Roger Lohr

Eat Your Way To Fitness: Gourmet Ski Tours

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Lots of Chocolate: Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Events Collected By XCSkiResorts.com

From Roger Lohr, XCSkiResorts.com: Want a guilt-free way to indulge yourself with food while exercising? XC Skiing is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise but if you go on a “Gourmet Ski Tour” on your xc skis or snowshoes, you may very well eat your way to fitness at a number of trailside food stops. What a grand time so go ahead, eat, ski, and be merry – appetizers, wine, champagne, fondue, entrees, desserts, and more.

Here’s a cross section of the culinary XC ski events that are planned this winter across the country with a varied menu of fun and fine cuisine.

EAST

Smugglers Notch in VT has Sweets and Snowshoes every Wednesday night 7-9 PM for adults only. Hot cocoa, coffee, and desserts await snowshoers after a 30-minute trek to a pavilion and campfire. A warming meal of hot soup, bread and beverage at a trailside cabin is a destination for the Soup and Snowshoes guided trek mid-day on Sundays, and on Tuesday nights there’s a Snowshoe Adventure Dinner at the mountain summit.

Eastman (NH) Cross Country’s Nordic Nibbles in Grantham, NH on January 18 has a Scandinavian theme with a visit to a fire pit at each stop for cheese from a local smokehouse, Lindt chocolate, gingerbread cake and pastries, local dairy milk for hot coco, soup, and the main meal from 11 AM – 1 PM.

Munching along at Eastman's outdoor ski party. Credit: Roger Lohr

Munching along at Eastman’s outdoor Nordic Nibbles ski party.
Credit: Roger Lohr

The Valentine’s Day Destination S’Mores Station at Bretton Woods Nordic on February 14 with two self-guided tour for sweets from 10 AM – 4 PM. The shorter tour will be less than 2 km on easy trails so it’s great for the kids. Purchase S’Mores Kits at the center or at the station to make your own.

The Chocolate Festival at Mount Washington Valley Ski & Snowshoe Center in Intervale, NH on February 22 is an inn-to-inn affair at 10-12 stops to experience your chocolate fantasies including moose and fondue. Go on a tour of any length and actually gain calories, even if you ski as far as 20 kilometers. A shuttle is also available for those that have overindulged at the event dubbed the “Sweetest Day on the Trails.”

CENTRAL

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ironwood features cuisine from local restaurants that can be purchased at a nominal fee along a designated route along the trails at the Taste of the Trails on the ABR trails on March 7 at 11 AM – 2 PM.

MOUNTAINS

Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, CO hosts the Grand Huts.org Progressive Dinner on Feb 28 with a multi-course meal at outposts along the trail in a fundraiser for the huts.

Just Desserts Eat & Ski in the Enchanted Forest in Red River, NM on February 28 features goodies from 20 different local restaurants at three trailside stations with up to 100 desserts within a 4 kilometer loop. Their motto is, “It’s not a race, just a gorge fest.”

The Rendezvous Trails in West Yellowstone, MT features cuisine from local restaurants that can be purchased at a nominal fee along a designated route along the trails at the Taste of the Trails on February 7.

Crested Butte Nordic Center has has the Magic Meadows Yurt Dinners reached by a 2 km ski or snowshoe tour where 10 gourmet dinners are offered during the winter including the Saturday Yurt Dinners each month, and special dinners on Winter Solstice on December 20, New Year’s on December 31 and Valentine’s Day on February 14.

Look to the Galena Lodge in Ketchum, ID for the Full Moon Dinners on nights associated with the full moon, (Jan 3 & 4, Feb 3,4, & 5, Mar 5,6, & 7, Apr 3 & 4) whereby you can go ski or snowshoe ($5 snowshoe rental offered) and then return to lodge for a four-course dinner at $40 or half price for kids under 12. There are also special Wine Dinners, Holiday Dinners, and a Valentine’s Day Dinner.

Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, MT has the Glide & Gorge event on March 8 from 11:30 AM-2 PM with trail luncheon stationed with appetizers, soups, entrees, desserts from the Ranch’s four-star kitchen, local brew, wine, music and shuttles.

WEST

Royal Gorge XC Ski Resort in Soda Springs, CA has the Royal Fondo Tour on Jan 25 with skiing or snowshoeing to various huts along the trails for snacks and lunch at the resort deck.

Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center in Truckee, CA has the Taste of Truckee presenting food from local restaurants along the trails on Mar 22.

Cypress Mountain outside of Vancouver, BC has Ladies Only Chocolate Fondue Snowshoe Tours on Friday and Sunday nights starting at 6:30 PM. Warm up with a mug of steaming apple cider before enjoying appetizers then a chocolate fondue Jan 9 & 23, Feb 6 & 20, and Mar 6. These programs include rental equipment, trail access, guides/instructors, and the appetizers.

mikemaginn

A Gaggle of Santas: Merry Christmas From SeniorsSkiing.com

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A bevy of Santas collaborate at Brighton Ski Resort, UT. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Santas collaborate at Brighton Ski Resort, UT., after delivering presents to entire world.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

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Coming Back From Injury: Avoid One-Sidedness

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Adaptive Ski Instructor Provides Advice on Predictable Issues for Returnees

Alisa Anderson, Smuggler’s Notch’s (VT) adaptive skiing program manager, is a highly-specialized PSIA instructor who, over the past 20 years, has applied techniques and tools for skiers of all kinds who need a little extra help getting down the mountain.

Adaptive Ski Instructor Alisa Anderson guides a student on the "Snow Slider" at Smuggler's Notch. Credit: Alisa Anderson

Adaptive Ski Instructor Alisa Anderson guides a student on the “Snow Slider” at Smuggler’s Notch.
Credit: Alisa Anderson

She trained at the National Sports Center for the Disabled, Winter Park, CO, where she learned how to use bi-skis, mono-skis, and outriggers. At Smuggler’s Notch, she purchased a “Snow Slider” which is basically a walker on skis. While these tools are mostly used with people who have chronic physical disabilities, she also helps people who can ski on their own skis get back to skiing after injury, accident, or knee, hip or shoulder replacement.

“It’s important that people coming back from an injury take a lesson from a trained instructor,” said Alisa. “One reason is to help them get through the natural apprehension that you’d expect after being through major surgery and a year or so of rehab. The other reason is to spot and correct physical mistakes before they become habits.”

Most people coming back after rehabilitation, she said, will clearly favor the healing side. “It’s natural. There’s been a trauma to the area, and the body wants to ‘save’ that side. What you see are people not pressing the ski on that side or being very tentative about flexing.” That stiffness is risky because the skier doesn’t have bi-lateral control.

People aren’t even aware they are favoring one side, she said. That’s where coaching comes in.

“If they continue to be stiff and one-sided, they are going to form some bad behaviors. Stiff muscles lead to fatigue, and the risk of injury goes up,” she said. “They need to be constantly in motion.”

The solution is for the instructor to give the student skier active feedback on what she sees. “Basically, I remind the student to focus on keeping pressure on the front of the boot and weight on the ball of the foot. It’s really back to the basics. It’s important for the skier to loosen up, extend, get tall and bend their joints into through the turn.”

Alisa says that one lesson might be all a skier needs, others, maybe a couple more. “Most people get it pretty quickly. It’s just a matter of getting through the first days doing it right.”

Alisa knows what she is talking about. In addition to her experience as an adaptive ski instructor, she’s also recovering from ACL reconstructive surgery. “I have to wear a brace. It reminds me all the time about what it’s like to be rehabbing. Sometimes, I don’t like wearing it, but I do it, and I’m still skiing.”

 

Get Into The Spirit: Cannon Mountain Aerial Footage

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If You Need Some Inspiration To Get Out There, Here It Is.

Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire looks deep in snow as of today.  Wonderful and dramatic shots of a beautiful and venerable ski area.  Credit White Mountains TV 16.

Straight Down: Cody Townsend and Gravity

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Now This Should Tighten You Up.

Cody Townsend, professional free skier and athlete, takes on the most improbable ski run we’ve ever seen.  The scene is a near vertical chute in Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains, more like a elevator shaft than a ski run.  This scene is a clip from Red Bull’s documentary, “Days of My Youth.”  We are certain that the legendary Dick Buek, winner of the 1952 Olympics downhill and probably the original extreme skier, would approve.   This stunt is reminiscent of Dick’s daredevil runs; he was the first person to schuss Exhibition at Sun Valley, something that French skiing pioneer Emile Allais said could never be done.  And, of course, there’s another legend Toni Matt whose run down the Headwall at Tuckerman’s Ravine to win the 1939 Inferno Race still echoes through the White Mountains.  All of these guys like to go straight down.  Fearless.

Cody, you’re following some pretty impressive skiing heroes.  Be careful out there.  Or is that not the point?

 

Harriet Wallis

Knee Replacement—How I Chose My Surgeon: Part 4

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How To Identify An Athletically-Empathic Surgeon.

I’m lucky to live in Salt Lake City. There are 10 ski resorts nearby, and there are opportunities for an active lifestyle year-round. Because of that, there are many top surgeons here who put athletes back together when they get injured or need replacement parts.

Correspondent Harriet Wallis chose Dr. Beck for many reasons. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Correspondent Harriet Wallis chose Dr. Beck from Salt Lake City for many reasons that made sense to her.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

But when I needed to have my knees replaced, I wanted to choose the right doctor for me. My list of questions helped me differentiate between the five surgeons I interviewed. Here’s the essence of just three of my questions and how the doctors’ answers focused my decision.

Do my knees need to be replaced? When?

            Doctor X: Yes, they need replaced — when you’re ready.

Doctor Beck: When the quality of your life is gone, and you can’t do the things you want to do, it’s time. Do it while you’re still active enough to get the best outcome and get back to the things you want to do.

What’s your surgery technique?

            Doctor Y said: I do the surgery this way. I do it this way all the time. I never vary from doing it this way.

Doctor Beck said: This is what I plan to do. But when I get into your knee I might find something that doesn’t show up on the x-rays and I’ll have to take care of it — but “I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have to.”

Can I ski?

            Doctor Z said: I wouldn’t ski anymore.

Doctor Beck said: “You’re darn tootin’ you can ski!” Pick good snow days, take some breaks, and you probably should stay out of the moguls.

For many reasons, this was the right surgeon for me.

         Good luck finding the right surgeon for you.

Editor’s Note: This is a 5-part series in which SeniorsSkiing’s correspondent Harriet Wallis describes her knee replacement journey with tips to guide you if you’re anticipating knee replacement. Part 1: Inspired by a ski patroller with artificial knees. Part 2: Research 101 – why and how to do it.  Part 3: Interviewing the docs.  Upcoming Part 5: Rehab and why to love it.

mikemaginn

Free Skiing For Seniors: A Directory From Skiing History Magazine

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There are dozens of ski areas that offer free skiing to seniors.

Join the ISHA to receive Ski History Magazine

Join the ISHA to receive Ski History Magazine

SeniorsSkiing.com’s partner, the International Ski History Association, has just published an incredibly valuable resource for senior skiers.   In the November-December 2014 issue of Skiing History Magazine, there’s a directory of where seniors can ski for free or for discounts in North America.  Thanks to ISHA President (and Seniorsskiing.com Advisory Council Member) Seth Masia for this important information.  Consider joining ISHA to receive Skiing History and other benefits such as DVDs and subscriptions to popular skiing magazine.  Also a nice gift for ski buffs.

Harriet Wallis

Move It! Get Fit Your Way With Silver Sneakers

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Nationwide Health Insurance Program Supports Senior Fitness.

Tune yourself up for ski season and beyond. Get started by checking your health insurance plan to see if it includes Silver Sneakers. It’s a nationwide program sponsored by many health insurance plans, and it encourages older adults to get fit in whatever way they want to.

Correspondent Harriet Wallis loves her Silver Sneakers aerobics class. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Correspondent Harriet Wallis loves her Silver Sneakers aerobics class.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Silver Sneakers gives you access to gyms where you can walk on the treadmill, swim laps, stretch with yoga, lift weights and work out with certified instructors. You may also enjoy community-based programs that include everything from line dancing to boot camp. There are 12,000 Silver Sneaker facilities across the country. Find one near you and get going.

For me, I enjoy an aerobics class designed for seniors. It gets the heart rate up and the joints moving – but the class does it gently. My classmates and I are a heap of replacement parts. We’re full of metal hips, knees and shoulders. The instructor understands, and when she introduces a new move that’s too hard for some of us, we make adaptations. Nobody laughs. We’re all there for the fun of it and to keep our bodies moving.

But we “mambo” and we “grapevine.” We huff and we puff. We feel like prima donnas because we face a mirror and we can see ourselves. But we’re all wearing T-shirts, not tutus!

Silver Sneakers allows you to choose the exercise programs you like. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Silver Sneakers allows you to choose the exercise programs you like.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Classes also offer the benefit of socializing with others of like age before and after class. Just for fun, our class goes to lunch once a month. The recent lunch reminder email said:  “We go right after class with sweat and no make-up. So far we have never been turned away looking and smelling of exercise.”

Many seniors fear trying something new because their heads fill up with negative thoughts such as: Will the class be too hard? What should I wear? Will I fit in? Skip those thoughts.

Find a Silver Sneakers program near you. Put on your sneakers and get going. Now.

seniorsskiing

Huff Post: Essential Gear Senior Skiers Need To Carry

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Huffington Post Features SeniorsSkiing.com’s Co-Founder Jon Weisberg On Necessary Accessories

SeniorsSkiing.com’s co-founder Jon Weisberg has been skiing for 60 years and clearly gotten his equipment kit down pat.  In this Huffington Post Post-50 Blog entry, Jon describes the eight vital pieces of gear seniors will find most useful to put in their cars, packs, or pockets.  What do you think?  Tell us what you find indispensable to carry along and how that became essential for you.

HuffPost3

GoPro Flipping Out On Mt. Cook

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Free-skier Tom Wallisch corks it on New Zealand’s Tallest Mountain

Some say skiing is flying with different expectations.  Take a look at this short video from GoPro with professional free-skier Tom Wallisch down in En-Zed.  Aside from the corkscrew flip, the view of these snow fields is breathtaking.   By the way, winter in New Zealand is summer in the Northern Hemisphere.  And the South Island is one of the most beautiful places on earth. So, if you want a unique July Fourth party, off you go.

mikemaginn

Breaking News: Vail Connects Park City and Canyons

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High-Speed Gondola To Link Both Areas

The recent acquisition by Vail of Park City Mountain Resort is yielding a major new development.  Vail will link Park City and Canyons Resorts together, creating the largest ski area in the US with over 7,300 acres of skiable terrain.  Click here to read the whole story from the Salt Lake Tribune.  Your move, Colorado.

Dec 9 Story From the Salt Lake Tribune

Dec 9 Story From the Salt Lake Tribune

seniorsskiing

Breaking News: Mount Snow to Celebrate 60th Anniversary on Founders Day, December 12

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Walt Schoenknecht’s Vision Was Far and Creative

When Mount Snow’s visionary founder, Walter Schoenknecht, stood atop Mount Pisgah in over a foot of freshly fallen snow back in autumn of 1949, he knew he had found the perfect place to build his dream ski resort.  Only a few years later, Walt had purchased the land around the base of the mountain from the family of Rueben Snow and subsequently renamed the mountain in his honor – which is where the name “Mount Snow” was derived from.

The Original Lift at Mt. Snow. Credit: Mt. Snow

The Original Lift at Mount Snow.
Credit: Mount Snow

On December 12, 1954, Mount Snow opened for the first time to skiers with two rope tows and two chairlifts that transported guests up to seven trails.  In only a few years since its debut, Walt had transformed the mountain into the premier winter playground of the East with expanded terrain and off-the-wall amenities for the time like a heated outdoor pool, an indoor skating rink and state-of-the-art chairlifts.

Schoenknecht’s boundless energy, ambition and creativity had many comparing him to another such pioneer of that day named Walt Disney.  And while not all of his ideas were perfect, including sending a proposal to the Atomic Energy Commission to detonate an atomic bomb at the base of the mountain to create more vertical, many of his initiatives became standard practice for the ski industry like snowmaking, modern lifts and off-mountain amenities.

Now 60- years later, Mount Snow carries on Walt’s pioneering spirit by being in the forefront of on-mountain technology and trends.  There is much to celebrate this Founders Day, as December 12 has become known at the southern Vermont resort, with the celebration continuing throughout the weekend.

Mount Snow is offering $12 lift tickets to ski and ride on Founders Day, which can only be purchased at least 24 hours in advance online.  There will be a comprehensive historical display in the Main Base Lodge, lift line giveaways, birthday cake for everyone, throwback parties, live music, scavenger hunts and more.  The resort is inviting everyone to wear their favorite retro ski gear to honor the styles of the past, and there is an “old school” bamboo gate ski race planned for Sunday, December 14 that will even have a straight ski category.

For more information about the Founders Day Weekend 60th anniversary celebration and to purchase $12 lift tickets for December 12, visit www.mountsnow.com/events/calendar/founders-day.

To learn more about Mount Snow’s history, visit www.mountsnow.com/the-mountain/our-history.

Rose Marie Cleese

Seniors: Don’t Hit The Snow Without Preparation

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Here’s a Must-Read for Seniors Before They Head for the Slopes.

Paul Petersen, who begins his 38th season running Bear Valley Cross-Country in California this winter, is 56 years old and comes with the kind of credentials that should make you sit up and take note of what he has to say! He’s been a certified alpine and cross-country ski instructor for nearly four decades. He’s also the former coach of the national nordic team of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and is currently on its education advisory committee.

“I’m a fully addicted skiaholic, and I don’t see that getting better any time soon,” avows Petersen. “It’s one of the most fun things you can do in life outdoors.”

Long-time coach Paul Petersen has wise words about physically preparing for the season.

Long-time coach Paul Petersen has wise words about physically preparing for the season.

He’s made “staying in the game of skiing a life goal,” and he’d like to help you do the same. First and foremost, plan ahead. You can’t just hit the slopes or trails without any preparation after several months of not skiing. Start with exercises that simulate the movements you make when you ski or snowboard. Here are Petersen’s four cornerstones to focus on in the weeks before the wintersports season begins:

  • BALANCE: Stand on one foot, moving from foot to foot every 15 seconds or so multiple times; look for other balance-focused exercises you can do easily anywhere, any time.
  • STRENGTH: Simulate a chair—every skier’s “go to” thigh-strengthening exercise! Slide your back down a wall so that your hips and knees are at right angles. Hold for as long as you can stand it, slide back up, and repeat! Check out other leg and trunk strengthening exercises, such as lunges and squats.
  • FLEXIBILITY: Streeeeetch! Do yoga, or any other stretching exercises you’re comfortable doing.
  • CARDIO: Take the stairs. Park in the farthest parking space in parking lots. Walk around two or three blocks several times a week. Run in place.

What about fitness classes? Paul recommends aerobics for cross-country skiers to enhance cardio and yoga for downhill skiers/boarders to stretch out tight muscles and loosen joints.

And don’t forget about pre-season equipment safety. What good will it do you to plop your fit-as-a-fiddle body atop skis that negate all the prep? It’s worth the money to get your skis tuned up ahead of time, getting the edges sharpened, and most importantly, having your binding settings checked to be in sync with your age, current weight, and ability—all of which might have changed since the last time you had your bindings checked.

Not a big fan of helmets? After all, you’ve skied unencumbered by headgear for eons without any ill effects. Petersen says, “It’s a no-brainer [pun not intended]…wear a helmet! It keeps you warmer, and it doesn’t affect your balance or equilibrium. It’s not so much that you might hit a tree, but rather that some out-of-control newbie snowboarder can come crashing into you.” Petersen also suggests buying some of the incredibly well-designed sports padding that’s available today, such as padded shorts that protect one’s hips, which are particularly vulnerable as we age, and wrist guards for snowboarders.

Editor Note: Petersen also has a lot of excellent tips for the day before you ski and things that are very important to do the morning of. But that’s another whole article for another day…watch for it coming soon!

Harriet Wallis

Glittering Evening At Ski Archives Fund Raiser in SLC

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Movers and Shakers honored.

Twenty years ago, ski enthusiasts and visionaries realized that historic ski photos and manuscripts should be collected to assure they wouldn’t be lost in dusty attics and that old albums wouldn’t be tossed out. The resulting collection is housed on the University of Utah campus in the J. Willard Marriott Library, and it’s called the Ski Archives. It has grown to be the largest cache of skiing and snow sports history in the country, and it’s a prime research collection, and it’s open to the public.

The Silent Auction is part of the annual fundraiser for the collection. Credit: Harriet Wallis

The Silent Auction is part of the annual fundraiser for the collection.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

The Ski Archives is supported by an annual fund raiser and silent auction. During the gala event this Fall, awards were presented to extraordinary individuals. This year’s top honor went to Deer Valley president and CEO Bob Wheaton who earned the S. Joseph Quinney award – named for the ski visionary and founder of Alta Ski Area. Seven medalists in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic earned the History-Maker awards.

Joseph Quinney Award winner

Deer Valley's Bob Wheaton received the prestigous S. Josephy Quinney Award Credit: Harriet Wallis

Deer Valley’s Bob Wheaton received the prestigous S. Joseph Quinney Award
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Bob Wheaton began at Deer Valley in 1980 doing maintenance as the resort was being built, and he worked his way up to become resort president in 1997, a position he continues today. With Wheaton at the helm, Deer Valley has been rated the number one resort in North America seven times by readers of SKI Magazine. He credits his staff for the resort’s success.

History-Maker Award winners:

Josh Christensen, Park City, Utah, gold medalist, slopestyle skiing.

Kaitlyn Farringron, Bellevue, Idaho, gold medalist, slopestyle snowboarding.

Sage Kotsenberg, Park City, gold medalist, snowboarding half pipe.

Ted Ligety, Park City, gold medalist alpine skiing giant slalom.

Danelle and Rob Ulmstead, Park City, Paralympic bronze medalists, alpine super combined.

Keith Gabel, Ogden, Utah, bronze medalist, Paralympics snowboard cross.

In addition, two organizations celebrated milestones. The Utah Nordic Alliance, with emphasis on bringing skiers into cross-country and providing training and race events, was founded 25 years ago. And the U.S. Ski Team celebrates its 40th anniversary in Park City.

SeniorsSkiing.com was a silent auction partner. Credit: Harriet Wallis

SeniorsSkiing.com was a silent auction partner.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

mikemaginn

Lightweight Pakems: Flip Flops for Cold Weather

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Clever new “portable” boot makes feet happy.

Pakems CEO Julie Adams shows off high and low models at the Boston Ski and Snowboard Show. Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

Pakems CEO Julie Adams shows off high and low models at the Boston Ski and Snowboard Show.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

We’ve been padding around SeniorsSkiing.com’s New England office for the past few days wear-testing our new Pakems boots that we picked up at the Boston Ski and Snowboard Show last month. The real trial will come in a couple of weeks on some ski hill in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine after the final run of the day. I look forward to the moment when I take off my ski boots, relieving that clamped feeling—[regardless of how comfortable you think your boots are, there is always that clamped feeling]—and slipping on these lightweight, comfortable, warm and water-resistant booties and head off for après ski activities. Ahhh.

Pakems are relaxation machine. Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

Pakems are relaxation machines.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

Julie Adams, CEO and “Cruise Director” of Pakems, calls her company’s innovative boots, “flip-flops for cold weather.” After a day of skiing, rather than put on another heavy pair of hiking boots, Merrells, Sorrels, or even Bean boots, the solution, according to Pakems, is to slip on these ultra-light comfies for “happy relaxation.” We think it’s a pretty good idea to let your feet be happy after all that hard work.

There are many kinds of Pakems, from low to high cut, in different colors and ruggedness features. You’d probably want the insulated and thicker-soled Extreme model if you were planning to regularly trudge across a slushy parking lot back to your car. For us, the Classic boot is just fine for cruising around the lodge, condo or even heading out to an informal dinner. You can also give your kids or grandkids the chance to design their own boots with a set of fabric pens that come with the Kid’s Bodie model, named after Julie Adams’ eight-year old.

Pakems come in a very clever, squishable tote bag into which you can store the boots, making carrying them around instantly easy and convenient. Put Pakems in a backpack if you’re cross-country skiing , snowshoeing or ice-skating up a frozen river. Oh, and also for non-winter activities like cycling, hiking, fishing or being a tourist in a foreign land. You’ll be glad to have them at the end of the day.

Check the Pakems website for models, dealer locations and ordering information. You can also get them on Amazon.

mikemaginn

Flash: Colder, Snowier Winter 2015 Forecast For New England

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Latest Prediction from WBZ-TV Meteorologist Forecasts Cold and Snow

With the season just getting started, we’ve been diligently watching snow forecasts as we know know you have as well.  As we reported in an earlier post, Joel Gratz, our favorite snow meteorologist who prognosticates at OpenSnow, has been compared a number of weather models and found a consensus for dry in the Northwest, snowy in the Far West, and uncertain from the Rockies to New England.  But, then he says, don’t trust long range forecasts.

2015 Snowfall Predictions for New England Credit: WBZ-TV Graphic

2015 Snowfall Predictions for New England
Credit: WBZ-TV Graphic

With a couple of more months of data and many models to contemplate, Barry Burbank, Boston’s WBZ-TV meteorologist, has just put a new winter prediction in play.  Barry says that he’s “relatively confident of a cold and snow winter overall.”  He is calling for more snow in the New England area, 10-20 inches above average, for a total forecast of 55-65 in Boston.  That places 2014-15 as the third consecutive year above average.  He also is calling for cold, speculating that the Polar Vortex that vexed the Midwest last winter will be moving eastward.  Below average temperatures should reign especially in January when he expects an “outbreak of arctic air.”

So, New England senior snow enthusiasts, this is good news.  It also means you have to dress for the weather, prepare your equipment your car, and your self.  As the old Swedish expression says: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”  Get ready.

Here’s Barry.  Click here for WBZ’s Winter 2015 video report.

 

Jon Weisberg

Huff Post: What Senior Skiers Must Remember

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Huffington Post Highlight’s SeniorSkiing’s Co-Founder: Is there something outdated about your equipment?

SeniorsSkiing.com’s Co-Founder Jon Weisberg has a new article on Huffington Post’s Post 50 blog, this time about the potential risks of skiing with old equipment and a lack of reasonable fitness in senior skiers.  Click here for the Huffington Post blog about what seniors should think about before heading downhill with those long, skinny skis, rear-entry boots and untoned muscles. 

Huff2

seniorsskiing

Magnesium Magic For Senior Skier Muscles

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How’s Your Magnesium Level These Days?

Feeling fatigued on the hill despite intense pre-season training? Muscles cramping during or after a day on the slopes?

Magnesium deficiency may be the culprit.

Kale is a rich source of Magnesium. So is Spinach. Popeye was right!

Kale is a rich source of Magnesium. So is Spinach. Popeye was right!

Magnesium, essential for normal muscular contraction and relaxation, is a key player in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including production of ATP, the main source of energy for our cells!

Without proper magnesium levels, muscle cramping and fatigue can result. Even slight magnesium deficiency can impair athletic performance and intensify post-workout soreness. Unfortunately, about half of the US population lacks adequate magnesium—with seniors especially affected.

Processed foods are devoid of potassium and magnesium, and magnesium rich foods like dark green vegetables generally are seen (and consumed) as a side dish.

Stomach acid is an important factor in absorption of nutrients, including magnesium. But stomach acid declines with age, often resulting in reduced magnesium absorption, a process further complicated by heartburn reduction drugs like Nexium and Prevacid.

We also lose magnesium as we age because of increased excretion by the kidneys, something compounded by regular use of diuretics (e.g. Lasix or hydrochlorothiazide), prescribed for high blood pressure. Alcohol consumption doubles the rate of magnesium excretion as well.

Here’s how to improve your magnesium intake.

  • Eat green leafy vegetables at least twice a day. These include foods like kale, spinach, chard, beet greens, mustard greens, and collard greens. Enjoy them raw and lightly cooked (magnesium is lost through boiling). Check out the SeniorsSkiing Mega Magnesium Smoothie recipe below.
  • Munch hemp seeds, a great source of magnesium! They’re low in a substance found in other magnesium-rich nuts and legumes that inhibits intestinal absorption.
  • Reduce reliance on acid blocking meds by identifying food sensitivities causing heartburn. This is best accomplished under the guidance of a physician or nutritionist.
  • Limit intake of diuretic drinks (e.g. alcohol, coffee,) or counterbalance their influence with more green leafy vegetables.
Magnesium-up your diet makes sense as you age. Credit: Vega-licious.com

Magnesium-up your diet makes sense as you age.
Credit: Vega-licious.com

 

If you follow those simple steps and still cramp on the mountain, consider supplemental magnesium. Magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, and magnesium lactate are the types that absorb best. Dosages vary between 200 – 600 mg per day, depending on gender, age and health. People with kidney disease and those using bisphosphonates (e.g. Fosamax and Boniva) should use caution with supplemental magnesium. Consult first with a health professional experienced in nutraceuticals.

That said, magnesium pills are safer than the average over-the-counter NSAID, and a popular magnesium drink mix called Calm (available at natural food stores) can help with muscle cramping and soreness.

Once your body’s magnesium stores are replenished, you may find yourself getting the most use out of that season’s pass in years!

Recipe: SeniorsSkiing Mega Magnesium Smoothie

Try using organic ingredients, as they contain higher mineral content

1.5 cups milk of your choice (regular milk, hemp milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk)

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (a great source of magnesium!)

1 banana

1 cup kale, spinach, or chard

2 teaspoons hemp seeds

Blend and enjoy!