The boys who's names you see on these pages: Matt, Mitch,
Neil and John, getting ready for the hike back to Saddlebag Lake,
Tioga Pass, California, just another Sierra spring day a couple
of years ago.
Ski Where You Can, When You Can
A holdover from the dark, unwashed, gorp eating
days of tele skiing is the dogma that puts forth the idea that
telemark skiing at a ski area is for "practice" only.
This absurd notion is still bandied about, mostly by newbies
who somehow feel that to admit to having fun making so-called
un-earned turns is not acceptable. Or perhaps it is a way for
some skiers to feel more unique, or heck, I don't know, I'm not
a psychologist!
The truth is that I have never met a single
telemark skier who would say that they prefer a day at the resort
to a day in the backcountry. I would not go so far as to say
that the worst day in the BC is better than the best day at the
resort, that would just not be true. Take a look at the pictures
on this site in Photogallery 2 to see what my best resort day
was like and I think you would have to agree with me on this
point. The fact does remain though, that for most all of us,
our best memories are of killer BC days with the ski partners.
Or maybe even solo! (not recommended).
Still, I believe in skiing where I can, when
I can. If the local backcountry is going off and it is safe,
than that is where I want to be, if not than I want to be skiing
somewhere, and that means our local resort. I make no apologies
for the fact that I have a good time hanging out with the buds
and schralping the familiar runs. Blasting down the mountain
at high speed or popping short turns until you feel like you
are going to drop is just plain fun, and fun is what telemark
is all about isn't it?
Sure, telemark skiing is also about getting
out and enjoying mother nature's bountiful beauty. Climbing and
challenging oneself, utilizing the gear to get out and away from
the crowds, going just about anywhere you want to go in the mountains.
These are great reasons to learn to telemark and probably why
most of us got involved with the sport. The two aspects of tele'ing
are not mutually exclusive though.
I know some telemark skiers who just won't
ski at a local resort. They sit and wait for the snow to come.
Sometimes they wait a very long time. Consequently they don't
get very many days in and over the past decade they have not
improved much, still double and triple pole planting, searching
for that elusive balance. Pounding the vertical and gaining confidence
is just what they need, and I am not talking just about practice
here, it is good old phat fun!
Ski where you can, when you can and don't
let anybody dog you for it. It sure beats not skiing, and you
will be that much better prepared when you get to the backcountry!
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