This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com: Dec. 22
Mystery Glimpse, Reasons For Nordic Skiing, Test Your Ski Knowledge, SnowSport Leader Alan Engen.
Where’s the snow, you may wonder? If you’re in the Northeast, you’ve got cold and snow, and many areas have been open since Thanksgiving. If you’re in the Rockies, you’re still looking upward, although we hear its coming this weekend. If you’re in Alaska, you’re wondering what hit you.
Alaska has been hit by humongous snowfall earlier this month, and the beat goes on. The Washington Post reports that 10 inches of snow has fallen in one hour—that’s one hour—in parts of Alaska. In all, 40 inches of wet snow fell in 12 hours from that particular storm. That is one of the most intense, all-time snowfalls on record.
Here’s where La Nina comes in. The La Nina condition, the cooling of sea water in the Eastern Pacific, interacts with the atmosphere, bringing moisture-laden air into the jet stream and focusing it in the Alaska-Yukon area. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Atmospheric River, streaming from the Pacific into the Northwest? This amazing snowfall is in line with the winter prediction from NOAA. That prediction includes moisture for the Northern latitudes and dryness for Southern latitudes across North America.
The good news for Western skiers is that this La Nina condition resembles what happened last year. And you remember what snow conditions were like in the Sierra, right? Awesomely amazing. Keep those skis and snowshoes ready.
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Mystery Glimpse: New SeniorsSkiing.com Feature
This week, we’re launching a new feature, Mystery Glimpse. We’ll publish a picture from a museum’s archive, a private collection, or from a news source, and you guess who it is, where it was taken, or what its significance is. Just reply in the COMMENTS box under the photo. This week’s inaugural photos is a famous ski racer. Let’s see who gets it right.
Also This Week
Alf Engen and Alan Engen jumping at Alta, circa 1949.
We are putting the spotlight on Alan Engen, a snow sports leader whose career as ski jumper and industry executive started the moment he was born. Find out how that happened by clicking here. SeniorsSkiing.com is proud to have Alan on our Advisory Board.
XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr responded to last week’s Top Reasons for Being A Senior Skier with his list of Top Reasons For Being A NORDIC Senior Skier. We love Nordic skiing and agree with the benefits of being outdoors in the quiet woods on a brilliantly cold winter day. Thanks Roger.
In another first, we have a test-your-knowledge quiz about the sport of skiing from Correspondent Don Burch. It’s a challenge; we didn’t fare very well. Perhaps you can score a 10.
SeniorsSkiing.com Assets For Subscribers
Another reminder to our readers. We have some incredibly useful resources for our readers. These include:
- Where seniors can ski for free (or almost free)
- Boot recommendations for seniors
- Ski recommendations for seniors
- Free Historic Ski Poster Booklet
- Discounts from Experticity for those who are eligible
- Ski Younger Now tips every senior skier should know
And we point you to where you can find ski buddies from the club listings of the National Ski Council Federation. Note: Ski clubs can be accessed by clicking the Find Ski Buddies Box on the top menu.
Quote of the Week:
“How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know How Old You Were?”
K2 Ski Ad Circa 1970s
Have a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year. Remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away!
SeniorsSkiing.com will be taking next week off for the holidays.
Short Swings!
And Then, I’ll Take Off My Skis.
That’s the punch line of a joke I heard in college. Many of you will know it.
Two Russian soldiers are called home from their post in Siberia. They pack their belongings and start their long ski trek across the snowy steppe.
They talk about what they’ll do when they arrive home.
Boris says, “First I’ll embrace my wife at the door.”
And Ivan asks, “And then?”
“I’ll drink a tall glass of vodka.”
“And then?”
“My wife and I will make passionate love.”
Once more, Ivan asks the question.
Enter punch line above.
Even as I write this, the joke makes me smile. Not a bad feat for something I’ve known for a half-century or more.
I tried to find other jokes about skiing. The stuff online takes aim at snowboarders, instructors, beginners, etc. (e.g. What do you call a ski instructor without a girlfriend/boyfriend? Homeless.). Amusing but not funny.
I’m confident that members of our rapidly growing community know some good ski jokes. If you do, please write them up. We’ll publish the best as a collection and post it in the Subscriber Only Content section. Contributors will be named, and if we can find some interesting swag, there will be rewards.
Even though Jan Brunvand reported he’s on his 14th day of the season, many of us have yet to even see snow. I hope to change that this weekend at Solitude, an outstanding area in Big Cottonwood Canyon, adjacent to Brighton, another good place to play in the snow. For those not familiar with BCC, it’s just outside of Salt Lake City, a few miles north of Little Cottonwood Canyon, home to Snowbird and Alta. Snow patterns often favor Brighton and Solitude.
One of the reader surveys indicated interest in learning more about lesser known resorts. Weather-permitting, I have January plans in to visit three in Idaho (Soldier Mountain, Pomerelle, and Pebble Creek) and two in Montana (Maverick Mountain and Discovery Mountain). I’ll review each from the perspective of the older skier including things such as lot to lift access, terrain, ambiance, toilet facilities, food, lodging, etc. Several contributors have written about the places they ski. All area reviews can be found by going to the menu bar at the top of the page, click “Destinations,” and then clicking “Resort Reviews.” Let us know if you’d like to submit an area review.
Here’s a brief non-ski report from last weekend in Bluff, Utah. Bluff is a pretty flyspeck near the Four Corners. It is an entry point for Bears Ears, the national monument with recently changed status. Three things from Bluff:
- The one and only restaurant that’s open this time of year is better than good. Twin Rocks Cafe took on a new chef, and she is producing some nice selections. If you’re there for breakfast order the blue corn flour pancakes. Wonderful.
Dancing Bears—pre-conflagration—in tiny Bluff, UT.
- Each year, Joe Pachak, a local artist, constructs a giant wooden sculpture in the middle of town. It’s set ablaze on the Winter Solstice. This year, in recognition of Bears Ears and the Navajo culture, he created two dancing bears covered in willow twigs.
- This is perfect hiking weather and just a few miles from town there are hikes to Anasazi ruins and rock art. High on Comb Ridge up a fairly steep incline is Procession Panel, discovered in 1989 and considered one of the most interesting in the entire Southwest. It was not easy to find, but once we did, WOW. It depicts processions of small human figures, some carrying crooks, walking toward a circle. One line extends for 60 or 70 feet. Sandstone Spine (David Roberts, The Mountaineers Books, 2006), an interesting account of the first traverse of 125 mile Comb Ridge, suggests that the panel was created in the first millennium BCE. If you take the hike and find the panel, the experience will be a keeper.
Not enough new information arrived on screen to do my weekly report of ski activity. A few standouts are snow pix submitted by Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Lookout Pass, and Big Sky Resort. BSR’s deep pow video shot within the past week shows nice depths and terrific turns.
We’re taking next week off. I wish you good heath, warm reunions , and wonderful skiing.
Mystery Glimpse: Who’s This Famous Ski Racer?
Hint: She’s an Olympian. Can you name her and her accomplishments?
Respond in COMMENTS below the picture. We will identify the correct answer either next week or when it appears.
Credit: Alf Engen Ski Museum, Park City, UT.
Editor Note: Mystery Glimpse is a new feature of SeniorsSkiing.com. Occasionally, we’ll publish a photo from the archives of ski museums, collectors, or individuals. If you can identify who or what it represents, respond in COMMENTS below.
Readers can submit a photo, too. Send a .JPEG or .PNG to info@seniorsskiing.com.
SnowSports Leader: Alan K. Engen
When Alan Engen was born, Dr. Wherritt put wooden tongue depressors—like miniature skis—on the bottom of his little feet and handed the newborn to his legendary father, Alf Engen.
“I think I can safely say that I came pretty close to being born on skis,” says Alan. He learned to ski when he was two.
Thus began a lifetime of ski achievements. He competed at nine, earned a place on the United States Ski Team in the 1960s, and won the United States Ski Association Intermountain Masters Alpine title six times. He served Alta for 50 years as an instructor, the ski school director, and then the Director of Skiing.
Alf Engen and Alan Engen jumping at Alta, circa 1949.
Alan and Alf—both world class ski jumpers —put on jumping exhibitions to demonstrate “Summer Snow,” a cornstarch-like substance. Father and son schlepped the product to the Los Angeles Fair Grounds for exhibitions on a 130 foot jump. In the grand finale the twosome jumped through a flaming hoop. After the demo, they shoveled the “snow” into gunny sacks and hauled it away.
Alan has dedicated more than six decades to skiing (click here to watch a video about Alan’s career) and is a member of the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. The Engens are the only family to have four Hall of Fame members: his father, Alf; two uncles, Sverre and Corey; and Alan.
Importantly for the entire skiing community, Alan is an accomplished scholar, author, and historian. His dream to showcase hundreds of Alf’s ski trophies and memorabilia in a small museum grew instead into the $10.5 million Alf Engen Ski Museum at Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. It was funded entirely by private donations (including Utah’s famed Quinney and Eccles families).
Alan with wife, Barbara.
Alan also is an active contributor to SeniorsSkiing.com where he serves on the online publication’s Advisory Council.
His advice to senior skiers: Use new boots, bindings and skis because the technology will help you enjoy skiing more.
This article is adapted from the original which first appeared in SkiUtah.com.
Top Reasons I Enjoy Being A Senior Nordic Skier
In Response To Last Week’s “Top Reasons I Enjoy Being A Senior Skier”, We Hear From A Nordic-Loving Senior.
Credit: Dawn Green
Editor Note: Roger Lohr is publisher of XCSkiResorts.com, a top guide and center for cross-country news and destination information.
It seems the older I get, the more I enjoy Nordic (XC) skiing. It probably has something to do with being out in nature and also being confident on the skinny skis.
Roger Lohr is publisher of XCSkiResorts.com.
Nothing to Prove
There is nothing to prove but so much to enjoy going along a trail, whether going uphill or downhill. Well, truth be told, I enjoy the downhills much more than the uphills. Frankly, I completely endorse the two-car experience, where one car is left at the bottom of a trail and the other is taken to the top. Is this cheating? Maybe, but I am a senior XC skier; that’s my prerogative.
What A Feeling
It has always been enjoyable to help others with technique tips, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to really like when people appreciate my XC ski skills. Much of the enjoyment depends on having the right equipment and, with XC skiing, that is a very important factor. Narrow, fast, waxless skis for the tracks at a groomed XC ski area are great to enjoy the gliding sensation. Whether hearing the nearby brook bubbling, the fragrance of the pine or balsam trees, or stopping along the river to watch the water pass over ice-covered rocks, you find nature is at its transcendent best.
Downhill in the Forest
I also love using wider XC skis (either steel-edged or not) and a little more supportive boot with a wider binding system to go downhill in untracked snow on trails or off trails. Meandering and finding a way down in deep snow is what I call a good time, and the lightweight equipment makes it manageable. I often earn my turns by skiing up a hillside trail on waxless skis to capture some thrills on the slide back down.
The Mountain Road
I especially like taking the lift at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire’s White Mountains to ski back down on the Mountain Road trail whether it is groomed in a corduroy lane, roller coaster tracked, or is sporting a coat of any depth of new snow. That Mountain Road has never disappointed when I’ve taken friends on it.
Snowsport Brethren
My love of XC skiing includes no “attitudes” about my snow sport cousins on alpine skis, telemark or AT skis, snowboards, or snowshoes. We all can enjoy nature in winter and we all can enjoy mastering the snow for memories of the experience. In fact, on powder days I can think of nothing better than donning my snowboard hitting the slopes and floating down the powder paths to the lift to do it again.
Meeting on the Trail
I love to meet others upon the trail and chat about the trails, XC skiing, the equipment, and clothing. Sharing the outdoors with other active folks is great, and it always adds something to the outing.
Ski Anytime
With XC skiing, there is no midweek issue because you can ski anywhere there is snow and on any trail that has enough snow cover to support sliding and turning. Any day can be a great day XC skiing whether at the commercial XC ski area or up the street on a local trail network.
Ready for Anything
Being prepared helps, so on my outings I bring a small pack to carry water and other things that I might need such as dry gloves, a hat, compass, a scraper and spray to handle icing on the skis, and so on. In the old days, I’d carry a spare tip in case the ski broke, but that is a rare instance now as the skis are so well made. And speaking of the equipment, XC ski boots are so comfortable with the right sock set. It seems I’m out there in my bedroom slippers or barefoot. Light, layered clothing works perfectly to keep me dry and warm. There’s no need for bulky insulation because XC skiing creates heat to ward off cold temperatures.
No Discounts Needed
When I get back home, I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and respect for nature. I’m not concerned with senior discounts because XC skiing is inexpensive at commercial areas where a trail pass is less than $20-30, or it is free on any other trail that you may find around town or in the local park. Either way, XC skiing keeps you active, feeling great, and in touch with nature, and that’s a triumphant triplet.
The Ultimate SeniorsSkiing Ski Quiz
You’ve Think You’ve Been Around Snow Sports For A While? Okay, Test Your Knowledge.
I know what you’re thinking; “Ultimate, I doubt it.” You’re a really good skier, you’ve been skiing for years and you’ve skied just about everywhere. “There’s no quiz about skiing that’s going to humble me.” Let’s see…
- As of the 2016-17 ski season, what state has the most operating ski areas?
- What state or province has the longest ski lift?
- What is the oldest operating ski lift in North America?
- What ski resort in the East has the greatest true vertical drop (lift-served, continuous fall-line runs)?
- Season pass holders account for what percent of all ski area visits?
- How long is the longest trail in the East?
- What ski area in North America has the greatest lift-served continuous vertical drop?
- In mph, how fast is the average detachable lift?
- In mph, how fast is the typical fixed-grip lift?
- What is the largest ski area in North America (as defined by lift accessible terrain).
Answers:
- This one surprises most of us: New York has the most with 48 followed by Michigan with 42, Wisconsin and Colorado tie with 30 each, California has 29, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire tie with 26 each and Vermont has 24 (Source: SnowBrains).
- Vermont’s Sugarbush has the longest lift, Slide Brook Express at 11,012 feet (just over two miles). The Slide Brook Express connects Lincoln Peak with Mt. Ellen and carries skiers in both directions (Source: Peter Landsman author of LiftBlog).
- The Single Chair at Mad River Glen (VT) is the oldest operating lift having been constructed in 1948. In 2007 it was been extensively renovated and updated (Source: Peter Landsman).
- According to the folks at MountainVertical.com, Whiteface in NY has the greatest true vertical drop at 3,216 feet. They define true vertical drop (or True-Up Vertical Drop as they call it) as “the most vertical distance at a resort that can be achieved on commonly skied, lift-served, continuous fall-line runs”.
- According to SAM (Ski Area Management) passholders now account for 40 percent of ski area visits.
- According to Wikipedia, Juggernaut at Killington (VT) is the longest trail in the East at 6.2 miles.
- Revelstoke (BC) with 5,620 feet has the most vertical drop (Source: MountainVertical.com).
- The average detachable lift moves at 12mph (Source: Peter Landsman).
- The typical fixed-grip lift travels at 5.6mph (Source: Peter Landsman).
- Whistler Blackcomb (BC) is the largest with 8,171 acres (Source: Liftopia The Blog).
In the comments section, let us know how you did. Were there any surprises? Are the any answers you’d like to contest?
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.Com (Dec. 15)
Unusual Snow Stat, Happy Holidays, Celebrating Retro Togs, 10 Reasons To Be A Senior Skier, Urban Wilderness.
Here’s a strange stat from the National Weather Service: There has been snow cover in every state this fall, and we are days away from the start of winter. That includes Hawaii and Florida. Remember, the La Nina forecast for winter includes colder and wetter in northern latitudes and warmer and average precip to the south. Clearly, there are some anomalies in the weather pattern, an ongoing theme reflecting odd weather around the globe. Thanks again, to Snowbrains.com for bringing this up.
Holiday Gift Corner: Still Time!
Holidays are around the corner, and if you look back on the past couple of months of SeniorsSkiing.com, you will find some unusual gift suggestions for your snow-loving family and friends. There is still time for last minute stocking stuffers. For your convenience, here are some links to those gift ideas:
- Three holiday gifts senior skiers wish for
- Another unique gift: Buffalo Socks
- Gift suggestion: Debooter easy-off boot jack
- Tile will find your keys and anything else
- Special gift: Eat a tree
We love our Buffalo socks; warm, thick, soft. Nice to sleep in on cold nights.
Retro Togs
Even retro ski poles…
Moriarty hats, knickers, pegged ski pants, onesie ski suits, it’s all hiding out there somewhere.
We hope to have a bit of fun publishing our readers wearing some retro snow clothing. We have some examples of old stuff found in the bottoms of trunks and storage bins that are still useful and, amazingly, still fit. Check out out collection, get inspired, and reach for that wool sweater. Take a pic and send to us!
Send to info@seniorsskiing.com (.jpeg, .png) with a short blurb. We’ll collect a bunch and publish them from time to time.
Stories This Week
Correspondent Jan Brunvand offers 10 good reasons for being a senior skier. Fun ideas. What are your reasons?
Steve Hines discovers Urban Wildernesses, wild areas often in the middle of cities, or very close to urban centers. Depending on where these are located, they can be excellent spots for cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, fat-biking. More about fat-biking in winter in a later story. It’s actually a growing sport that we will be exploring.
Welcome New AARP Subscribers, Boot Recommendations ARE IN
And a hearty welcome to our many new subscribers who found us through AARP. Look through our archives; we have more than 750 stories to peruse. Check out our Subscriber-Only Content. If you have any questions, write to us at info@seniorsskiing.com. Comment on our stories, send us story ideas. And tell your friends about us.
Check the hot-off-the-press Boot Recommendations for Seniors under the Subscriber-Only Content menu.
There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away!
FIND OUR SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT HERE:
Short Swings!
I’ve always believed in working with a competent car mechanic.
The same applies to a well-trained bootfitter. Many older skiers experience boot issues, and a good fitter can help overcome them. Masterfit is in the business of training people to fit ski boots. Their instructors include pedorthists, professionals with specialized training to modify footwear and employ supportive devices to address conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs. Graduates of Masterfit University populate ski shops around the nation and abroad. They can be located at bootfitters.com, which lists elite ski shops specializing in bootfitting.
Recently, in Masterfit’s typically low-key manner, the organization trained 275 REI employees in the skill of fitting ski boots. Most of them work in REI stores throughout the West, but employees from REI’s Soho (NYC), Framingham (Mass.) and Minneapolis stores also participated. Clearly, REI is upping its game when it comes to professional boot fitting. It will help them provide more complete service to REI members (Is there anyone reading this who is not an REI member?).
I remember being in a chain sporting goods store in midtown Manhattan several years ago where a salesperson with ZERO experience fitting boots was “helping” a customer with ZERO ski experience purchase ski boots. My tongue still hurts from biting so hard.
With this new development, boot shoppers can go to REI, seek out one of the people who went through Masterfit training, and proceed to get fitted with confidence.
Southern Utah Redux
Bear’s Ears. Courtesy: Chicago Tribune
Reader Alan Cort commented on last week’s piece about Patagonia‘s position against the administration’s reduction of Bear’s Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments:
In regards to Bear’s Ears, also a shout out to Black Diamond, maker of a lot of really good outdoor equipment. The following is from their latest customer email: Nearly 60% of our country’s climbing areas lie on federal public lands. We repeat, over HALF of our nation’s beautiful, wild crags are on public lands. That’s just one reason why we, at Black Diamond, believe that public lands should stay in public hands, and also why we strongly support the designation of Bears Ears as a National Monument. Think how many ski areas, especially in the West, operate on federal public lands; ones that I’m sure every SeniorSkiing reader has a special attachment to.
Thanks for making that point, Alan.
One of the issues in southern Utah, where these monuments are located, is that county commissioners and state officials are opposed to Federal land ownership. They think they can manage these vast areas more effectively. Among other goals, they want to create a handful of jobs by opening these beautiful wilderness resources to the extraction industries (A uranium mining company is reported to have pressured the White House to reduce Bears Ears.) Last weekend, we visited Goblin Valley State Park, a wonderful area filled with human scale hoodoos. The State of Utah manages the park. Trails are ill-defined, people can walk wherever they choose, signage is virtually non-existent. By comparison, we hiked Arches National Park the day before, where all systems and operations were efficient and well run. The Utah locals seeking control of Federal lands are amateurs who don’t accept the idea that their backyards belong to all citizens.
CALIFORNIA
Santa-costumed skiers and boarders will participate in Mountain High’s annual Santa Sunday this weekend. The event raises funds for Protect Our Winters (POW), the climate change advocacy group for the snow sports community. Registration requires minimum $20 donation to POW. Receipt can be exchanged for a day ticket. Visit Santa Sunday for details.
COLORADO
Aspen Highlands opens Saturday with limited terrain. Pray for snow!!!!
MAINE
Maine resorts received 21″ of natural. Time to head north!
New York
Many upgrades at Whiteface and Gore (lodge expansions, upgraded snowmaking/grooming, etc.).
Lake Placid hosts World Cup Luge this weekend, FIS 2018 Freestyle World Cup aerials competition (Jan. 19-20), Empire State Winter Games (Feb. 1-4), USCSA Ski & Snowboard Championships (March 4-10), Lake Placid Nordic Festival and Loppet (March 18), and ECAC Hockey Men’s D1 Championships (March 16-17).
If you’re in the neighborhood the weekends of Jan 19 and 26, drop by The Sagamore Resort‘s (Bolton Landing) and hoist one at its Glacier Ice Bar & Lounge, featuring nine tons of carved ice.
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is Feb. 2-11 and features a massive Ice Palace. The palace tradition dates to 1898. They feature tunnels and mazes and are decorated with flags, ice furniture and sculpture.
New this year is the Adirondack Snowshoe Fest ,Feb. 24 -25 in Saranac Lake. Races are scheduled for all levels. Lots of surrounding entertainment to take off the chill.
QUEBEC
Mt Tremblant reports recent snowfall and perfect snowmaking temps resulting in opening of all 4 sides of the mountain by end of weekend. 60 runs to be available! If you’re planning to visit over the holidays, don’t miss La Famille Grelot (December 23 -31), a feisty family of singing, dancing and acrobatic elves in the pedestrian village.
UTAH
Salt Lake City is promoting itself as an “apres cultural mecca” while skiing the state’s nearby iconic resorts. There’s theater, dance, classical music, jazz, professional sports, and art and natural history museums. More at Ski City USA.
VERMONT
Some resorts received as much as 24″ of fresh this week. Current trail conditions and weather alerts at SkiVermont.com; resort information, deals and events at Resort Finder.
OTHER
R.I.P. Bruce Brown, the documentarian who brought us The Endless Summer and On Any Sunday died earlier this week in Santa Barbara. He was 80. For many of our generation, his surfing films and motorcycle films stirred a fantasy of the possible.
Free, Last Minute, Online Gifts for Senior Skiers
These magazine subscriptions are available free to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers:
- One year (six issues) subscription to SKI Magazine (U.S. residents only).
- One-year (six issues) digital subscription to SKIING HISTORY Magazine.
To register, click the Subscriber-Only Content at the top of the SeniorsSkiing.com Home Page.
- For SKI Magazine, go to bottom of form and click on: Click Here For Free One Year Subscription to SKI Magazine and follow directions.
- For SKIING HISTORY go to bottom of form and click on Click Here for Your Free Subscription to SKIING HISTORY Magazine, scroll to Digital Membership, select 1 Year-Digital Only, add to cart, enter coupon code SENIORSKI17, checkout, then set up your account.
Another SeniorsSkiing.com First: Best 2018 Boots for Senior Skiers
Finding a comfortable and good-fitting ski boot is an elusive goal for many older skiers.
Finding a comfortable and good-fitting ski boot is an elusive goal for many older skiers. According to responses to our reader surveys, 25% of you plan to purchase new boots in any given season. Reading the comments is revealing: “Want to find a painfree pair.” Looking for something that doesn’t hurt, Finally!” Hope to find a boot that helps my skiing AND is comfortable.”
We asked Steve Cohen and Mark Elling to help identify those boots most suitable for older skiers. They’re the ski boot authorities who organize America’s Best Bootfitters Boot Test, the annual evaluation of next season’s crop of new boots. Steve is a principal of Masterfit, the host company for the test. Mark is Test Director, responsible for organizing this highly complex and detailed event and writing the consolidated reports. Testers included bootfitters, retailers, instructors, coaches, patrollers, and other skiers;many of them seniors.
Last Spring, these men and women tested more than 100 models. They based evaluations on performance, value, easy on and off, warmth, and convenience of buckles and other adjustments. They also paid close attention to models with custom molding capabilities, which allow an experienced bootfitter to fit difficult foot anatomies.
Reading these reviews helps demystify confusion about boot selection. Regardless of how much you plan to invest in boots, work with a trained (preferably certified) bootfitter. Find one you like and stick with him or her.
Reviews are categorized as Men’s or Women’s, each according to foot width and All-Mountain (no “walk-mode”) or On-Off Area (with “walk-mode”). Men’s and Women’s listings each have 24 boot recommendations for seniors. The highest scoring models in each category appear at the top of that category. Abbreviated boot test results are available free to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers. They appear under the Subscriber-Only Content box at the top of the Home Page.
In depth reviews are available at http://www.bootfitters.com/reviews, where the best boots for older skiers can be found by clicking on the Recommended for Seniors filter.
Going Retro
If You’ve Been Into Snow Sports For A While, You’re Gonna Have Retro Clothes. Find Them, Take A Pic, And Send To Us.
We have hats from the 60s, sweaters from the 70s, boots from the first time we went cross-country skiing, knickers, lots of old stuff we could never toss. Well, we’re having a bit of fun wearing them around the various snow fields (slopes, trails) that we habituate, now that snow is on the ground.
Send us a picture of you in your vintage togs, we’ll publish it and put them all together on a special page. Will be fun to see what you’ve got in the back of your closet. Just send a JPEG or PNG to info@seniorsskiing.com
Even retro ski poles…Skiing at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA.
Credit: A. Maginn
Here’s a pic of yours truly in a 1966 Moriarty hat (bought at Mrs. Moriarty’s shop on the Stowe Mountain Road, by the way), a US Ski Team sweater by Montant from about 1972, and Mother Karen’s knickers circa 1970. (Props for still being able to squeeze into them.) Taken last weekend after Saturday’s snowstorm in the Boston Area.
Correspondent Jan Brunvand sent two pics.
Jan’s been wearing this jacket since high school.
Credit: Jan Brunvand
The first shows him wearing a nylon unlined jacket covered with ski patches, posing at main entrance of the Peruvian Lodge at Alta. This was taken on his 84th birthday, March 23, 2016. He’s had this jacket since high school and wore it through college over a heavy sweater on a regular basis. He’s added patches over the years, and is about to start putting them on the back. The label identifies the brand as “Ski Trail Sportswear” with the same name printed on the leather zipper pull.
The picture below shows Jan’s wife Judy wearing a wool Demetre sweater with a sleeve logo alluding to Spider Sabich (1945-1976), who was a participant in the 1968 Winter Olympics. She had it on at the mid mountain restaurant at Vail in 2013 when Jan spotted a young man wearing an orange, black and yellow version of the same sweater. He said his father had let him borrow the sweater for the trip west. Demetre also made a black, white and red version of this sweater, although I have never seen one, only pictures.
Spider Sabich logo sweaters from the late 60s.
Still work.
Credit: Jan Brunvand
Finally, correspondent Tamsin Venn found a picture of real people in long ago outfits from a gathering of the Ski History folks a couple of years ago at Stowe.
More than retro, these outfits are just old-fashioned.
Credit: Tamsin Venn
Send yours in and we’ll see what senior skiers have been sequestering for decades.
Top Ten Reasons I Enjoy Being A Senior Skier
#10. I have nothing to prove.
I don’t need to ski bumps, steeps or crud. It’s challenging enough just skiing blues at age 84.
A guy with the right attitude that I met at Deer Valley a couple of years ago. He told me he wanted to add to the message on his helmet, “ . . . but not today.” Credit: Jan Brunvand
#9. Skiing impresses my non-skiing peers.
When folks ask “Are you still skiing,” they mean “still” as in “At your age?” not “still” as in “Is there still any snow up there?” I try to be a ski missionary and convince some old friends to return to skiing or to try it for the first time.
#8. Everything works better than when I was a kid.
Skis turn more easily, bindings release when they’re supposed to, and boots are actually comfortable. Ski clothes are lighter, warmer, and drier than in the good old days of wool and windbreakers.
#7. I have a built-in excuse for just about anything . . .
. . . like taking green runs, skiing half days, having extra coffee breaks, asking the liftie to slow it down, and forgetting where I parked.
#6. Skiing half days.
Did I mention this? I forget. Anyway, my wife and I ski what we call the “middle half”—start about 10:00 and quit about 3:00. We take at least five runs to count it as a ski day.
#5. Skiing with grandkids.
Until they’re about ten, the grandkids ski at about the same pace as us, and afterwards they’ll fetch us a coffee while we sit out a couple of their runs on the steeper stuff. If you ski with the kids you may be able to keep them from going to the dark side—SNOWBOARDING!
#4. Skiing midweek.
We avoid Saturdays, but sometimes ski Sundays, starting early, if that’s the only other time the grandkids are free. (If brought up properly, they can sometimes be convinced to skip school.) If you must ski weekends or holidays, split with your partner and use the singles line. You might meet someone interesting, hopefully not more interesting than your partner.
#3. Meeting other active seniors.
The 60+,70+, 80+ occasionally even 90+ jacket patches give your fellow oldsters away. Thin and graying hair under the helmets IDs them in the lodge. I always chat with peers asking where they learned to ski, and moving on to other important topics like how many grandkids do they have, are they fly fishers, and do they remember Studebakers. (I have a ’53 Commander, a good conversation starter with older people.)
#2. It’s a good kind of tired.
After a nice half day of skiing, by the time I get the boards off the car and myself out of my long underwear, I’m very sleepy and mellow, ready for a nap, a shower, and a drink before dinner. Ah, bliss!
And the #1 reason I enjoy being a senior skier. Senior discounts.
At my age in my area, season passes are free at Alta, $49 at Snowbasin, $20 at Powder Mountain, with other discounts and deals elsewhere. Check out the Senior discounts where you live.
In Praise Of Urban Wilderness
Find Winter Activity Opportunities Close To Home.
Let’s define what we mean by Urban Wilderness:
- Open space – wetland, meadow, and/or forested land.
- Owned by a public entity
- No parking or entrance fees
- No visual pollution
- Offers “peace and quiet”
- Accessible by either car or public transportation from the nearby urban center
- Offers a variety of activities (year-round)
Urban Wildernesses can be found in or close to many city centers. The point is that you don’t have to venture into the mountains to find winter recreation; it’s often just a short ride away. All you have to do is find them.
Here are two examples, one from the Boston Area, the other from Portland, OR. What are your favorite Urban Wildernesses?
Around Boston
Hard to believe this view of Middlesex Fells Reservation is only a few miles from downtown Boston.
Credit: Commonwealth of Mass
Near Boston, MA is the Middlesex Fells Reservation. “The Fells” has borders in four near Boston suburbs; Medford, Winchester, Stoneham and Melrose. It’s 2,575 acres bisected by Interstate I-93. The east side of I-93 is more developed. The west side of I-93 is less developed with a border road and some homes along the road on the opposite side from the Fells. Nevertheless, the west side provides more of a wilderness feel.
Several ponds act as a water supply to the town of Winchester. The Fells have a good number of trails for mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, x-c skiing (ungroomed) and trail running including:
Skyline Trail
The 6.9 mile Skyline Trail follows the outer perimeter of the western Fells. There are spectacular views of Boston and the surrounding area. Most of the Skyline trail is in wooded landscape, with several steep ascents to rocky outcrops.
Reservoir Trail
The 5.2 mile Reservoir Trail encircles the north, middle and south reservoirs, and the open water can be seen from many sites (the reservoirs are for drinking water, so access to them is prohibited).
Cross Fells Trail
Beginning in the western Fells near the Medford High School, the 4.5 mile Cross Fells Trail gives a good sampling of the features of the Reservation, from wetlands at Whitmore Brook to open water at Quarter Mile Pond in the eastern Fells, to views at Cairn Hill. Use caution crossing South Border Road, Route 28, Woodland Road and the Fellsway.
For more information about Middlesex Fells Reservation, click here.
In the Boston area, there’s also Walden Pond, site of Thoreau’s cabin, in Concord, and Appleton Farms, a 900 plus acre working farm established in 1638, in Ipswich.
Here’s a brief description of a ski tour around Walden Pond.
And here’s what it’s like cross-country skiing at Appleton Farms.
Around Portland, OR
Forest Park is practically in downtown Portland, OR.
Credit: Forest Park Conservancy
At 5,157 acres, Forest Park in Portland, Oregon is one of the largest urban forests in the United States. With more than 80 miles of trails, Forest Park stretches for more than seven miles along the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains, at the convergence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. As stated in the park’s website, “Forest Park offers an unparalleled opportunity for visitors to experience a true Northwest forest without leaving the Portland city limits.” Forest Park immediately came to mind as an archetypical urban wilderness.
Activities along the 80 miles of trails include:
- Horseback riding
- Hiking
- Cycling/mountain biking
- Running – trail and road
- X-C Skiing, Snow Shoeing (when and if it snows)*
Among the park’s trails are:
Ridge Trail
Trailhead access for the Ridge Trail, which is only open to pedestrian use. To find the trailhead, park at the obvious pullout on the way down Bridge Ave (heading toward Portland). You will then need to walk back up Bridge Ave roughly .2 mile to find the actual trailhead.
The Wildwood Trail
30.2 breathtaking miles, from the southern end of the trail at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Park to the Northwest terminus of the trail at Newberry Road.
*The city of Portland averages only 4.3 inches of snow a year, so winter activities are the often same as activities the rest of the year. But, what a place to get you in shape for skiing on Mt. Hood only 50 miles from downtown Portland!
For more information about Forest Park, click here:
Please tell us your favorite urban wilderness. What makes it special to you?
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.Com (Dec. 8)
Free Magazine Subscriptions For Readers, Tale Of The Yellow Suit, Choosing A Condo Rental, More Gifts For Seniors, A Funny Remembered Incident.
Alberto Varagas illustration from WWII honoring ski troops.
This week is a special time of the year for those of us who are Baby Boomers or, more likely, pre-Baby Boomers. When we were growing up, Pearl Harbor Day was more than a mention in the newspapers. Like the attacks on Sept. 11, Pearl Harbor Day was a day of remembering how everything changed.
To commemorate this auspicious date, we’re publishing this voluptuous image from Alberto Varagas, honoring ski troops from WWII. This appeared some time during the war. You don’t see booties like those much anymore. Thanks, Cathy.
We have some more good news for our subscribers this week. We are always looking for ways to bring value to our readers. We’ve worked with two magazine publishers to bring free subscriptions to you guys. You can get a one-year free subscription to both SKI magazine and SKI HISTORY magazine just by following the links in Jon’s article.
These two benefits add to the list of free skiing for seniors, the ski recommendations, Experticity discounts for those who qualify, and free historic ski posters. All of these are available for subscribers only. Look under the Subscribers-Only Content box at the top or under the COMMUNITY > Subscriber-Only Content pics.
Bill skiing Park City on his 80th.
Reader Bill Emerson submitted a nice story about his yellow ski suit which has been with him for quite a while. We’re collecting stories about retro clothing, parkas, hats, sweaters, etc., from yesteryear that are still useful. If you have something really old that you are still using, send us a picture of you with your relic. We’ll assemble a bunch of these and see what happens.
Correspondent and real estate agent Joan Wallen offers some advice on how to rent a condo that fits your needs. This is the first part of a two-part article; next time, she’ll be talking about how to buy a ski condo.
Correspondent Don Burch read Harriet Wallis’ article on Lift Maintenance 101 which triggered the memory of a funny incident when he was a young man working lifts. Here’s his story.
Speaking of Harriet, this week she offers some accessible, sensible, and really desirable gift ideas for seniors. Plenty of time for shopping, right?
Finally, we have to send our best wishes and hopes to those friends and folks in the LA area who are dealing with wildfires and Santa Ana winds. Wide awake out there.
Next week, we should have some news about boot recommendations for seniors, another value-add feature of SeniorsSkiing.com. Please tell your friends about our online magazine. There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
Short Swings!
Many Readers Have Requested A Fabric Patch.
It’s a good idea, and we’d like to make it available. The question is what to put on the patch. We’ve explored the vintage image of the skier that appears on the SeniorsSkiing.com sticker. Unfortunately, patch production technology makes him indecipherable. Whatever we do, we plan to include the SeniorsSkiing.com logo. You may have some ideas for a slogan. We envision something small and rectangular, so it can’t have a lot of words. A few ideas from this end include: Ski Forever; Skiing Makes You Younger, and Ski More. Live Longer. If you have a preference among these or can suggest additional statements, please email jon@seniorsskiing.com. If it gets used, we’ll send some form of SWAG you, hopefuly, will find useful. Thank you!!!!
CALIFORNIA
Mountain High, Southern California’s closest (to LA) winter resort, opened this week with top-to bottom greens and blues. The first 100 skiers received free gloves. Seniors 70+ ski free at Mountain High.
COLORADO
Colorado Ski Country USA resorts will be hosting a variety of Holiday events from Santa encounters (virtually all areas), to caroling (Aspen Snowmass), Ugly Sweater Contest (Eldora), torchlight parades (Aspen, Copper, Crested Butte, Monarch, Powderhorn, Purgatory, Steamboat, Telluride), and any number of tree lighting ceremonies and gourmet feasts). Check resort websites for more details and reservation info. One standout event will take place this Saturday at Crested Butte, which hopes to break the World Record for the largest number of skiers in Santa costumes. Participants must be decked out in a full Santa suit and will be eligible for $25 lift tickets.
MONTANA
Lookout Pass, on the Idaho/Montana border, has opened almost 50% of its terrain. Between natural and man-made, the top has 27″ and the bottom 12″.
UTAH
Ski Utah’s email states 18″ to Start the Week ,yet looking at accumulations at the seven open resorts, the maximum new snow is 7″ (Snowbird). Other open Utah resorts are Alta, Brian Head, Brighton, Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbasin, Snowbird, and Solitude.
If you’re in the vicinity of southern Utah’s terrific Brian Head resort this Saturday the ULLR Festival is the annual juggling, comedy and circus ritual to celebrate the arrival of the Norse Snow God. Festivities start at 1:00PM; ULLR’s entrance is scheduled for 5:45PM.
VERMONT
Old school, Mad River Glen is kicking off its Preserve Our Paradise fundraising campaign with a goal of $6.5 million. Monies will be used to improve snowmaking and replace the Birdland lift, among other things.
Areas across the Green Mountain State are celebrating the holidays with Santa visits, torchlight parades, wine and beer tasting events, gourmet dinners, etc. Check websites for details.
Jay Peak skiers never had it so good. This video from last season’s mega-dump is proof that all things are possible.
OTHER
The Nov. 27 edition of The New Yorker magazine has a feature article on 22-year old American skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Writer Nick Paumgarten has done a fine job. It’s required reading for anyone preparing for the February Winter Games in South Korea.
Thank you, Patagonia, for taking a position on important environmental and land use issues. This week, following the White House’s expected announcement that Southern Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments would be dramatically reduced, Patagonia emailed information under the title, The President Stole Your Land. The accompanying message reads: “In an illegal move, the president just reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monuments. This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history.” For many, these vast areas are merely an idea. To get a sense of what Bears Ears (close to the Arizona border) look like, click here.
Cute knit hats for the grandkids at https://cirquemtn.com/product-category/kids/kids-headwear/
SKI and SKIING HISTORY Magazines Available Free to SeniorsSkiing.com Subscribers
We’re pleased to announce that subscribers to SeniorsSkiing.com are eligible to receive a free subscription to the print version of SKI Magazine.
SKI is the venerable publication that has been catering to snow sports enthusiasts for decades. It covers the full range of the sport from equipment and technique to personalities and destinations. It is published six times a year and has a cover price value of about $29.
As announced a few weeks ago, SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers are eligible for a free digital subscription to SKIING HISTORY Magazine, which, with membership in International Skiing History Association, is a $49 value.
To register to receive your free SKI Magazine subscription and/or your free SKIING HISTORY Magazine subscription, click the Subscriber-Only Content at the top of the SeniorsSkiing.com Home Page.
- For SKI Magazine, go to bottom of form and click on: Click Here For Free One Year Subscription to SKI Magazine and follow directions.
- For SKIING HISTORY go to bottom of form and click on Click Here for Your Free Subscription to SKIING HISTORY Magazine, scroll to Digital Membership, select 1 Year-Digital Only, add to cart, enter coupon code SENIORSKI17, checkout, then set up your account. P.S. Once you’ve subscribed, you’ll have access to the archives to 2009.
The Story Of The Yellow Ski Suit
Ski Suits Don’t Age, Just Their Owners.
In 1974 while living in Vienna, Virginia, I had a midlife crisis. On December 27, I turned 40 with the thought that I had reached middle-age and would have to limit my skiing.
In the past, while living in California, the family had gone skiing on my birthday. Now in Virginia, my nine-year-old son, Bill, said, “There aren’t any mountains. If you want to ski we’re going to have to go to Utah or Colorado.” There was only one thing to do, jump into the Mercedes and drive to Utah, where we all loved to ski.
Bill Emerson in his yellow ski suit on his 40th birthday
As a belated birthday surprise my wife provided me with a form-fitting yellow ski suit. My first day with the yellow suit was spent at Park City, enjoying a beautiful sunny day.
Thus began a tradition of skiing on special birthdays in my special yellow suit. Between those events, the yellow suit hung in the back of a closet.
It emerged next in 1984 for my 50th. My very grown up son and I headed to Snowbird to celebrate. The yellow birthday suit went with us.
After that trip, the suit moved again to the back of the closet. Its next adventure w
Bill skiing Park City on his 80th
as 25 years later. This time on my 75th.
In September 2014, approaching my 80th, I returned to the gym to work off a few pounds. I wasn’t going to celebrate on skis without the suit or my son. He was over 40, older than I was when I received the suit on my 40th.
We agreed to meet at Park City.
The cold day required wearing a newer and much warmer red jacket.
At one point I donned the yellow suit so Bill could snap a few shots of my yellow ski suit and me.
Commute, Rent, Or Buy?
The Best Way To Enjoy Your Ski Time.
Choose a small chalet…
While some snowsports enthusiasts are fortunate enough to live and work in ski country, most skiers and riders have to commute from their homes, often two, three or more hours from their favorite mountain. For the frequent skier—those who want to spend every weekend, plus vacation weeks on the slopes—their commute can become very tiresome.
This can be especially true for families with young kids. Parents, and grandparents, have to get the kids organized every morning to get in the car at an early hour so as to be at the slopes for the start of the day. If the kids are in some kind of racing program or weekend recreational class, hitting the road in a timely fashion becomes even more important. “Did you remember your gloves, goggles, hat”, even “your boots”, is sometimes heard as the car heads out the driveway.
…or a luxury, slope side condo. It all depends…
Credit: Steamboat Springs
Many families opt out of this weekly hassle by renting a house or condo near their favorite resort or perhaps in close proximity to several areas so they have a choice throughout the season. Ski gear and clothing can be left there, they can drive up on Friday evening, relax and be ready to go on Saturday morning without the stress of an early morning drive, and return after a day on the slopes for a relaxing evening.
What should you look for when renting a property in ski country?
Well, that depends a bit on your lifestyle and the resort where you want to spend your time. If very young grandchildren children are part of the mix, you might want to find something slope side or very close to the mountain so one family member can take a child home when he tires out. A ski in, ski out unit is best for this, but even a house or condo a mile or two from the area will let someone be delivered home easily without disrupting the entire family’s day.
Another thing to consider is what you like to do in the evening. If you’re content to return to your rental after the lifts close, have dinner in, watch tv or movies or play games, then you might look for something out of town in a quiet, country setting. But if you want entertainment, like to eat dinner out frequently, sample the nightlife, then perhaps a house in a town or around the base area (depending on the resort you choose) is a better option.
As far as the actual property goes, you need to again examine your lifestyle as well as your budget. How many bedrooms do you need? Will you or your children or grand children be bringing guests? Is one living space, whether large or cozy, where you can all be together preferable? Or would separate spaces for relaxation work better for the family? Do you prefer something upscale, in a condo community with amenities such as a spa, swimming pool, workout equipment? Or will a simple house work fine for your group?
Budget is an obvious important consideration. If you rent a single family house, in addition to the rent, you will likely be responsible for paying utilities including cable and wifi as well as plowing costs. Be sure to ask about the type of heat the house has and how efficient it is. Fuel costs over the course of a winter can sometimes come as a big, surprising shock, and you want to be prepared.
When searching for a seasonal rental property, it is a wise idea to use a real estate rental agent. These folks know the properties and, by asking a few questions, can often direct you to something you might not find on your own. They will have a handle on expenses for the winter, condition of the property and lots of tips on location relative to the mountain and other activities that may be of interest to you. There are plenty of ways to book lodging on line, but if you go this route be sure to use reputable web sites and ask a lot of questions.
Another option is purchasing a home in ski country, clearly a more complicated process which will be addressed in a future article.
A Wad of Tobacco, A Chairlift, And A Ford Maverick
A Long Forgotten Incident Comes Rushing Back.
Don Burch, circa, 1970, with the infamous Ford.
In the late 70s, I was working at a ski resort and poor as could be. When the Head Maintenance Engineer asked around for someone to pick up a part for one of the chairlifts, I quickly volunteered. He probably figured I knew what I was volunteering for and wouldn’t have done so without a pickup truck or some other appropriate vehicle.
It was after hours, and we needed the part in order to run the lift in the morning. The supplier agreed to stay open until I arrived.
As a twenty-one-year-old male, there may have been some other decisions I made without much forethought. In my mind, the part was a few bolts or something like that.
Though I was to drive 90 minutes in the dark on country roads, I had confidence in my mature Ford Maverick (Yes, the photo is of the car I used). It was starting to snow, but I knew my new retread snow tires were up to the task. Using the finest workmanship I could muster, I had recently jury-rigged an eight-track tape player under the dashboard so I knew the trip wouldn’t be totally devoid of entertainment.
When I arrived later than promised, the supplier was grumpy as hell. He spat a wad of tobacco into the snow, pointed to large gear laying against a fence post and grumbled, “How the hell are you gonna get that in there?”
Sliding the front passenger seat all the way back, it looked like the gear might just fit. With the grizzly old guy providing special lubricant in the form of sub-vocalized mutterings, we managed to get it in. The car listed unnervingly to starboard.
With no more words spoken, the receipt was tossed in the car, and the parking lot lights were off before I was out the driveway.
On the return trip, the crown of the road, under slippery conditions and tilt of the car, overcame my ability to keep the old Maverick on the road. Into the ditch I went.
To my great relief, a pickup truck pulled over just minutes after the mishap. With the sweet smell of liquor wafting from their breaths, two good Samaritans offered to pull me out. One attached a chain to their hitch, and the other hooked up somewhere under my car. I took a moment to look under the car, saw the hook on the steering rod and moved it to the frame.
I profusely thanked my new best friends, made it back to the mountain, the chairlift was operational by morning, and I had a windfall of $22.00 bonus.
Thanks to Harriet Wallis whose recent article entitled Lift Maintenance 101 sparked this long forgotten memory.
Three Holiday Gifts Senior Skiers Wish For
When It Comes To Holiday Gifts, Sometimes Our Adult Children Don’t Have A Clue What We Would Like To Have. Here Are Some Hints To Pass Along. Or, Just Send A Link To This Story!
A surprise awaits and it’s not fruitcake. Credit: Harriet Wallis
Idea #1. A private lesson: A gift of confidence and fun.
You know you’d love to have the undivided, one-on-one attention of a skilled instructor to refresh your skills or move the needle a little bit further on your skiing. Ask for a private coaching session.
“Private lessons help build confidence,” said Leslie Blank, snowsports school director at Brighton. “Private lessons will let you move at your own pace. Or, you can get a little out of the comfort zone and try something new.”
Even good skiers get stuck in ruts, said Tim Wolfgram, director of Snowsports Services at Solitude. A private lesson can help you try new movements so you can have more fun.
Idea #2. A professional photo: Ski action or family portrait.
Ask your adult kids to put down their selfie sticks. Instead, ask for a professional photo of you skiing. Or, get the whole clan together for an on-slope family portrait.
Let a pro capture the photo memory.
Credit: Dobber Price, Peak Photo at Alta
Many resorts have on-mountain photographers who will take great photos of you with no fee and no obligation. But it’s a good idea to call ahead and coordinate the location and time with the photographer.
Here’s a tip. “Wear bright colors. It’s better than dark colors,” said Dobber Price, owner of Peak Photo at Alta, which is now in its 28th year of ski photography. And ski action photos, whether on a gentle slope or steep terrain, will capture your inner pro.
Idea #3. Ski tuning: So you can slide and turn more easily.
Ask to have your skis tuned. Many shops will inspect your skis and give a no-cost assessment of what needs to be done. Often, they just need to be waxed. Sometimes, if they haven’t been tuned or waxed for a long time, they might need more work. “It’s all about safety and the quality of turns,” said Brett Pergrossi, rental manager at Snowbird.
Tuned and waxed skis will slide and turn more easily. “You might slide right past your buddies on the flats,” said Brayden Morgan, head of rentals at Alta Ski Shop. “And, you won’t be as tired because you won’t use as much energy,” he said.
Many resorts offer gift certificates. But tell your kids to be sure the certificate can be used for the service they choose for you. They can buy it, wrap it, and give it. The holiday is solved. And you’ll have a treat coming.
P.S. Now aren’t these gifts better than fruitcake?
To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Dec. 1)
Unusual Gift Ideas For Senior SnowsSporters, Becoming An Instructor, Blind Skier Tribute, Walking With Wolves.
Mikela Shiffrin wins the FIS World Cup over Thanksgiving Weekend at Killington. She’s an inspiration and a role model for young skiers everywhere. Credit: FIS
The Women’s FIS World Cup event at Killington over Thanksgiving showed us: 1) There is real skiing in New England going on right now, and, 2) Mikela Shiffrin won the slalom and came in second in the GS in front of 34,000 enthusiastic fans. While it was balmy on Saturday, on Sunday, the weather closed in, and it snowed on the course for most of the day, making for perfect racing conditions. Mikela certainly has captured the imagination of snow sport lovers and has become an inspiration to a legion of young people who view her has a heroic role model. Here’s the whole story from Vermont Public Radio.
While it snows on Thanksgiving in Vermont, we note that there is also heavy snow coming to Hawaii’s volcanic peaks. We don’t associate Hawaii with snow, but Mauna Kea is more than 13,000 ft. Brave skiers and boarders are able to drive up the summit road and get a run in; there are no lifts or facilities. Skiing in Hawaii in November. Hmmm. Is the climate getting rambunctious or what? From the Weather Channel.
The big news this week is that we have published the 2018 Best Skis For Senior Skiers recommendations. We worked with Jackson Hogen of realskiers.com to come with a list of skis for different mountain types and skiing preferences. This is the second year we’ve published this list and it has proven to be quite popular with our readers. Click here to read all about it.
This week we also have more gift ideas for our readers. We have tried and tested heavy duty socks made from “Bison Down” and found them durable and resilient, considering that we wore them for five days in a row. Find out why.
We also highlight the ultra useful DeBooter, a perfect and simple device for helping you remove ski boots. DeBooter is also one of our first and loyal advertisers; SeniorsSkiing.com readers get a discount!
Correspondent Tamsin Venn shows us how to become a ski instructor. Think about it; you have the experience, the skills, the time and interest in spending more time outdoors and mingling with kindred spirits. Why not consider becoming an instructor? Tamsin offers 10 good reasons to just do it.
Pat McCloskey pays tribute to Fast Freddie Siget, a skier who continued to enjoy life and skiing despite the devastating injury that blinded him. There’s a lesson to be learned from Fast Freddie. Thanks for sharing it with us, Pat.
Finally, we hear from Yvette Cardozo, our correspondent in the Northwest who finds that walking in the woods with wolves isn’t as bad as Little Red Riding Hood makes it out to be.
Next week, more gifts ideas, news about Ski Recommendations for Seniors and perhaps some fun with retro ski clothes.
OUR LIST OF 115 RESORTS WHERE SENIORS CAN SKI FOR FREE (OR ALMOST FREE) CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE COMMUNITY MENU PICK IN THE BLUE MENU AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. LOOK UNDER SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT.
If you want an excellent and free bunch of stickers from SeniorsSkiing.com, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936 and we’ll send some.
Remember, dear readers, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.
Short Swings!
We’re still transitioning into the Information Age and, like a well-skied trail, the bumps are plentiful.
Personal data is compromised. Weird account charges are difficult to get removed. Criminals and other rogue players are changing how we would normally communicate with each other. But there are some bright spots. Older skiers are pleased with purchasing lift tickets online. In fact, 93% of SeniorsSkiing.com survey respondents indicate they are somewhat or highly satisfied with buying tickets online. More than 50% of you purchased them directly from the resort; 10% from Liftopia and other online aggregators. Sites like Liftopia are worth visiting before going to a specific area’s site because they may be offering special deals. Please click through to Liftopia from the ad you see in the right column. And for many of us, there may be no charge at all. The list of 115 US Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free has grown to include 115 areas. Be sure to check out the most updated version in the SUBSCRIBER ONLY button under the COMMUNITY tab.
Colorado
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs will celebrate its Centennial year in 2018. The resort hotel has played a major role in figure skating. On Saturday, January 20, a gala at the resort will salute Peggy Fleming Jenkins and the 50th anniversary of her Olympic Gold Medal in Grenoble. Click here for details and tickets.
It appears the new KSL Holdings/Aspen resort coalition will be announcing its new name and 2018-19 pass details later this season.
Aspen Mountain is open top-to-bottom. The Silver Queen Gondola, Ajax Express, and Bell Mountain Chair are open. Snowmass has limited skiing. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are scheduled to open December 9.
Montana
Big Sky Resort opened the Lone Peak Tram in the area’s first week of operation. Lone Peak (11,166′) has a 49″ base. More snow expected this weekend.
Utah
Deer Valley Resort will open for the 2017-2018 ski season on Saturday, December 2, 2017, with eight chairs and nine runs.
The Utah Olympic Oval will host the 2017 ISU Long Track Speed Skating World Cup beginning Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10. Skaters will be racing in the following distances: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and Team Pursuit. General admission: $7. More info: UtahOlympicLegacy.org
Good news: The International Biathlon Union (IBU) selected Soldier Hollow Nordic Center as the host venue for the eighth stop on the 2018/2019 World Cup season tour. It will be the first major international biathlon competition to be held at Soldier Hollow since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Less Good News: It will be held in February, 2019. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with shooting. Competitors ski through a cross-country trail system whose total distance is divided into either two or four shooting rounds, half in prone position, the other half standing. With a total cumulative TV viewership approaching one billion, biathlon is the most popular winter sport in Europe.
Vermont
Like all of us, Vermont is praying for more snow. In the meanwhile, resorts there have come up with a variety of non-ski entertainments.
- Trapp Family Lodge at Stowe has a series of wine tastings scheduled for the first half of December.
- This Sunday Okemo is giving a $39 lift ticket in exchange for donations of five food items
- On December 8, Stratton will host an alternative rock festival.
- December 9
- Jay Peak to hold its season pass holder annual party
- Killington has a $25,000 purse rail skiing event
- Smuggler’s Notch hosts its annual BrewFest. $20 ticket buys 8 samples and other goodies
- December 12 is Founder’s Day at Mount Snow. Lift tickets will be $12
- December 16, is Spirits of the Season at Stratton.10 tasting-ticket pack is available for $25 in advance; $30 at the door
Visit individual resorts sites for more details on these and other events.
Other
Watched “War For The Planet of The Apes” on a flight a few days ago. One scene takes place at an abandoned ski area. The culminating scene is in another mountain location and involves a massive avalanche. I still think the first in the franchise is the best.