HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
SKIER SCARECROW. Teasdale, Utah
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 27)
Getting Fit, A Snowmaking Legend, Novel Gift Idea For Seniors, Ski Shows, Happy Birthday, Doug Pfeiffer.
Ski & Snowboard Expos are coming! Official start of the snow season.
Credit: BEWI Productions
The snow season has started, officially and unofficially, in different places around the country. We urge our readers to start thinking about getting their gear out of basements and start spiffing up those skis and boots. It always pays to get those skis sharpened and bindings adjusted right about now, before crowds hit.
Here’s a cool video about the Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo coming up soon.
https://youtu.be/-01lk71ytJU
The Ski & Snowboard Expos are being held in Boston (11/9-12) and Denver (11/10-12). In many ways, the coming of the shows is the point of departure for the new snow sports season. In Boston and Denver, you can find equipment and clothing deals galore, so if you’re close by, it’s worth a trip. Click through from the banner ad on top of the page and get a $3 discount.
Birthday Boy Doug Pfeiffer, ski industry legend, and Mike Maginn, SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher.
It’s also the birthday for one of our favorite ski legends, Doug Pfeiffer, a pioneer in ski instruction and editor of SKIING magazine when we worked there in the early 70s. Here’s a picture of Doug and SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher Mike Maginn at the International Ski History Association meeting at Stowe in February this year. Happy Birthday, Doug; you are one of our favorite Scorpios.
This week, we remind our readers that it is time to begin a shape up program for the ski season. Under the Health tab, we have several conditioning articles that will get you started, most notably, a from-easy-to-difficult set of specific exercises from physical therapist Rick Silverman.
We have a profile of snowmaking pioneer Herman Dupre, who was an early contributor to the arcane technology of creating snow out of…air and water. Herman still hangs out at the Seven Springs Ski Resort in Western PA. Thanks to contributor Pat McCloskey for bringing this into our pages.
Finally, talk about unusual gifts. Correspondent Harriet Wallis has managed to discover a boutique shop in Vancouver which makes and sells a variety of beverages, bread, vinegar and other items made from Douglas Fir trees. Clearly, this is a gift idea for the senior snow sports enthusiast who has everything.
Speaking of gift ideas, we’re looking for products you think would be appropriate for our readers—people who are active seniors, outdoor-oriented folks with an interest in fitness, socializing and adventures. If you have any ideas, please contact info@seniorsskiing.com
Meanwhile, on to November. Thanks once again for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, tell your friends. If you want a free, three x three sticker, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936. We have a bunch to give out.
And remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away!
Short Swings!
SeniorsSkiing.com Needs You!
…especially if you’re willing to write articles that would be of interest to our readers.
Articles can cover prepping for the season (exercising, nutrition, personal accounts, etc.); thoughts on equipment, gear, clothing; technique; profiles of older skiers (well-known or not), destinations, planned trips, nostalgia, ski/board/snowshoe history, skiing with kids and grandkids, etc.
We prefer articles no longer than 500 words and like them to be accompanied by pictures.
Articles don’t need to be Pulitzer Prize ready. We edit as needed.
If you’re not ready to draft something but have an idea you think might interest readers, feel free to send it along.
Sorry that we’re not in a position to pay. But there are other perks: the opportunity to receive products for review, occasional skiing privileges (some areas will comp your lift ticket if you’re on assignment), and the personal pleasure of contributing to an online magazine read by thousands of skiers/boarders/snowshoers worldwide.
If interested, drop an email to jon@seniorsskiing.com or mike@seniorsskiing.com.
GOOD NEWS FROM NOAA?
Good News: NOAA predicts wetter-than-average conditions across most of the northern US, extending from northern Rockies to eastern Great Lakes, and western and northern Alaska.
Less Than Good News: NOAA’s caveat reads Snow forecasts are generally not predictable more than a week in advance because they depend upon the strength and track of winter storms.
CYBER BULLYING A FEMALE SKI MOUNTAINEER
Caroline Gleich is a professional ski mountaineer and adventurer based in Salt Lake City. An advocate for social and environmental justice, she works on issues such as climate change, clean air and cyber harassment. She is committed to inspire people to experience and protect the out-of-doors. Caroline is the first woman to ski all 90 lines documented by Anrdrew McLean in The Chuting Gallery, the back-country steep-skiing guide to Utah’s Wasatch range. Unfortunately, those and other accomplishments have been accompanied by cyber-bullying and harassment. REI produced this thoughtful video about her. It’s well worth watching.
IS SKIING THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?
Salomon produced a nice video of a late 40s American skier who traveled to northern Japan to learn about the relationship between skiing and longevity. He spent time with a father and son who summited Everest together when the dad was 80. The son is a microbiologist specializing in aging. He concludes that skiing adds years to life. (We know it adds life to years.) Among the reasons: proper technique = less impact on joints. He believes there’s a relationship between lower body strength and longevity.
IDAHO
Grandkids in 5th and/or 6th Grade ski free or at steep discounts at all 18 of Idaho‘s ski resorts. Idaho residency not required. More info at skiidaho.us/programs/passport. There’s a $15 processing fee.
UTAH
If your plans take you to Utah mid-November, consider attending the BMW IBSF Bobsled and Skeleton World Cup, Friday/Saturday November 17/18 at Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Bobsled and Skeleton athletes from 20+ countries will participate in Women’s Skeleton, Men’s Skeleton, Women’s Bobsled, and 4-Man Bobsled. Admission for spectators is free. While there, don’t miss the Alf Engen Ski Museum. It’s a real treat!
VERMONT
Members of the Hermitage Club, the private ski resort at Haystack Mountain, are being assessed a one-time $10,000 fee. The fee is needed to cover cash flow problems related to state permitting delays, poor weather in the 2015-2016 winter season and a slow membership drive.
Killington is installing several new solar projects. They are expected to generate more than 3,300,000 kWh of annually for the resort and sister property, Pico Mountain.
R.I.P.
Morrie Shepard died Thursday, Oct. 12. He instructed at Aspen, before joining Vail in 1962 where he was its first ski school director. His other titles while at Vail; building inspector, fire chief, building coordinator; professional funster. He was born July 2, 1925.
OTHER
All Adventure Camp Blankets are the first modular three-part blanket system. Each of the lightweight components can be used to stay warm and/or protected in variety of situations from camping to sitting on the beach. The manufacturer, Kammok, is raising funds via Kickstarter. Their home-made video explains the system.
Shape Up: How To Get Fit For The Season
Progressive Exercises From Easy To Difficult Can Help You Tone Up.
Okay, it’s late October, and you’ve put this off long enough. You need to limber up for the upcoming snow season. Without topping up your muscles and stretching those ligaments, you can hurt yourself and have a very short season indeed. With some daily or weekly fitness routines, you can feel and move better on the slopes and trails. So, get going.
Check out our collection of Conditioning articles under the Health tab. We have recommendations for some basic yoga poses as well as advice on calibrating your exercise regime to your age. Be advised, if you’ve spent the summer cycling, hiking or kayaking, you may find that you’ve got to pay attention to muscle groups that aren’t engaged in those exercise activities. If you’re a walker, you need to think about your upper body. If you’re a cyclist, what about those hamstrings and shoulders? Rowing a kayak will build your arms, shoulders and abs, but what about your lower body? See? Even though you’ve been active, you need to think total body for the season coming up. Both Alpine and Nordic skiing require active muscles groups all over your body’s geography. So think total body work out.
Physical Therapist Rick Silverman starts us off with a basic leg lift.
Under the Health>Conditioning menu, you will find a progressive series of exercises that are designed to do just that. Physical Therapist Rick Silverman shows us a set of exercises from easy to moderate to more difficult that will get your battery charged up. In the series, Rick demonstrates exercises for abs, quads, hamstrings, and hips. You can add your own favorites to this basic set including some basic yoga poses like squats, planks, and down dog. Yes, add Tai Chi, too.
Here are some links the Rick’s series. And we have correspondent Rose Marie Cleese’s own story of her fitness journey for inspiration. Check them out and start thinking about a regular conditioning program.
Rick Silverman’s progressive exercise series:
Rose Marie Cleese’s fitness journey starts here.
If you’re reading SeniorsSkiing.com, you are typically an active senior, so the advice in this article probably make sense to you. Nevertheless, we know older folks who venture out into the snow world without preparing themselves and wind up injured and unhappy. You can avoid this; get going!
Snow Sport Leaders: Herman Dupre, An Original Maker Of Snow
Son Of Immigrant Parents, Herman Dupre Found A Way To Give The Sport Snow.
Innovator, pioneer, snowmaker, Herman Dupre is a legend in snowsports.
Aside from building the Seven Springs ski area in western Pennsylvania into a major mountain resort, Herman Dupre’s claim to fame is that he is a pioneer in snowmaking. He always tinkered with how to utilize high pressure air and water to help Mother Nature spread some snow on our local area which is hampered by cyclical warm weather/cold weather events. When you ski in the mid-Atlantic, you need some help to keep the slopes open. Snowmaking was the answer, and Herman was at the forefront.
Dupre holds 34 U.S. patents for the HKD snowmaking system. He is the chief engineer for Snow Economics, Inc. and his system is now sold worldwide. His new Backyard Blizzard home system based on the HKD concept became available in the winter of 2000. Without the benefit of his work, many winter resorts throughout the world would not have the snowmaking capability they utilize today.
In 1973, he applied for and received his first of many patents, and in 1990, he introduced the standard tower snow gun that was the first of many low energy products that he and his son in law, Charles Santry and his daughter Anni would bring to the ski area management market.
If you look at their website, you will find all the technical detail of their tower guns, and their new fan jet technology with their recent acquisition of a Canadian company which has increased their R&D capabilities as well as their engineering expertise.
Click on the video below to hear Herman tell his story.
Here’s A Special Gift Idea: Eat A Tree
If You’re Looking For Novel Gifts For Snow Country Lovers, Yummies Made From Fir Trees Are Worth A Look.
Laura Waters at her shop, Snowdon House outside Victoria, BC, Canada on Vancouver Island, where she sells edibles made from new growth on douglas fir trees. These include vinegars, jams, dried seasonings and more.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo
Of course, this is a Christmas story. What else when you are talking about eating Christmas trees?
It’s just the growing tips that you eat, actually. And the pine flavor is, well, way better than you expect if you are more used to sniffing pine sap from your fingers when handling fresh cut boughs.
When Laura Waters planted Douglas firs on her four acres of land in 2009, she intended to sell them for Christmas trees.
“But it takes six years for them to grow and then, all you wind up with is stumps,” she said one late spring day as we inspected the bright green growing tips of her trees.
“I was out there, hot and bothered, mowing to keep the grass down between the trees and I had a pot of strawberries on the stove in the kitchen. I cut a branch and out of curiosity, tossed it in.”
The same way that vinegar adds an essence of sweet/tang to fruit compote, the fir tips added … something. And it was a sweet and tangy something good. That experiment became Laura’s first strawberry fir vinegar.
A bit of research revealed that First Nations people in the area used to make tea from the fir tips. It was not only tasty, it provided more vitamin C than citrus fruit.
“When Capt. James Cook was on the BC coast, everyone had scurvy and the local natives told them to make tea out of the Doug fir tips. That took care of the scurvy,” Laura added.
There are lots of way to take the essence of fir trees and make edibles. Laura Waters has literally “botted” trees.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo
Laura’s first vinegar led to carbonated drinks, which led to fir seasoned bread, brie toppers, a drinkable vinegar that you add to evening cocktails, dried seasoning blends and more. She sells all this in her shop, Snowdon House, in North Saanich, a suburb of Victoria on Vancouver Island. While I was there, a group of visitors arrived. They had come up from Seattle by ferry and taken a cab out to the shop.
Along with the visitors, I tasted the fir essence drink, a bottled non alcoholic drink that was amazingly refreshing. It had a piney back woods flavor that hit the top of my tongue, along with citrus and floral notes. I learned I could pretty much make my own with Laura’s fir vinegar, so I bought a bottle to add to tonic (with a bit of vodka) at home.
We also nibbled our way through her Fir and Fire Brie Topper, which is actually a sweet, piney red and green chili jam that offsets the stringent brie flavor really well. Plus I bought a packet of dried seasoning blend (parsley, lemon peel, Doug fir, dried spinach, ground juniper berries) with which I plan to make a party dip.
There’s a bread mix (with an added blend of Doug fir tips and juniper berries) that results in fresh bread with a pine accent. Laura also makes gift papers by hand and sells outside products such as organic hot chocolate mix wrapped in her hand made gift papers, plus there’s racks of her handmade gift cards. And fresh eggs she sells when her crowd of chickens are in a producing mind.
In addition, she has created a collection of recipes and holds cooking classes. The one she did the day before I visited featured chicken thighs marinated in apricot and bay leaf vinegar, cooked in the vinegar, then wrapped in flat bread with mayo and her apricot/mango topper (yes, she makes toppers that don’t involve fir tips).
If this isn’t enough, on her drawing board are plans to dehydrate the tips for a tea and she was experimenting when I visited with pickling fir tips to make into capers. And then, there was also the Doug fir flavor to be whipped into butter for popcorn topper.
Plus the B&B she opened this year.
Meanwhile, her shop is open Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 5pm.
Yes, Laura Waters is a very busy woman.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 13)
Weird Weather, Senior Profile, Von Trapp Cross-Country Innovator, Getting Ready.
October 2017 blizzard in Rocky Boy, MT, left 30 inches behind, breaking a monthly record for the state.
Credit: Shawn/Steph White
We can’t stop thinking about the major weather events that have descended across the globe this year. Hurricanes with epic levels of destruction, surprisingly early and deep snows in the Rockies, (and from what we hear, prodigious snowfalls in parts of Australia), wild fires creating horrendous destruction and loss of life in California and Montana, heat waves in Europe all point to the fact that something is going on in the atmosphere. Basically, it is warming up, as predicted by scientists across the world, and we are starting to see the consequences.
What this means for winter sports remains to be seen, but the direction of global temperatures is not positive. One group that has taken the future of global warming and winter quite seriously is Protect Our Winters, an advocacy non-profit whose objective is to create awareness of the connection between the two and to provide opportunities for businesses, individuals and others to influence policy. If you’re interested in taking some action, check out POW and let us know what you think.
Meanwhile, here’s the latest three-month forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center for November-December-January.
Temperature Predictions Nov-Jan
Precipitation Predictions Nov-Jan
What you will notice at a glance is that the temperature predictions across most of the US (left) are above average with a probability of from 33-to-50 percent of actually happening. Above average precipitation (right) is focused in the Rockies while the Southeast looks like below average precip. Everyplace else is a toss-up; equal chance means there could be more, less, or the same as “normal”. Of course, a prediction is not something to take to the bank. But since the National Hurricane Center’s forecast for the number and severity of hurricane activities was spot-on for this year’s season which is closing down soon, perhaps the odds of being right about the predictions are changing as climate changes become more extreme.
This week, we revisit the Trapp Family Lodge and a scion of Sound of Music fame, Johannes Von Trapp. In this article from publisher Roger Lohr, our colleague at XCSkiResorts.com, we learn that Johannes was the first one in the US to have the idea that cross-country ski resorts could be a real thing. In inventing a new winter vacation destination, Johannes changed how people enjoy cross-country beyond local golf courses, parks and back yards.
Don Burch shows us how to get ready for the season with some tongue-in-cheek advice for locating and dusting off your long lost gear. Harriet Wallis profiles Ruth DeSouza, a senior skier who learned about stick-to-it-iveness from her experience in World War II. By the way, we intend to profile more senior snow sports enthusiasts in the coming months. If you know anyone who has a long history in snow sports and who has an interesting story to tell, please let us know.
Thanks, Ben, you’re our kind of guy.
Speaking of senior skiers, we received the following note from Ben Prupis, a 91-year-old reader from Westlake Village, CA. He included it in his request for free SeniorsSkiing.com stickers. We sent him a bunch and our thanks very much for reading our online magazine and for skiing 50 days a year. Totally awesome. We salute you, Ben.
If you want a free SeniorsSkiing.com sticker, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.
And, tell your friends about SeniorsSkiing.com. Remember that there are more of us every day and we are not going away.
Short Swings!
Responses To SeniorsSkiing.com Reader Surveys Indicate That Finding Boots That Fit And Perform Correctly Is A Challenge. And 25% Of Readers Plan To Purchase New Boots.
Two of our advertisers can help.
America’s Best Bootfitters.com has a host of useful boot-related information, including the names of ski shops where highly trained fitters are available to get you the best fitting boots.
Apex Ski Boot System is a relatively new concept in ski boots delivering comfort and performance through a combination of three components: 1) an exoskeleton offering customizable flex, superior stability, and precise edge control; 2) a snowboard-like boot that provides comfort and warmth, and 3) a heat-molded custom-fit liner. The system uses the Boa® reel and stainless steel cable lacing system allowing the wearer to precisely control fit. I skied an earlier generation of the Apex and was impressed by its support, comfort, and infinite adjustability. They’re also great for simply walking around without the hassle of conventional ski boots. Apex boots are available in ski shops and online. The Apex website does a fine job of explaining the product.
Another advertiser has a great gift for the Senior Skier on your list. DeBooter is the elegantly simple ski boot jack for removing conventional ski boots effortlessly and painlessly. I carry one in my SUV. Those who use it absolutely love it! Click on the DeBooter ad to reach the product site. $39.95
COLORADO
The Amtrak Winter Park Express will offer expanded service for the new season. The train leaves from Union Station (downtown Denver) and drops passengers within a few steps of the lifts. It will operate Saturdays and Sundays, January 5 through March 25, plus on the first Friday of each month.
New and expanded flights to/from Colorado’s eight regional airports for the season:
- Steamboat: new nonstops from Austin (AUS) and Kansas City (MCI) on ViaAir into Steamboat/Hayden (HDN) airport beginning Dec. 13. Steamboat now direct air service to 14 major U.S. airports.
- Aspen Snowmass: new daily nonstops through American Airlines from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and expanded service from both Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) and Chicago O’ Hare (ORD).
- Telluride: increased access through new American Airlines direct Saturday flights into Montrose-Telluride Regional Airport (MTJ) from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) and Delta’s new flights from Salt Lake City (SLC) Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
- Three daily non-stop flights from DEN via Boutique Air (round-trips as low as $100) to Alamosa San Luis Valley (ALS) providing closer access to Telluride, Silverton, Purgatory and Wolf Creek..
UTAH
Ogden-Hinkley Airport, serviced by Allegiant Air, is adding Thursday through Monday flights from Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS). Prices start at $35 each way. A terrific way to get closer to Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and back country operator, Whisper Ridge.
Snowbird’s Cliff Spa has undergone a massive renovation. The rooftop outdoor pool and hot tub were upgraded with radiant heated decks and gas-fed fire pits. The spa’s interior also got a makeover.
Alta has a new co-ed Breakthrough Camp for intermediates ready to reach a higher level. The package includes four nights lodging at the Alta Lodge, full breakfast and dinner daily, three days of instruction with top coaches from Alta’s Alf Engen Ski School, lift tickets and demo skis. www.altalodge.com/ski-adventures/breakthrough-camp
Staying in Salt Lake City? The Ski City Super Pass provides unrestricted access to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and/or Solitude. Can be purchased for three to 10 days of skiing. Includes ski bus to and from resorts. Priced by number of days purchased. www.visitsaltlake.com/skicity/super-pass
Ski3 Pass ($157) – This new, fully loaded pass includes a full day of skiing at Snowbasin, Powder Mountain plus a full day and night skiing at Nordic Valley with the purchase of two or more nights at participating hotels in Ogden: www.visitogden.com/ski-ogden/ski3
OTHER
For the first time, 70+ Ski Club is organizing a ski trip to Japan. Dates: March 21 – April 1. Visit the 70+ Ski Club site for more information. I came across this video about skiing in northern Japan. Watch it and visit 70+.
Pre-Season Training? Consider the SkiA Ski Trainer, a unique dry-land training device, for use with ski boots. The Trainer is used by thousands of skiers, and recommended by professional skiers and racers, leading ski schools, and national ski instructor organisations worldwide. More info and pricing: http://www.skia.com
Johannes Von Trapp: Climbing Every Mountain
Scion Of The Famous Family Is The Inventor Of The Modern X-C Center.
Johannes Von Trapp makes X-C skiing acccessible and fun for guests at the family lodge.
Credit: Roger Lohr
[Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com. Our thanks to publisher Roger Lohr for allowing us to reproduce it here.]
If there was an American Cross Country Ski Hall of Fame, Johannes von Trapp would be one of the surefire inductees. The famous story of the von Trapp family is well known; their escape from Austria in the beginning of World War II, and the Broadway and Hollywood songs such as Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, and Do Re Mi. In November of 2014, Johannes von Trapp spoke at a luncheon of Nordic ski area operators and one could tell they looked at him as their living history. He grew up with nine siblings as the last born in the original von Trapp family and he is also known as the proprietor who opened Trapp Family Lodge, the first commercial Nordic ski area in 1968.
In 1938 just before World War II, the Baron and Baroness von Trapp left all their possessions and estate near Salzburg, Austria. With nine children and one on the way, they fled Austria and were granted asylum in the US. That child on the way was Johannes, who was born in 1939 and now is the president of the modern day Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT.
Arriving in the US with only four dollars, the family settled in Philadelphia and, through their music, turned a family hobby into a profession as the Trapp Family Singers. In 1942, they bought a small farmhouse in Stowe, Vermont because the landscape reminded them of home. They rented out rooms at their farmhouse to skiers and ran the Trapp Family Music Camp.
Johannes commented that they were too poor to pay to use the ski lifts in Stowe, so they skied up and down in the woods around the farm. He attended Dartmouth College and upon returning to Stowe, he later operated the lodge. He started the ski area out of his barn, renting cross country skis, and giving ski lessons to become the first commercial cross country ski resort in the world. He had hired his first staff person, Per Sorlie, an ex-navy man from Norway, who had great enthusiasm for cross country skiing and who had a brother who wholesaled cross country ski equipment from Norway.
They would pack the trail in the early morning, rented and sold Nordic skis, and taught ski lessons. Johannes stated that he grossed $8,000 that first year in the cross country ski business, and he doubled the revenue in the following year. The original concept was a way to attract guests to fill the rooms at lodge.
He always thought that the business would involve backcountry skiing as the key element and today he still hopes that backcountry will grow and become a more noticeable part of the Nordic ski scene. He commented about the “violent contrast” in product development that has become “plastic, nylon, and form fitting,” citing the Americanization of Nordic skiing. But he does admit that the new equipment and clothing have great virtues, and he has come full circle embracing the high tech that has been incorporated into the sport and business.
Johannes reminisced about the first snow machine he bought for $50 to pack the trails. They built many different weighted boxes with skis on the bottom to drag behind a snowmobile and set tracks on the trails.
In the early 1970s, the lodge included a riding stable but the horses impacted the trails too much so horseback riding was discontinued. Johannes cited a recent survey taken by UVM students at Trapp Family Lodge that revealed the skiers mostly cared about the track quality. But he still believes in the psychic benefits of being outdoors and loves how the sport has taken off.
The lodge occupancy has increased over the years. Acquiring the nearby land (Trapp Family owns 90% of the trail property) was important to maintain the trails. The lodge history included the fire in 1980 and rebuilding in 1983. In 2000, Trapp added 24,000 square feet of meeting space and accommodations to the lodge and four years later the first villas adjacent to the lodge were completed and sold.
Johannes’ son Sam became vice president of the operation in 2007 adding mountain bike trails in the summer and snowmaking in the winter. In 2008, Trapp Family Lodge celebrated its 40th anniversary and was covered in the NY Times, on ABC World News, and the lodge created its first television advertisement. In 2010, Trapp Lager beer was introduced on the property and a new facility was opened in 2015 in Massachusetts to greatly expand the brewery operation.
Johannes von Trapp is one of the American cross country skiing forefathers, who will be recognized for his vision of cross country skiing and his connection to a world famous family story.
Senior Profile: WWII Survival Shaped Ruth DeSousa’s Resolve
She Applies What She Learned To Life And Skiing.
At 86 and a bona fide survivor, Ruth DeSouza offers sound advice for seniors.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
When the air raid sirens blared in Bingen, Germany, residents scrambled down into their cellars for protection. The town on the Rhine was bombed again and again by Allied forces.
After each attack, Ruth’s mother would rush to the roof of their building to pick up the burning flares that had been dropped and hurl them off the roof so the building would not catch fire.
Historically, Bingen is on a critical transportation route established in Roman times. During the war, Allied forces were not trying to destroy the town but were aiming their bombs at the major railroad hub and communication lines.
But bomb drops were not accurate. High winds carried them off target into the town destroying schools full of children and homes of those who wanted no part of the war.
At that time, Ruth was an athletic school girl in Bingen. She was a gymnast, practiced ballet, played tennis, and learned to ski on a local farm hill. The turmoil of war shaped her resolve. She learned to expect little but to keep going no matter what.
Today, she lives by the resolve she forged during the war years. Ruth is slim and active at 86. She skis three or four days a week at Alta, Brighton, or Solitude. The other days she walks for 30 minutes. “You have to keep going, and you have to stay strong,” she says.
Ruth’s attitude has always been undaunted. As the war grew worse, Ruth’s family fled from Bingen. After the war, they walked for days to get home. As Ruth walked, she decided to use the fabric of her old school uniform and make a bikini for herself. She envisioned happiness even when life was full of misery.
Today, like the bikini she made long ago, she dresses fashionably and keeps a positive attitude. She advises senior women to be positive also. “Eat right and don’t let yourself get fat,” she says.
To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.