Dan Barron
New member
<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 12/19/99. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>Took my new babies (Dynastar 4X4's) out Fri morning and did a first run down the same trail I'd finished on yesterday, for comparison, Murphy's glades. Couldn't quite figure out what to make of the new skis, except they felt different and not. But I slowly started noticing that all my turns were starting out as they normally do when I'm skiing pretty well--except I wasn't really skiing well. At least not in terms of putting in the effort to get my knee bent down and to the inside like I oughtta. <BR> <BR>Yaknow, the guy in the shop did say something about they initiate turns real well. Well dammit, so they do. The rest of the morning was spent seeing how amazingly easy these things were to crank into the next and the next and the <BR>next turn. Effortless. <BR> <BR>Also had great snow to play in on Ripcord (after punishing myself on the rock hard top of OGrinder to get to where Ripcord was open (from top of Spillsville). Yo-yo'd that till 12:30. <BR> <BR>And then set off for (closed) CR. Didn't know where the Long trail to CR began again after hitting Paradise trail (someone told me later) and it looked, from a distance kinda long and scary (solo) so instead I skinned up,starting from Bailout. I had the idea it would be easier than the LT. I learned otherwise. <BR> <BR>Snow overnight had turned crusty and I found what may be my only complaint, and it's a pretty minor one, with the Dynastars. With their wide tip and relatively narrow tail, as I skinned uphill, the front of the ski would stay <BR>on top of the snow and the back would sink in. Making the trail double its actual steepness, and also forfeiting a fair amount of vertical with every step. It was a slow climb. 3/4 of the way from the top I saw another person, a boarder coming down. He'd come across the LT from Lincoln and figured he might make it back for a 2nd run by the time I got to the top. He did. <BR> <BR>I reached the top of CR lift in well-worn condition. Stopped to rest and eat, and got cold. Not in ideal shape for a run. Snow had been crusty most of the way up and there'd been some nasty looking waterbars. Tried to gather <BR>my strength and pushed off. <BR> <BR>Ahhhh, <BR> <BR>Ahhhhhhhhhhh. <BR> <BR>Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. <BR> <BR>Hadn't noticed it, but the top of CR (CR Run) had turned much softer. No crust. The first quarter of the way down was absolute wonder. Beautiful trail. Beautiful views. Beautiful snow. Beautiful skis. They turned in the powder with such ease. It was a new telemark experience for me. <BR> <BR>Gradually, though, the crust resumed. And now I appreciated the skis in a different way. The sliced through the breakable crust with more power than I've ever had. Still had to balance on them precisely, as there was no leeway to wiggle or slide side to side. It was set a turn and stay on it till you make the next, but at least the skis would help you stay on that <BR>line. And I also found that the basic old "face down the hill" advice became especially important. Makes the balancing way easier. <BR> <BR>Still further down the hill (Cotillion) the crust got hard enough so that, with some speed, you could stay on top. This run turned into an incredible training exercise on my new skis, with conditions forcing me to ski them right. It was not (except for the top) an easy ski, but it was so enjoyable. By the bottom, I really felt in control. <BR> <BR>Finished the day on Ripcord again and on newly opened Lower Paradise (which others were complaining was crusty but not to me after what I'd been on). <BR> <BR>And no less than three strangers--two of them excellent tele skiers themselves--told me my turns looked graceful. Man, my ego was, and is, <BR>flying. Only to one did I confide, uh, it's the skis.