misery

NNN-bc

66/54/60

RT scraped hardpack and crud

like a flashback to 5, 6, 10 years ago.

tele whackin' clueless, hitting the deck 

hard, slow speed falls suck.

flailing like a total noob, constantly losing

the edge on any, any, surface that makes 

noise.  Maybe linked 6 turns at once,

such terrifying work to skid down the slope

in floppy hightops.  

fresh raspberries on the hip, hard

bone jarring slams to the ice.  

What ever made this seem like fun?

Force out a laugh with every spill,

no matter the impact, sometimes it

was actually silly, falling over from

pure exhaustion.  But also gotta keep 

the cool to those on the lift.

Really wanting to slam that pole 

into the snow a few times, and scream 

whythefuckcan'tImakeamotherfucking

teleturnonthesestupidmotherfucking

XCskistosavemylife!MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!

frustrating.

Basics, begin with wedge to tele, Michaux

seasoned steel edges find no purchase,

hit the deck. OK, try some meadow 

skipping foot to foot pop in the fall line,

tips cross, hit the deck.  Remember to ski 

more from the ankle, no plastic to transfer 

power from the shin. Reallllly find the ball 

of the foot, dig the freedom of the xc rig, 

so much feel for the snow.

Focused, gotta be.  Try again try to ski in 

that loose nord style, but the skis tangle 

immediately and down again.  Avoid the 

slowboarder scrapeage and finally able 

to dynamically link left to right skids

off the tops of the little crud piles. OK, 

that works, now let 'em roll off the apron 

and find a sketchy all but edgeless surfiness if 

in just the right spot. 

Find some speed and try to let the rock 

chewed waxless bases run, searching for that 

seam of softer snow to turn thru.  Get low, 

really low, so low that hands sometime drag 

as outriggers, plus it's not as far to fall.  Find 

the double camber sweet spot on occasion, 

actually rolling from turn to turn, be like a 

porpoise, really on that back ski and working 

it to shape the turn.  Actually turning where 

and when I want to. Then reality, and another 

slam into the ice.  

That's lap one, told myself I just needed to 

warm up.  You know, put yourself in a situation 

where you have to turn, and you'll figure it out.

So, over to the triple, and then a bunch of crashes 

trying to ski Ramrod from the top.  Who do I 

think I am, some mutant nord from WV?

  

Probably slid down 1/3+ of it on my ass,

lower section held some enjoyable turns

and slides.  Retreated back over to 

Minuteman and made a few more laps 

trying to dial things in.  Finally, after 

the umpteenth slam into ice preserved 

groomer tread, I gave up.  Already had 

4ish hours in me prior to this experiment

and my legs were fried. 

So, instead of heading home, I changed back 

to the big boots and skis for shit's n giggles.  

And those were the worst turns that I've made 

in a long, long, long, long time.  I couldn't feel 

the back ski, I actually caught myself wedging 

into a turn, edges felt all hooky and sharp, not 

committing to the inside ski.

It was freakin' weird.

Otherwise, the snow was pretty damn good

all wknd, lots of fun little lines and rippin' 

fast carves to be had.  Good to see everybody 

out gettin' it at the local hill.