Just returned from an excellent uphill/downhill race at Aspen Highlands. Pretty brutal (3,000+ vert up to 11,000 feet elevation) but son and I kept our pace (slow), got a good workout, and enjoyed seeing friends and socializing. It was interesting having a fast transition from skins to glide. Time to fumble — in the cold wind and snow no less! Too bad most of the downhill was a catwalk where the guys on nordic skis could rule — oh well –the few the proud the brave on rando gear…
Are telemark skiers taking some of my recent blogging too personally? Everyone needs to remember that when it comes to telemark/snowboard/rando I’m writing more about the gear than the people who use it, so keep that tounge in the cheek. Besides, I’m getting outskied by telemarkers all the time — both uphill and down (of course most of them are half my age — buy why quibble the details?)
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
