IS SPACE AVAILABLE?

I. GENERAL QUESTIONS:

II. EQUIPMENT and CLOTHING QUESTIONS

III. PAYMENT and CANCELLATIONS

MY QUESTION ISN'T HERE

I. GENERAL QUESTIONS:

The Backcountry Ski Workshop is targeted at skiers who want to break out of the track or get away from the lift! It is for people who want to:

• Become more proficient and comfortable on ungroomed trails
• Make the transition from track skiing (on groomed trails) to the backcountry
• Improve and extend backcountry skills
• Hone backcountry telemark technique

If your snowplow/downhill technique is wobbly and unreliable, you may want to take the Hills Workshop instead, as there are only limited trails suitable for novice skiers. The Novice X-C Workshop, which covers basic XC track skiing skills, will not adequately prepare you this workshop. You should have at least 1-2 seasons experience on X-C skis.

This workshop provides a backcountry complement to the Novice Telemark Clinic and Advanced Telemark Workshop.

Saturday morning we will review uphill, touring, and downhill to help you hone and extend your skills. Depending on the level of the group, the following skills will be covered:

• Snowplow (wedge) for stopping and turns
• Balance and controlled fall
• Proper use of poles
• Herringbone for ascents
• Stem christie and telemark turn

The workshop is divided into two courses:

The workshop will also include an indoor Saturday evening session covering cold weather safety, proper clothing, and pack contents and optional ski equipment and gear discussions.

A draft agenda is shown below. The exact agenda will be defined at the workshop.

 
FRIDAY
5:00-10:00PM        Arrive at Lodge/Sign In
6:00-8:00PM or so   Buffet Dinner

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30   Breakfast
8:30-9:00   Welcome
9:30-11:45  Skills & Drills
12:00-1:00  Lunch at lodge
1:15-4:00   Ski tours and skills practice
5:00-6:00   Happy Hour
6:00-7:00   Dinner
7:15-8:00   Safety presentation, clothing and pack discussions
8:00-9:00   Optional gear discussions, slide show

SUNDAY
8:00-8:45  Breakfast
8:45-9:30  Announcements/Make lunches
9:30-2:30  All-Day Ski Tours
2:30-3:30  Pack up/Workshop Evaluations

Please arrive at Cardigan Lodge Friday afternoon/evening sometime between 5:00 and 10:00 PM. A Friday buffet dinner is available until 8:00 PM or so, so plan accordingly. Instruction will begin Saturday morning after breakfast (~8:30 AM). The workshop runs through about 3:30 PM Sunday.

All of your meals are included in the workshop fee. Cardigan staff will serve breakfast and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. They will provide trail lunches for both days. You may want to bring high-energy snacks for the trail. There is a buffet dinner available Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM or so. There will be a happy hour with munchies after the tours Saturday so you can bring your own beer/wine if you desire.

The AMC's Cardigan Lodge is located on the eastern side of Cardigan Mountain near Bristol, NH. It is about 2.5 hours driving distance from Boston. See here for more details (including directions and map). We will also provide driving directions to registered participants.

Warning: The road into Cardigan Lodge is remote, steep in places, and narrow. Be sure that your vehicle is equipped for winter travel. Bring a cell phone if you have one in case you need to call for help but note that cell phone coverage can be spotty.

We encourage participants to carpool as it saves gas and reduces pollution, it helps with limited parking space, and it's more fun. We will provide carpooling information to registered participants upon request.

II. EQUIPMENT QUESTIONS

Backcountry skis, boots, poles, full-size daypack, and clothing for skiing most of Saturday and part of Sunday in conditions that may be wet, windy, and/or cold. Bring a sleeping bag (or linens), indoor clothes, indoor shoes/slippers (no boots allowed in the lodge), robe, towels, toiletries, etc. for the lodge Friday and Saturday night. Pillows and wool blankets (two per bunk) are provided. Though recently the bunk rooms have been quite toasty, in past years they've been chilly so be prepared for either. We will provide a complete clothing and equipment list to registered participants.

We do not recommend skiing in the backcountry on narrow track skis without metal edges. Wider skis with metal edges (55-68 mm at the waist [under the boot], 65-88 mm at the tip) are better suited for the variable snow conditions in New England.

More important than skis are sturdy, thick-soled boots that fit 3-pin or the newer NNN-BC or SNS-BC bindings (track ski boots usually fit NNN or SNS track bindings). Be sure that your boots and bindings are compatible before you arrive at the workshop.

Maybe, the important factors are that the boots fit well, the skis are the right length for your weight, and the gear is appropriate for the course you've selected (backcountry touring or backcountry telemark). If your friend is the same size and weight as you, things may work out fine. Be sure that your friend's gear is in good condition! and that you understand how it works. If in doubt, consider renting equipment.

There are some outdoor equipment supply stores that rent or demo equipment, such as EMS and REI. We will provide up-to-date information on rental equipment to registered participants a few weeks in advance of the workshop. Keep in mind that many rental shops will not accept reservations for equipment rentals, and equipment can be tough to find. Call in advance and allow time to find rental equipment. Even though the rental shop should know what they are doing, always double-check that the boots fit the ski bindings.

It depends. While it is not necessary to have specialized telemark skis and boots to learn the telemark turn—it does make it easier. So here are some guidelines. If you want to take the telemark portion of the workshop, you should have at minimum, beefy leather or light plastic touring boots, such as a the Garmont Excursion or Scarpa T3 with 75mm bindings (NOT NNNBC or SNSBC) and single camber or camber and a half skis with at least 65 mm underfoot. Lift-served telemark skis and beefier boots are not necessarily recommended, as there are only TWO trails on the mountain that adequately accommodate these type of skis. If you want to bring a bigger set-up, you would do well to also have a lighter BC touring set-up as you may want to participate on one of the tours on Sunday. Cardigan offers a wonderful range of skiing, and it’s good to have options. Keep in mind, telemark is just a turn and nearly all of the groups will cover it to some extent. It comes in handy in a variety of situations in the BC, so you will get some experience with it during the workshop, even if you sign up for the touring course. If you are interested in working primarily on tele turns, indicate to the Registrar that you're interested in the telemark course and fill out the appropriate skills and abilities questionnaire when you register. The workshop coordinator will try to accommodate you but reserves final decision on course assignments. If you have any questions at all about equipment, please contact the course coordinator, Brenda Conaway at blctele@yahoo.com or 617-875-9761.

Alpine touring gear (heavy skis and boots, with bindings that lock the heel to the ski for downhills) is not a good fit for this workshop: Not much of our downhill terrain is suited for A/T skiing, and most of the instruction for steeper slopes will be for telemark turns. The evening discussions are applicable for A/T skiing. We'd suggest that you bring backcountry touring or telemark gear; if you'd prefer to bring A/T gear, please recognize the limitations of this workshop.

As you will learn at this workshop, cotton is probably the worst material to wear in the wilderness in the winter. DO NOT WEAR ANY COTTON WHILE SKIING. Once cotton clothing gets wet from rain, sweat, or falling, it will not insulate and you will get cold. You can find wool pants and shirts in most any thrift store, so you don't have to spend a bundle. We will provide a complete list of recommended clothing to registered participants.

III. PAYMENT QUESTIONS

Cost is $168 for AMC members ($191 for non-members). The cancellation fee is $45 before January 12. Refunds after January 12 cannot be assured.

Aldo Ghirin
617 327 8781
aggamc at yahoo.com

Please include with your check:

• Your name
• Email address
• Address for carpool information
• Phone number

We might be able to work something out. Check with Aldo Ghirin

There is a cancellation fee of $45 if cancellation is requested before January 12. After January 12, we cannot assure a refund. A refund becomes less likely as the workshop approaches.

You will receive a confirmation via email. We will send a workshop packet by early January containing a workshop description, skills & abilities questionnaires, equipment and clothing checklists, carpooling information, driving directions, etc.

The workshop will be held regardless of weather and snow conditions. There is usually snow on the ground in New Hampshire by late January. If there is inadequate snow cover, we may ski at a local downhill ski area. However, the price of lift tickets is not included in the workshop fee. Please be prepared to pay for lift tickets if you wish to have this option available. There may also be an option to hike, but trails are often icy in the winter (even if there's no snow), so hiking options could be very limited. We will do our best with whatever Mother Nature throws our way. Expect the worst and hope for the best. That said, the workshop has run successfully every year! It's always a great time.

For more information, contact Aldo Ghirin.