“If I ever take you to the best lines, you’ll have to be blindfolded and taken in by snowmobile,” my friend Ann told me. We were up on the Grand Mesa in Western Colorado and she was teaching me to backcountry ski. If you’re a reader of The Brave Ski Mom, you may recall that […]
Telemark Skiing
Ski Pioneer: Backcountry “Fun” at One of Colorado’s Lost Ski Areas
A Bit Of Skiing History In 1939, Colorado’s first overhead chairlift was installed at Pioneer Ski Area. The chairlift was constructed from an old mining tram and held 30 single chairs made from ore bucket harnesses along 6100 feet of cable. Christened “The Comet,”, the chairlift provided access to runs such as The Big Dipper, […]
Celebrating the “Free Heel Life” at Powderhorn Resort
I was standing next to a blue balloon and feeling nervous. Not a bad nervous, but the kind of nervous one feels after raising one’s hand to answer in the affirmative the following question: “Who feels like learning how to ski bumps on their tele skis?” I was nervous because while of course I feel […]
Getting in Shape for Telemark and Cross Country Skiing
If you read yesterday’s post, you will remember that “getting in shape” does not mean the same thing for every sport. It turns out that getting in shape for Alpine skiing is different from getting in shape for Telemark and Nordic skiing. Go figure. I do both. I will have to be in double-good shape.
Empowerment 101: No One Cares That I Tele – Except Me
I had wanted to tele since I was about 14 and noticed skiers making telemark turns at Crested Butte. I thought that telemark skiing looked incredibly graceful. Several decades later, I finally got the gear. What took me so long? Pride, ego and fear. And these three emotions, not telemark skiing, are actually my topics for today.