Okay, I’ve been promising to post this all week; finally it’s Friday so I have enough time to twiddle my thumbs while my dial-up slooooowly uploads all the braggin’ pix I want to share.
To start with, a little introductory information for those who don’t ski or know much about it.
There are basically three branches of the sport of skiing right now. The first is Alpine (or ‘Downhill’) skiing, which is what most non-skiers think of when skiing is mentioned–this is the sort of thing Andy C engages in and it involves large expenditures of money for equipment, lift tickets, overpriced lunches, and anti-stress pills to help you recover from the unbelievable hassle of going skiing at a modern, overcrowded ski area. The boots are rigid, heavy, and frequently painful; the skis are heavy, stiff, and are furnished with razor-sharp edges so they can deal with the incredibly hard ‘snow’ that modern artificial snow-making systems and daily grooming produce. The bindings lock both your toe and your heel to the ski until you fall down and then (usually) they pop open and the ski falls off your foot to prevent it from breaking your leg. Sometimes it doesn’t, though; that’s why I have a job in the winter, heh, heh, heh….
The second branch of skiing is Cross-Country skiing, which is just the opposite of alpine skiing (unless you get into ‘Skate’ type equipment and all the high-tech Lycra racing tights and all that jazz). Classic-style XC equipment is relatively inexpensive, trail access fees are moderate or non-existant, there are no lift-lines, and most people bring their own lunch in a backpack and relax in an underdecorated chalet between ‘runs’ on gentle trails that wind through quiet woods on the flats and up and down shallow slopes. Most classic xc ski trails are mechanically tracked, but some, called Nordic trails, are not and the only tracks you find in them are those made by the skiers who passed before you. Nordic trails that go into somewhat steeper terrain are generally skied using backcountry equipment, which includes a somewhat heavier, higher boot and skis with partial or full-length steel edges (unlike classic xc skis which are edgeless). Cross country bindings attach only the toe of a light, flexible boot to the ski; your heel is free to move up off the ski and your foot flexes in a natural walking-motion. Because your heel is not nailed to the ski, the torsional stress on your leg in a fall is low and leg injuries are extremely uncommon.
The third branch of skiing is both new and old. It’s called Telemark skiing, and it is both a very old technique for turning a pair of skis and a relatively new type of boot & binding set up that allows a skier to have the comfort and freedom of XC but the power and control needed to ski in the steep, hard-packed ‘downhill’ ski environment. The technique can be used with any type of ski equipment where the skier’s heel is free to move, and it was originally developed close to a hundred years ago in the Telemark region of Norway to help turn those 7-foot-long wooden skis in deep, difficult snow conditions. But the new ‘full-plastic’ boots and spring-loaded heel cables now enable skiers to use this technique in places and under snow conditions where the older, leather, ankle-high boots with three-pin bindings just weren’t strong enough to do the job.
One of the largest benefits of Telemark gear is that you can climb easily, using either xc wax (if the terrain is not too steep) or climbing skins which are temporarily glued onto the base of the ski and enable it to grip the snow when you push back, but will slide forward with very little resistance. This is an advantage to a skier who wants to ski on mountains where there are no chairlifts…especially if he can’t afford the thousands of $$$ it costs to go helicopter-skiing.
And that’s what my little champ, Ryan, did two weeks ago on March 12: He climbed. Not only did he climb, but he attacked the highest mountain peak in the entire Laurentian Mountain chain. This peak, named Johannsen Peak after Hermann ‘Jackrabbit’ Johannsen (a pioneer of Canadian skiing and the patron saint of xc and backcountry skiing), is the highest of the four peaks that make up the massif of Mont-Tremblant. By the standards of the Rockies it’s not high–only 931 metres–but out of the 10,000 plus skiers who visit the alpine ski center on Mont Tremblant on a busy day, only 2 or 3 will attempt this 3.5 kilometer climb and the 6.5 km ski-out down a narrow, steep, nordic trail to get back to ‘civilization’.
Here’s a photo of Mont-Tremblant taken from the schoolyard where Ryan attends school in the village, about 10 miles from the mountain. It will give you a perspective on how serious this trip is even for an experienced adult skier. (Sorry about the big file size; I wanted to make it big enough so you could read the captions I inserted into the photo.)
I’ll continue this is the next post so the message won’t get truncated.
Dinosaur
‘Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Replies
"The third branch of skiing is both new and old. It's called Telemark skiing....that allows a skier to have the comfort and freedom of XC but the power and control needed to ski in the steep, hard-packed 'downhill' ski environment. The technique can be used with any type of ski equipment where the skier's heel is free to move,..."
Great descriptions there TH.
Dinosaur, is it true that all telemark skiers eat granola, smoke pot, and wear woolen nickers - the whole outfit topped off by an Andean tuque?
Most importantly: if a youngster eats Fruit Loops, if only once, can he still claim to be a telemark skier?
;-)
Edited 4/1/2005 11:40 pm ET by Pierre1
No, it is not true. I only smoke tobacco, and my tuque aux oreilles was made in Canada. It's a Sastri. But usually we wear bérets unless it's below -10.
And I wanted some knickers, but the Magasin Générale only had size 38 and up...so I'm gonna have to wait till my sheep grow some more hair so I can spin the wool and weave them myself....
And Ryan politely declined to eat the Froot Loops because she didn't have any real milk.
But, of course, I do make my own granola bars. Search CooksTalk for the recipe. I know I posted it there a while back.
What about you? I thought it was illegal for any local to wear alpine gear anywhere west of Lake Louise. Or would at least getcha ostracized....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
When we got back home, we were both flying high. Ryan had just become the youngest skier ever to reach Johannsen Peak. It was a world record! I got onto the website for the Guinness Book of World Records, and registered a claim with them (we'll find out in 4-6 weeks if the judges will accept it). Then I wrote a 'News Flash' which I sent out to friends and family by e-mail. Then I said to myself, why not? So I wrote a press release in French, and e-mailed it with some of the best photos to our local newspaper.
They ran a full page on Ryan, photo and all, in that week's paper. He really had something to 'Show and Tell' on Monday morning at school!
So, I thought it was over.
Wrong! The next day, I got a call from school. TVA, a big French television network based in Montréal, had seen the newspaper article and called them wanting to interview Ryan. Would I please get in touch with them?
So, next Thursday, Ryan and I have to drive to meet the host of a program called 'My Child/My Hero' and get interviewed. Then they are sending a cameraman with us to film Ryan telemarking up on the mountain!
I don't know if TVA is available on US cable, but it certainly should be on most Canadian cable services. When I know the air date and time, I'll post them here. You guys will have to tell me how it came out...we don't have a television set.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Congratulations to Ryan! It's a wonderful age for a parent to watch a kid bloom.
Nice thread Dino, good reading.
Certainly some beautiful country up there.
Your kid is awesome, he's gonna be famous one day!
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
Yeah, I agree. I'm doing my best to help him achieve whatever fame could help him make it through life as a leader rather than a follower. As one of our longtime BTers states in his tagline, "Unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes...."
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Thanks, bro. I'll pass on your congrats to the Heir Apparent.
IMO, children bloom magnificently at all ages...as long as their parents allow them to do so. Worst thing you can do for a child is to impose limits on their world based on the so-called 'common wisdom' of our neurotic, psycho-babbling, a$$covering society.
Treat a child like a human being and he will respond like one. Treat him like a child and he will respond like one. Take yer choice....Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
It's the one-baggers you can't be seen wearing. Stout technical jackets and bibs are de-rigueur in these thar hills. Snowboarders wear the down-to-the-crotch stuff, like they do at Tremblant.
Sis knitted my Tuque aux oreilles, with double-knit in the ears. It usually stays in my pack unless skinning up when it's super cold. Tuque's great for lunch time or in case of trouble. Kevlar helmet for tree skiing...
I've got a fine pair of grey Woolrich, size 32, all wool with double seat, velcro tabbed cuffs, that I can donate to the World Champion's father. Let me know and I'll pop it in the mail on Monday. Best of all, they already know the way up Johannsen Peak!
Hey, don't they have TV up there in Canada?
Edited 4/2/2005 12:24 am ET by Pierre1
Man I know what a pair of Woolrich trou cost; that's a mighty generous offer, bro. But I wear a size 30. Snake hips, that's me. I even have to special order my Carhartts. Local store only carries 32 and up....
BTW, I assume that by a 'one-bagger' you are referring to the classic old one-piece powder suit of the 1980s? I keep mine under the back seat of the truck now; it's great for framing in the cold or when ya gotta change a tire and ya don't wanna get that $900 Arctyrx softshell all greasy and full o' road salt.... (Like, I'll buy myself an Arctyrx when I win the 649, LOL!)
And snowboarders no longer have crotches, at least not here. When their legs aren't bolted to those miniature surfboards, they waddle like a bunch of overweight ducks with hemorrhoids. Watching 'em try to climb a set of steps is downright comical.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Gotta sewing machine? Easy to take in the rear crotch seam and shorten the waistband. If not, local seamstress could do it for $20 or less. You can pay me back by letting me couch surf your place one cold winter day. We'll let Ryan take us up Jo...take pics of the champion...product placement...next thing you know he'll be spancered.
Dude, you can surf my sofa anyway. Just lemme know when you're coming so I can lay in a few extra Guinnessessess. (Uh, just so ya know, we're into serious spring slop here. Melt-down is exceeding 8" per 24 hours for the last three days. We got cricks and bare spots popping up through the snow in all major trails and today I spent most of the day using my powder skis to keep from sinking into the mud as I cleaned bamboos and warning signs outta closed trails. I hope we have enough left for Ryan to do some decent turns for the camera by next Thurs.)
Okay, send them shorts. I'm gonna need some warm pants to work in next year; the boss just signed a deal to buy us new soft-shell uniform tops and bottoms for next year--no insulation, though. Can't wait to see his face when I show up wearing knickers, hee, hee, hee. I'll send you the postal address by e-mail.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Right on re: the threads.
I was thinking of next season, or the one after... I don't make it out east very often.
It happens we've got the same slop over here right now. Place up high I was going to tour earlier this week had two snowmobilers trigger an 80cm slab on Wednesday. Both were strained through the trees lining the bottom of the bc bowl they were highmarking. One dead, the other busted up but alive. Third was in a safe spot, so he wasn't hit.
My bud and I didn't go because the usual indicators were saying 'stay away'. Same for this weekend. I'm going stir crazy, but I'm alive.
Wishing you snow for the TVA shoot. Tremblant is closed?
No, Tremblant is still open, but we're into the last two weeks. I think official closing is for the 17th or something like that. I usually blow it off and take my lay off early, letting some of the kids with less seniority work to the bitter end, but this year my first construction project is laying some new flagstone walks for a client, so I can't start that till the snow's gone and the ground warms up a bit. Still got about 2 feet in my front yard; at least I had when I got home tonight at 6pm. Have to see what's left in the morning. Supposed to rain all weekend, too, so I won't feel like boiling off the little sap I've managed to collect so far.
C'est le printemps, bordel!
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Always glad to see someone else beside me bragging about their kid(s). (-:You know, I told my boys we'd never be rish. But they'd be rich in EXPERIENCES. Seems to me that's sort of what you've done with your Son too.
At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.
Boss, if a father ain't braggin about his kids, something has gone south somewhere. Don't you ever stop; I sure won't!
And yeah, we'll never be rich either. I don't care enough about money for money's sake. All I want is enough to keep the hounds at bay and give me time with my boy. It is the experiences of one's life that makes for truth wealth, because no bill-collector or re-po man can ever take those away.
View ImageDinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Hey you
Is that the cabin you can have lunch in w/ the fireplace off a trail telemark_26_feb_05_066v2.jpg>>>>>
99KBOne of the nicest places we used to eat lunch at was a log cabin off a trail of which name I forget....prices weren't really bad and the ambiance was incredible.....fireplace, views and cozy.they even had beer.Thing that blows my mind is watching kids/people suck down "tons" of alcohol then blast down the mtn putting themselves and others in harms way.
As much as I like my drink I'd never do more than one beer or wine during lunch, if even that.Its interesting to see after one or two beers how your skiing changes.
Way different than being in a car.
When you're doing 60mph (or what ever) flat on your feet you really feel ther effects of alcohol.
Skiing to me......is something that should be taught with the Zen I love so much because skiing gets you in touch.the mtns, your body, the atmosphere, your imagination....the whole nine yards and then some.
You can relate it all to your life for sure and learn from it if you pay attention to all that's going on....ski teachers would do the customers a service if they brought the "Zen" of skiing into the lessons.I had a kid (18) that worked for me a buncha years ago....really nice kid. I went up to Hunter with him here in N.Y.
HE was a really good skier....So I look down this dbl diamond trail he was standing above and he told me he knew I could do it..I was a bit scared but excited in the same breath (that's the thing about skiing, right?).He says he'll go down first and that I should follow....so the kid goes down wayyyyyyyyy faster than me.
I'm doing more controlled turns and taking my time and enjoying the scenery and the fact that I could actually do this trail.I gets halfway down and see his skis crisscrossed along the side of the trail....oiy...so I do a hockey stop....stopped as fast as I could.
I look down the embankment and there is Michael with his head on one side of the stockade fence and his body on my side.
I ski down....pop my skis off.he's gasping for air and bleeding real bad. His neck is being crushed by that f'n fence. I try and move him and it only makes it worse....so I take one ski and start digging under his head to get the pressure off him.then I scream up to all the a-hole onlookers that are doing nothing about this other than watching a train wreck to ski to a lift and call for help.I get Michael out.HE's way unconscious and choking bad....I keep talking to him for what ever good that did...A huge snow cat finally comes up and gets him off the mtn.They close rt 23A in order to get him down the mtn as fast as they could.they helicopter him to a hospital in Albany....he's on 5 life support systems.HE eventually recovers.comes back to work for me and a few weeks later he's riding his motorcycle..oiy...and slides off the road and dies.Nice story, huh?
Oh....and my point during the skiing accident was.he had a flask in his pocket and it was the end of the day.....get it?
BE WELL
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Yeah, that's the same cabin. It's called Le Refuge du Trappeur which is kinda cutesy as a name, and the guys that work there serving the same soup and pre-made sandwiches N stuff you can buy in the big cafeteria at the top have to wear these old-fashioned-looking red&black checkered shirts and suspenders that actually came from a costume store in the city. Oh, well, it's really show biz after all, ain't it.
But the building itself is pretty nice even if that big log running gable to gable as a pseudo ridge joist is purely decorative. And the view is very good, too true. What I always liked about it is that you can only get there on skis. It's halfway down in the area called the Versant Soleil, and is pretty well tucked into the woods. One of our former patrollers, who's now mountain manager, GC'd that project the summer they cut the trails over there. There is no electric power; the lights, refrigeration, and cooking gear all run on propane. The only really sour note is the ghetto blaster running on batteries up behind the bar.
Ryan was pretty impressed with himself to be able to ski over there through the glades. So was I. That was why I was sure he could make the 'Big Trip' out to Johannsen Peak two weeks later.
View Image
Your story about drinking and skiing is pretty vivid. It is not legal here to ski while 'under the influence', although of course none of us carry balloons and wouldn't know what to do with them if we did. But if somebody's weaving around like he's soused or stoned, we can cut their ticket and refuse to let them back up the hill if they won't leave voluntarily after being asked nicely....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
hey man....do I get any bisquits for recognising that cabin? specially for a Lawng Islander here in NY.Our ski teacher took us there....I forget his name but it's French (oh sure, that a big help...lol) his wife is also a ski teacher there and he's a pilot as well if that helps.
That was the best year I was there.The glades? I HATE the glades and cringe when the teacher says we're going there.scares the hell outta me.....I did good (pretty good) and he says to me to ski out by a trail where you have to go out of a ditch....my ski tips went down cause I panicked then I flew wayyyyyyy up onto the trail and rolled down the mtn leaving my googles, skiis, hat and poles behind....I so hate the glades....lol.
Maybe if I do em' alone at my own pace OK.
Too nerve racking for me....I know I know....I'm a big puss.
Be a wipe out major!!!
a
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
You get biscuits. I'll tell my pooch to e-mail ya a couple.
Sounds like your splat was at the exit from either Bon Vieux Temps or La Jamme. When you spread yer gear all over the hill like that, we refer to it as a Vente de Garage or 'Garage Sale'.
Skiing glades with aplomb requires that you revise your concept of what skiing is supposed to be. If you go in there thinking the object is to get to the bottom faster than the next dude over, you're not gonna have a good time and are likely to whack into something that's not just snow. This is very un-good, un-cool, embarrassing, and can hurt lots and lots.
On the other hand, if you go into the woods figuring to ski slowly and gently and to see as much of the glade as you can while you are in there enjoying the scenery and the fresh air, then you will have a good time.
One of my favourite glade runs on the mountain is Les Bouleaux. It's accessible from Upper Ryan, and you ski down into a small valley and then have to actually CLIMB for about 90 seconds to get to the top of the knob and start your downhill run. That short little climb is what makes it so neat...because the dweeps, whiners, and wusses only go there once. So it's nice and peaceful.
View ImageDinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
The trees were so close together and I never did it before.the ruts were deep and everyone was better than me so I had to stay in line with them.altough....I spose I could have bowed out but .......well you know the feeling. Macho duche bag???? Embarrased? Whatever.I bought ess bindings on my skis years ago to adjust them for moguls that I'd die for to learn how to do....never did though.Got a bit older and the knees and soul didnt wanna handle it.......Just wanted to ski down the mtn in control and love the mountain life.....I know you know what I mean....All I need is the fresh air and the lil' bit of excitement and a bone or brew at the end of the day. Funny.my instructer said the differance tween' a garage sale and a tag sale was that the garage sale........well you know LOL.
Be well bro and hope next year brings more snow......by you, not me..we'll hook up no doubt.its inevitable.
Namaste'
aThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
The faster you try to ski, the closer together the trees seem to get. Remember that next time you're in a glade.
Okay, here's a free ski lesson. You owe me a Guinness next time we meet.
Mogul skiing is the bête noire of just about every high-end intermediate skier. What they fail to realize is that it's 3 parts psychological and only two parts physical.
Here's the secret: Since you don't have unlimited shock-absorbing capacity, you can't go straight down through a field of moguls or you will eventually get rocket-launched and then crash and burn. You have to turn to keep your speed down. But you use the same exact techniques you already know to turn the skis. Good mogul skiing is exactly the same as good skiing. You have to convince your subconscious that this is true, and that you can control your speed in the bump field. Otherwise, it (your subconscious) will force you into an awkward defensive 'sitting-back' position from which you will have actual physical trouble turning the skis and making them bite so they don't slip sideways. This is the 3-parts of psychological ingredients in the mix.
The two parts of physical are: (a) it's physically more demanding to maintain pressure control of the skis on the snow while the snow keeps going up and down under your skis. It takes more strength and more endurance. (b) You have to keep reacting faster than you are used to. You don't get a chance to goof off for an instant, or you're instantly out of control. The bumps dictate where you must turn unless you're willing to do something unusual, like jumping or bringing your knees up to your chin.
As I said, it's mostly psychological. If you could stick a bamboo on the summit of each mogul in a bump field, and then magically make the bumps all flatten out, you'd probably be able to ski around the bamboos like a slalom course without much trouble. But add in the bumps and your sub-c starts to freak as soon as it sees them.
Practice moguls on minimum pitch bump runs. The shallowness of the pitch will assuage your sub-C and it will give you a chance to use your skiing skills. Start out doing low-speed GS with double pole-plants through the field. By doing this, you teach your leg muscles how to react to constantly changing snow levels under your skis. As you get more confident, speed up the turns by directing them more into the fall line and less across it. Learn to jump over one mogul and land on the back side of the next. Practice, practice, practice.
If you really want to get good at them, you will have to beat the sh1t out of yourself for an entire season, skiing them every morning noon and afternoon as hard as you can and falling, taking your knocks, and hating it. Then one day you'll come out of the bumps onto the groomed and realize that skiing is really easy. It's a game of good-cop/bad-cop played with yourself.
Last bit of advice: Do NOT, I repeat NOT, try to emulate the mogul skiers you often see on television doing short-radius in bumps competitions. You know, the kids with the white patches sewn onto their knees for visual effects for the TV camera. That style, where they are effectively going straight down the run and just letting their knees and feet bounce around between the bumps, only works under two conditions: (1) The moguls have to be machine-made into very regular rows and columns, so the spacing is absolutely uniform (you didn't know they did this, didja??), and (2) your knees have to be under 25 years old and have less than 10,000 miles on them. It also helps if your brain is turned off, at least the part that looks toward the future. Most of those kids blow their knees out for good before they are thirty years old, and many of them are skiing with heavy-duty knee braces even at 25. A good number of them are unable to ski at all once they get past thirty. Once your knees are destroyed--either torn ligaments or ripped and surgically-removed meniscuses--your 'swooshin' days are over, dude....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
well
Its "B" I have a hard time with but I'm guessing so does everyone else.
Tell ya what though.....I finally got decent on my sticks.
Decent enough to do just about any trails (without moguls...lol) so I think I'll just enjoy the ride, the mtn, the air and the life and stay away from the moguls unless they're twenty feet apart.All that you said is right and I already knew the concept but as I said it's b that I have the worst time with.As all within what you said....I'll reiterate what I said before...in conclusion to all you wrote and teach....what is "as" important to teach IMHO is the Zen of all of that because its more than skiing....skiing is a lesson of your life (the way you learn,what you learn and the way you react to sudden situations) and lives to come and I know you know what I mean.I can't afford to break a leg.....Far as the glades go....I can do em' as long as I go at my own pace and don't have to follow anyone....slowly....and enjoy the snow, trees and air.
b
well
a...The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides,
I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.
I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Congrats. You gotta be one proud daddy. Give your little record-holder a pat on the back for me. And thanks for all the pics and descriptions too, cause I now know far more about skiing than I ever did. I'll bet you make one heck of a good teacher.Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
I will give him that pat from ya, bro. He's sleeping like an angel not six feet from me as I type this. My office shares a wall with his bedroom.
Teaching skiing was always something I wanted to do; when I first started learning to ski myself I looked at those uniformed gods, the instructors, with great amounts of awe. After getting my 'Pin' and teaching for a few years, I found out that teaching adults is better paying (in tips; parents don't tip for kids' ski lessons mostly) but that teaching kids is more fun. After a while I moved from the front line ski school into the Race Department where I had more steady work, and from there eventually into the Patrol where I have too much work....
But there's not much more fun you can have with yer clothes on than taking ten enthusiastic kids out for a day in the snow, whether downhill or XC. (If they aren't enthusiastic, it's your own fault.) Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Amazing father and amazing son! I hope one of those reporters has the good sense to ask Ryan who got him so well grounded and then taught him how to fly.
I couldn't be prouder of the both of you!
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Thanks, Kevin. I don't think of myself as amazing (Ryan of course, but not me, heh, heh, heh...). I just try to do what seems logical having had perhaps 20-25 more years than the average parent to study the way of our sorry world before bringing a child into it. I was 47 when Ryan was born; I think that gives me a broader perspective on cause and effect in child-raising than you can get out of a baby book...especially one published in the last 20 years, LOL....
As for the reporters, you won't believe this maybe but because the Pope had the bad timing to die last weekend, Ryan's first big chance at national television exposure has been kiboshed. The media folk are just going bonkers having another public funeral orgy, and this leaves them no time to talk to little boys who happen to be able to do things no one else can.
Well, that's show biz....Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Media stunt for Québec:
Why don't you find yourself a tall BVM statue, set her up in a cast-iron bathtub buried upright on your lawn, smear bacon grease tears on her eyes, make a few phone calls.....and the media will appear. It's worked for others, in a province that has the lowest church attendance rate in Canada.
More seriously though, re: that pic of Ryan you sent me ... Yes, by the time he's 10 y.o., you'll definitely be "dans la marde" skiing-wise. He's collected in a very dynamic stance.
Ah don't sweat it - The media's got nothing Ryan needs. He poured his heart out for the recognition that mattered to him and got all of it he needed and more.
You and I know why he climbed that mountain and skied it with his dad and cameras had nothing to do with it. I understand why you want the world to know what an incredible son you've got there but believe me, he will leave no doubt when it's his turn to shine.
I know you will defer the recognition, but I see this as a heroic dad story as much as a documentary on an incredible young man. Little boys don't climb mountains that size unless they are playing follow the leader. That slope isn't half the size of some of the slippery slopes he's watched you climb with grace and style.
Way to be a Dad! I'll just leave it at that - This spotlight's probably melting the only good snow you've got left. <G>
If we fail to catch a cosmic fish it may be a trillion years before the opportunity comes again
Actually, what the media has that Ryan needs is the capacity to make him enough of a 'celebrity' that I'd be able to convince a couple of gear manufacturers to sponsor him. For a cash-poor, single parent like me, that could make the difference between him being able to go as far as he wants in a sport or being stuck working as a line grunt--patroller, snowmaker, liftie, or instructor--in a company town like this one.
As for the rest of your too kind comments, Kev, you've got me almost blushing here. But if Ryan's experience can be of some value to other fathers and sons as an example of what a child can do if allowed to try, then it's all worthwhile. You say 'Little boys don't climb mountains that size...' and maybe that's true. But I say, 'Little boys are only little if you tell them they are. Inside every little boy is a full-grown man waiting for his body to catch up with his dreams....'Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
I've been making occasional trips out to Jo Peak for years now, since I learned to Telemark. The first time I ever went out there, it was minus 20 C on a bright, clear powder morning. My buddy and I had fresh tracks--nobody had skied the new snow before us. It was heaven. When we got to the valley between Pangman Peak and Johannsen, I saw for the first time the 'valley of the snow ghosts'. I was so taken by the beauty of that place that I told myself I wasn't allowed to die until I could bring my son to see it himself. Ryan was only 2½ at the time. He was learning alpine skiing...but you can't go to Jo Peak on alpine gear. The climb would kill you.
When Ryan started cross-country skiing at 3½, he began practicing Telemark technique right off the bat. He simply imitated what he saw me do; nobody (certainly not me!) ever told him he was too small to do that, so he did. But no boot manufacturer makes a full-plastic 'mountain' Telemark boot small enough to fit a 3½-year-old child. So it wasn't until this year that Ryan's foot was finally big enough to fit into the smallest boot made. A buddy of mine has bought a whole fleet of kids' Tele boots so he can promote Telemarking for the younger set. He loaned Ryan a pair, and I set him up on a pair of old 100cm Snowblades with a three-pin Nordic binding. (Kids don't usuaully use a heel cable till they get older because they don't weigh enough to need one.)
The first time out on the mountain with that gear, he got it. I've taught kids professionally, both Alpine and Nordic skiing; I've been a pro patroller for over 10 years, and I have never seen anyone, let alone a 6-year-old child, pick up a ski technique so quickly. By the end of his first day doing mountain telemark, Ryan was skiing advanced intermediate trails on the mountain. It was a busy Saturday, and Mont-Tremblant attracts lots of Tele skiers. There wasn't one who saw Ryan who didn't stop me to express his amazement. By the end of Ryan's second day on the mountain in Tele gear, he was skiing black-diamond-rated glades and open runs...including the run he is named after, The Ryan.
Two weeks later, I decided it was time. And Mother Nature agreed: she warmed things up and dumped the biggest load of fresh powder we got on the mountain all winter, just for Ryan. I've been skiing professionally for damn near 20 years now, and I do not ever remember a better day of skiing anywhere.
Here are some of the best photos of the climb up and of Ryan sitting under the big provincial-park signboard that marks the summit of Johannsen Peak. I wish I could have shot some pics of him skiing down...but he was going so fast I would have killed myself trying to shoot and ski at the same time. The trail down is nowhere any wider than 10 feet, and frequently only 4 feet wide. It looks much like the parts you see here...except it's going downhill fast. You just have to follow it, switchbacks and all.
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This is Ryan on the first uphill section. From the top of the Edge, the trail goes down into a valley; then you 'skin up' (put on the climbing skins) and start climbing all the way up to Pangman. This is just before we put on the skins. He's climbing here with a diagonal side-step because the trail is too steep to herringbone, and not wide enough (for an adult's skis) to side-step.
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Once we put on the skins, we were able to climb straight up the trail. Climbing skins work like this: the fabric has a nap, and it lies in one direction. You put it on so the little short 'hairs' of the fabric are pointing back down the hill. When you push your foot backwards to walk forwards, the hairs grab the snow and you don't slip unless it's very steep. But when you slide your foot forward, the hairs lie down flat and the ski slides. This is especially important when you get to short downhill sections in a long climb. You don't want to be putting on and taking off your skins all the time; it's a medium-big PITA.
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This is Ryan and me at the 2.5 km milepost on the climb up. There's about one kilometer of climbing left to go. Pangman Peak is just ahead of this junction. There is another trail going off to the left from here that leads to where the old fire-warden's watchtower used to be.
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This is Ryan with my buddy Ricky, who used to guide tourists who wanted to make this climb, at Pangman Peak. It had started snowing harder by the time we got here; Ryan had just gotten a snowflake in his eye as I took this picture.
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And finally, The SUMMIT! Here's Ryan sitting under the big signboard and map erected by the provincial park authorities for summer hikers, of which there are many more than skiers. Ryan was actually here once before; we hiked up here the summer he turned five, on Father's Day. It took us three and a half hours to hike up; the ski climb took only about two hours because all the downhill sections were so much faster. I have another picture of him standing under this sign from that summer hike. In that photo, his head is about a foot lower than where his bum is sitting on the snow in the photo above. This was not a big-snow winter; there's only about five feet of snow at the peak there; usually there's more like ten or eleven feet and that sign can be covered almost up to the roof. I have been here when the sign was complete covered and skied right over it.
As I said, I don't have any pictures of the run down to the base. But I did take one shot when we got back to the base 'village' at the bottom of the alpine ski area's south side, just before we went into a restaurant for some well-earned beer and hot chocolate. And here it is. Snow, you said? You should have seen my beard! Santa woulda been jealous....
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(I've edited this to put the rest of the post in another message so it won't get truncated. See below for the end of the story.)
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Edited 4/2/2005 12:00 am ET by Dinosaur
Thanks for the trip report. What a natural. I can tell from the pics that Ryan instinctively and seamlessly flows from one climbing technique to another. Brings back lots of good memories of a beautiful wild area.
He's definitely got a 'Chick Magnet' future. Did Ryan give his interview in French and in English?
Your reply just came in so I'll post this and ...
The interview won't be till next Thursday. It's gonna be on TVA, which is a French network, so we'll be doing the interview in French. People I know who have televisions tell me it's not as classy as SRC but is a lot better than TQS. As long as they don't make it into a circus or anything like that, it'll be fine. I plan to send the air dates to the Garmont rep here in Quebec, and also the G3 and Rottefella reps. I've been e-mailing them still photos I took of Ryan for a while now, but no sponsorships yet. Maybe with a little national TV coverage, eh?
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
WOW...!
and
WOW!!!!!
Great thread, super pics, incredible Ryan.
Despite yer smart remarks 'bout us snowboarders...ahem...! LOL!
Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most!
Somehow Clara I have trouble imagining you wearing a pair of so-called pants with the crotch situated somewhere down around yer ankles. I see you more as the new-school 'Urban Camo'-clad type. Pop any 720s off the Big Air lately...?
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
LOL! the last 720 I did was out at Grand Targhee and I assure you...it wasn't intentional!
No camo babe me...I grab whatever is at hand when the opportunity presents itself to be on the slopes...even if that means <gasp> rental gear! See fer yourself:Hope to see you 2 at Cal's in August...?!?
Excellent--you've got the Liftie Look!
Half or more of our lifties are lifers who don't know how to ski. They are locals that just need a job, not ski bums looking fer that free pass.... In the old days, they had to walk up to their stations in the morning, but they would ride down in the afternoon on what is called a Tap-Cul (which translates into 'A$$-Whacker'). This is made from an old ski with an 18" piece of 2x4 screwed onto it vertically with a couple of iron shelf brackets and a plywood seat nailed on top of that. They came down the mountain dragging their feet to control their speed and holding onto the 'seat' with both hands for dear life. It was quite a show to stand at the bottom of the last pitch at the end of the day in the spring and watch them all come down from the upper mountain through the big slush bumps.
But the tap-cul was too dangerous. Lots of busted body parts over the years, and company policy finally banned them in the late 80s or early 90s. After that the lifties were shuttled up and down by snowmobiles, although some of the hard-core old-timers continued to walk up and down until they retired. Of the rest, quite a few learned to snowboard, because it's quicker to learn than is skiing. The outfit you're wearing in that photo is amazingly similar to the company uniform for lift attendants. Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
"Of the rest, quite a few learned to snowboard, because it's quicker to learn than is skiing. The outfit you're wearing in that photo is amazingly similar to the company uniform for lift attendants. "
LOL!
Well, as I might have mentioned in the past (not sure), I took up snowboarding when I landed at a new job in Oregon and the Cascade and Blue Mtns were all around...and my last stop before OR was a more southern state where I'd learned and been enjoying wakeboarding. So staying on "a board" but transferring to snow, seemed a natural thing.
I started my snowboarding, I think, in an intelligent fashion since I was 40 y/o at the time and TOOK LESSONS everywhere I went and hit the slopes: at Bluewood, at Schweitzer, at Snoqualmie, at Mt. Bachelor, at Whistler/Blackcomb...etc. I strongly believe that's why I haven't busted myself up - but wearing black and blue, is appropos to how I sometimes look UNDER that outfit...
BTW: if Theodora is lurking...she might recognize the logo on the jacket sez: "High Gear" which is an outfit out of Hood River, OR...started up by a really cool couple whom I had the opportunity to meet, and thereafter, patronize their biz.
Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most!