Mt. Pisgah, NY: 3/3/24 Go Telemark Day

Ripitz

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
On a recent trip to visit friends in the North Country we discovered Mt. Pisgah Ski Center.

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Tucked on the backside of Mt. Pisgah just a few minutes from downtown Saranac Lake, this little gem packs a punch.


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329 vertical feet with a few rollers is plenty enough to get the heart racing. On Saturday, they hosted the uphill/downhill leg of the local 3P race (pole/pedal/paddle)


On Sunday, they hosted “Go Telemark Day”. Freebird and I are curious about this free heel life so we decided to check it out.

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Freebird is a snowboarder and I’m an alpine skier. We both have taken up cross-country skiing and telemark is now slowly working its way into our skill set. Very slowly. It’s been fun trying something new and I’ve learned the meaning of the phrase, “Drop the knee and your face will follow.”

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The T-bar offered a good seat to watch the unfolding drama.

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High Peaks Cyclery was there with some demos. Freebird checked out the new Voile TTS Transit binding and we got to see and hold the new and much anticipated Scarpa TX Pro.

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I checked out the new cross-country Rottefella Xplore binding and Alpina Alaska boot combination. It was fun taking laps and comparing it to my NNNBC system.

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Things get spicy real quick when you’re downhill skiing on XC gear. It was exhilarating trying to find the necessary balance that hard boots and a fixed heel take away.

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There was some telemark races with soft and hard boot divisions that was dominated by the local talent.

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We hung on the deck for a bit and caught up briefly with @Peter Minde who joined us for a PBR. The sun peaked through the clouds towards the end and we hurried for our last laps.

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We stayed for the mini deck party which culminated in High Peaks Cyclery giving away some skis and swag. The telemark limbo provided quite a few laughs. All in all, it was a real hoot and the most fun I’ve had for $17. Free the heel, free the mind. Already looking forward to next year.

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That looks fun as hell.

@Peter Minde is going to be coming over to the dark side of nordic soon, I hope and predict!

This place has a map, and it's boss, so it should go in the directory. I'll assume you'll handle the description Rip!
 
@Ripitz it was great to see you and meet Freebird on Sunday. Very laid back, mellow vibe at Mt Pisgah, even though I didn't get on snow there.

@Brownski you'll like it up here. Lots of paddling opportunities too.
 
Checked the topo for Pisgah.
The slope faces north and should hold snow well.
 
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Great report and looks like a fun day was had. What is your opinion on the Xplore binding system compared to NNN BC?
 
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