Half the people I know here are tele skiers. I'd definitely like to try it, but I really want to work on getting my regular alpine skiing up a few notches. I'm getting some sort of ski- industry pass that's good for every Vermont resort, so imma take that thing for a ride!
GSS, my setup isn't literally 50 pounds, but it ain't light. Frame bindings ski like regular alpine bindings but are heavy and less efficient for climbing. They basically look like a demo binding except that you can lift the whole thing up at the heel. Salomon has a fancy new AT binding that's supposed to climb like a tech binding but ski like an alpine binding. If I can get a pro deal on those I may try them out.
Bit of snow at Killington today and freeze warnings tonight!