Three decades after reintroducing telemark skiing to the East Coast, Vermont free-heeler Dickie Hall has lost none of his missionary zeal. Every year, he holds nearly 50 clinics, festivals, and backcountry camps in 11 states and provinces, and his North American Telemark Organization (NATO) has helped more than 40,000 people master skills ranging from the basic genuflect turning position to route finding and expedition planning.

Among NATO's wildest courses is the six-day, hut-to-hut Chic-Chocs Telemark Camp, held twice in April in Quebec's remote Parc de la Gaspésie.

Rising 4,000 feet [1,220 meters] from the banks of the St. Lawrence River, the rarely visited range receives 20 feet [6 meters] of snow each winter and contains surprisingly diverse terrain: couloir-lined peaks, steep back bowls, and gentle cirques. Ideal for intermediate telemarkers who want to build their backcountry skills, the camp focuses on touring, mountaineering techniques, avalanche safety, and—most important—deep-powder turns.

—McKenzie Funk

CONTACT:
North American Telemark Organization
(800 835 3404 [U.S. and Canada only]; www.telemarknato.com).
The six-day Chic-Chocs Telemark Camp is $725 per person.