Carving the solid styrofoam. Beautiful day but some tough firm snow with ripples and wavelets.

Highroller coming in hot!

Some steeper terrain we'll save for spring corn season, plus a few more months of learning couldn't hurt either...

What goes up...

Chainsaw framed by St. Mary's Lake on lap two. Awesome outing!

Possible side trip, accent of Fox Mtn which I've always wanted to climb and never seem to have gotten around to. Probably not a good ski descent on this one...

Saturday's destination! Probably won't be looking quite like this summer shot but Chainsaw and I are hoping for some decent turns for a lap or two...

Wednesday Night racing!

How best to commemorate your 2 month tele anniversary? Why dropping in on the local Dual Giant Slalom race of course. Took a sweet practice run during which I snapped my carbon pole in twain and wrapped my shinbone around a gate. Now I'm warmed up...then nothing like standing in a precarious starting shack for the first time ever next to a guy wearing a chin bar, shin guards and the worst looking lycra suit ever made...let's do this! Goggles left on top of the helmet, since, did I mention, it's dark, I carefully surveyed the course below me, sussing out that I probably had to pass the 1st gate on the right side, right in all those deep ruts. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and before I know it (but apparently exactly 29.54 seconds later) I'm crossing the line, no missed gates, no falls. Wow, frighteningly fun. Second run I shaved 2 seconds off so there's probably some room for improvement, but fun, fun, fun. As the only tele'er droppin' knee (there was some sad sack of crap doing alpine turns)I probably won too! I'd post a pic but I was going so fast they all look like a red smear...like the Flash baby!

The Worm has turned!

Have been steadily upping the ante at Eldora, working on all the tips instructor Brad gave us after our Xmas lesson, and working into harder runs, faster speeds and smoother turns and things look like they are starting to pay off. We're on about Day 15 and Chainsaw has been exhibiting some definite flow the last two outings, smooth rounded turns and more speed! Highroller has been trying out turns off piste when possible and we're both super-psyched after our first backcountry excursion last weekend so things are looking up. I spent last night poring over Indian Peaks Descents for some spring route ideas and we're tweaking our touring gear set up/packs, etc. in eager anticipation! Now it gets fun!!

Skinning up across a log bridge over Forest Lakes(?) outlet creek

Ok we've gotten new tips for the skins, we're completely ignoring the raging whiteout going on at East Portal and we're heading up! Highroller and Chainsaw enjoyed great snow, some sun! and relative solitude on our first real backcountry tele jaunt. Perfect tools for the job and a beautiful day!

Nice conditions once we hit the trees! And the skins (and handwarmers!) worked great.

1st outing with the skins on a moonlight tour near Brainard. Tips/loops were too big and the front of our skins started to bunch up repeatedly...frustrating but a simple fix with new smaller tips from Neptune's. Now if I can just learn to turn in the crusty and deep off piste we can hit the real bc...

Here we go. Fore!

Skis on correct feet? Check!

Nice! Crush those grapes, squeeze that orange! 109 tele tips that don't suck.

Chainsaw catching on fast...

Gah!

Turn! God damnit!

I feel all tippy...