seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 26)

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An Enormity Of Gratitude, Season Wrap, Mystery Retro, Survey Watch, Looking Ahead.

And, poof, it’s almost May. For most of us, the ski season is behind us, and this is our last regular snow season edition. This week, we close our season-long celebration of our fifth publishing year with boundless gratitude that we were able to come so far.

SeniorsSkiing.com has hit a sweet spot in providing a forum for older folks, many of whom have been pursing snow sports for a half-century or more. The only forum, we hasten to add. You know the role you, our readers, have played and are playing in making skiing and other winter snow sports a regular past-time for yourself and your family. We believe the industry is finally beginning to recognize that we bring more to these sports than our enthusiasm

At a recent presentation, Kelly Pawlak, the new NSAA (National Ski Areas Association) president, mentioned the role seniors have in bringing family members, especially grandchildren into the sport. We’ll call that a beachhead in the consciousness of the ski and snow sport industry. Clearly, progress has been made.

All of this cannot have been possible without the contributions of our stalwart correspondents. The people who write for SeniorsSkiing.com are long-time industry veterans, some of whom are or have been professional journalists and are members of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association and others are long-time skiers who love to write and have a message for our demographic in one way or another. Note that most of these contributors have been writing for SeniorsSkiing.com since we started.

We simply could not bring you SeniorsSkiing.com without their contributions. Our thanks to our wide-spread regulars:

  • Harriet Wallis, Utah
  • Marc Liebman, Texas
  • Pat McCloskey, Pennsylvania
  • Don Burch, Massachusetts
  • Tamsin Venn, Massachusetts
  • Yvette Cardozo, Washington
  • Jan Brunvand, Utah
  • Bob Nesoff, New Jersey
  • John Nelson, Washington
  • Roger Lohr, (Cross-Country Editor) New Hampshire
  • Wendy Clinch, Vermont
  • Joan Wallen, New Hampshire
  • Janet Franz, Vermont
  • Mike Roth, New York
  • Casey Earle, Santiago, Chile
  • Jonathan Wiesel, Montana

In addition to our regular correspondents, a number of readers have offered articles. This is the first year we have so many pieces come “over the transom” from our readership. We hope other readers feel motivated to offer a contribution next year,

Readers who contributed articles last year are:

  • David Bairns
  • Peter Schmaus, MD
  • Bill Widman
  • Ted Levy
  • Hiller Hardie
  • John Blagys

Since we started publishing five years ago, we have accumulated 1,073 articles which now reside in our archives and are accessible to you. That’s roughly 200 articles a year since we began.

This Week

Our final Mystery Glimpse of the season reveals the identity of the ski-joring-jumping character from last week. We also highlight a few of our most popular photos from the feature. Mystery Glimpse is made possible by contributions from ski museums throughout North America. This museums hold the history of our winter sports and are worth a visit, a donation, and your support.

We reprise Don Burch’s article on putting away your gear for the season. Give your equipment a little TLC, and it will be good to you next season.

Spring Subscriber Survey Coming

Be on the lookout for our Spring Subscriber Survey coming your way in a week or two. We’ve been conducting surveys of our readership from the very beginning, and the information we gather is extremely valuable in shaping our mission. Thank you in advance for offering your input.

SeniorsSkiing.com will be publishing on a monthly basis starting in May. Look for articles on non-snow sports, skiing in South America and Oceania, curious people and places, and developments in snowsports.

And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away. On to year six!

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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We’re about to switch from publishing weekly, as we have since October, to our once-a-month off-season schedule. Many of you are back on the golf course or in your boats. The next time you’ll see SeniorsSkiing.com in your in box will be May 31.

 SeniorsSkiing.com had a record season. In November we celebrated our 5thyear of publication with a party in New York City. The attendees had a great time; many walked away with terrific prizes.

We also added a lot of new subscribers. After clearing up a vexing technical glitch, new subscribers clocked in at about 1,000 a month. The increase in readers was reflected in the increase in registered page views: almost 300,000 from October through April. 

Your response to our second fund-raiser was encouraging and helpful:

  • Encouraging, because it validated the time and effort that goes into publishing SeniorsSkiing.com;
  • Helpful, because it reduces the cost of publishing this free magazine. As readership increases, so do expenses.

Around 200 articles were published since October (almost 1100 since we started). The volume of comments this season accounted for almost one-third of all comments since we started publishing; a reflection on reader growth and engagement.

You’ll be receiving a reader survey from us in the next few weeks. Your responses will help inform what we do for the coming season. The survey also is the opportunity for Trail Masters (the # of days you skied/boarded this season = the # of years in your age) can register to receive the 2018-19 Trail Masters embroidered patch.

Thank you for reading and supporting SeniorsSkiing.com!

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Electricity From Falling Snow

UCLA researchers and colleagues designed a first of its kind device that creates electricity from falling snow. The inexpensive, small, thin and flexible device generates charge through static electricity which occurs when falling snow contacts its silicone surface. According to the researchers, it has potential for monitoring winter sports.

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Boston and Denver Ski and Snowboard Expo Dates

The Colorado Ski and Snowboard Expo at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center will be earlier this year; October 25-27. The Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo will be Nov 14-17 at the Seaport World Trade Center. 

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Lifts Still Running

Mt Hood SkiWay

These North American areas are still skiing. Each is followed by its expected closing date. Call or check websites for updates.

  • Alpental, WA – 5/5 (weekends only)
  • Arapahoe Basin, CO – early June
  • Arizona Snowbowl, AZ – 4/28
  • Aspen Highlands, CO –  4/28 (weekends only)
  • Boyne, MI – 4/28 (weekends only)
  • Breckenridge, CO – 5/27
  • Grouse Mountain, BC – 5/5
  • Heavenly, CA – 4/28 (+ May 3-5)
  • Jay Peak, VT – 5/5
  • Killington, VT – 6/2
  • Lake Louise, AB – 5/5
  • Loveland, CO – 5/5
  • Lutsen, MN – 5/5 (weekends only)
  • Mammoth, CA – 7/4
  • Marmot Basin, AB – 5/5
  • Mary Jane at Winter Park, CO – 5/12
  • Mission Ridge, WA – 4/28 (weekends only)
  • Mt. Bachelor, OR – 5/26
  • Mt. Hood Meadows, OR – 5/4 (weekends only)
  • Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe, NV – 4/28
  • Nakiska, AB – 4/28
  • Purgatory, CO – (weekends only)
  • Silver Mountain, ID – 4/28 (weekends only)
  • Ski Brule, MI – 4/29 (weekends only)
  • Snowbird, UT – TBD
  • Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, CA – 7/7 – 5/19 (weekends only)
  • Sugarbush, VT – 5/5
  • Sugarloaf, ME – 5/5
  • Sunday River, ME – 5/1 (weekends only)
  • Sunshine Village, AB – 5/13
  • The Summit at Snoqualmie, WA – 4/28 (weekends only)
  • Timberline Lodge, OR – 8/31
  • Whistler Blackcomb, BC – 5/27
  • White Pass, WA – 4/28 (weekends only)

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Interesting Short Video

This skier in Switzerland accidentally sets off an avalanche; then outruns it. About 15 seconds. Click here to view.

Don’t Try This at Home Video

Skiing “Switch” is terrain park lingo for skiing backward. In this video, French skier Quentin Ladame sets the Switch Skiing World Record (86 mph). About 2½ minutes. Click here to view.

Alf Engen
mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Season Retrospective

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Last Week

Credit: Alf Engen Museum

This is an Engen family photo, depicting Alf Engen himself ski-joring over a mini-ski jump behind a cantering horse. According to Jon Green, from the Alf Engen Museum, Alf participated in ski-joring quite often in Jackson Hole and Sun Valley in the mid- to late-30s,  While he was most known as a ski jumper, having won the national championship title 16 times , Alf excelled at just about anything that involved skis. This is evidenced by the fact that in 1940 he became the only person to win the National Four-Way Skiing Championship (downhill, slalom, jumping and cross-country). It would seem ski-joring was just one more ski-related activity that Alf enjoyed. 

In the 1930s, Alf was employed by the U.S. Forest Service as a technical advisor, assisting in the development of over 30 winter recreation areas in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. This included Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, close to where this photo was taken. Thanks again to the Alf Engen Museum, Park City, UT, for offering this picture from its collection.

Season Retro

Since last October, SeniorsSking.com has published 23 Mystery Glimpse photos for our readers to identify. These came from the wonderful and important collections of artifacts and photos from ski museums across the country.  These museums, all supported by ski history enthusiasts like our readers, range from tiny to substantial, mostly volunteer, all non-profit, all dependent on your support. We encourage our readers to visit them online and in person. They are all carry the history of snowsports in their collections, a history that can’t be found in as much detail anywhere else.

Below are some of our favorites from this year. Click on the photo to find out the story behind the picture.

After almost 50 years, we now know this is Buddy Werner.

Alta 1952. Credit: Ray Atkeson

Bailey Basher. The whole idea was to bust up moguls and smooth out crud. Gravity was both a friend and an adversary.

Queen Maude of Norway (r) with her sister Princess Victoria.

A rescue at Vail.

A Princess visits Mittersill Mountain Resort

Thanks for your guesses and comments.  More to come in the Fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Apr. 19)

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Tell Us About Your Season, Pondering The Last Turn, Mystery Horse, Snowbasin Report, E-Biking Coming Up.

Signs of the season winding down include ads and promotions for next year’s season passes. The time is now to get the bargains. One development to note is that Arapahoe Basin COO Al Henceroth said that the resort is ending its 22-year relationship with Vail and the Epic Pass. Reason: Crowded slopes and packed parking lots. A-Basin will also not be joining IKON as an option, nope, no way. The only way to get unlimited skiing at the venerable resort is to buy a $399 A-Basin-only pass.  Unintended consequences, friends, are catching up to what some might call an “oversold” market. Anyone been up Little Cottonwood Canyon on a Saturday morning in the last few weeks? How’s that parking situation working out for ya?

Another sign of the season ending is some stock-taking of what 2018-19 has meant for you.  For us, we didn’t get as much skiing in as we’d planned, nor did it snow enough in the Boston area to really do extensive xc-skiing in local conservation land and parks. Poor planning, low snow. But the good news for us is we spent quality time with good friends, met new ones, explored new places, and know where to get started next year.

How Was Your Season?

How about you?  How was your season?  What were the highlights? The lowlights? The bad news? The good news? Happy with your IKON/Epic? Unhappy with too many people in your space on the lift line? Did you invite your grandkids to come ski with you? Did you try a new area? Did you learn something new? Did you stop doing something you used to do? Write your summary of the year in the Comments section below, and we can all get a sense of how the SeniorsSkiing.com community made it through this incredible snow year.  Yes, sure, we know there are still lots and lots of you skiing out West. How’s that extra long season treating you guys? Let us know.

This Week

Speaking of winding down, Marc Liebman offers a thoughtful piece on his Last Perfect Turn, a conspicuous part of everyone’s last run of the season. Our Mystery Glimpse offers a picture of skijoring somewhere out West.  Can you guess what’s up? Tamsin Venn visits Snowbasin and, unlike the crowds at A-Basin, finds lots of room to swing as well as beautiful views. Finally, Pat McCloskey looks ahead to non-snow activities with an interesting introduction to e-bikes. As someone who has pedaled many a mile on road bikes in charity events and cross-country rides, the very idea of an assist-pedal bike was anathema. Now we are not so sure.  Looks pretty interesting.

Next week will be our final weekly edition until next fall. We will continue to publish monthly through the non-snow months. Coming soon will be our 2019 Spring Survey.  Watch for it.  We promise it will be short and sweet, and the information we gather really helps us steer SeniorsSkiing.com.

Once again, please tell your friends about us. Remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Credit: Alf Engen Museum

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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There’s a difference between skiing and a skiing experience. 

Confused? Let me explain.

With just a few exceptions most of my 65-seasons have been spent skiing. I can’t remember every day or every run, but riding up and skiing down so many places and in so many conditions has been wonderful. Small areas, enormous areas:  in retrospect they were variations on a similar theme. Travel to resort. Lift up. Ski down. Repeat. After a while, memories blend.

1930’s Italian trade card for broth company

Over the years, I’ve had some standout skiing experiences. Some, in resorts; others, far from lifts. All were memorable. 

One week with an instructor and a group of Aussies at Jackson Hole, we skied deep powder, jumped into Corbett’s, drank gallons of beer, and shared a lot of laughs. 

Another time with a guide and three other skiers, we took off in a fixed wing ski plane from a slope in Verbier, landed on a glacier near the Italian border, and spent the rest of the day skiing snow-covered pastures, though tiny summer villages, and down into a valley, where we had lunch and hopped on a train to return to Verbier. Memorable!

The week many years ago with Great Northern Snowcat Skiing in Canada’s Selkirk range was another hard-to-forget skiing experience. The snow was so deep that only the tops of 20’ trees were showing. I often think of how wonderful that week was and wonder if I’m past the shelf life to try a week of hell-skiing.

In many ways, memories of skiing are like memories of raising a family. There’s the quotidian background noise of events punctuated from time to time by the more memorable skyrockets. I always told my kids stories when they were going to sleep but I don’t remember every night or every tale. I do, however, remember some of the big events. It’s how we’re wired. Common memories are like snapshots; uncommon ones are like videos; more detail, more recall.

Skiing has its similarities. With some exceptions, the daytrips and the regular ski holidays tend to blend. But the more unusual skiing experiences stand out. 

Pam and I will never forget being on ski safari in the Dolomites with Inspired Italy or ski exploring the world-class resorts in the Aosta Valley with Alpskitour.

She, who delights in reminding me, after every day of skiing, that she’d be happy never to ski again, is now asking when we’ll be able to return to the Italian Alps for another great skiing experience.

1930’s Italian trade card for broth company

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Lake Tahoe: More to Go

Lake Tahoe snowpack is currently at 245% of average with more is forecast. More good skier news: temps are cold, so conditions are expected to hold.

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Brighton: Right On!

Brighton Ski Resort, at the end of Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, is a major snow magnet. Many storms favor it over Alta, a short distance away at the end of adjacent Little Cottonwood Canyon. As I write this, Brighton is reporting yet another 24″ dump, reporting 10″ in the past 24 hours, 15″ in the past 48 hours, and 54″ in the past seven days! To date this season, Brighton has received 634″!!!! If past is prologue, Brighton will continue to be catching flakes well beyond its April 21 close.

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Snowbird Closing Date?

The resort has 650″+ and a 176″ base. It announced it will continue daily operations through May 12, then stay open Fridays through Sundays “for as long as we can.”

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Rick Kahl Receives Major Ski Journalism Award

Rick Kahl

Rick Kahl, editor of industry trade publication, Ski Area Management Magazine, was namesd recipient of The Carson White Snowsports Achievement Award. The Award, presented annually by the North American Snowsports Journalists Association, honors extraordinary achievement, influence and innovation in the advancement of North American skiing, snowboarding and all snow-related sports. Congratulations, Rick!

 

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NoSweat Helmet Liners

NoSweat is a brand of self-stick, disposable liners for use with hats, visors, and helmets. I intended to use NoSweat this spring on warm ski days but never got around to it. The product is well designed and relatively inexpensive. It keeps perspiration from cascading into and stinging your eyes. Google “No Sweat Helmet Liners” for many purchasing options or visit the company’s site.

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Earth Day

Monday, April 22 is Earth Day. Visit the official Earth Day site to see how you might support the organization’s many efforts to improve the environment. Then, put on your sneakers or boots and give our collective Mother a visit. She’s been taking a beating for a long time and needs to know we still love her. In other words, dear readers, time to Take a Hike!

Jon Weisberg

Ötzi the Ice Man: Three Millennia Older Than Mel Brooks

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Reconstruction: Alfons & Adrie Kennis © South Tyrol Museum Archaeology/Ochsenreiter

He may not be the world’s oldest skier, but at more than 5000 years, he is the world’s oldest and best-preserved wet mummy. Given his advancing years, Ötzi is in particularly good shape. 

Named for where he was found in 1991 by two hikers on the Italian-Austrian border, Ötzi now resides in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in the lovely small Northern Italian city of Bolzano. If you find yourself in the general vicinity, I strongly recommend paying him a visit.

© South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology

One of the many effects of global warming is the discovery of ancient things thawing their way out of the ice: thousand year old skis in Oppland County, Norway; a 500-year-old girl with perfectly preserved hands found in the Andes; an almost intact wooly mammoth found in Russia’s Arctic Lyakhovsky Islands. To learn more watch this brief “Secrets of the Ice” video.

But Ötzi stands apart, for his age, his superb condition, and the extensive science applied to understanding who he was. His genome has been mapped, his stomach contents carefully analyzed, and his belongings extensively interpreted. 

He is thought to have been a traveling shaman dispensing medical treatments. Evidence for that is in the form of fungi with antibiotic properties found in a sack. He also had dots and lines tattooed on either side of his lower spine at known acupuncture pain relief sites. Interestingly, even today, similarly located tattoos are found on people from primitive cultures.

Ötzi also had no hand callouses and underdeveloped upper body musculature, suggesting he was not engaged in agriculture or other physically demanding activities. Indeed, his animal skin clothing was finely put together and his axe decorative and showing little wear, possible signs of status and respect.

But respected or not, Ötzi was murdered. A 21st Century police detective examining the evidence concluded he was murdered a day or two following a violent fight. A cut on one of his hands suggests he had defended himself during the recent altercation. An arrowhead found in his body had severed an artery and caused his death. Detective work showed it was shot from a distance of about 100’. Because he was found with all his belongings, the possibility of theft has been ruled out.

© South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology/Ochsenreitr

Visitors to the museum view Ötzi’s gnarled flesh and twisted frame through a window in the freezer room where he’s on display. 

A reconstruction based on everything known about him stands in an adjacent gallery, created with the help of police forensics. 

Some of you may remember that long before Ötzi came out of the ice, Mel Brooks was considered to be the world’s oldest man. He and Carl Reiner drew upon his longevity in their classic comedy routine.

The South Tyrol Museum isn’t large, but it is one of the most fascinating places I’ve seen. If you’re planning a trip to the Dolomites, it’s a place you’ll want to visit along the way.

Marc Liebman

Season Ending: The Last Perfect Turn

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Make It A Good One.

The last turn of the last run on any ski day is a bittersweet moment.  If it’s the last day of the trip, it is sad if not melancholic.  On one hand, I’ve spent the day or days enjoying my favorite sport and on the other, there’s no more skiing until the next trip that could be days, weeks, or months in the future.

As I come down the mountain on what will be my last run of the day, I go through the same routine.  Partly because I am tired, partly because the beginner runs are easy skiing and take me to the bottom, and partly because I want to be able to remember perfect turns I made to carry me over to the next trip.

Feet close together, tap the pole, unweight, and roll your knees.

It is also about muscle memory.  I want my body to remember how it felt to have the skis carve through the snow in a perfect turn.

As the skis come through the fall line, press the knees forward and into the hill to get the skis on edge.

It is also about knowing that life is short and we never know what tomorrow brings.  As a senior skier, I am closer to the end of my skiing life than the beginning.  Its depressing but true that makes the desire to carve the perfect turn even more intense.

Feel the edges bite into the snow and keep the turn coming across the fall line to control your speed.

At the end of every ski day, I want my mind and body to remember the turns, not just one, but a series of linked, perfect round ones.

Body square over the skis, or maybe angled down the fall line and hold the turn long enough to control your speed.

It has to be close to perfect so that even an instructor examiner would smile in approval.

Hands out in front held mid-chest high, feet less than shoulder width apart, ready for the turn.

The last turn was nice and round with the skis on edge that left a little tossed snow.  Now time for the next turn, hopefully as good as if not better than he last one to add to the string.

Stay in rhythm and reach out, tap the snow, unweight, and roll the knees.

The process goes on until I reach the bottom, trying to make each turn better than the one before it in an attempt to end a day on the snow with a perfect turn.  It may be a never-ending search, but the quest is a reason to head back to the slopes as soon as I can.  Why?  Because at age 73, this could be my last day on the slopes, and I want to remember that I did all I could do to make the perfect turn.

Alf Engen
mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Up, Up And Giddy-Up

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Horses And Skiing Have A History.

Yes, skijoring.  But where, who, when?  Anyone ever skijor? What’s it like?

Credit: Alf Engen Museum

Many thanks to the Alf Engen Museum, Park City, UT, for contributing this spirited photo of skijoring in (hint, hint) the West.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation was established in 1989 with a mission to preserve the rich history of skiing in the Intermountain Region. It strives to provide a world-class facility which highlights the many contributions made in ski area development, athletic competition, snow safety, ski innovation and ski teaching methods.

Last Week

Yes, indeed.  This is the venerable Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway. The following was adapted from the Journal of the New England Ski Museum (Winter, 2019).:

The Aerial Tramway was the first such conveyance in North America and opened for business in Summer 1938. In its first summer and fall, it carried 100,000 passengers up Cannon Mt.  

That year, Hannes Schneider also arrived in North Conway to begin his stellar career as a ski instructor and innovator. Between the new tramway, the advent of Schneider, and the robust support of Harvey Dow Gibson, a North Conway-born New York financier, New Hampshire was poised to become a mecca for skiing.

Thanks again to the wonderful New England Ski Museum, now with two locations, a new  gallery and archive in North Conway, and at the base of this aerial tramway at Cannon.

Pat McCloskey

E-Bike: Makes Sense and Here To Stay

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First Fat Bikes, Now E-Bikes. The Cycling World Is Spinning Up Innovation.

If you’ve never seen one, this is an e-bike. There are many, many other designs for different purposes. Credit: Ancheer

An interesting phenomena has started to surface in the cycling industry.  From July of 2016 to July of 2017, there was a 95% jump in sales of E-Bikes in what industry regulars say is currently a $65 million segment of the cycling business.  Sales have been booming and currently all of the major manufacturers have jumped on board with offerings of pedal assist bicycles in both road and off road models. 

Along with increased sales especially among the senior set, there has been increased controversy with opponents concerned about the safety of the bikes as well as the safety of other users on our nation’s trail systems.  Purists have been vocal about how e-bikes should not be allowed on multi-use trails because they are in the category of motorized vehicles which are currently banned.  However, the one thing most people do not understand or admit when criticizing the e-bikes is that one still has to pedal them.  Each pedal stroke starts the electric motor which can be used in econo mode (slower and energy savings on hills), and turbo (governed to no more than 20 mph). There are no throttles on the majority of e-bikes.    But make no mistake about it, e-bikes are here to stay, and there is even a category for e-bike racing in the 2019 World Mountain Bike Championships coming up this fall.  A rainbow jersey will be awarded.  Who would have ever thought?

Bringing it closer to home, I have two friends who are now in their 70s.  Really fit guys who have ridden mountain bikes for a long time.  One guy is slowing down a little bit. So, when the e-bikes came out, he was one of the first to jump on board because it allowed him to keep up with our younger friends and continue to be part of the group rides.  In fact, I kid him when following him up hills.  I tell him he is the “A” Team now being the fastest up the hills.  He smiles and consequently is still part of the rides that he always loved. 

The other guy is a very fit 70 year old who told me, “ Pat, I really got the e-bike for my mountain bike trips out West where I am faced with many miles of uphill fire roads.”  He can cover a lot more ground and can  see a lot more on these scenic Western rides with the pedal assist on long hills.  He also says he can ride more days in a row because the pedal assist reduces the daily fatigue on his legs as he ages.  He rides more days and enjoys the trips even more.

For non-cyclists, an e-bike can be an accessible way to enjoy the trails. Credit: Pat McCloskey

Finally, the picture you see above is my friend Farah.  Her husband is a riding friend of mine, and he is trying to get her to ride a little more. He bought her this Specialized e-bike for use on the many rails to trails around our region.  He says she loves it and it allows her to ride many more miles than she would on a regular bike.  In fact, she is anxious to ride more because the fatigue factor has been eliminated with the e-bike and she has a lot more fun riding than with a regular bicycle.  This is common place now with 94 percent of non-cyclists who purchased an e-bike, reporting that they are riding more daily or weekly because of their new purchase.

As the population ages, e-bikes make sense for those of us who want to still enjoy the trails and roads.  There is a learning curve on how to use the econo mode and the turbo mode and braking is a bit different with pedal assist.  But it is something that is learned with continual use.  Respect on the trails is still required and even the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) is re-writing a lot of trail etiquette to address the protocol for riding multi-use trails with e-bikes. 

With the current popularity of cycling as a means of transportation, the e-bike makes sense for road riding as well as commuting.  Even UBER is investigating utilizing e-bikes as a viable means of transportation in their urban transportation platforms.  Backroads Cycling and other adventure cycling organizations are now offering e-bikes to their clients on European cycling journeys with rave reviews.

So, the bottom line is this: Try one.  See if it is something that will encourage you as a senior rider to perhaps ride to the store instead of driving.  Maybe try the trails that you have never ridden before or enjoy your current trail system with a little assist as you age.  We all try to stay fit as seniors but with e-bikes, we can get a little help.  I know one is in my future.

Tamsin Venn

Snowbasin Goes Epic

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Uncrowded, Beautiful Views, Variety Of Terrain, No Hotels.

Most of the trails at Snowbasin wind up at the Needles Gondola. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Older skiers would really like Snowbasin outside Ogden, UT. You have nearly 3,000 acres in which to avoid other skiers and 3,000 vertical feet to get some rhythm going. A remotish location keeps lines short midweek. Lifts whisk you up to the top of six scenic, craggy peaks: two high-speed gondolas, three high-speed chairlifts. You can dine on really good food at a choice of three swank lodges, all glass and timber, wall-to-wall carpeting, stone fireplaces, and chandeliers. Locals think about skiing elsewhere, but why bother?

“You ski on a Tuesday here, even on the biggest powder day, and you’re looking for somebody to ride the lift with,” says new General Manager Davy Ratchford, quoted in Powder Magazine.

The layout is easy to follow. Most of the 106 tree-dotted trails end up at the base of the Needles Gondola. The mostly intermediate and expert trails include a fun variety: wide groomed boulevards, low angle chutes to dip into, hikes to cirques and chutes close to lifts, such as the popular Lone Tree. Typically the area gets 300 inches of snow a year.

Stop at the top to view four states: Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada. At the Strawberry Gondola, take the longest Elk Ridge trail at 3.5 miles. Flat light can be a problem up top on weather days, but low visibility markers lead you back to the base area.

Snowbasin hosted the downhill at the 2002 Olympics. You can hurl down the course if you like. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Snowbasin hosted the men’s and women’s downhill in the 2002 Olympics. Take the 15-passenger tram up to Allen Peak (9,465 feet), stare in awe over the precipice looking down at Ogden’s grid and Great Salt Lake. Then heart in throat, hurl yourself down The Grizzly, start of the men’s downhill. The less ambitious can take the tram back down to the newly widened and graded Mt. Ogden Bowl Road, a lower-angled return.

Snowbasin is not new. About 50 minutes north of Salt Lake City, it opened in 1939, and is one of the oldest continually operating ski resorts in the U.S. Utah native Earl Holding (of Sun Valley) bought it in 1984, made a large investment in lifts and snowmaking over the years, then pulled out all the stops for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Snowbasin has no lodging. In nearby Huntsville, the newly opened Compass Rose Lodge, run by skiers Jeff and Bonnie Hyde has 15 bedrooms and its own observatory to take advantage of nearby North Fork dark-sky park. Grab a beer and burger at the No Name Saloon, oldest bar in Utah.

Or stay in Ogden, 30 minutes away, once a key stop on the transcontinental railroad. It has historic hotels like The Roosevelt, many ethnic restaurants, craft beer breweries like Roosters Brewing Company, and Social Axe where you can throw axes with your friends for fun. UTA public buses run up Ogden Canyon to Snowbasin and nearby Powder Mountain.

The Facts

Snowbasin has gone Epic. The 2019-20 Epic Pass provides seven days of skiing each at Snowbasin and Sun Valley, no blackout dates, and 50 percent off lift tickets once days are used.

Day pass senior at window (65-74) $89. 75 plus is $45. Midweek season pass (all ages) $439. 75 plus is $49. Snowbasin will close this year on April 21.

Click here for Snowbasin Trail Map.

Click here for Snowbasin Webcam.

Not too crowded big mountain skiing at Snowbasin. Credit: Tamsin Venn

 

 

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 12)

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Take Away Senior Discounts? Epic vs Ikon, Italy Update 2, Mystery Cable Car, Mammoth And Jackson Hole In Spring.

Glancing through the Boston Globe last Monday (April 8), our eyes locked on a front page story:

” ‘I’ve earned it.’ Or have they? Are senior discounts deserved?” 

The point of the article is that while seniors figure they’ve “earned” discounts on movie tickets, donuts, clothing, access to National Parks, transportation, and the like, there are others who feel they don’t deserve them anymore.

“Some question whether senior discounts are warranted in an era when many of those enjoying them are relatively well off, while large numbers of younger folks strain under the weight of student debt and labor in a gig economy bereft of benefits,” the article states. The article goes on: “David Wallis, who leads the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a nonprofit that supports journalism focused on inequality, argues that the deals for seniors are a relic of an earlier time. He calls for replacing them with income-based discounts for people of all ages.

“The senior discount should be radically rethought,” Wallis said. “Let’s say you have a very comfortable lifestyle. Do you deserve cheap seats at the movie theater?”

The rest of the article posits that debt-burdened millennials need discounts, too, so why not have a means-based approach to discounts, economy wide? 

Well, both SeniorsSkiing.com co-publishers couldn’t let this pass without a retort. We composed a Letter To The Editor of the Boston Globe, submitted it, and now await word of its fate. Here is our response:

To The Editor:

The logic behind “Time to retire these discounts?” (April 8) is based on the assumption that older people have adequate resources, therefore discounts are unnecessary. It smacks of narrow thinking, focussed on self-sufficiency and the notion that businesses shouldn’t subsidize certain demographic populations because there is money out there. Why leave it on the table?

Yet, we find some businesses use senior discounts as a key differentiator. What would AARP be like if it stop offering discounts to members? How about the AAA? Clearly, senior discounts mean value to older folks, regardless of means, and most businesses know it and use them to advantage. 

But not every business sees the value that discounts for seniors bring.  Vail and the Epic Pass have denied seniors a discount, despite the fact that older skiers play a major role in introducing new skiers (grandchildren) to the sport, a significant, unrewarded service to the ski industry.  And older skiers have been supporting that industry for as long as 50 years or more.  These committed customers deserve both encouragement and a reward for continuing in the sport and for, yes, generating revenue. Doesn’t that deserve a discount on a lift ticket mid-week when no one else is around?

There are many senior skiers who have bridled against the corporate. no-discount for seniors pricing policy, some of whom have given up visiting non-senior friendly resorts. Instead, we know that seniors flock to those areas that do offer senior discounts and even free skiing, keeping the lifts running and the burgers flipping. Offering a discount to seniors is a business differentiator in an increasingly expensive sport.

Your thoughts?

Meanwhile, there was another fascinating article from Bloomberg Business Week on the trend of consolidation of ski resorts and the multi-resort pass. We’ve all felt the impact of these changes, some have benefitted, and some feel they’ve lost out. There is no question the ski resort business will be seeing more changes in the future.  For a link to the Bloomberg article, click here. Or click on the image below.

This Week

Co-publisher Jon Weisberg continues his reporting on the Italian Dolomites, a ski safari that seems to be the crowning experience of anyone’s ski career.  We also have another Mystery Glimpse and reveal the function of that little whisk broom left over from 10th Mountain Division training in the Rockies. Finally, we hear from Marc Liebman on spring skiing at Mammoth Mt, CA., and from David Barnes, a reader who submitted a story about “Gaper Day” at Jackson Hole.

Thank you again for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us everyday and we aren’t going away.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Considering a ski trip to the Alps? Here are a few suggestions from our four-week journey in Italy. They may make your trip a bit easier.

Travel light: We didn’t, and we regret it. Unless you’re going for the entire season, take one parka (possibly a shell), one pair of pants, and a variety of fast-drying layers. I took two parkas, two pairs of ski pants, etc. Unnecessary, heavy, space-consuming, and, overall, a burden. On the Ski Safari the few things we carried had to fit into a small backpack. It’s surprising how little you really need.

Rent equipment: The Alps are studded with high-end ski shops renting quality equipment at reasonable rates. Rental equipment is included in the cost of the Alpskitour and Inspired Italy packages. Most terrain we skied was groomed. The shop’s ski recommendation was perfect for terrain and conditions. Ditto with boots. I was having difficulty with the boots I brought and easily could have left them at home. I’ve always advised taking boots and renting skis, but if you don’t have foot issues, it’s fine to rent when you get there.

Wash your clothes: It’s better than carrying more than you need. Underwear and layers are easily washed in your room. One of our hotels provided free laundry service, others had free washers and dryers. 

Rely on local expertise: Unless you’re staying at a single resort, use the services of local guides. In the Aosta Valley we relied on Mauro Cevolo and Andrea Jory of Alpskitour. They organized all details, including daily decisions about which resorts would have the best conditions and the fewest people. It gave us the opportunity to explore a variety of great resorts without the hassle of figuring out how to get there and where to go once on the hill.  In the Dolomites, Tim Hudson and his partners at Inspired Italy organized every detail. 

Do not think about renting a car: For the most part, cars are unnecessary. Trains and taxis will get you where you want to go faster and more comfortably, especially if travel plans take you into cities. Trains are terrific, especially if you’re not toting too much luggage. Depending on the length of your stay and your cell phone service provider, you may want to use your mobile while traveling. It can be expensive. Our Iphones don’t use SIM cards. Next visit, I’ll take an inexpensive SIM-card compatible mobile and purchase a card when I reach my destination.

Make sure you’re covered: Medical and evacuation insurance are advised and sometimes required. Some carriers (e.g. WorldNomads) don’t write policies if you’re 75 or older. Others (e.g. Allianz) require you to sign up prior to departure. In the Aosta Valley it’s possible to pay a small surcharge for adequate coverage when purchasing lift tickets. Inspired Italy requires each participant to be covered. We purchased through Global Rescue. My 7-day policy cost $238; Pam’s was $119.

Congratulations, Lee!!!!

Lee Kneiss at Ski Santa Fe with his Panda Poles

The winner of the fantastic looking (and performing) Panda Poles picked randomly from all of you who contributed during our recent fundraiser is Lee Kneiss of Santa Fe. He’s pictured here at Ski Santa Fe with his new handcrafted bamboo poles and his SeniorsSkiing.com hat. Enjoy the Pandas, Lee, and many thanks to Tanner Rosenthal, CEO, Panda Poles, for his ongoing support of SeniorsSkiing.com.

Cranmore’s Longest Season 

Cranmore Mountain (North Conway, N.H.) registered the longest season in its 81 years. The area was open 118 days, starting Nov 17 and closing April 8.

Solitude Has $55 Lift Ticket

The Utah resort scored 500” this season and is celebrating with $55 lift tickets for anyone showing a season pass from any other resort (including IKON and EPIC).

High Fives Foundation Raises $55,000 at Recent Squaw Event

The 5th Annual Mothership Classic raised $54,544 for individuals and Veterans with life-changing injuries. Participants got supporters to pledge 25¢ a lap. Using every type ski imaginable and dressed in vintage ski attire, they spent the day on Squaw Valley’s legendary KT-22. The organization’s Empowerment Fund has granted over $3.2 million to 236 individuals and Veterans since inception in 2009.

 

Very Good Idea

Indoor ski centers are getting a toehold in the United States, thanks to the efforts of Indoor Ski USA. The company distributes a variety of European-made, technologically advanced ski decks. They’re used to train competitive skiers and to prepare occasional skiers for their next holiday in the mountains. There are two facilities in the US: The Alpine Factory in Minnesota and Inside Ski near Washington, D.C. Both offer reasonably priced lesson packages. 

Nick Howe: RIP

Nick Howe

Nick, a former contributor to SKIING Magazine and correspondent for the U.S. Women’s Ski Team passed away on April 4. He was a the consummate New Englander, an Appalachian Mountain Club hut man in the White Mountains, Middlebury student and Goddard graduate, magazine contributor including Yankee, Outside and Backpacker. His book, “Not Without Peril,” published by AMC, chronicled accidents in the Presidential Range. Nick was a longtime columnist for The Conway (NH) Sun. He also was an accomplished banjo and fiddle player. A reception in Nick’s memory will be held at the Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum in North Conway, N.H., on April 27 at 4 p.m.He was 85.

Patagonia’s 50% Off Sale

Patagonia’s online 50% off sale ends April 16. Many superb deals. Click here.

One More Run?

Many resorts are extending their seasons this year, especially in the West. Check websites to make sure lifts are running before you go.

March-April Skiing History Magazine Now Available

SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers can get the digital version free. Click here.

A Video Worth Watching

Lee Cohen started skiing Alta in the early 1980’s. Nearly four decades later, he’s established himself as one of the most influential ski photographers of his generation. His son, Sam, is a professional skier and one of Lee’s favorite photographic subjects. This 4:30 video tells the story.

Marc Liebman

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Mammoth Update

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Spring Skiing Paradise

First run of the morning from top of Lift 5. Credit: Marc Liebman

Editor Note: As of April 12, even more snow has fallen on the Sierra Nevada since this report was written.

Mammoth is known for its late closings, generally after Memorial Day, but this year, closing is scheduled for July 4th!  On April 1st, the snow depth at the top of the 11,059 ft. mountain was a 230 inches, about 20 feet. At the McCoy Station, it drops to 195 ft. and at the base, it’s 160 ft.  Temperature at the top is in the high teens and at the base, in the low 20s.  It will feel warmer due to the bright sun, but the high may not reach 30 so bring your suntan lotion because you’ll need it.

Conditions vary from packed powder to packed powder.  There’s a few slightly slushy (on April 2nd) spots near the base, places where there is lots of sun, the conditions make it soft, but for 95% of the trails, the conditions are near perfect.  And, by the way, it still snows a lot in April.

Every night, trails are groomed and black diamond runs have a smooth path through the moguls.  Frozen granular exists in a few places, bare spots are non-existent, and it will be weeks before they appear.

So here’s what lots of snow does for you.  Off Lifts 9 and 25, there are glades.  In February, there’s 15 to 20 feet between the trees.  Now, with 200+ inches on the ground, there’s 50 feet between the trees because you’re skiing among the treetops.  It makes glade skiing a joy.

Mammoth is a mecca for snowboarders.  It has eight, count’em eight, terrain parks for boarders.

For seniors, 40% of the runs are listed as intermediate (all of which are groomed daily) and 35% expert.  Better yet, on every level of the Canyon, Main, Eagle Lodges, and the McCoy Station, there are bathrooms on every level so there’s no stairs to climb.  At the Canyon, Main and Eagle, there are also many banks of lockers.  When you enter Canyon Lodge, you are greeted by an escalator that takes you up a floor, walk another 20 feet to a second escalator and then its about 100 feet to where you put your skis on to pick up Canyon Express (Lift 17).

Parking is limited at all of the base areas that offer vehicle access.  My recommendation is take a hotel shuttle or local bus that drops you off at the lodge of your choice so you don’t have to walk to/from your parked car.

Mammoth was purchased by Alterra Corporation (Aspen Ski Corporation and a private equity firm called KSL Partners) in 2017 and is in the midst of a $100 million upgrade.  Buy your tickets in advance because they are really pricey if you walk up to the window.  Grandkids under 12 ski free.

Lifts open at the base at 8:30 a.m.  Two are six-seaters, 11 are high-speed quads, five are triples and three are old-fashioned doubles.  The Village Gondola takes skiers from Mammoth Village opens first and takes skiers to the Canyon Lodge complex.  Stay off Lift 25 that is high on the upgrade list.  It is a slow triple with no safety bar or footrest.

Ski during the week because on weekends, Southern Californians flock to Mammoth.  Lift lines ebb and flow and most, except for the mid-station, were less than five minutes when I was there in late March, early April.  You’ll have to ski the area to figure out what lifts you like based on the terrain you like skiing.  I gravitated to Lift 5 (High Five Express), Lift 10 (Gold Rush Express), where there’s a healthy mix of thigh burners and cruising runs and Lift 9 (Cloud Nine) for access to the glades.

Click here for Mammoth Mountain Trail Map

Click here for Mammoth Mountain Webcam

Looking up from Lift 5. Credit: Marc Liebman
David Barnes

Spring Skiing And Gaping At Jackson Hole

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The First Week Of April Brings “Gapers” To JH And A Different Skiing Experience

Weirdness prevails on Gaper’s Day (April 1) at Jackson Hole. Credit: Buckrail.com

Editor Note: We are quite pleased when readers submit articles for publication in SeniorsSkiing.com.  David Barnes is a long-time reader who sent us this account of a yearly ritual at the venerable Jackson Hole.  Thanks David.

Jackson Hole.  Two words that strike double-black-diamond terror in the hearts of many skiers, young and old alike.  But, it shouldn’t.  Sure, half of the runs are black diamonds, including one called Corbet’s Couloir that’s more akin to a cliff than a ski run.  But the other 50% of the mountain’s runs are blue and green, making for a welcome ski experience for any senior skier. 

I first skied Jackson Hole in the late 80’s, with my new wife whose great aunt and uncle lived at the base of Rendezvous Mountain in Teton Village.  At 72 years old, Uncle Warren took me on the old aerial tram, up 4,139 vertical feet to the 10,450’ summit.  The wind was howling, the air was thin, and the run was steep.  “Ready?” grinned Uncle Warren?  I swallowed hard, clicked into my bindings, squeezed the poles hard, and nodded like a rodeo cowboy on a wild bull, waiting for the gate to open and release the snorting, bucking beast.  I was 30 years old and quickly realized I was being out-skied by a 72 year old.  When we’d reached the bottom, I declared I wanted to be like Warren when I grew up. 

Since then, we’ve had the privilege of visiting Jackson Hole a dozen times or so, including the last week of skiing (first week of April) for the last three years.  This is thanks to my mother-in-law, who owns a fraction of the Teton Club, a beautiful and massive log structure near the base of the Tram.  Does this make me an expert on spring skiing at the Hole?  Not exactly.  But I’ve learned enough to understand that skiing the Hole in early April makes for a different experience.  Generally, the weather is warm, sometimes too warm at the lower elevations; later in the week, the snow conditions at or near the bottom can be mashed potatoes.  But the upper elevations typically provide good snow conditions. 

In addition, there’s a fun day.  April 1st is Gaper Day at the Hole.  What’s Gaper Day?  If you have to ask, you are one.  I had to ask.  Gaper Day is a chance for locals to poke fun at tourists by dressing up in kooky outfits on April Fools’ Day.  You’ll see everyone from Uncle Sam, girls in bikinis and dudes in shorts and Hawaiian shirts with old film cameras hanging around their necks.  And for some reason on this particular day, and, only this day, every chairlift spouts a prominent sign reading, “Absolutely no Alcohol on Lifts.”  The signs didn’t seem to be 100% effective…

Loose Moose. Credit: David Barnes

Finally, the moose.  Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is just south of the Grand Teton National Park, which in turn is just south of Yellowstone.  Hence, wildlife is abundant in the area, including moose.  We saw a number of them this year, some on the mountain and some right in Teton Village at the base of the mountain.  Most people are wise enough to keep their distance from the moose.  Some don’t, either deliberately or by accident. My wife, for example, took a walk around the village one morning.  As she turned a corner, she saw the back-end of a large brown animal close by.  As she approached what she assumed was a cute stuffed moose, it slowly turned its big head and looked at her.  Wide-eyed, my wife slowly backed away and then hot-footed it back around the corner, where she nearly ran into a Jackson Hole Mountain Resort employee.  “It’s REAL!” stammered my wife.  The employee gave her a dispassionate look.  “Oh no,” thought my wife as she watched the employee amble away.  “I’m a Gaper…”

Editor Note: The video below is from 2013, but it shows the “spirits” of Gaper Day, honoring April 1, a day for foolishness.

seniorsskiing

Mystery Glimpse: Cablin’

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Where? When? What’s Special?

Credit: Arthur Griffin, New England Ski Museum Collection

Thanks to the New England Ski Museum for this picture of a unique moment in skiing history. The NESM has recently opened a new branch on North Conway, NH.

Last Week

This is a “10th Mountain Whisk”, designated by government purveyors as “Brush, Mountain”. It is a stiff brush particularly useful to 10th Mountain Division troops camped on snow. It is used to brush snow and frost from clothing and equipment and to keep the tent floor clean. This brush is not a readily available 10th artifact. Since these were used not only to clean off snow, but as fire starters, they are rare.

An extra special thanks to the Colorado Snowsports Museum for offering this curiosity. We had only one guess from a reader which was actually pretty close.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 5)

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Maple Syrup Time, Dolomite Ski Safari Update, Resort Reviews, Miss Tweedie, XC Lessons

Into the sugarbush we go at the end of winter. Boil and boil and boil.

There is clearly a disparity between snow conditions in the East and the West.  New England areas are starting to wind down, with some closing this weekend and others hanging on a week more. Exception: Killington will strive on until May, as usual. Out West, the snow is still coming down with multiple storms per week. Nevertheless, we’ve heard that some resorts (see Park City) are closing down despite the surfeit; local pass holders are not amused. Other mountains are planning to keep spinning until July Fourth (see Mammoth). Think about that for a second.  The Fourth of July on skis. You going?

Cold night, warm days make the sap run. Time to get the buckets out.

Meanwhile,in  the East, it looks like it really is spring. Maple sugaring has been going on for a month or so with maybe a week left to harvest sap and boil, boil, boil. Here’s a verse from Pete Seeger’s Maple Syrup Time, a classic song about this time of year. If you want to hear Pete sing the whole piece, just click here.

Maple Syrup Time by Pete Seeger

First you get the buckets ready, clean the pans and gather firewood,
Late in the winter, it’s maple syrup time.
You need warm and sunny days but still a cold and freezing nighttime
For just a few weeks, maple syrup time.
We boil and boil and boil and boil it all day long,
Till ninety sev’n percent of water evaporates just like this song
And when what is left is syrupy don’t leave it too long –
Watch out for burning! Maple syrup time. 

This Week

The Dolomites is a UNESCO Wolrd Heritage site and the world’s largest ski area

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg reports on an amazing, five-day long ski safari across the Dolomites, under the guidance of Tim Hudson of Inspired Italy, a SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser. The transit of the vast mountain range included staying on the mountain in “refugios”, on-mountain hotels with gourmet restaurants. This is the skiing experience of a lifetime and really worth considering if you think you’ve done it all.

Our Mystery Glimpse includes a device from the war years in Colorado. Last week’s photo was revealed to be Betty Welch Whitney, who, with her husband Bill founded the Whitney Inn in Jackson, NH, back in 1928. What makes the inn notable is that it was the first to combine lodging, dining, and lift operations in one location. The venerable Whitney Inn is still around after all these years.

We have three Resort Reviews to share: Silver Star, BC, Cranmore, NH, and Sunapee, NH.  We have found this type of medium-sized resort is often the most accessible to seniors, especially mid-week.  Even though Sunapee has joined the Epic Pass, by the way, the resort still has a special mid-week season pass for its loyal senior following. This is the kind of resort we like, and we hope you do, too.

Outside the Brighton Lodge. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Correspondent Harriet Wallis offers an “average skier’s” perspective of what the really big snows really look like.

No, it’s not a collection of dramatic pictures of skiers plunging through clouds of powder with dramatic blue skies. Instead, her photo album shows conditions literally on the ground and what she had to contend with on her outing at Brighton, UT, her local area.

 

Jan Brunvand shares an interesting accounting of a one Miss Tweedie, a young English woman from Victorian times, who ventures to Norway to try some skiing in the 1880s. Have times really changed that much?

And finally, XC expert Jonathan Wiesel tells us the merits of group versus private cross-country lessons. There are different reasons for each, as you will see.

Thanks again for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  We really do depend on your telling your friends about us. And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: A Rare Artifact

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What Is This? Who Used It? Why Is It A Rare Artifact Of Ski History?

Thanks to the Colorado Snowsports Museum for this photo from its collection.

Last Week

Credit: New England Ski Museum archive

This is Betty Welch Whitney, born in Haverhill, MA, graduated from Smith College in 1923, and first went on a ski trip with the AMC in 1928. She remained an AMC member for life, and became a ski fashion and equipment buyer for Filene’s in 1936. With her husband H.H. “Bill” Whitney, she purchased the Moody Farm in Jackson, NH and with him operated Whitneys’ as the first ski area to combine food, lodging and a ski hill serviced by a tow.

They improved the existing the rope tow lift a year later by attaching 72 shovel handles to the cable, making it easier for skiers to hold on. The lift was henceforth known as the Shovel Handle, and it helped make Whitneys’ one of the more popular early ski areas in New England. Whitney’s Inn is still in business and offers a traditional New England get-away experience with four-season activities.

Thanks to the New England Ski Museum, now with locations in Franconia and North Conway, NH, for offering this photo for our Mystery Glimpse series.

Here’s the Shovel Handle pub at the current Whitney Inn, Jackson, NH.

Image result for historic ski area Whitney Inn

Silver Star Mountain village
Yvette Cardozo

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Silver Star Update

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Silver Star’s village with its gondola in view. Credit: Silver Star Mountain.

I hadn’t been to Silver Star Mountain in probably two decades. I remembered a mellow, family resort with an Old West theme and very easy runs.

Boy, has Silver Star in British Columbia, Canada’s interior grown up.

Yes, the main street still has a bit of Old West, 1900s mining town vibe. But that’s where the original Silver Star ends.

There’s now a backside with decidedly expert runs. And a brand new gondola that had its first winter this season. It provides quicker access from the main village to Alpine Meadows, Vance Creek and Powder Gulch. And also gives improved access for beginners, and warm access to the upper XC Trails for nordic skiers so they don’t have to ride open lifts.

What many folks don’t realize is how large this place is. It’s BC’s third largest ski area with 3,282 skiable acres, four mountain faces and 132 runs. This includes the back side with 1,900 acres of steep and deep. Mid mountain is a mile high (5,280 feet) with plenty of ski in-ski out lodging.

As for that Nordic terrain, the 55 km of groomed trails that link to another 50 km at nearby Sovereign Lake make it the largest Nordic network in Canada. And this January, USA Today ranked the SilverStar/Sovereign Lake trail network in the Top Ten Cross-country ski destinations in North America, the only Canadian Resort to make the list. 

Nordic skiiing at Silver Star Mountain, which has the biggest Nordic network in North America. Credit: Silver Star Mountain.

For Seniors

* A two-day Masters Clinic,

* Masters’ Mondays

* A yearly Over the Hill Downhill race where folks dig out their ancient skis and old one piece ski suits.

* A run named Over The Hill.

Fast Facts:

* Silver Star’s ski season runs late November to early April.

*  Nine on-mountain hotels with 5,600 pillows and a seriously vibrant collection of building colors that can include yellow, blue, green, bronze and bright red in sections of the same building. Yes, it all stands out, positively glistening against the snow.

Fat tire biking on snow at Silver Star Mountain. Credit:Silver Star Mountain.

* Sixteen places to eat including two on-mountain and a cabin reached via sleigh, along with a grocery store in the main village. Do NOT miss the Red Antler’s world class chili which, for some inexplicable reason, is called “meat and potatoes soup.” It’s chock full of meat, not too many beans, and set in a thick, spicy base. And for a good show, there’s the Smoked Old Fashioned drink at the Den Bar & Bistro. Watching the bar guy torch wood chips and infuse the mellow whisky drink with smoke is a night’s entertainment by itself.

* Total vertical drop of 2,500 feet with 15% beginner, 40% intermediate, 35% difficult and, yes, 10% extreme. Ten lifts with total capacity of 14,000 skiers per hour.

* Annual snowfall of 275 inches, average daytime temperature of 23 degrees.

* Non-ski activities include snowshoeing, fat cycling snowy trails on bikes with super wide tires, ice skating on the local pond, Tube Town with lift access to inner tube runs and riding a fenced track on Arctic Cat FireCat F120 mini snowmobiles for the 12 and under set.         

To Get There:

Silver star is an hour’s drive north from Kelowna International Airport and the ski area runs shuttles to the resort. The nearest town is Vernon, 20 minutes down the road.

Bottom Line:

Daily pass (for 65+): $82 – $94 Canadian + 5% GST

Season Pass: Senior (65-80) $509 – $579, Young @ Heart (81+) $289.50 Canadian + 5% GST

Great cruiser runs. Great signage. Easily accessed terrain.

Many condo rooms at Snowbird Lodge include generously sized hot tubs.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/silverstarmymountain

Click Here For Silver Star Trail Map

Click Here For Silver Star Web Cam

Main village of Silver Star Mountain at night in British Columbia. Credit: Yvette Cardozo
Cranmore
Don Burch

Seniors Visit Cranmore, Bring Grandchildren

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Historic Mountain Is Perfect For Seniors Who Like Mellow Skiing And Kid-Friendly Amenities.

Cranmore is where Seniors and Kids both can enjoy lessons, easy skiing, fun-city. Credit: Brian Irwin

Cranmore offers a lot for seniors to like: Fun and varied terrain, manageable size, easy flat walk from parking lots and most of all, friendly vibe.

I visited Cranmore on a Saturday with a group of senior skiers. Though busy, the main chair lift to the summit, a high speed quad, kept wait times short. A friendly lift line attendant ensured the line moved orderly and efficiently. There was no wait whatsoever at the other three fixed grip chair lifts.

While the mountain has 15 black diamond trails, they are short, and we all agreed Cranmore is the perfect mountain for novices and intermediates. There are wide slopes such as North Slope, East Slope and Zip but keeping things interesting are numerous narrower winding trails such as Kandahar, Skimeister, and Rattlesnake. These classic New England narrow trails reminded us of those we skied “back in the day.”

Several in the group commented that Cranmore is the perfect place to bring the grandkids. There is an award-winning ski school program including terrain-based learning, small terrain parks suitable for younger kids and numerous non-skiing activities to keep the grandkids entertained. The family vibe at Cranmore made us feel safe and free from constantly being on the lookout for reckless boarders and skiers. 

The mountain’s 1200’ vertical drop is enough to keep everyone entertained and the fact all trails lead back to the base means no one will get lost at the end of the day.

Cranmore is located in North Conway which is a vibrant four-season vacation town hosting visitors to the scenic White Mountain region. There is no shortage of restaurants, ski shops, lodging, and shopping in North Conway.  Cranmore feels intimately integrated into the town. It’s about one mile from the main street (route 302) to the resort, and it is immediately adjacent to one of North Conway’s neighborhoods. It makes everything feel real; no fake alpine villages here.

Hannes Schneider statue at the entrance to Cranmore’s base lodge. The celebrated Austrian instructor changed how skiing was taught in the US. Credit: Don Burch

Cranmore has a rich history that I encourage you to check out. In doing so you’ll learn about Hannes Schneider who escaped Nazi-occupied Austria, later trained soldiers of the famed 10th Mountain Division, and operated the ski school at Cranmore for years. You’ll also learn about the Skimobile lift that operated at Cranmore from 1939 to 1989. One of the original skimobile cars is on display in front of Zip’s Pub and Grill (Zip was Hannes’ nickname) which is just a few steps from the lodge. In the video clip my brothers and I are riding the Skimobile in the mid-sixties.

Ticket window price for seniors (65+) is $52. Online ticket prices can be much lower, especially mid-week. Discounts are also available through area hotels and inns.

Click Here For Cranmore Trail Map

Click Here For Cranmore Web Cams

 

Jonathan Wiesel

Group Or Private XC Lesson?

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Here’s What The Experts Say.

Olympian Sue Wemyss, instructor at Great Glen Trails, NH, gives a student some tips on adjusting bindings. Credit: Roger Lohr

Let’s say you want to learn how to cross-country ski relatively quickly and easily: How to move with grace and minimal effort, develop endurance, and enjoy what you’re doing from the git-go.

Well, it’s going to take time on skis to develop that self-assurance, balance, and muscle memory (though kids can do a lot of that with amazing ease); but the surest shortcut to becoming a good xc skier is to take several lessons or clinics – not just one – with a professional instructor.

I’ve wondered for years what’s the simplest way to speed up the learning-and-fun process for people of any age, not just us perennials: group lessons or private instruction. Figuring that it would help to ask the pros, I contacted three renowned Nordic instructors/coaches/ski school directors. They all have long strings of credentials, but a quick overview: Emily Lovett is co-director of the famous West Yellowstone Ski Festival’s XC Ski Camp in Montana;and Scott McGee is a celebrated cross country, telemark, and alpine instructor, trainer, and examiner in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; JoJo Toeppner has run two XC areas in California at Royal Gorge and Tahoe Donner. They’re experts not just at technique but also at communication and accelerating the learning curve.

They explain that there can be a bunch of factors involved in your choice, ranging from expense to self-consciousness.

All three experts agree that cost can be a factor. Emily makes the point that group lessons can be really fun and meaningful as you learn from each other and bond through a shared experience. She adds, “I think taking a private sometimes depends on if you like having more of a one-on-one experience and attention.” She adds that a group lesson involves some willingness to be open to others’ abilities, questions, and learning styles, which can be fun and interesting.

In a group lesson, you learn from other students and through repetition. Credit: Jonathan Wiesel

Scott comments, “When your goals are specific enough, or if the price difference isn’t an issue, private lessons give you the tailored experience that is most likely to meet your goals and be targeted at your abilities.” JoJo feels that “It’s much more expensive to take a one-hour private where everything is charged separately (ticket, rental, lesson, as opposed to a 75-minute discounted package). But privates can be customized to what the student wants if there’s a specific need, such as mastering hills, corners, or stopping, while groups cover a little of everything.”

Scott feels that a group lesson is a great way for new skiers to meet people, plus they’re easier to book than privates. He says, “Nordic centers most likely have a beginner lesson once or twice a day. As skiers progress, up through intermediate level, there are many undiscovered breakthroughs waiting to happen. Small improvements to efficiency and effectiveness take time to integrate into technique. So multiple group lessons at a beginner-ish level can provide great value as long as repetition (“Here’s how you put a ski on”) is not an issue.”

It sounds like above intermediate level, the likelihood that a group lesson will meet your goals decreases. One great exception to this is the fall “camps” with multiple groups for different ability levels, like the West Yellowstone Ski Festival or Silver Star Mountain Resort in BC, which see dozens of senior skiers among participants each November.

Fast and happy trails to you!

Jan Brunvand

Miss Tweedie Goes Skiing In Norway

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“Was ever anything so vexatious?”

One of the most enthusiastic English Victorian tourists who made a ski trip to Norway was Mrs. Alec Tweedie, author of A Winter Jaunt to Norway (1893). Not only did she sketch a vivid picture of Norwegian skiing equipment, technique, and terrain, but she also reported on the second-ever Holmenkollen Day events.

Mrs. Tweedie, then a young widow, travelled with her sister to Christiania (now Oslo) where they were met by her brother and a friend, then joined by “Herr Schmelck, one of the best skiløbers in Norway.”

Never having skied before, she decided to try it. As it turned out she loved skiing, which she described as “one of the most exhilarating and enchanting sports in the world . . . [which] bids fair to become a fashionable winter amusement for English people.”

Her description of the gear used at the time:

“An ordinary-sized man’s ski are eight or nine feet long. They are about four and a half inches wide and an inch at the thickest part, immediately under the foot, but towards either end they taper to half this thickness. . . . In the middle the toes are fastened by a leather strap. Another strap goes round the heel in a sort of loop fashion, securing the foot, but at the same time giving the heel full play. “

Although Mrs. Tweedie’s description of her “ski costume” included “short skirts, reaching but little below the knee . .  .[worn over] thickly lined black knickerbockers,” the commercial photo used as a frontispiece in the book shows her skirt going right down to the ankles. The photo also reveals that the skiers used just one pole for control and balance.

Their first attempt at skiing was frustrating:

“We struggled on to the incline of the hill. Hardly had we arrived there, when off started the ski, taking us unexpectedly along on them. The pace increased each yard of the way, until over we went, dejected bundles, into several feet of snow. Was ever anything so vexatious?”

As the English tourists gained more confidence, they took a ski tour to a saeter [mountain pasture], staying in a log cabin, and working on their form, assuring the reader that “No amount of tumbling in Norwegian snow would ever give as much as a bruise. It is like falling into sand or flour, and one has only to have a shake to be as dry as if nothing had happened.”

On their last day in the mountains the determined Brits even organized races:

“We tried who could steer most equally between two given posts with only a few inches to spare on either side of the ski. Then we raced in couples, which nearly always ended in some frantic spill. Oh, how we fell over, and how we laughed and enjoyed ourselves, while the way we improved was marvelous!”

Herr Schmelck remarked, “Why, there is nothing you English ladies will not dare,” a kind observation considering that the local expert had surely seen many Norwegian ladies expertly skiing since their childhood.

Harriet Wallis

A Banner Winter Through The Camera Of An Average Skier

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Harriet’s Album Of Deep, Deep Snow Pics At Brighton.

Beware of the buried street signs at the corner of Mary Lake Lane and Old Majestic Lane. The summer road became a deep snow ski trail. Credit: Harriet Wallis

At my home resort Brighton, the snowfall has topped 500 inches—about 41 feet—and the snow keeps coming. Brighton is a down home, low key resort near Salt Lake City that’s favored by families and snowboarders.

This two-story trailside cabin has an access problem. Must dig down deep to find the door. Credit: Harriet Wallis

One more snowstorm and this cabin will disappear. Bamboo poles and a rope line keep skiers off the roof. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Plentiful snow is crucial because It’s our drinking water supply, and there have been several years of low snowfall. When Spring runoff starts, every drop of melting mountain snow is captured. It takes just 24 hours from stream to faucet. Dogs are banned from the canyon watersheds to help keep the pure water free from transmittable diseases.

Just before one of those plentiful snowstorms, my friend and I booked a room at the slope-side Brighton Lodge so we could be first on the mountain in the morning.

Inside the cozy Brighton Lodge. Credit: Harriet Wallis

It snowed all night. We skied all day. Then we had to cope with the car.

Outside the Brighton Lodge. Deep snow is fun until it buries the car. Credit: Harriet Wallis

 

Snowboarders dug it out. Credit: Harriet Wallis

The ample winter also creates some other quirks at Brighton.

While the snow keeps falling, these father and son skiers pitch in to help dig out the gates. Credit: Harriet Wallis

 

The children’s warming yurt looks more like an igloo. Credit: Harriet Wallis

 

The parking lot is walled by snow. Where will they put the next storm’s dump? Credit: Harriet Wallis 

Even the ride down the canyon toward home has rewards. Deep snow drives the peak-loving mountain goats down to lower elevations. It’s a treat to see them so close.

Shaggy coats and quizzical looks. Credit: Harriet Wallis

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

Tamsin Venn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Sunapee Goes Epic

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Seniors Can Still Get A Mid-Week Pass At A Big Discount Before April 14.

Skier falling into slush cup

It’s that time of the year. Sunapee celebrates spring with a splash. Credit: Sunapee

Sunapee in New Hampshire went Epic this past winter, joining Stowe and Okemo, Vt., as Vail Resort’s three footholds in the East.

Sunapee draws many locals from neighboring towns plus a hefty day crowd from the Boston area. Parking lots fill up early on weekends. Midweek warriors descend on discounted Wicked Wednesdays. Many get there early, lap the Sunapee Express Quad, and leave by lunch.

Skiers disperse to two base lodges—the older, funkier Spruce Lodge (no stairs to reach it) with wood cubbies stuffed with lunch coolers, and the roomier Sunapee Lodge at the Sunapee Express Quad. A shuttle truck precludes schlepping from one to the other, connected by The Beach—a popular spring picnic spot.

Sunapee got jolted out of state-strapped limbo when the Mueller family took over operations in 1998 and worked the same wonders here as they had at nearby Okemo. Robust snowmaking (97 percent) and grooming make Sunapee a reliable area even when snow in the woods is sparse.

Off the South Peak learning area is where the Muellers secured rights to build the West Bowl Expansion, and Vail may or may not follow through. Locals are happy about more trails but skeptical of condos and some dead set against disturbing the old growth forest here.

As a mid-sized area, Sunapee has 66 trails that are varied and full of character. For scenery, ski down the Skyway overlooking a snow-covered Lake Sunapee for one of the best views in New England. Follow the woods down the ungroomed Williamson Trail, or skip through the trees in Sunrise Glades. Get an adrenaline kick down Blast Off and bounce off the moguls on Upper Flying Goose. The terrain park attracts a group of kids who grew up there together. Epic or not, Sunapee will always be Sunapee.

The Muellers’ parting gift to skiers was a high-speed quad commandeered from Okemo in the Sun Bowl. Previously one had to think twice before shooting down here knowing one was facing a slow ride back up, especially in a blizzard.

Although many people ski here for the convenience, less than two hours from Boston, the area truly is a place to stay awhile. Long a summer haven with its many lakes, the Sunapee area has a happy sense of continuity. Skiing segues into swimming and sailing. The ski area has zip lining, mountain biking, adventure course, and summer camps. The satellites tend to stick around—Bob Skinner’s ski shop at the Rotary, Bubba’s Bar & Grille in Newbury, Peter Christian’s Tavern, New London Inn, Dexter’s Inn, Colby-Sawyer College, familiar spots all.

Ticket buyers this year buy an EpicDay pass, a direct-to-lift card that they can reload on line. Until mid-April closing, a day ticket cost counts in the purchase of next year’s Epic Pass.

Epic Local Pass for $699 (19 plus) accesses 30 resorts and is unrestricted at Mt. Sunapee and Okemo. Epic Pass for $939 (ages 13 up) has access to 65 resorts including Europe and Japan. Buy at the Epic Pass site.

For its loyal seniors, Sunapee still offers a midweek pass. Seniors (65-69) is $429 and Super Senior (70 plus) is $279, if bought before April 14. Those prices increased slightly but now include ten discount buddy and six ski-with-a-friend passes. Call or stop at Guest Services (603) 763-3576.

Click here for Sunapee Webcams

Click here for Sunapee Trail Map

 

A less-than two-hour drive from Metro Boston, Sunapee has beautiful blues, views, and lots to choose. Credit: Sunapee