We’d shed our outer gear, letting it dry by the fire, and were enjoying a few adult beverages and some well deserved appetizers at Lamoille Lodge, the sun safely behind the Ruby Mountains for over an hour now. The tattoo on Gary’s left bicep caught my eye–profile of an Arctic tern sticking its head out of an oversized vase. I had to ask.

“Explain your ink please, Gary.”

“Earn your turns Chrys, Earn your turns.” he replied, finishing off the last bits of a deep fried whole onion better prepared than those offered at a certain Australian themed restaurant chain.

Earn your turns = Urn Your Terns. Ah…I got it. A new mantra now I was no longer considered a telemark virgin.

I’d just finished my first backcountry tour with a group of exploration geologists and Forest Service types calling the remote NE corner of Nevada home. We’d taken snowmobiles to the head of a glaciated, u-shaped canyon and for six glorious hours worked our way up, then down some of the most pristine powder I’d ever touched.

That was 1994 and I haven’t put on traditional downhill alpine skiing gear since. Blame the opening ceremony of the Lillehammer Olympics, or buried genetics from my father’s Norwegian clan, but the telemark turn and the places it can take me is firmly implanted in my body’s collective unconscious.

Photo by <<<...Buddhamountain ...

Telemark Basics

Telemark or free heel skiing refers to a turn developed in the Telemark region of Norway by Sondre Norheim in the mid 1800’s. Like Nordic or cross country skiing, the back heel remains unattached to the ski’s base. This allows for cross country stride and glide on the flats or hiking uphill with sticky skins attached to reach peaks for descents.

The loose heel requires a different approach when heading downhill. The skis are not kept parallel, but staggered, half of more of your body weighting the outside ski to create the turn. The inside heel is off the ground until a natural gravity shifts the position and your feet switch roles, steering you in the opposite direction.

The telemark turn transforms two skis into one long, extended curve, one that can be shortened or lengthened depending on conditions. It is the perfect way to feel the snow. You can take your body low to the ground, bend your knee till it almost touches the top of the ski.

Sounds easy, huh? I thought it would be, having been an avid skier for a quarter century.

Combining the two proved more difficult than I imagined. I ate a lot of snow my first year, used many expletives heard from chair lifts around the western United States, either in the presence of an instructor, patient friend, or on my own.

I didn’t understand why my well honed alpine muscle memory didn’t snap up this new connection of moves and immediately make me a master. But my stubborn Norwegian self kept at it and within one season I completed smooth, connected turns, admiring my trail of “S’s” from the bottom with only a few good friends and a gray jay or two as witnesses.

Photo by dirkgroeger

So here’s a skinny Scandinavian Girl’s Guide to a Close to Perfect Telemark Turn:

1) Take a lesson at a ski hill. It helps to ski on groomed conditions in the beginning. I did this at Mount Bachelor mid-week in December before the Christmas crush.

My instructor was strikingly handsome in that outdoorsy way and since he didn’t have another student for the afternoon session, skied with me the entire day. The confidence factor was high when the lifts shut down. As a bonus I had a lovely companion to quaff après ski Black Butte Porters in Bend afterwards.

2) Start with equipment designed for telemark, or a lighter, softer downhill ski with telemark bindings attached. Shaped skis have made mastering free heel skiing simpler than ever. As with any new sport, rent your gear at first.

Leather boots are still used, more common in Europe than anywhere else. Durable polymer boots leaning towards a downhill design are the most common these days.

Depending on the boot, you will either have a traditional three pin binding with a trio of holes to secure the boot’s bill, a cable binding rapping around the heel for more stability, or an even beefier hinged plate binding, allowing skiers to switch from free hill technique to alpine. The first two set-ups are best for novices.

3) As you practice let gravity work for you. You’ll feel the shift as the transition from one turn to another evolves. Don’t be discouraged if you fall… a lot! “If you aren’t falling you aren’t learning.” Know you are making progress when you fall forwards, not backwards. Besides fresh snow tastes great.

4) If possible ski with people better than you. Tracking good skiers is visual motivation and mimicking at its best.

5) Once you are relatively confident with your turns at the yo-yo resorts (an inside reference to the up and down chairlift method of getting up the hill), start thinking backcountry. Contemplate wilderness with no mass of skiers beside you. The beauty of telemark skiing for me is experiencing the rush of skiing and nature’s chilly beauty in the hidden chutes and bowls.

Photo by <<<...Buddhamountain...

Your First Telemark Trip

I’m a bit of a loner but backcountry telemark is not a sport to take on solo. Always have a companion or better yet a gang so y’all can admire the figure eights decorating the hillside.

Concentrate on local day trips until those quads are straining at your Levis and you feel comfortable with variable snow conditions. Then step it up and go for a long weekend or even better, an entire week.

Wherever you land this winter, northern or southern hemisphere, how you get to the top of the mountain will depend on your wallet. Those who didn’t lose it all in the stock market this fall can opt for a helicopter ride almost anywhere the snow is cold and dry, the ranges massive.

There are less expensive snow cats, snow machines, or your own diagonal glide power (urn your terns baby!). Stay tuned for killer destinations for those of us who explore in the winter as much as any other season.

Las Vegas skyline. Photo by Christopher Chan

Rafael Riviera left his Santa Fe scouting party on Christmas Day in 1829. He traveled west, getting lost before discovering a lush valley with native grasses, tall cottonwoods and cool, clear spring water. He called the oasis Las Vegas, Spanish for “ the meadows”.

Pristine riparian areas are not what comes to mind when traveling to a city even people in the quiet corners of the world know about. But a scan of the horizon beyond the strip finds snow covered mountains, forest wilderness and red rock geology on all sides of the valley. For anyone wanting more than a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” experience, there’s plenty of outdoor excitement to lure you away from the gaming tables.

Once You Arrive

When I moved to Las Vegas in 2004, we called the metro buses, CAT, (Citizens Area Transit) by a different name: Call a Taxi. The schedules were so erratic your bus might never come. A French company took over in 2005, purchasing hybrid coaches and sand colored double decker buses called “Deuces.”

Now getting around Sin City on public transit is a snap. Once you arrive at McCarren International Airport, buses leave from the lower level every 15 minutes towards the strip and downtown. Shuttles are provided by every major hotel/casino and taxis plentiful.

If you are staying on the strip and want to explore, opt for ground transport via a Deuce or go airborne on the monorail. Walking along the famous boulevard is an adventure in urban hiking, sidewalks teeming with citizens from all over the world.

No reason to rent a car unless you venture out to the wild areas listed below.

Where It All Began

About 12,000 years ago climate shifts started morphing the southern Nevada terrain into desert. The valley’s meadows provided vital lifelines for the Southern Paiute, who used the springs as a gathering place for trade with other tribes. The tradition continued when others discovered the region, shifting from Conestoga wagons, trains and jet planes over the centuries until Las Vegas evolved into the adult playground we know today.

To get a sense of place and history, start with the Springs Preserve. Encompassing 180 acres where it all began, this state of the art facility opened in 2007. A complex of interactive museums, walking paths, gardens, Wolfgang Puck’s version of organic cuisine, and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, the springs represent the true heart of Las Vegas.

Bridge through the Gardens at the Springs Preserve

Curiosity is rewarded with thorough investigations of the geologic, ecological and cultural history. Each weekend the preserve hosts events highlighting important conservation topics, with smart water use always in the forefront in an area averaging 3 inches of rainfall per year.

Classes and workshops on xeriscaping, irrigation, recycling and sustainable construction are ongoing, serving the Las Vegas community and others committed to sustainable living. The Gardens at the Spring are supported by the Southern Nevada Water District, encouraging home owners to displace water sucking lawns with desert friendly native vegetation, paying cash for every square foot of sod converted.

In a city associated with consumption, the Springs is a model for environmentally sound design. All the buildings are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified, constructed with recycled materials, utilizing solar energy and designed for sustainability in a harsh desert environment. The Inside Out section displays step by step how the buildings were put together in the context of a soft human footprint.

Hiking, Camping, and Skiing in the Forest

Thirty minutes from downtown Las Vegas discover the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area , 316,000 acres encompassing three wilderness areas, ten campgrounds, four hiking trails, Mt. Charleston Peak and the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Like all the mountain ranges in the Basin and Range, Spring Mountain is a biotic island, supporting flora and fauna found only in this part of the world.

An early summer hike from a base elevation of 3000 feet to the top of Mt Charleston at 12,000 feet, is a lesson in wildflower diversity and ecological transition. Camping requires a reservation four days in advance, but plenty of spaces are available if you plan ahead. This is where to go in during the summer, a perfect cool refuge from triple digit temperatures in town.

Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area

The Red Rock Conservation Area, is a 17 mile drive west from the strip on Charleston Avenue/ State Route 159. Take the scenic loop drive or advantage of 30 miles of hiking trails, cycling routes, or harness up and see the geology face to face. Red Rock Canyon is a favorite among climbers. Nevada’s only conservation area is in the center of the Mojave Desert; from the clean vistas it’s hard to believe Las Vegas is just over the ridge.

Tip: If you hit the visitor’s center at lunch time, watch endangered desert tortoises determinedly follow their human keepers for second helpings of sweet strawberries.

Buddhist Donuts Anyone?

Practically every conceivable ethnic cuisine is available in Vegas, with eclectic eating places tucked away in each part of the city. A personal favorite is Ronald’s Doughnuts, owned by a pair of Buddhists in the Asian Section on Spring Mountain Road. The doughnuts are 90% vegan. Being a lifelong Krispy Kreme addict, I scoffed; but the honey glazed, apple fritters or any of the other “healthy” choices will make even the most skeptical fried dough connoisseur leaving with a dozen to go.

For visitors preferring their meals uncooked, find one of two Go Raw Cafes to satisfy cravings for all things fresh, crunchy and fibrous. There is one right off the strip and another 7 miles west on Sahara

Walking distance from UNLV, (University of Nevada-Las Vegas), The Sunflower Farmers Market on Tropicana offers a complete selection of organic produce and earth friendly munchies plus an excellent deli . Stroll on campus to have a healthy picnic in the arboretum before taking in the Majorie Barrick Natural History Museum’s collection of Native American and pre-Columbian art.

It isn’t a Vegas trip if you don’t do at least one buffet. The Wynn’s version offers many vegan and vegetarian selections. This relatively new Vegas landmark has an open, airy interior and you’ll be patronizing a resort owned by the Springs Preserve most generous contributor.

Where: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (Desert Inn Rd.)

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a must see. The hotel’s management rejects “better life through chemistry” in their horticultural practices, using biological controls such as lady bugs and other insects to keep pests and disease in check.

A café off the main floor and a pastry shop just down the way make for an idyllic breakfast.

A City Constantly in Flux

Las Vegas continually re-invents itself, tearing down old landmarks ( circa the1980’s) and building new. With all this rapid-fire change, the city planners finally recognize a need to embrace environmentally sound construction and manage it’s exponential growth. The MGM City Center opens in 2009 on the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, another LEED project incorporating water reclamation, heat recapture technologies and energy efficient lighting.

Las Vegas can be more than “bright lights, big city”, Sin City style holiday. It can also be an exploration of a long established Mojave oasis and its evolution into the 21st century.

Photo by Jenny Williams

Hemingway’s Iceberg Model

In Death in the Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway states good writing is like an iceberg, only 1/8ths visible, the remaining 7/8ths underwater. In other words, a well crafted story lets the reader’s imagination take over.

One of the goals of travel writing is to put readers in the places we describe and have them come away feeling as if they were really there. In a time when many travel writing markets are online and attention spans are short, Hemingway’s Iceberg model still works better than ever.

Here are eight ways to avoid exposing the entire iceberg, global warming be damned:

1 – The universe likes action. It also likes speed. Use a variety of verbs, keeping “is” in any tense to a minimum.

Editing exercise: Try going through your manuscript and cutting or rephrasing every to-be verb. Example: Whole iceberg: He is an old man. 7/8ths: He bent over the cane, and shuffled forward, a step at a time.

2 – Easy on the articles and personal pronouns.

Editing exercise: Go through your manuscript and cut out every the, an, a, that you can.

3 – Use the first person narrative like salt. It should enhance the story’s flavor without overwhelming it.

Editing exercise: Pick out anywhere in your story where the first-person narrative runs wild, then question: “Does all of this really belong here, or is it part of a different story?”

4 – Pick your adjectives carefully. One brilliant descriptor equals three mediocre ones.

5 – The perfect noun will help with adjective selection. Same goes for verbs and adverbs.

Editing exercise: Research the subject of your story until you fully understand the precise nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Is it a sailboat or a sloop? And when it capsized, were you tacking or jibing? Are the waves mushy or hollow? Go back through your manuscript and replace general words with the perfect ones.

6 – Use photos, music, and other sensory tools to help communicate the essence of what you’re writing about.

7 – Remember you are telling a story. Read it out loud. If it feels awkward, bring out the editorial scissors. Probably 75% of the original draft can be cut without losing the narrative flow.

8- Use description to convey emotions. This is also known as the object correlative. Check here for more details.

Examples from Real Life

In a book review I recently wrote on The Soul of the Rhino by Hemanta Mishra, my original draft came in at exactly 1000 words. Although interested, the environmental magazine’s editors wanted something “short and snappy”. I did not hesitate, cutting what I considered brilliant passages and segues to my own life. Four fifth’s (80%) of the text succumbed to the “Delete” key. The final version, at little over 200 words, will be in print this summer.

Conclusion

Let your knowledge and passion resonate cleanly in the sentences you create. And remember that the beauty of a story is what lies beneath, its fluid movement connected to the small part that shows.