordic skis. At first I used Rossignol's (from
a yard sale) & then the waxless Karhu's with three pin bindings
and ankle high (ankle busting) boots that were more like shoes.
That lasted maybe five runs on my first short season, about four
years ago.
Tt.com: Isn't
it kind of hard to get up early and make the alpine start on
a powder morning? I mean your career has gotta keep you up way
late.
JD: I've got
three words for all who might find themselves in this situation:
MIND OVER MATTER (and once you're up on top; it doesn't matter).
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Tt.com:
Yeah, the mind thing is key but so is Red Bull. Ever give that
a try?
JD: Red Bull
is the shit! Even though you can overdose, trust me, it's the
best for driving. No rock tour or movie set is ever without it.
It also goes well with Capt. Morgan (both the up & the psychedelic--
woooo-wee)
Tt.com: I prefer
Ketel One, Tt.com runs on it and RB on the rocks. What kind of
boots and skis have you been using? |
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JD: Borrowed,
beat-to-shit Merrill Super-comps (thanks Steve) and military
surplus Powder Plus skis with SuperLoop bindings (got them for
the bindings & strap-on skins; thanks Ed).
Tt.com: Ah yes
the infamous Powder Plus. Well, you did at least get some good
bindings and skis to beat up. We'll get you on some better skis
this season ...any thing you especially want in new skis?
JD: Although
I've been very satisfied with the Powder Plus, I'm looking for
skis with more shape for better carving and with more surface
area (fatter). Something softer and lighter. The Powder Plus
skis were a great deal and will still be used when the rocks
poke out of the early and late season powder.
Tt.com: Have
you ever gone and skied some lift served or are you getting it
going exclusively in the backcountry?
JD: I went to
Mountain High Resort (yikes what bad music) after doing Mt. Pinos
backcountry several times. I have to cop to the fact that I don't
use tele-turns exclusively. I'm learning and getting better,
but when it gets tight I'll switch to parallel. Downhill areas
are invaluable for me to work on turns, I can do so many more
in a much shorter time.
Tt.com: Yeah
and I find it just plain fun sometimes. Have the boys been dragging
you around and letting you flounder or have they helped you out
much?
JD: I think
it's mandatory to drag around & let the "new guy"
flounder. Otherwise, there would be too much humor lost. At some
undetermined point they take pity on me & drop some pearls
before swine, it's hard to say who's the swine in this case.
Tt.com: Have
they gotten you lost yet?
JD: Not brutally
lost with the group. But "does anybody really know what
time it is?, does anybody really care?" There was one occasion
where two of us (both novices in trail knowledge; thanks Kirk)
got hopelessly lost, kept working our way down and, well, the
rest is embarrassing, I don't want to talk about it and we got
out, obviously, since I'm doing this interview. And aren't the
most screwed up runs down the mountain the ones you talk about
most?
Tt.com: A special
part of backcountry skiing at our home mountain has always been
the after-ski Saturday night jam sessions. So, tell us....how
painful is it for you? Ever jump in?
JD: Not painful
at all, 'cause I'm usually hangin' out with the women. I have
jumped in on percussion or maybe once on drums, I was pretty
lit so I don't really recall.
Tt.com: Do you
have any goals for this season?
JD: New equipment
! ! I want better gear. I already have new boots, Scarpa T-2s
and I want some new skis like we talked about. . .
Tt.com: Yeah,
I think we have some skis in mind for you...How about ski
goals? Or destinations, I mean I'm sure Ed would volunteer to
get us lost again on a trip out to Pear Lake Hut this winter.
Would you be up for a little multi-day backcountry trip? Ed's
not too great on the pathfinding but he's a helluva cook!
JD: Yo bro don't
you be dissin' my homie Ed. He's never gotten us lost on Pinos
& mighty fine vittels. We had a hellacious 10 mile ALL uphill
to Glacier Point last year but a great snow camp. I must admit
that I'm not all that savy on overnighters. Gimme some options.
Tt.com: Naw,
I love Ed, best ski partner a guy could ever want to have, he
showed me the first tele turn I ever saw! I have just never let
him forget our epic journey and little unplanned side trip on
the way to Pear Lake, way back when we were raw newbies. None
of us had a clue actually. It was an awesome trip though, with
a foot or two of fresh falling each night. I think you'd like
that place. John, now that you have been doing this awhile, what
aspect of backcountry skiing have you enjoyed the most?
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JD: I defy anyone
to find a better sight that topping the hill when the sun is
coming up or making first tracks in 6 to 8 inches of fresh powder.
Plus there's no bad music!
Tt.com: Are
you into any other outdoor type stuff?
JD: At the risk
of sounding like a Playmate of the Month, hiking and horseback
riding. |
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Tt.com: OK,
I've got to ask a couple of music questions....how is your solo
project The John Doe Thing going? You toured last year with the
Wallflowers, how was that? Matt said he saw you play an "X"
band show recently and he said it went totally off, that it was
the best show he'd ever seen you guys do in all the years he's
been a fan. Any possibility of an "X" national tour
or a new recording?
JD: Recently
I've recorded a more acoustic sound with Joe Henry co-producing
which is currently being "shopped". I toured as a solo
act with the Wallflowers. Now that!, was daunting. All the audience
wanted to hear, even from them, was "One Headlight".
Luckily I have a few songs with the word "fuck" in
them and since we played to a college crowd and that was new
to them, they loved it. X plays about 15 shows a year, mostly
on the west coast. Rhino has just re-issued the first three records;
Los Angeles, Wild Gift and Under the Big Black Sun. All have
been re-mastered with bonus tracks and expanded booklets. New
recordings and or a national tour seem doubtful.
Tt.com: Now,
back to the really important stuff: What is your prediction for
the coming season at our backcountry home mountain?
JD: My personal,
very connected, newly polished crystal ball says: HUUUGGE!!
Tt.com: Thanks
John, hopefully that crystal ball shows a well plowed road and
a wide open snow gate. We'll check back with you this season
to get a progress report on how that new gear is working, especially
those new boots and skis, if you don't mind...
JD: As for that
well plowed road, our 1968, 1&1/4 ton, 4x4, Navy surplus
Jeep pick-up is tuned & ready to rumble. We just need to
get up past the gate the night before the baddies close it! You
can take the pics and post 'em during the season.
Visit John's website: thejohndoething.com