<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Howdy all, <DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>I've promised a lot of folks that I'd organize this sooner :) This Saturday and Sunday is the first of four in a series of fun telemark ski festivals around New England, and will be held at Jay Peak in Vermont. The past several years MITOC (The Outing Club, for the Snowriders-types) has always put in a strong showing at many of them. I'd like to go ahead and organize rides for getting up there so we can get another good showing in. I'm advertising this to the Snowriders because it's more in their domain (lift served!) and I'm sure there are several folks out there who are tele skiers or would like to give it a try and aren't in the MITOC telemark community.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><B>What is this event?</B></DIV><DIV> It's the Vermont Telemark Festival, held at Jay Peak. NET (New England Telemark) puts on a good fest: for $10 LESS than the price of a normal lift ticket ($45) you get:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>* A lift ticket valid everywhere on the mountain</DIV><DIV> *Free demos all day of telemark boots and skis</DIV><DIV>* free lessons, at ALL ability levels (very good in my experience!)</DIV><DIV>* LOTS of freebies and raffles. (A person from MIT has won something major at every festival I've been to...bindings, skis, jackets....)</DIV><DIV>* Ski competitions (this year will probably be the radical terrain comp, with big prizes.)</DIV><DIV>* Costume Contest!</DIV><DIV>* FREE BEER (yes, I'm serious)</DIV><DIV>* Very, very nice people</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It's a serious deal.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>If you've ever wanted to learn, try tele, or meet more people that tele, this is an EXCELLENT place to do it. The MIT crew usually skis together and is quite a presence in some years: <A href="http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/2004_3_2_TelemarkFestival/DSC01355">http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/2004_3_2_TelemarkFestival/DSC01355</A> (that would be the costume contest...)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>More about the festival: <A href="http://www.netelemark.com/Jay_Peak.htm">http://www.netelemark.com/Jay_Peak.htm</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><B><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></B></DIV><DIV><B>Getting There, Coordination</B></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>There will be at least two crews: one that is going up Friday night for Saturday only and then has to get back to New Hampshire that night for MITOC Winter Leaders training (this will probably be the main MITOC crew). These people should signup using MITOC's RideShare at ( <A href="http://mitoc.mit.edu/rides">http://mitoc.mit.edu/rides</A> ) . The second group that is not constrained by MITOC leadership commitments can plan on organizing rides using the Snowrider's RiderBoard ( <A href="http://snowriders.mit.edu">http://snowriders.mit.edu</A>/ ) This way, there's not as much confusion over who is going where and when :) These people can plan to attend however they want, as long as rides work out.</DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>If you want to go and can drive, sign up on the appropriate board so that riders can join you. </DIV><DIV>Be sure to indicate when you are leaving and what your plans are.</DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>I'll make sure that there's an obvious MIT table at the base lodge. Everyone in MITOC should know what I look like...I'll figure out something for Snowrider types. I have very funny looking skis. And I'm funny looking in general.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>Another issue is going to be accommodations. Jay is a really long drive for an up and back one day shot. I'm personally not staying for both days, so I won't be coordinating this part. In the past, we've just "camped" at Jay in the parking lot kicking back our seats. They are cool with this. I know there are a lot of folks out there that aren't crazy about this option. For that reason, I've set up a thread on the Snowrider's forum to work out plans for people that want to go. The forum will be here soonish: </DIV><DIV><A href="http://snowriders.mit.edu/forums/display_topics.php?forumid=2">http://snowriders.mit.edu/forums/display_topics.php?forumid=2</A></DIV><DIV>This should be the general coordination thread; I will monitor it and ask questions once it's up and running. (It' s being held for moderator approval right now.)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>Some folks are trying to organize a tent city: check out this thread towards then end: <A href="http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=12776">http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=12776</A> This is an open community organized thing, not specific to MIT.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><B>Questions?</B></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>Post them to the coordination thread at <A href="http://snowriders.mit.edu/forums/display_topics.php?forumid=2">http://snowriders.mit.edu/forums/display_topics.php?forumid=2</A></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>once the thread is up. It will be called "Telemark Festival at jay Peak" or something else very obvious. I'll monitor it.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Thanks, and hope to see many of y'all there, </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV><DIV>Resident tele skier and gear slut</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN>(Shameless plug: for Snowriders people that like backcountry skiing/riding, there's a list: <A href="mailto:mitoc-bcski@mit.edu">mitoc-bcski@mit.edu</A> which you can add yourself to (or we can do it). We've already had several trips this season. We're dominated by tele skiers, but we don't care how you choose to slide on snow)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></BODY></HTML>