WINTER SPORTS -- The weather served up a bitter pill last weekend for the youth Telemark Turn clinic at 49 Degrees North, with high winds, power outages and crusty snow.  But the few kids that toughed it out had a blast learning the age-old free-heel turning technique with the help of kid-size rental equipment.

Tele Ned Ryerson, who drove up from Colorado, put on the the clinic and provided the gear.

Here's the report from Susan McBurney, one of the parents who has helped promote the Tele Ned opportunity the past two years:

Well, the kids tele clinic was .... interesting.  Cancelled on Saturday due to an absolutely wild weather day up on the mountain -- pouring rain, power outage, super high winds (I'm sure you saw that a cell tower got blown over up on Chewelah Peak).  We finally got up on the mountain around 1 pm and skied some of the worst conditions ever.  A crust to kill, chunks of crap everywhere.  Survival skiing.  Ha!

The grooming staff worked wonders, though, and Sunday was decent, as long as you stayed on the groomers.  A few pix attached. 

Small turnout in the end, just four kids.  But it was a gas.  Kids had a great time, and they left begging for more.  49 definitely took a hit on the clinic this year, but we are hoping they'll be willing to host again next year.  Mt. Spokane is interested as well, I think, so it may be that Ned comes out over two weekends.  We'll see.