New Boots!

Six years ago, when I first began telemark skiing, I was unsure if I'd stick with this strange new sport.  Unwilling to invest the big bucks for new boots, skis and bindings, I searched high and low for used gear.  So when I spied a pair of secondhand tele boots at the local consignment store, I grabbed 'em.  These $32 boots ended up lasting six whole years.  Sadly, while skiing three weeks ago, I noticed huge cracks in the plastic shell.  Damn!  Time to finally replace my thrift store bargains.


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Oooh.....so shiny and new!

After just spending a ton of money to ski in Utah, I felt bad telling my hubby I'd need to drop even more cash on new boots.  Luckily, Roger took it fairly well.  And it helped one of the local ski shops happened to send out a 25% off coupon.  Good timing!



I'm...too sexy for my boots....too sexy for my boots


A nice guy at the above-mentioned ski shop guided me toward a pair of Scarpa T2 Ecos.  They were a pretty bright royal blue, and after molding the liners to my feet, fit like a dream.  But new ski boots are always a gamble.  What feels good in the store doesn't always translate to comfort and control on the slopes.  So it was with great apprehension that I joined the Tele Ladies for the maiden voyage.

Katie and Sue loved my shiny new boots.  They oohed and aahed and made covetous statements.  Katie jokingly said I'd better guard them or they just might accidentally go home with her.

Katie and Sue lost in the fog

We hit Mt. Hood Meadows the day after a huge rainstorm.  The slopes were soft and wet.  And the snow was fast.  After numerous adjustments and general boot futzing, I took a shakedown cruise down an easy groomer.  Ahhh....the turns came smooth and easy.  My feet felt good.  The boots were gonna work.

I'm the envy of my tele friends

After the previous day's monsoon, Meadows apparently thought no one would come skiing and only had one lift running besides the bunny chair.  (Really, Meadows???)  The sun was starting to burn off the misty clouds.  And the snow was just fine.

Admiring my feet

Finally at about 11 o'clock another lift opened.  Katie and Sue, tired of doing laps on Express, wanted to check things out. So we traveled over to the Vista chair.  While loading, I noticed thick fog rolling in.  My friends and I arrived at the top to find it totally socked in.  You couldn't see things more than a couple feet away.  Hmmmm......maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

The sun finally made an appearance

Katie and Sue have climbed dozens of mountains, skied many peaks, and have lots of experience with backcountry navigation.  So I'm not sure why they appointed me to guide them down through the fog.  But I was the chosen leader, so I gingerly picked my way across alternating icy and soft snow.  After "skiing by Braille" for a few dozen yards, I spotted another person faintly through the white curtain.  I tailed the mystery man until we got low enough to finally make out some landmarks.

Icy slopes glisten in the sun

The Tele Ladies didn't like conditions one bit and suggested we take an early lunch.  So my friends and I hung out in the lodge for awhile, filling our bellies and swapping funny stories.  Katie and Sue were almost ready to call it a day, when I spotted sunshine streaming through the windows.  While we were inside, the weather did a 180.  The fog was now completely gone, replaced by blue skies.  We had to go back out!

Icy old tree

By this time, Meadows had wised up and opened the upper Cascade lift.  Our "tele-trio" headed up high to check things out.  The groomed track on the upper slopes was velvety-soft and super fast.  The best we'd had all day.  But you didn't dare stray off the groom.  What snow hadn't been smoothed out was covered in a sheet of bulletproof ice.  Ice even coated all the trees and rocks.  A pretty sight, even if it wasn't very skiable.

My buddies show off their telemark stance

Another great day on the mountain!  I had a blast roaring down the slopes in my shiny new boots.  They felt great and even helped me ski better.  I think these boots and I are gonna have a long and happy relationship.

My Happy Place

As anyone who's read my blog on a regular basis knows, I'm crazy about skiing.  It's hands-down my most favorite activity.  During the winter I average two days a week up on the slopes.  Not bad for someone who holds a full-time job!

I also love taking photographs.  However, I rarely get any shots of myself skiing (always the photographer, never the subject).  Luckily, Mt. Hood Meadows has a professional photographer, Grant Myrdal, on site.  He can be found most days perched slopeside, shooting images of snow-riders.  When I want some photos of myself making turns, Grant's my go-to guy.


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Enlarge this photo and you'll see a sun star reflection on my helmet!

I recently purchased a set of images that Grant shot on one of the many sunny days we've been having on Hood.  I love this photo series.

Photo by Grant Myrdal

 Not only can I critique my skiing form, these shots in particular capture me at my happiest times.  I can tell from the expressions on my face, these are moments of sheer bliss.

Photo by Grant Myrdal

 Yep, this is me in my happy place.  Thanks, Grant, for taking these awesome shots!

New Year's Day with the Tele Ladies

I met the Tele Ladies last season on a ski bus Thursday.  They are two incredible woman who still rip telemark turns despite being of retirement age.  Check out last year's post about my friends right here.


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Katie and Sue - ready for action!

We telemark skiers like to stick together.  Since meeting the Tele Ladies (aka Katie and Sue), I've teamed up with them several times.  It's always loads of knee-droppin' fun.

A good sunshiney start to 2013!

I have a tradition of skiing New Year's Day.  It's a great time to be on the slopes.  Everyone's too tired (and/or hung over) from staying up late and partying on New Year's Eve.  Ski areas are generally deserted.

The mountains pop out of valley clouds

New Year's Day 2013 found me at Mt. Hood Meadows with my two favorite telemark buddies.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect.  Blue sky as far as the eye could see.  Made for some fantastic views.

Sunshine on the Cascade Lift

Starting out with some easy runs to get the blood flowing, we quickly graduated to the upper Cascade Lift.  From high on the mountain, we were treated to the best views ever.  Foggy clouds clung in the valleys and the higher peaks poked up through the cloud layer.  The skies were so clear we could see distant mountains that normally aren't visible.  Super-scenic!

Two snowboarders savor the view

Lift rides were full of stories and laughter.  I told them of my friend Kim and I's mogul rating system (A - DD, with the very largest being classified as "Dolly Partens").  Sue and Katie loved it - so much that when Sue looked down a slope she reported there was nothing but "Dolly Partens" down there.  (Which made a nearby male snowboarder who overheard us bust out laughing)

Skiing in Hood's shadow

My friends and I decided our little group needed a name.  After several funny suggestions, we settled on the "Tele Trio."  Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

I tried to capture the Tele Ladies in a few skiing action shots.  But I only had my point and shoot camera to work with, and it doesn't do action very well.  Still, I had fun trying.

Here comes Katie!

This one of Katie was a little bit better.  If nothing else, Mt. Hood makes a great backdrop.

And there she goes!

Next time I'll have to lug my digital SLR (aka my "big girl camera") up to the slopes.

First self-portrait attempt

I decided we needed a group photo.  Finding no one around to work the camera, I had the bright idea to prop it on top of a protective foam pad tied around a nearby trail sign.  Setting the timer, I quickly shuffled back up slope, attempting to get into position before the shutter went off.  I made it just fine - but nearly blocked Katie.  Time to try again!

Failed self-portrait attempt

The next two attempts were both failures.  One shot was out of focus, the other very over-exposed (I couldn't figure out why).  Maybe the fourth time was the charm?  Again I set the timer, and began to shuffle into position.  After three attempts, you think I would've had that down.  But no, on shot number four, I tripped over my skis right before the camera clicked.  This is the photo that got captured.  Fail!

Success! (with a little help)

A snowboarder who happened to be passing by witnessed my fall, and took pity on us.  He offered to take our picture.  So I ended up with a good group shot after all!

But you know what?  After getting home and looking over all my photos, I decided I liked the blooper shot best of all.  The expressions on everyone's faces are priceless!  It's a good memory of a very fun day.

A day on the slopes with the Tele Ladies - what a great way to start the New Year!


Linking to:  Share Your Cup Thursday and 52 Photos Project.

The Last Hurrah

Sunday May 6th.  The last day of operations at Mt. Hood Meadows for the 2012 season.  Is it really May already?  Where did the winter go?


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Happy faces on a sunny day

Katie, one half of the tele-ladies duo, and I teamed up for a Meadows last day telemark skiing extravaganza.

Still tons of snow

There was still tons of snow on Mt Hood's slopes.  As a matter of fact, the run shown in the photo above had more snow on it in May than it did last December.  In December, this slope was not yet skiable, sporting large patches of dirt and bunches of rocks poking through.  And yet Meadows was now closing down for the season.  All this snow going to waste.  What a cryin' shame!

Katie is ready to make turns

But there's not much you can do - but enjoy it while it lasts!  Which is what Katie and I did all day.  Well, at least until early afternoon, when the warm sun turned the snow into peanut butter.

A snowboarding wolf!

Having never skied Meadows on it's very last day, I learned a thing or two about end-of-season protocol.  I didn't get the memo, but apparently there's a dress code to be followed - one must wear wacky attire.  I saw more people in costume on the slopes!  First we saw a snowboarding wolf - complete with goggles.

Garsh!  It's Goofy!

Then we ran into Goofy and his hula-skirt wearing companion.

Screamin' down Wee Bee (photo by Grant Myrdal)

Katie and I stormed the slopes of Wee Bee Gee Bee and got our pictures taken one last time by photographer Grant.

It's the Mt. Hood Meadows Panda!

And then we met the "Mt Hood Meadows Panda."  Who knew?

Parking lot BBQ

By mid-day, the snow fast turning to mush, grills, chairs and coolers appeared in the parking lot.  Many groups of people were having themselves a BBQ.  Beer was flowing fast and free.  Driving out of the lot, I saw one group decked out for Cinco de Mayo - complete with sombreros and serapes (and probably margaritas too).  If I wasn't driving, I would've totally got some photos of the scene.

Still skiing in May

So long Mt. Hood Meadows.  It was another good year.  I skied a record 23 days on my season pass (oh yeah!)  Although winter took it's time in getting here, we had an amazing spring.  Especially March - what a month.  It was one dump after another.  I'm sorry it has to end.

But there's still Timberline ski area (which stays open into August).  And with my climbing skins I can go wherever there's snow!

So even though it's a last hurrah for Meadows, I'm not ready to hang up the skis just yet.  Skiing in June anyone?

More Skiing Photos

I know what you're saying..... oh no, not more ski photos!  But right after I published the last blog post, Young emailed me a whole batch of photos she'd taken from the prior weekend's amazing trip up to Illumination Saddle.

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John and I on our way up

They were such great photos, I was wishing I would've had them before posting that trip report.  Not only did Young get some fantastic shots - a lot of them were of me! 

 

Young and I mug for the camera

And, as you know, when you're the one behind the camera, you rarely get in the photographs.

Fixing my blistered heel

 

So I decided why not just do another post of Young's photos?   So  here is an "addendum" blog post to my Illumination Saddle trip. 

 

Walking back from taking some photos

 

Since you've already read the story, this time there will be few words, and many photos (I think most people just look at the images anyway!)

John and I enjoying the view

So relax and enjoy the rest of the pictures.

Oh yeah - I'm in my happy place!

Time to take off the skins!

Not sure what I was doing here - I'm contemplating something

And by the way, after describing the icicle-like snow that we skied through, one of my friends commented "Oh, you skied through some chandelier snow!"

 

Tele-turns in the shadow of Mt. Hood

Now that I think about it, that's exactly how this snow behaved.  As my skis sliced through the ice crystals, the particles made tinkling sounds, and cascaded down the slope like pieces of broken glass.  I've never seen anything quite like it!

Enjoying the perfect snow

 

Until next weekend!  :)

 

I Heart Spring Skiing

Here in Portland, spring has arrived in a big way.  Flowers are emerging from the ground in colorful bursts, birds are singing, frogs croaking, trees exploding in blossoms everywhere.  Rain continues to fall (but it's much warmer).  And I'm still skiing.


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Yep, it's definitely spring in Portland

It's a weird feeling to be packing up to go skiing when the air outside is balmy.  To hear singing birds and see blooming trees as you're loading up the skis.  To be leaving your house in daylight.  To go from this colorful scene in my backyard......

Not spring

To this.  All white all the time.

I'm lovin' this endless winter

Despite the lure of warm weather at home, I love spring skiing.  The snow is plentiful, the crowds are nil, and the weather usually sunny.  No need to bundle up against blowing snow and cold.  And skiing snow that has been thawed by the sun is the best (after fresh powder of course!)

Looks more like January, doesn't it?

Katie (one of the tele-ladies) and I have spent the last two Fridays up on the mountain, enjoying some turns in the springlike conditions.

Mt. Jefferson is easy to spot

It's great to able to see the adjacent mountains and forests from high up on Mt Hood Meadows' slopes.

Katie and I enjoying the fabulous view

To see clearly the snow-capped top of Hood against a brilliant blue sky. 

Hooray for spring skiing!

And to make turns through buttery, sun-softened, corn snow.

No shortage of snow here

While other parts of the US have been suffering from low snow this year, the Cascades have enjoyed a banner spring.  This photo was taken last Friday.  Yes, there's still huge mounds of snow on the ground, and piled up around the lodge.  Meadows reported a 170-inch base that day.

Perfect turns on hero snow (Photo by Grant Myrdal)

I've had bad luck with my cameras.  The first Friday Katie and I skied, my little pocket camera broke.  The following Friday, I dug out my old back-up camera.  I managed to get off one shot before the battery died! 

Gettin' closer (Photo by Grant Myrdal)

So I had to rely on my buddy, photographer Grant for some photos from the day.  As you can see, he came through!

Catch me if you can!  (Photo by Grant Myrdal)

I love seeing photos of myself making tele-turns.  And I think I've improved over the season.  Just in time to fully reap the benefits of spring skiing.