Michael Conley

Toast Your Booties: Two Ways To Keep Feet Comfy On Cold Days

/3 Comments/in , /by

No more wrestling with cold, stiff boots on a crowded ski lodge bench.

A few years ago, I indulged in my version of the middle-aged cliche: Instead of a red sports car, I snagged some very nice new skis and a serious pair of custom-fit boots. All was glorious but for one problem—the boots were 120’s, so stiff that by the time I forced my feet into

Plug your boot bag in for pre-ski warm-ups. Ahhhh. Credit: HotGear

Plug your boot bag in for pre-ski warm-ups. Ahhhh.
Credit: HotGear

them in the ski lodge, I was exhausted, bathed in sweat and ready for a break. To the rescue came the Hot Gear Bag, a thoughtfully-designed, electrically-heated boot bag. Plug it into the condo wall or your car for the ride to the mountain, toast your booties, and you can ease into a deliciously warm and pliable pair of boots. If you have trouble with your back or hands, you will greatly appreciate how rigid ski boots become like slippers and easier to buckle, too. Depending on your boots and the weather, your feet stay warm and comfy for a few hours.

Pair the heated boot bag with  Boot Gloves ($29.95) from DryGuy to retain the heat, and you have a comprehensive warm-foot strategy. The Boot Glove is, well, a

Boot gloves can make a difference on cold, cold days. Credit: DryGuy

Boot gloves can make a difference on cold, cold days.
Credit: DryGuy

neoprene glove for your boot. For more on boot gloves, click here.

Heating feature aside, Hot Gear has a great bag, well-designed and sturdy. Zippered or mesh pockets are everywhere! Carry it with the grab handle or the removable, padded shoulder strap, stowable in a zip side pocket. The other side pocket opens to reveal fleece-lined sleeves for goggles and spare lenses. Another zipper on the back reveals backpack straps for a balanced carry and also an integral cable and lock for security. A bungeed helmet carrier on top zips flat when not needed, and a padded plastic foot pad can be deployed from the underside to provide a clean place to stand.  Now, that’s a clever addition. The connection cords for house or car outlets hide behind their own zippers in front. Sturdy rubber feet protect the bottom of the bag.

The large main compartment is surrounded with an electric heating pad. Select one of three settings, and your boots, gloves and anything else you can fit in are nicely warmed and softened, or, at the end of the day thoroughly dried out. Velcro-ed in place, the heating pad is easily removed for replacement, if necessary. Velcro-tabbed compartments hold extra socks, neck gaiters or base layers, and there’s a generous mesh pocket for all those small doodads. I keep an old hand towel at the bottom of my bag to soak up melting slush at the end of the day. When traveling, besides my boots, I can put my helmet, gloves, and several pairs of socks in the bag, and it fits nicely in the overhead bin on a plane.

There's a variety of heated boot bag models from Hot Gear. Credit: Hot Gear

There’s a variety of heated boot bag models from Hot Gear.
Credit: Hot Gear

I own the Classic 110-volt model ($179). Other models include the somewhat larger Pro ($199), a double-size for two pairs of boots ($249), the smaller Ajax ($149) and the Classic Trolley ($239) with wheels and a telescoping handle, variously available in 110- and 220-volt versions.

I’ve used mine for several years now and consider it an essential piece of equipment. I love the heating feature and am currently working on a recipe for Boot Bag Baked Brownies.

To find a retailers near you, click here.  Not near you?  Click here to buy direct.

mikemaginn

Breaking News: SLC Dubs Itself “Ski City USA”

/0 Comments/in /by

Salt Lake City launches campaign to attract skiers to a “base camp for skiing”.

Hi From Ski City, USA Credit: Visit Salt Lake

Hi From Ski City, USA
Credit: Visit Salt Lake

Visit Salt Lake President Scott Beck isn’t pulling punches when he says a new $1.8 billion campaign to boost SLC’s brand is aimed at luring skiers away from Colorado’s storied resorts.  Expect a flurry of online and print advertisements promoting Salt Lake City’s short drive to four close-by world-class,

mountain resorts, international airport, restaurants, night life, and bars.

Click here for the full article from the Standard Examiner. 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Breaking News: Vail Resorts has purchased Park City Mountain Resort

/0 Comments/in /by

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Vail Resorts has purchased Park City Mountain Resort for $182.5 million in cash, creating the country’s largest ski resort covering more than 7,000 acres.

The Colorado resort announced the acquisition Thursday morning, adding that the sale resolves all litigation with Powdr Corp., Park City Mountain Resort’s parent company.

Jon Weisberg

Why Senior Ski Clubs Matter

/1 Comment/in /by

Benefits of Membership Go Beyond A Ride To The Mountain

My early years of skiing were with the Troy (NY) Ski Club. At 11, I was the youngest member, attending Thursday night meetings at the YWCA to sign up for the Sunday bus trip to southern Vermont or the Adirondacks. Instruction by an older member was part of the package. I’ve since learned that others in the club went on to prominence in the world of skiing. It was a good beginning, and it was there I learned the value of ski clubs.

70+Ski Club Gathers At Snowbasin, UT. Clubs are a natural magnet for senior skiers. Credit: DailyHerald.com

70+Ski Club Gathers At Snowbasin, UT. Clubs are a natural magnet for senior skiers.
Credit: DailyHerald.com

For many, ski clubs are still at the center of their skiing lives. Snowskiclub.com lists five reasons why:

Friendship—Meeting new friends with common interests and great networking

Convenience—The trip leader makes all arrangements. Members simply “pay, pack and participate.”

Economy—Group purchasing results in better lodging, lift, and airline prices, often at premier resorts that have “bid” on attracting them. Some clubs own lodges, making accommodation costs extremely economical.

Camaraderie—Trip prices generally include parties, mountain picnics, après ski events, and a meal or two. Off-season, ski clubs gather for a host of summertime activities.

Ski clubs serve many interests and ages. We asked leaders of several leading clubs about the value of ski clubs to the 50+ skier. Here’s what we learned:

NSCF organizes councils in each state. Credit: NSCF

NSCF organizes councils in each state.
Credit: NSCF

“Ski clubs encourage older adults to keep active,” says Jo Simpson of the National Ski Council Federation and President of the Sierra Ski Council. NSCF represents 29 councils comprising hundreds of clubs and thousands of members across the US. The group works with the ski industry to promote skiing and boarding to members and to provide them with discounts on goods and services. Click here for a good place to find a club in your area.

Ski clubs help people connect—especially if divorced, widowed and/or not comfortable getting back in the social scene. “Ski clubs can be a safe outlet for developing lasting friendships,” says Debbie Rima, VP

LSS is also an "adventure" club. Credit: Lone Star Skiers

LSS is also an “adventure” club.
Credit: Lone Star Skiers

Trips, Lone Star Skiers & Adventure Club, Dallas, one of whose members is 95 and still racing.

“Many of our members are retired and their children grown,” explains Ann Lawson, VP Special/Travel, Grindelwald Ski Club, Pasadena. “We’re attracting people who fit that profile. It’s a growing area of opportunity for other ski clubs around the country.”

Of the clubs responding to our request for information only one indicated an insurance benefit.

Snowbounders offer liability insurance. Credit: Snowbounders

Snowbounders offer liability insurance.
Credit: Snowbounders

Snowbounders, Orange County, CA, maintains liability insurance for all members as part of the membership fee. According to Bill Houck, a member of the Snowbounder board of directors, the club takes après ski to an entirely new level with activities such as dog sledding and hot air ballooning.

As for my après ski philosophy? Remember that recent T-shirt?

Cruise. Booze. Jacuze. Snooze.

Do you belong to a club?  What’s your experience been?

mikemaginn

Winter 2015 Forecast: Maybe Snow, Maybe Not

/0 Comments/in /by

Handicapping 2014-2015 winter can lead to confident-sounding but wrong predictions.

By now, you’ve noticed that the weather in the past few years has become a series of conversation-starting, concern-causing, head-scratching, question-asking phenomena.  Last winter was—as they say down east— a “hoser”.  In the Northeast, we had the most persistent, bitterly cold winter in memory.  According to the National Weather Service, New England temperatures frequently and persistently ranged at or below normal low ranges from January to the end of March.  Even the Mid-Atlantic States had a cold and snowy season.  Early snow and a lot of it created deep powder conditions in the Alps, especially Italy.  Meanwhile, the Polar Vortex brought a cold and snowy season to the Northern Rockies and Midwest while California was unseasonably dry and warm.

What’s in store for 2014-15?  Joel Gratz of OpenSnow, an interesting online forecasting site we recommend to our readers, is

OpenSnow Compared US and International Models Credit: OpenSnow

OpenSnow Compared US and International Models
Credit: OpenSnow

not enthusiastic about long-range forecasts in general.  Nevertheless, he compared a number of US and European forecasts for the upcoming 2014-15 season and found some consensus:  Dry in the Northwest, Snowy in the Far West and uncertain from the Rockies eastward to New England.  Just to test the reliability of long-range predictions like this, he compared the accuracy of several forecast models from the prior 2013-14 season with actual results.  Those predictions were “far from perfect”.

So, he concludes, “Can we trust seasonal forecasts from these models? Based on last year (predictions), definitely not.”  He suggests we treat all of this as entertainment.  On the other hand, this year’s El Nino might actually “force the weather to behave in more predictable ways.” At the end of the day, who knows?

Besides, the Boston Globe reported this June that long-range climate is warming fastest in the Northeastern states, led by Maine and Vermont and in the South West.  Conclusion:  Ski when and where you can.

Sugarbush
mikemaginn

Sugarbush Offers$199 Mid-Week Boomer Season Pass. Thank you, Sugarbush.

/0 Comments/in /by

Thanks, Sugarbush, For The Deal!

Mid-Week Skiing Means Deals and No Crowds Credit: Sugarbush

Mid-Week Skiing Means Deals and No Crowds
Credit: Sugarbush

 

 

Sugarbush Resort is offering a wonderful deal: Mid-week season pass for $199 for 65+ skiers.   For mid-week Boomer skiers, this is a good thing.  Thanks, Sugarbush, for acknowledging senior skiers. Click here to BUY NOW.