A friend recommended this website a few years ago. I checked it out and never stopped coming back for more.
www.telemarktips.com
Saturday, January 2, 2010
My tele skis over the last 15 years
I can't say having the latest gear is very important to me but I wanted to record, for posterity, the progression of Telemark ski equipment I've had in the last decade (or so). I've gone mainly with used equipment (except my lifelink poles) so my gear started as antique and presently is modern-ish.
My free riding snowboarding days were winding down and I was looking for something new on the mountain. Something I could learn as my daughter learned to ski. Having a little classic x-country and skate ski experience over the years I figured why not Telemark.
My first set of skis were the Karhu XCD (which I still have). They have three pin bindings and some nice leather ankle boots. Believe it or not, I scraped and fell down the course in a valiant effort to help prepare for the World Telemark Championships (1996 I think). I've mostly stored these but am thinking of bringing them out for gentle touring outings. With some gators it's a pretty comfy setup and I do have some skinny skins to fit them.
Next I found some newer Karhu's at Wilde Willies bargain bin. They are lime green and I suited up with some Crispi leather three buckle boots in combination with Super Loop bindings -that I really quite like. These skis were my introduction to full mountain Telemark days. I'll never forget hitting the powder in the back bowls of Whistler in these skis and wondering why I even bothered to skin up. The wobble factor was high as I remember attempting anything but soft machine groomed runs was way beyond my ability. These sticks at 215 long were still quite a challenge. About 2006 they snapped on Grouse Mountain and my nascent love for Telemark was about to become a full blown romance.
The next skis were Vokel Mountain Rangers. These are soft but shaped skis. They came with skins and some more Super Loop bindings. With a little wax and edge sharpening I suddenly realized why downhill skis were no longer straight slalom sticks. I was edging and carving down the hill like never before, even compared to my old Nitro hard boot snowboard setup. I skiied with these skis primarily at Grouse Mountain and on one fantastic day at Diamond Head in 30 cm of new snow. Now I understand.
Last year I picked up some used Atomic TMX skis with more life in them. A little heavier than the Vokel's but also a little wider, more shaped and with a Vancouver Ski and Snowboard tune-up they are the best yet. On ice, hard pack, powder I feel pretty much unstoppable. I also found some Garmont three buckle plastic boots on Craigslist so it was the skis and boots together I have to credit for my current enthusiasm for the sport.
My free riding snowboarding days were winding down and I was looking for something new on the mountain. Something I could learn as my daughter learned to ski. Having a little classic x-country and skate ski experience over the years I figured why not Telemark.
My first set of skis were the Karhu XCD (which I still have). They have three pin bindings and some nice leather ankle boots. Believe it or not, I scraped and fell down the course in a valiant effort to help prepare for the World Telemark Championships (1996 I think). I've mostly stored these but am thinking of bringing them out for gentle touring outings. With some gators it's a pretty comfy setup and I do have some skinny skins to fit them.
Next I found some newer Karhu's at Wilde Willies bargain bin. They are lime green and I suited up with some Crispi leather three buckle boots in combination with Super Loop bindings -that I really quite like. These skis were my introduction to full mountain Telemark days. I'll never forget hitting the powder in the back bowls of Whistler in these skis and wondering why I even bothered to skin up. The wobble factor was high as I remember attempting anything but soft machine groomed runs was way beyond my ability. These sticks at 215 long were still quite a challenge. About 2006 they snapped on Grouse Mountain and my nascent love for Telemark was about to become a full blown romance.
The next skis were Vokel Mountain Rangers. These are soft but shaped skis. They came with skins and some more Super Loop bindings. With a little wax and edge sharpening I suddenly realized why downhill skis were no longer straight slalom sticks. I was edging and carving down the hill like never before, even compared to my old Nitro hard boot snowboard setup. I skiied with these skis primarily at Grouse Mountain and on one fantastic day at Diamond Head in 30 cm of new snow. Now I understand.
Last year I picked up some used Atomic TMX skis with more life in them. A little heavier than the Vokel's but also a little wider, more shaped and with a Vancouver Ski and Snowboard tune-up they are the best yet. On ice, hard pack, powder I feel pretty much unstoppable. I also found some Garmont three buckle plastic boots on Craigslist so it was the skis and boots together I have to credit for my current enthusiasm for the sport.
Why Mt Baldy?
A few months ago I committed to my wife and daughter to take a vacation. Oliver, BC was a natural choice since we could stay for free and visit with my 100 year old grandfather living there. Also we had Mt Baldy at our back door for family skiing and Apex Mountain not far off. So after Christmas in Vancouver Grandpa Jack need a lift home so I packed my two pairs of Tele skis, the family gear, picked up Grandpa and off we went.
Really, it never is that easy to leave home. We acutally missed the 930 and 1030 ferries, stopped at Sport Chek for Wilde's new helmut since the old one shrunk and were 2.5 hrs late picking up Grandpa in Delta, BC. He was patiently waiting by the door with his coat on, probably for the last 2.5 hrs.
The drive was great, no snow. The next day we rose late, puttered and made Mt. Baldy for 215pm. They acutally sell last hour lift tickets for $12 so can say we skiied that day. We got up Sugar Lump and the Baldy lift once each. Skied the glades, assessed the packed powder. Life was good.
It's not a big mountain, but it's local and a laid way back family place.
Really, it never is that easy to leave home. We acutally missed the 930 and 1030 ferries, stopped at Sport Chek for Wilde's new helmut since the old one shrunk and were 2.5 hrs late picking up Grandpa in Delta, BC. He was patiently waiting by the door with his coat on, probably for the last 2.5 hrs.
The drive was great, no snow. The next day we rose late, puttered and made Mt. Baldy for 215pm. They acutally sell last hour lift tickets for $12 so can say we skiied that day. We got up Sugar Lump and the Baldy lift once each. Skied the glades, assessed the packed powder. Life was good.
It's not a big mountain, but it's local and a laid way back family place.
Intro to Mount Baldy, BC
Champaign powder at mount baldy today. "the genuine thing" according to the sign painted on the two mountain ops trucks. No snow making here. Funny. No ice on the hill either. Never waited for a lift once although there are only two lifts.A bit freaky having chairs without bubbles around them and that are permenantly attached to the cable with a splice - can that kind of old technology be trusted? Metal girder towers that aren't even filled with concrete so "ice jacking" is only what you do to Johnny walker at the end of the day. Anyway Wilde has no idea what a great place it is so we drag her kicking to the hill. But once she's knee deep in powder under blue sky and above the clouds the magic spell is woven and we have lunch in the glades.
Test new skins on baldy
Left early this morning by myself to skin up and take a run on baldy today. It was Wilde's rest day so she could tobaggan in Oliver. I drove up getting first tracks in. The van was the first car in the parking lot at 830. The locals are pretty relaxed given that it snowed all night. I guess first tracks happen at noon as much as any other time of day. I wanted to test out my skins for my main set of skis. So I headed up to the top of Sugar Lump in time to say good morning to the lifty as he opened the hut on top.
From there I blundered through the woods and up the glades wondering if enough skiers reached the area each season to scare off cougars. I didn't see any tracks bigger than a lot of rabbits and one other old ski track. I thought the ski track might be a good route to the ridge so I followed it for a while until a second thought arrived - what if the track actually headed out to some far off base camp on the next mountain?
So I doubled back and kept the lift in sight. Three hours after starting I took off the skins on the south ridge, checked in with home and then buckled down for some fresh tracks through the glades in another twenty minutes at the van again I called it a day. I did see two other skiers a boarder and one lifty on my adventure but bu must have missed a few since the parking lot was full (50 cars at least in the not to big lot). I won't edit since the screen is covered in snow and the track ball is wet now. Later Rod
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