Serious XCD question about turns

[lowangle al]

Unweighting your skis makes it easier and quicker to get across the fall line and it is followed by a weighting of the skis which will make it easier to flex and turn them. This is more important on xcd type skis than a more downhill oriented ski. The key is to get the edge set and weighted on your new lead ski asap to maintain control. In the amount of time between unweighting and setting the edge of the new lead ski is where control is lost. The more you unweight the skis the more commited you need to be to set the edge of the new lead ski. The important thing to keep in mind is " get MORE edge EARLIER in the turn."

I would practice weighted and unweighted turns focusing on how soon you can weight the new lead ski. Generally speaking on xcd skis you will need more speed to get them to turn when not unweighting.

To speed up the learning curve use the shortest skis you have ( maybe your wife's ) even if you think they are way too short. Also a ski with a smooth base will be easier to turn at lower speed than a waxless ski because of the drag created by the patterned base.

[MikeK]

Thanks Al - those sound like things I do need to work on.

It's always something simple, sometimes just a matter of figuring out what your flaws are and working on them. This is why I agree skiing with someone with a lot of experience would help because they would probably easily point it out.

I had lots of small bumps along the way in Alpine skiing and it took a while but eventually someone showed me something that clicked and I kind of broke out of the rut I was in.

[Teleman]

Mike Telekid and I skied today....Took some shots of him on e99's....When they go up some of the things you are questioning should reveal themselves....Conditions were variable like CIMA says....causing different techniques to reveal themselves.....If your ever over this way....but....you gotta bring beer.....no Ron dumping....anything else is open....Conditions are what they are....You will see....I know your a math typer....some of the KTB's are also....Some can't add 1+1....(Me)....Sorry if I prattle...and SB, did see him in Couloir or Backcountry Mag years ago....but his book....nope....Did get the Telemark Movie about a million years ago and that was good for that time....but people transition into other stuff over the years....read Parker a zillion years back....but he headed to plastic...parallel...mondo skis....He is part of the mist of time....We continue and HAVE A BLAST and remember Teleking Telekid and on and on the emphasis is about 100% tele...It ain't parallel....TM

[MikeK]

Teleman. I actually, believe it or not, meant no disrespect to you. Maybe SBs book has me brainwashed, but a lot what you say resonates with me, and is how I try to, and want to ski.

I don't know that I'll find you boys out in the woods - seems like I'd have a difficult time hunting you down. I'll definitely go ski with Johnny. He's a maniac but he also seems pretty understanding. I doubt he'd poke fun of me too much and probably would help me out a lot.

If you guys ever make it out of Vermont I'd meet you half way in the Adirondacks. We could tour around on some trails and then shoot off up in the trees where it looks open. It isn't half bad... I bet you'd have fun. After all the Adirondack park is roughly the size of VT, and well like I always say half of that is public land... so there's no shortage of places to go. It doesn't always work out to be the best, but it's fun to explore.

If I lived closer I'd probably check out VT - it's just the Adirondacks are right in the way and I always stop there. Can't help myself!

As for Ron, he gets back what he puts out... that's never changed. If he was smart he'd drop what he's doing out in Idaho and stay out in VT for the winter. I bet he'd have a lot more fun and be a lot happier. I'm sure he has family in ID that are holding him back, but he could always go back for the summer. He really does identify with you guys so I'm not sure what's stopping him - plus you guys have tons of terrain to ski and it doesn't cost you a dime.

[lowangle al]

Hey Tman I have a lot of respect for you and your Vermont crew. I saw you guys ski in the mid 80's and it opened my eyes to what was even possible on the gear of that day. ( I'm pretty sure it was you guys because from the recent pictures I've seen you are still wearing the same attire. )

I can understand wanting to ski light gear, I skied it almost exclusivly until 10 years ago. The thing I don't get is sticking with double camber skis, long poles and not using a light cable binding. As I've gotten older with bad knees, shoulders and back, I don't have what it takes(mentally) to commit to the speed needed to make the gear work in most of the off trail condition that I encounter.

It's all good as long as you are having fun and stay safe. I hope your back is feeling better.

[CIMA]

Unweighting or weighting would be applicable only to the techniques for skiing on consolidated snow. For skiing in powder there would need some different terms to be used.

On consolidated snow I don't weight/unweight actively. Instead I check momentum (decelerating force?) caused by turns and initiate next turn when the momentum reaches a maximum. I try to switch as smoothly as possible. No jumps or crouching.

In powder I check buoyance sensed from my leading ski. As with the case of consolidated snow above, I initiate next turn when the buoyance reaches a maximum. Transition should be smooth as well. My body works like suspension to absorb that buoyance as much as possible. No stomping on it. I don't take a jumping action seen in an alpine-ski technique.

[Teleman]

Telerock has a cabin North and West of Iceface.....Little 1-2 hundred foot drops to the lake....Beaver keep the hills open for fun shots....We burned up ALL his wood....Got a little carried away....heh....When he gets some more we will force him to let us go over.....Really nice touring over there....TM

[Teleman]

Back in the 80's Low angle....Teleking would have been on some Tua Extremes.....Probably at a Biff Fest! Good times...Generally we were on 99's and seems like everybody had lots of fun....Thinking if nobody shows up....gonna head up to the Highlands and surface cruise into the forest...See if anything is moving about...TM

[MikeK]

Geez... I wouldn't let a little thing like wood stop you. There's tons of firewood for sale in Adirondacks. Any one of you guys got a p/up?

Also, no offense, but I wouldn't limit yourself to his cabin. So much land to explore. Pack a few beers and a sandwich and head out along a trail. You'll find something cool. Doubt you'll see a moose though... I'm still lookin', haven't seen one yet. Coyotes, fox, deer, owls - that's what I usually see, they are hard to spot but out there... lots of land for them to cover.

I go into full vagabond redneck mode when I get into the Adirondacks. I always have a few beers in my car, misc gear strewn about in no sort of order, and I usually stink to high hell. In fact I think my ski jacket is only being held together by stink particles... it would probably disintegrate if I washed it. I'm an obvious flatlander but I get along with the locals; some have even befriended me. Adirondack folk are a strange breed... libertarian or conservative as all fuck unless you are Saranac lake, that place is a little bit liberal. Don't bring any VT politics with you... leave that at home. Don't expect anything fancy unless you go to Placid - most of the park is pretty low brow, and it's better that way... dirty and kinda rough around the edges.

I recommend getting into the central parts down south of the High Peaks. Absolutely stunning, rugged, and remote. The northwest is flat and ridiculously remote, there's almost nothing there. The farther south you get, the more like central ny it gets - more NY redneck. The mountains are smaller for the most part but the forests are vast. Towns are small, poor, and undeveloped yet fairly regularly spaced. Lake George is a mess, I've never been in the summer but in the winter, fall or spring it's a really amazing area. Tons of history, vast, open hardwood forests yet with tons of glacial erratics. It's great territory for bushwacking, but on skis it could be a challenge. I've never skied that far south - would love to but it's hard to catch it when they have enough snow. Head back west and it's lowland, steep but small ridges, some rolling hills - lots of lakes and small ponds. This is the area I'm most familiar with and they usually get a good amount of early season snow from lake Ontario. It's also the closest to me (farthest from VT) so that's why I get there often, or drive through. It still has the same character as the rest of the Adirondack dome but on a smaller scale.

[Teleman]

He is in a place with a zillion lakes....We toured up a three thousand footer a while back over there, twas fun!...We ski lots!!!!!! Sooo going over there is for rest and relaxation....A nice cruise.....a few good arcs....Beer time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fire time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Laugh time................Story telling time...................TM