seniorsskiing

Happy Thanksgiving From SeniorsSkiing.com!

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Huh?

SeniorsSkiing.com is taking the holiday week off to spend time with family and friends. We are definitely thankful for our diverse and engaged readers who continue to inspire us with their insights and resolute allegiance to snow sports of all kinds. We are also thankful for our talented correspondents who have offered ideas, creativity, coverage that resonates with our readers. All is good as we approach our sixth Thanksgiving.

CAPTION CONTEST

We were searching the internet for a fitting Thanksgiving video we could post as a holiday treat for our readers. Instead of happy skiers making tracks in Pilgrim costumes, we discovered this…odd…video. It shows a guy skiing down a groomer at Breckenridge on Thanksgiving in 2013. But there is something…ah…missing.

We thought it would be fun to ask our readers to come up with a caption for this video. Just put your entry in the Leave A Reply section below. Hey, you may win a coveted SeniorsSkiing.com sticker…

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 22)

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DIN You Know?, Incidents And Accidents 2, XC Stereotypes, Skier Code Review, First T-Bar Pic.

On The DIN List? Credit: Pirates of Powder

We dropped our skis and new boots off at the Sports Stop in Wenham, MA, the other day. We wanted to make sure our new boots and bindings worked in harmony. And to generally slick up the skis for the season.

Imagine our surprise when the ski tech said, “You only have one year left on these bindings.”

“What?” says I.

“Bindings are good for 10 years,” he patiently replied to my confusion. “Springs aren’t reliable. And ski shops won’t work on them if they are on the DIN List.”

Several thoughts popped up: Has it really been 10 years since I bought those skis? Wow. This is a cash-cow for the binding/ski/boot business. Wow. Wait a minute, wasn’t there just a ski-skate-board swap down at the high school gym? Wowser again. Those obsolete skis and bindings are probably unusable, if not unsafe, and lots of kids are going to ski on them. And, what is this DIN List?

Apparently, the DIN List is not readily available to the public. We did find an undated copy on SkiBum.net with an explanation of what “indemnification” means. The article also includes a set of rules in place if a ski shop does, in fact, work on old bindings. Here’s also a DIN List from 2016-17 from PugSki.com.

Here’s the point: Do you know if your bindings are on the DIN List? What have you done about that if they are? Are you the kind of sportsman who holds on to equipment as long as possible? Are you aware that might/might not be a terrific idea?

After all, we still have wooden XC skis that we treat with pine tar and old-fashioned wax like the old days.

Time to buy new equipment for the season? You may have to.

This Week

We have another reader-submitted report on ski hill Incidents and Accidents. This time, it was a self-inflicted injury, stemming from improperly adjusted bindings. Interesting how we forget to adjust to changing physical capabilities as well as our DIN settings. If you have a story to tell, please try to follow the suggested format and send to INFO@seniorsskiing.com

Jonathan Weisel offers thoughts on the value of ski grooming at XC ski areas and why it is worth a fee to support excellent conditions, routings, and consistency. He bursts several myths about XC that most people assume.

Where?

Veteran journalist Mike Roth helps us remember to make a loud announcement of intent when we passing downhill skiers. It’s a way of being safe; why don’t we hear “On Your Right” more often? He review the Skier’s Code of Responsibility here.

Finally, we have a mystery photo this week of a very early T-bar, the very first in this particular state. Name the state, name the ski area.

That’s it. Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Please tell your friends and remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Uphill Without a Lift?

In this age of technological disruption, it’s time to consider the growing number of alternatives to rope tows, chairlifts, gondolas and trams.

Self Powered

Starting at the most basic level, there’s the growing practice of uphilling, the use of skins on skis to help the more fit and energetic work their way up. Long a European pastime, it’s catching on in North America to the extent that some resorts are charging for the use of their slopes. 

Unassisted backcountry skiing is a version and vice versa. The boarder version uses splitboards, short skis used to climb and then lock together into a snowboard for the trip down.

Heli-, Cat-, Car-Powered

By now, all of us are familiar with helicopters, snowcats, and snowmobiles as a way of reaching higher and more remote terrain.

Some of you may have experienced skijoring, the sport of being pulled on skis by horse, motorcycle, snowmobile or car. If you haven’t, this 1955 video, titled World’s Most Dangerous Sport, will convince you not to try.

Mechanical Skis

Source: Popular Mechanics

In 1953, Popular Mechanics featured Caterpillar Skis, motorized skis that promised to transport the skier up the mountain. The skis had devices that looked like tank tracks and weighed almost as much as the tank. An engine strapped to the skier’s back provided the power. This link to the article shows and tells all.

Fan-Power

Donald Steeg with the SkiBee

Some years ago, a guy in Turkey mounted a large fan on his back to propel himself uphill on skis. More recently, a Russian man developed this fan device from a lawn mower engine. In the early 70s Donald Steeg of Detroit came up with the fan-on-back SkiBee.

Is Something Following Me?

Skizee Woodsrunner

There’s the Roller Cycle Tracker, a ski-mounted motorized unit that pushes its user through snow. The demo video gives the impression it needs further development. Another product, the Skizee Woodsrunner, operates on a similar push principle but looks more sophisticated, as you’ll see here.

As fat tire e-snowbikes grow in popularity, so, too, may their use in towing skiers uphill.

Drone Alone

Samsung built an experimental drone to lift a human.This video  shows the drone transporting a boarder. Peculiar and Jetson-like as it sounds, it probably isn’t that far away.

R2-D2 In Our Future?

Last season, the South Koreans held a robot-skiing competition. Assuming that technology improves, there may be R2-D2s in our collective future.

Brighton, Utah’s First to Open

Brighton opened Tuesday, Nov 19, becoming the first Utah resort to kick off the 2019-20 season. Many visitors to the area overlook this gem at the end of Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is an absolute snow magnet and has varied terrain. Passes are reasonably priced for the 65+. Brighton attracts a lot of boarders, so go midweek when they’re in school.

Fantastic Senior Ski Weeks at Mountaineer Inn, Mount Snow

Mountaineer Inn at the base of Mount Snow in Southern Vermont has been hosting Senior Ski Weeks for several years. The 5-night packages include lodging, Mount Snow lift tickets, lessons and meals. Each evening is rich in conversation and entertainment, including live performances from the American musical theater. Openings are still available for the January 5-10 and March 1-6 Senior Ski Weeks. $715 pp/double occupancy. Mountaineer Inn also has special mid-week rates for seniors. Click here for details or call 1-800-682-4637.

Sweet Deal From Apex

Apex Boots

Apex is a remarkable solution for any skier living with uncomfortable or underperforming conventional boots. It combines a soft and comfortable walkable boot with a stiff open chassis. The soft boot slips on with ease, even on cold days. When it’s time to ski, step into the chassis, close the three buckles, and step into your bindings. The company has a sweet deal for SeniorsSkiing.com readers. It ends November 30. Order directly through the manufacturer’s website (use Discount code SENIOR3000) and get free shipping in the lower 48, a ski boot bag from Kulkea (value: $149.95), and free demos for friends and family through 2020 at Apex’s demo center in Golden, Colorado. 

Great Gift for Older (and Younger) Skiers!!

Bootster is a compact, lightweight and portable shoehorn for ski boots. It works for ANYONE fed up with grunting and groaning trying to fit foot into boot. I purchased several for Christmas and Hanukah gifts. At $25, Bootster is a bargain. The thing lasts forever. It’s a gift that keeps giving. Click here on or the adjacent ad to learn more and to order.

 

Discounted Skiwear For Every Size

Snow Country Outerwear is discounting its full line of skiwear for women (Reg and Plus; XS – 6X), men (Reg and Big; Sm – 7XL), and children. Click here or on the adjacent ad for details.

A Ski Gift for the Grandkids

A-B-Skis is a beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s alphabet book. There’s one letter per page that covers some aspect of skiing, each in verse. The volume also has safety information and guidance for getting the young ones excited to be on the hill. It was written by former U.S. Ski Team member and 2006 Olympian, Libby Ludlow and illustrated by Nathan Y. Jarvis, a prominent illustrator and PSIA certified Children’s Specialist ski instructor. A delightful Holiday gift for grandkids. $24.99. Click here to order.

A Worthy Skiing Cause

Since it was founded 17 years ago, the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City has become one of the world’s preeminent ski history museums. Visitors get to see extensive collections and to experience numerous interactive mountain sport simulators. There’s no admission. Last year, alone, there were more than a half-million visitors. The non-profit foundation behind the museum is conducting its annual fundraiser. To donate, click here.

Award-Winning Animated Ski Film

Hors Piste is an award-winning, student-produced, animated film of a hapless injured skier being “rescued” by two emergency medical crewmembers. No words. About 6 minutes. Click here.

historic6
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Incidents And Accidents: 2

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Accidents Can Be Self-Inflicted, Too.

[Editor note: SeniorsSkiing.com is collecting stories from readers about incidents and accidents that they have experienced. We intend to review these for patterns and themes and use that data to influence the safety policies of resorts and other stakeholders. The following is the second article submitted by a reader in our new feature “Incidents and Accidents. If you have a story to tell, please follow the format used below and send to INFO@seniorsskiing.com]

Carol Goodman, New Hartford, NY

Where: Gore Mountain  North Creek, NY

What Happened: It was a beautiful powder day in the Northeast.  The snow was coming down heavily and close to 18 inches of new snow had accumulated overnight. The trails were virtually ungroomed. Exciting for a seasoned skier looking for the feel of western skiing.  Unfortunately, the stars did not align for me that day.  It was my first day out for the season, and my second run down the mountain when I took a header; a forward twisting fall into deep snow with no release of my right binding.

As a result, I suffered a comminuted fracture of both my tibia and fibula. Fortunately the accident occurred underneath a chairlift so I was able to summon for help immediately.  I was reached by a ski ambassador first, who was able to release my binding, as I was in excruciating pain. It was a very long process getting me off the mountain and into medical. The accident ended my 2018/19 ski season, as the surgical repair, with a rod and screws, required me being non-weight bearing for 10 weeks.

Role of the Ski Patrol: The goal of the ski patrol is to attend to the immediate needs of the skier and to keep the skier comfortable until the proper splint and sled arrives.  This was my experience, although I spent almost an hour on the mountain in the snow.  I would hope that this amount of time is not the norm.  Once I was down the mountain and was warmed up, the next ordeal was getting my ski boot off, which they insisted had to take place before I could be transported to a hospital.  Lucky for me, there was an MD available at ski patrol who was able to administer ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, so that I would not feel the pain of boot removal.

Lessons Learned:  Always be certain that your bindings are in good working order and that you have had a relatively recent Vermont Binding Release test done.  Even though I have been skiing for many years at an advanced level, the effects of aging and loss of strength should have prompted me to have my DIN settings checked and lowered. 

Advice:  Keep your equipment in tip-top shape, have a binding release check done, and keep skiing, even if you have a setback! Follow a strict rehabilitation program, followed by strengthening and conditioning so that you are in the best physical shape possible for the ski season. The benefits of participating in an activity you love, far outweighs giving it up.

Jonathan Wiesel

Changing XC Skiing Stereotypes

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“Aren’t Groomed Trails Free?”

Grooming is more complicated and expensive than most people think.

There are at least three unfortunate stereotypes that are really important to the cross country ski world:

“If you can walk, you can cross country ski”

“Oh, it looks like so much work!”

“It’s free, right?” Meaning: Well, I heard it was free, so I expect it to be free.

Okay, a lot of cross country skiers and not-yet-skiers take all three for gospel, but here is an xc ski area operator’s view of these stereotypical views:

First, if you can walk, you can ski. But “it takes time – and at least one lesson – to really improve, glide, and enjoy skiing more.”

Second, it’s a lot of work. “Well, it’s a lot of work if you ski a marathon, but what most people do is ski at their own pace for a couple of hours and still have tremendous fun and get some exercise and fitness while they’re doing it.” New cross country ski equipment performs better (glide easier, get better grip on uphills, and have better overall control) and allow skiers to be more efficient and save their energy.

Third, it’s free right? A response to the trail fee question is that there’s no free lunch. This answer is more complex than the others because there are a lot of groomed trails maintained by clubs, communities, states, provinces, federal agencies, etc. where there’s no formal fee. Also, skiers have the option of breaking their own trails.

Appreciating Trail Grooming

Grooming is something that’s not only misunderstood by the public but also sometimes goes unrecognized. Lo! Pristine tracks and corduroy appear in the morning because grooming occurs mostly at night. What you didn’t see happen, you may not appreciate.

First, grooming has huge value, makes skiing—and especially learning— easier than breaking your own path. Grooming is expensive, and running an over-snow vehicle is just the most visible part of the cost. Even “no-fee” groomed trails aren’t free. They cost someone time and money.

Groomed trails typically aren’t just old logging roads through the woods and usually don’t just follow golf course cart paths. Area operators can tell you that it can be expensive to develop the best routes, create trails, and keep them in great shape for the public to enjoy. Selecting the best paths at golf courses without damaging grass isn’t simple either. More than 230 golf courses in North America now have machine-groomed trails.

The cost of trail grooming includes machinery (purchase, maintenance, fuel, storage, payroll, depreciation, replacement), land use fees (purchase, lease, taxes), signage and marking, insurance, parking lot construction and snow clearance, perhaps warming huts or yurts, ski patrol, lighting, snowmaking , etc. Ah yes, and there’s the cost of creating some trails.

Methow Trails Example

According MethowValleyNews.com, grooming at Washington’s Methow Trails—cited as the largest XC ski area in North America—is estimated to cost $6,400 for an average night of work. Think about clearing trails, trimming trees to make a wider canopy to allow snow to land, minimize debris on the trails, and to help skiers to avoid branches, angling the surface to complement the sunshine or avoid the wind and so on. Maintaining trails covered in wet snow is very different from dry snow. Icy conditions present a completely different challenge of grinding the surface and setting tracks.

It takes about a gallon of diesel fuel to groom one mile of trail according to Methow Trails. The snowcat blade allows a skilled operator to harvest snow moving it around so it covers the trail where needed. The operators could also use a bucket on the snowcat to collect snow and deposit it to uncovered spots.

Trail groomers can be responsible for maximizing every inch of snow, provide more consistent conditions and deliver more skiable days. As you can see, it’s not a simple task. But it’s one that is often unrecognized and under appreciated.

So hats off to the trail groomer and their cross country ski trails.It’s certainly worth the cost of the trail pass!

Beautifully groomed trails make the xc experience accessible and easy for all, especially beginners.
Mike Roth

Skier’s Code: Let’s Review

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Remember The Right Of Way Rules Please.

Mike Roth with new safety add-ons for the modern skier.

[Editor Note: This article by ski journalist Mike Roth originally appeared in the Albany Times Union. It has been edited slightly from the original.]

On Monday the 19th of March, I skied Mount Snow which was fantastic. Since the week before they had received over five feet of snow. The trail conditions were packed powder over the entire mountain and could not have asked for better conditions aside from fresh ungroomed powder.


There was a decent crowd at the Bluebird bubble six pack chair but that was mainly because it was the only main face lift operating. There was no reason to run any of the others due to the lack of people. Even though the lift line took a few minutes to get through there basically was no one on the trails as you skied down to the base.


While I was on the mountain there were various posters with the Skier’s Code of Responsibility so I will repeat them here for the record.


It’s YOUR responsibility
1. Know your ability and always stay in control and be able to stop and avoid other people or objects. It is your responsibility to stay in control on the ground and in the air.
2. Take lessons from qualified professional instructors, to learn and progress.
3. As you proceed downhill or overtake another person, you must avoid the people below and beside you.
4. Do not stop where you obstruct a trail or run, or are not visible from above.
5. When entering a trail or run or starting downhill, look uphill and give way to others.
6. When riding a chairlifts use the restraining devices. Always use suitable restraints to prevent runaway skiing/boarding equipment. Ensure your equipment is in good condition.
7. Observe and obey all signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails or runs and out of closed areas.
8. Before using any lift you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.
9. Do not ski, snowboard, ride a lift or undertake any other alpine activity if your ability is impaired by drugs or alcohol.
10. If you are involved in, or witness an accident, alert Ski Patrol, remain at the scene and identify yourself to the Ski Patrol.


To me, Item Three above is the most important!


This is my biggest gripe while on the mountain. When people pass you, they just fly by, many very close to you and without notification. How hard would it be to say “on your right or on your left”? Almost no one says that anymore. What a shame. I say no one, but I do and on Monday one other person said it to me. And I thanked him.

Every time I ski, I am increasingly conscious of the fact that I will be passed by someone behind me and almost always without notification. It is a rule on the Skier’s Code, but it should be a law. It is a law to use your directional in a car when you are going to change lanes or turn. It should be illegal to pass someone without notification.


When skiing I cannot tell you how many near misses I have had by individuals passing me without notification. “On your right or on your left” must not be in anyone’s vocabulary. I am not sure how we can instill this in skiers. Maybe these notifications should be taught through repetition. In that way the repetitive knowledge might sink in. It should start in the ski school levels. It should also be conspicuously posted on all the lifts and in the lodges.

Mount Snow has done some of this. On the trail markers there are signs on the mountain that say “Go With The Flow; People Ahead = Right Of Way” also the codes of skiing are posted on the TV next to the menu in the food court. This can’t be missed.

Anyone have any other ideas?


First T-Bar
mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: First T-Bar

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Can You Name The State And The Ski Area Where This First T-bar In The State Appeared?

Hint: It’s 1951.

Thanks to veteran ski journalist Dave Irons for contributing this photograph. That should be another hint for those who know Dave.

Last Week

The National Ski Patrol expanded rapidly after its 1938 organization. One well-known and famously crusty patroller from Massachusetts was Henry “Swampy” Paris of Woburn. He and William Putnam organized the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol in 1948, and for decades Swampy was the ubiquitous patrol director in Tuckerman Ravine during spring ski season.

We had one successful contribution from Dr. Gretchen Rous Besser who nailed it, calling Swampy a “legend in his time.”

Special thanks to Jeff Leich, Executive Director of The New England Ski Museum for suggesting this photograph.

Mount Superior
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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 15)

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First “Incidents And Accidents”, New Mystery Photo, Fact Or Fiction Puzzler, Ski History Gala.

Big doings this week at SeniorsSkiing.com. We publish our first Incidents And Accidents report from a reader. Katie Van Hess, Sun Valley, ID, relates an encounter that is probably too common where trails run into congested areas.

Our objective in publishing these reader submitted stories is to gather a portfolio of unsafe encounters that we can analyze and perhaps make sense of. That might be a starting point for influencing change in how resort management and industry organizations approach on-trail safety.

If you have a story to tell, please submit using the format provided here. Send to INFO@seniorsskiing.com

Ski Showman Bernie In The News.

The Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo is opening this week (Nov. 14-17) at the World Trade Center. The show’s impresario for the past four decades is Bernie Weichsel, an industry legend, US Ski Hall of Famer, and a SeniorsSkiing.com adviser.

Bernie has mixed feelings about the recent changes in the ski industry and the impact of multi-resort passes. “On one level, these multi-area passes are fantastic for the existing skier. Great value, you can’t go wrong. I buy both,” he said. “But I don’t think it does anything to grow the sport.”

Read the Bernie’s interview with the Boston Globe’s ski columnist Matt Pepin. This article first appeared in the Boston Globe, Nov. 13th.

This Week

Mt. Superior

Our Pointy Peak Mystery Glimpse photo from last week is revealed and explained with an interesting account of Dick and Miggs Durrance’s arrival at Alta.

Our clever SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Don Burch offers a Fact or Fiction puzzler that is not as easy as it might look.

Finally Harriet Wallis reports on the Ski History Gala sponsored by the Utah Ski Archives at the University of Utah. The organization honored Alf Engen for his life-long contributions to the snow sports industry as well as the Wasatch Mountain Club.

It is snowing in the East. Resorts are opening. It’s happening. If you’re not getting ready or excited yet, then go to the Ski and Snowboard Expo. Come on down.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Remember, there are more of us every day, and there are more of us every day.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Secrets of the Ice is a Norwegian website dedicated to archaeological discoveries in melting glaciers and ice patches in Norway and elsewhere. Glacial archaeology is a developing science as the planet warms, and objects from mummified people to ancient skis melt out of the ice. In Norway, one ski was carbon-dated to 650BC Another ski, from 750AD, was found with a complete binding. 

Digervarden ski (c. AD 750). Source: Secrets of the Ice

Click here to read a well-written account of what has been learned about these early skis. 

What do you think future peoples exploring the mysteries of mountainous areas will think about trees covered with women’s underwear? Were they a weird form of public art created by even weirder humans recreating in the cold?

A few years ago (maybe he still offers the service) a guy at Alta hired himself out with a metal detector to find lost skis buried in deep powder. Those of us who’ve been through that experience, know its value. I always found my skis, but it can take time.

At one point, I hid coins in nature with the idea of finding them in the future. I remember one such hiding spot with my daughter on a rustic perch overlooking a glacial lake. It was over thirty years ago. It makes me want to go back as a family and find them. 

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

In the Spring, I wrote about visiting Oetzi the Iceman in the Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. He’s been dated to 3300BC. It’s a wonderful small museum, and several of you posted comments about your visits there.

A couple I know in Salt Lake City went off route on Everest several years ago and found a well-known American climber’s jacket and other of the missing climber’s artifacts. He disappeared in the 30s.

Many of us could have some interesting archaeological finds simply rummaging through the pockets of old ski clothing. When I was 12 an uncle gave me the anorak he used in the 20s or 30s. In a pocket was an ancient stick of Wrigley’s gum, complete with foil and paper wraps. I couldn’t resist the temptation. It was awful.

There are so many things waiting to be found. We constantly consume and dispose. Given our collective concerns about ski area safety, would it be a surprise if those future glacial archaeologists also found the scattered remains of older skiers?

Alterra To Purchase Sugarbush

Alterra Mountain Company has entered into an agreement to purchase Sugarbush in Vermont.

Women An Important Part of Jackson Hole History

Most ski and ski area videos are male-oriented, if not male-dominated. Jackson Hole has a delightful 90-second video on the impact of women throughout its history, starting with the fact that in 1920, the town elected the first all female government. Click here.

 

Areas Open and Opening

Lifts are running across North America. Here’s a partial list of open areas and those that soon will be:

East

Killington VT) Open

Mount Snow (VT) Open

Sunday River (ME) Open

Bristol Mountain (NY) Open

Wildcat (NH) Nov 15

Gore Mountain (NY) Nov 15

Greek Peak (NY) Nov 15

Hunter Mountain (NY) Nov 15

Whiteface Mountain (NY) Nov 15

Big Boulder (PA) Nov 15

Sugarloaf (ME) Nov 15

Loon Mountain (NH) Nov 16

Titus Mountain (NY) Nov 16

Mont Tremblant (QC) Nov 22

Snowshoe (WV) Nov 22

Stratton (VT) Nov 23

Sugarbush (VT) Nov 23

West/Northwest

Arapahoe Basin(CO) Open

Eldora (CO) Open

Mt. Norquay (AB) Open

Lake Louise (AB) Open

Winter Park (CO) Open

Copper Mountain (CO) Open

Banff Sunshine (AB) Open

Mammoth Mountain (CA) Open 

 Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (CA) Nov 15

Steamboat (CO) Nov 15 

Park City (UT) Nov 22

Alya (UT) Nov 23

Solitude (UT) Nov 23

Aspen and Snowmass (CO) Nov 28

Big Bear (CA) Nov 28

Big Sky (MT) Nov 28

Jackson Hole (WY) Nov 28

Snow Summit (CA) Nov 28

Taos (NM) Nov 28

Big Bear (CA) Nov 29

Snowbird (UT) Nov 29

Revelstoke (BC) Nov 39

Aspen Highlands (CO) Dec 7

Buttermilk (CO) Dec 7

Deer Valley (UT) Dec 7

The Summit at Snoqualmie (WA) Dec 7

June Mountain (CA) Dec 21

Midwest

Boyne Mountain (MI) Nov 15

Crystal Mountain (MI) Nov 22

Boyne Highlands (MI) Nov 28

Military Week at Taos

Not Forgotten Outreach, Inc. (NFO), the Taos, NM, non-profit that organizes annual ski outings for past and present military at Taos Ski Valley, will host the 7th  Not Forgotten Outreach Ski Week, January 21 – 26, 2020. The event is open to military, their immediate families, and Gold Star Families. Participants enjoy deeply discounted lodging, lift tickets, lessons and rentals. Through a VA Adaptive Sports Grant, NFO is offering five scholarships for skiers/snowboarders currently on active duty with vision, intellectual/cognitive, or physical-related diagnoses. Click here for more info.

Ski Safety PSAs

High Fives Foundation is dedicated to prevention of life-changing injuries and providing resources if they happen. The non-profit is based in Truckee, CA, and much of its snow sports activities are in Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. Among its many good deeds is production of Public Service Announcements educating people about on-snow safety. High Fives just released this short PSA on what to do when someone is injured. It is an excellent refresher. 

Ski Conditioning Series

Source: Parlor Skis

Powder Hour is a six-week online conditioning series featuring former US Ski Team member, Hilary McCloy. The program focuses on strengthening key muscle groups required to ski safely and powerfully. Parlor Skis, the New England custom ski company, is subsidizing the cost of the series by providing the first two free. The series cost is $75. For more info or to register, click here.

International Ski History Association

A Worthy Donation

International Skiing History Association is the non-profit dedicated to preserving and presenting skiing history. Its publication, Skiing History, is a joy to read. Digital subscriptions are free to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers. ISHA is seeking donations, all of which are tax-deductible. Please visit www.skiinghistory.org/donate and help ISHA continue its important work

The Man Behind The Ski Maps

Jim Niehues is the artist whose paintings are the basis of the maps of more than 300 ski areas. Ski Utah produced this 4 minute video of Niehues explaining his work.

historic6
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Incidents And Accidents: 1

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Katie Van Hess, Sun Valley, ID.

Editor Note: Here’s our first contribution from a reader about an incident she was involved with. To submit your story, try to follow the same format. Send to INFO@seniorsskiing.com

Where: Sun Valley

What Happened: Uphill skier heading fast towards a ridge to jump it.  I was heading along the ridge towards a congested area to load on the lift.  He tried to stop but hit me anyway, sending me into another skier while skidding along, flat on my back with skis still attached.   The uphill skier came out of his skis.  No one was seriously injured (but no apology from the guy who hit me). I took time off in the lodge to collect myself and did notice a previous meniscus injury was again compromised. This was at my home base of Sun Valley, and this particular run has always needed a slow down sign or better traffic control. 

Role of the Ski Patrol: I’ve suggested a slow down sign to a ski patroller, and he did agree its been needed but nothing has been done.

Lessons Learned: I rather “panic” when I hear a skier or boarder behind me.  I try to set a definite rhythm to my turns so they can judge where I’m going.  I’ve gotten hit by them too many times over the years.  One time, I did go to the emergency room with a huge hematoma on my arm (which I stuck up to protect myself as a boarder slammed into me while I was standing still).

Advice:  Uphill skiers/boarders need to be reminded of their obligation to be able to safely pass those below them.  I do agree that all mountains need more staff or volunteers to slow down the  “indestructible” younger skiers. Resorts seem to be hesitant about ruining their good time.

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: On Patrol

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Early Red Parka Person

Who is this guy? Sure looks like he knows the snows. Photo courtesy of the New England Ski Museum and executive director Jeff Leich. Worth visiting their online gift shop by the way if you’re looking for skier/snow sport presents. The New England Ski Museum now has two locations: Franconia and North Conway, NH.

Last Week

Yes, Mount Superior. Here’s a wonderful description from Alan Engen, recent winner of the S.J. Quinney Award from the Utah Ski Archives, honoring his life time achievements in the snow sports world. Thanks to Alan and the Alf Engen Ski Museum for contributing these photos.

“The photo was taken by the legendary early ski pioneer/legend, Dick Durrance in 1940.  He was living at Alta at the time with his new wife, Miggs Durrance.  Here’s a good photo of both of them on the deck of the old Alta Lodge, which Dick helped to initially build.

“The “Pointy Peak” photo shown is of Mount Superior and was taken not far from the top of Alta Ski Area’s current Wildcat Lift location.  It is an impressive shot.  Both Dick and his wife, Miggs, were excellent photographers.”

Dick and Miggs Durrance at Alta circa early 1940s

In the book The Man on the Medal, about the life of Dick and Miggs Durrance, written by John Jerome (1995), the following information was provided on their coming to Alta.

Dick and Miggs first came to Alta in the spring of 1940 to attend the wedding of Friedl Pfeiffer and a Salt Lake City girl (name not identified in the book).  So recorded, they both “fell in love with the place.”  They were married shortly after on June 9, 1940.  In the fall of that year, Dick made contact with the Salt Lake Winter Sports Association (who ran the Alta ski area operation) and expressed interest in coming to Alta and helping to build the fledgling area with one chairlift and a lodge which at that time was only half finished.  The Alta group welcomed Dick’s proposal with “open arms.”

It was through Dick’s efforts that he made contact with a friend named James “J” Laughlin and invited him to come and see the area he was involved with.  Laughlin did come, and quickly fell in love with the beauty of Alta and ended up purchasing the Alta Lodge from the Salt Lake Winter Sports Association.  The lodge had been started through a $25,000.00 gift to Salt Lake Winter Sports by the Rio Grande Railroad.  The gift had been authorized by one of the trustees of the railroad, Wilson McCarthy.  Laughlin agreed to finance completion of the Alta Lodge in return for interest in the lodge and the lift operation which the Salt Lake Winter sports Association agreed to do.   

Laughlin, in turn, quickly hired Durrance to oversee the lodge completion and general lodge operations.  This was in addition to running the ski school operation (which he had been granted through Forest Service approval).  Dick’s ski school staff consisted of his wife, Miggs, Gordy Wren (who would become one of America’s finest Olympic ski jumpers), and Si Brand, a racer from California.  The Durrance Ski School at Alta was based on the stem turn, “Which Mathias Zdarsky had advocated shortly before the turn of the century in Lilienfeld, Austria.”

Dick and Miggs first lived at Alta in one of the small mining buildings, below the Alta Lodge, left over from the mining era.  Unfortunately, the old mining shack burned down and some of Durrance’s valuable competition awards were lost in the fire.

The Durrances lived at Alta for the first two years of their married life and left Alta after completion of the 1941-42 ski season.

In reflection, Alta has had a number of skiing legends who have, at one time or another, called that place at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, home.  For certain, the Durrances fit that category and both contributed in helping to develop Alta into a world class ski resort.

Miggs passed away at the age of 83 on November 11, 2002.  Dick passed away at age 89 on June 13, 2004.

Don Burch

Fact Or Fiction

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Test Your Ski Knowledge

  1. The most ancient ski in existence was found well preserved in a peat bog in China, dating from about 450 AD.
  2. The furthest anyone has Nordic skied in a 24 hour period is nearly 300 miles.
  3. In 1918 Denmark had the first “ski army”.
  4. With about 472, the US has the most ski reports of any country.
  5. Skiing is available in nearly half the countries of the world.
  6. The longest ski ever used was over 1,800 feet long.
  7. The fastest anyone has skied backwards is over 80 mph.
  8. The most vertical skied in one season is over 6 million feet.
  9. The longest T-bar in the world is nearly four miles long.
  10. Though attempted many times, no one has successfully run a marathon in ski boots.

Don’t Peek Yet. Answers Below.

  1. Fiction: The oldest ski was found in a peat bog but it was in Norway and dates from 2500 BC.
  2. Fact: Hans Maenpaa of Finland skied 293 miles in 24 hours.
  3. Fiction: Norway had the first “ski army” in the 1700s.
  4. Fiction: Japan has the most with about 500.
  5. Fact: Of the roughly 196 countries in the world about 97 offer skiing.
  6. Fact: At an event in Norway 170 skiers skied 44 feet on a pair of 1,800 foot long skis.
  7. Fact: Elias Ambüehl of Switzerland skied backwards at over 80 mph.
  8. Fact: In the 2014 – 15 ski season Canadian Pierre Marc Jette skied 6,025,751 vertical feet at Whistler Blackcomb. In doing so he raised money for Alzheimer’s treatment and research.
  9. Fiction: The longest T-bar is at Murray Ridge, BC, Canada. At just under 2.5 miles long it runs at a speed of about 12 mph. To put that in perspective, that’s about the same speed as detachable chairlifts.
  10. Fiction: Dr. Paul Harnett holds the record; he ran a marathon in ski boots in five and a half hours.  Check out this video about his accomplishment:
Harriet Wallis

Archives Honors Ski Club And Life-Long Influencer

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Alta Icon Alan Engen and Wasatch Mountain Club Earn Top Honors At Ski History gala

Ski fun in 1934 with the Wasatch Mountain Club. Credit: Special Collections J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.

Every year, the country’s largest ski history research organization, the Utah Ski Archives, awards honors to movers and shakers in the ski industry.

This year the Wasatch Mountain Club earns the History Maker award for offering outdoor recreation for 100 years. It was founded with just 13 enthusiasts who enjoyed hiking, ski touring, and snowshoeing. A few years later it played a key role in the growth of skiing by offering “ski trains.”

Today it has about 1,000 members, and outdoor activities have changed with the times. The club’s non-competitive, muscle-powered offerings now include river running, mountain biking, back packing, and more. It also focuses on conservation and education.

The coveted S. J. Quinney award goes to Alta’s iconic Alan Engen for his life-long influence on skiing. Engen began as an award winning national and international ski champion, and his dedication to the sport continues to evolve today. He became the Director of Skiing at Alta, he’s in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, he’s a ski historian, and he’s authored several in-depth books about skiing. Then he found the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City, UT. It’s an interactive, must-see for everyone who visits here.

About the Utah Ski Archives

The Archives collection currently contains 500,000 images, 250 manuscripts and 6,000 audio, video and films. The collection is open to the public and is located in the University of Utah campus library in Salt Lake City. Every year, it holds a gala fundraiser to help support its mission of preserving ski history. And the gala honors individuals and organizations that are a major influence on ski industry.


Award winner Alan Engen smiles next to the photo of him at about age 2 wearing a diaper and ski boots and gleefully holding his first pair of skis. Credit: Harriet Wallis
Herb Stevens

Skiing Weatherman: Good News Goes West

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Jet Stream Changes Bring In the Chills.

Last week I wrote about the “haves and have nots” in terms of favorable early season winter weather.  The East was very cold with occasional snow while the West was warm and dry.  For the most part, that is still the case, as the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast are in line for a reinforcing shot of arctic air this weekend.  Temperatures will be suitable for significant snowmaking Saturday and Sunday. About a half dozen resorts are open in the Northeast, and several more are planning on turning lifts for the first time on Saturday. 

The Great Lakes region has had the most consistently cold weather the past couple of weeks. At least a couple of Michigan resorts, Crystal Mountain and Boyne Highlands, will be in operation. 

The push of arctic air will be the last for a while, due to some changes in the jet stream configuration over the continent later next week, over the western U.S. in particular.  It’s not necessarily bad news in the East, but it certainly is good news for the West.  Here is a jet stream forecast map for next Tuesday that helps illustrates the change.

While a deep trough covers the eastern half of the country. I will get to that feature shortly. Notice a shorter wavelength trough along the Washington/Oregon coast.   That system will bring snow to the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia, but it looks as though snow levels will be very high in the Cascades of Oregon and Washington.  Remember, the waters of the northeast Pacific are quite a bit warmer than normal. That will help the eastern half of the country as we work through winter, but that warm water will tend to elevate snow levels in the Northwest.  Now, the other trough along the west coast—west of Baja—will play a role in snow production later next week as the northern and southern branch jet stream features consolidate into a larger trough by next Thursday. Take a look.

The more organized trough will have both the strength and the moisture to bring a meaningful snowfall to the mountains of the Southwest and the southern and perhaps central Rockies late next week into next weekend. 

This map also shows us the subtle changes that will cause the extreme November cold that we have seen in the Lakes and Northeast to back down somewhat as we head toward Thanksgiving.  If you recall, last week’s discussion made note of the direct discharge of arctic air from the high latitudes, the product of the combined circulation around a Gulf of Alaska ridge and an eastern trough.  That couplet combined for a straight shot from the arctic to the mid latitudes.  Look at that flow now on the second map.  Start in New York and head west along one of the lines.  You will see several changes in direction and eventually you will end up over those temperate waters of the northeast Pacific.  Yes, there is still some very cold air involved in the pattern, but Pacific air is blended in, cutting back on the intensity of the cold.

Fear not. The pattern is not going to turn noticeably warmer over the eastern half of the country, but it will turn “less cold”.  Temps will still be favorable for nighttime snowmaking, and a storm that works its way up the coast on Tuesday/Wednesday will likely produce some snow in the mountains of New York and northern New England.  Meanwhile, after a mild start to November, parts of the West will see some bonafide winter weather in the next week.

historic6
seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 8)

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Incidents and Accidents New Feature, Joe Pete Memory, Have A Banana, Pointy Mystery Peak, Weather Haves/Have Nots.

Based on the significant response to recent articles on out-of-control skiers, the responsibilities of the National Ski Patrol, and the role of ski resort management in managing high-risk skiers and boarders, SeniorsSkiing.com is starting a new feature.

If you are a pilot or a mariner/sailor, you know that it is standard good practice to analyze accidents or incidents to learn from them and become a better practitioner. We are going to use the same approach with “Incidents and Accidents,” a feature where our readers can submit their stories about collisions, accidents, near-misses, screw-ups of different kinds and what can be learned from them.

Here’s how it will work.

We are asking our readers to share their stories following a clear format so we can eventually analyze these submissions to see what can be learned from your collective experiences and to provide the SeniorsSkiing.com community with important feedback. That analysis also may be influential in creating change in the ski industry.

Here’s the outline to follow:

  1. Briefly describe yourself, (i.e. male weekend skier), age, years of skiing, and if you’re a regular at the resort where the incident happened.
  2. Describe what happened. Who did what to whom? What were conditions? Who were you with? Where you moving or stationary? Try to be succinct, objective, and clear.
  3. If the NSP was involved, what did they do? If management was involved, what did it do?
  4. If you were injured, how severely? Were you able to return to skiing? How long were you sidelined?
  5. What lessons can be learned from the incident? What did you learn? What did or should resort management learn?

Send your story in a Word attachment or include it in an email message. Try to keep the length to 500-600 words. Remember, there are always two sides to a story; write a balanced, fair accounting. We’ll review each and edit, if necessary. Not all stories will be published, but all submitted information will play a role in helping us provide feedback to the community. Send submissions to: INFO@SeniorsSkiing.com.

We plan to edit and publish stories on a regular basis.

This Week

Joe Pete Wilson

Correspondent Roger Lohr shares a memory of Joe Pete Wilson, a legend in the cross-country skiing world who spent his entire career in some aspect of the snow sports industry.

Perhaps you have an old copy of Joe Pete’s book on learning how to cross-country ski?

 

We reprise a short article about bananas, of all things, and why you should include a couple in your ski bag. Don’t laugh; bananas are an excellent fuel food for senior skiers.

Our Mystery Glimpse goes out west again, this time a familiar mountain near a familiar ski resort. Do you know its name?

We have an interesting forecast from Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, about the next two weeks or so of weather. Check out where he predicts it will be cold enough for snowmaking and real snowing and where it won’t.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends. We’re heading to the ski show next week in Boston. If you haven’t gotten a ticket yet, click on the Boston Ski/Snowboard Expo for a discount. See you there.

Remember, there are more of us everyday, and we aren’t going away.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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OK Boomer

If you haven’t already heard about it, the term “OK Boomer” has gone viral. It’s the Millenial and Generation Z way of giving the older generation the middle finger for complaining about younger people’s behavior and commenting on issues such as the environmental crisis that will be left for them to solve. It’s a term that smacks of  ageism.

Source: elleinadart.com

My characterization of the term’s usage is probably not entirely accurate. But “OK Boomer” is the phrase de jour headlining youth frustration with status quo. Look for it on T-shirts, coffee mugs, and social media platforms.

It reminds me of a recent New Yorker cartoon showing a young lion-tamer with his head in the jaws of the animal. The caption reads: “If this goes wrong, I can always blame my parents.”

Aging and Skiing Trends

I was born a few years before the Boomer generation. That started in 1946. Boomers are not going away soon. Ten thousand a day turn 65, a trend that will continue into the 2030s. Obviously, not all of them play in the snow. But it’s interesting to note the parallel between the 20% of the US population who are Boomers and the 20% of all US skiers who are 52 or older.

Remember the Sixties when we were advised not to trust anyone over 30? Currently, there are more people 65+ populating Earth than those under the age of 5. 

Youth-Oriented Ski Industry

Skiing and the industry behind it are youth-focused. That’s fine from my perspective, but I’d like to see greater acknowledgement of older participants who’ve supported the sport for decades and continue to do so.

We ski more frequently, spend more on skiing, and encourage our grown kids and grandkids to get into the sport. That last one, about the grandkids, is especially important for a sport struggling to attract newcomers. The number of skiers and boarders in the US has been flat for 35 years. 

And This is Our Reward…

Our rewards for staying in the game? Big Ski removes our discounts. Slope safety places many of us at risk. And Millenials and their younger Gen Z kin, get adrenaline kicks speeding through the video game maze of crowded slopes, often knocking their older opponents (us) out of the game.

Cataloochee in NC Is First in the East!

The North Carolina area debuted the season on Nov 3, becoming the first Eastern resort to open. A few hours later, Killington ‘s lifts started rolling. Terrain at both is limited, so check before heading out.

Also in the East…

Sunday River plans to open November 9. Stowe and Okemo will open November 22.

Okemo’s annual Ski and Snowboard Swap is scheduled November 22 through 24 at the Jackson Gore Round House. Proceeds benefit Okemo Mountain School in Ludlow, Vt. Check Okemo’s website for hours and other details.

And in the West…

Copper and Breckenridge will be running November 8; Steamboat, November 15 (it’s earliest date, ever).

Mountain Capital Partners acquired Brian Head, the southern Utah resort with the highest base elevation in the state. MCP’s other ski properties include Purgatory (CO), Arizona Snow Bowl (AZ), Sipapu (NM), Pajarito (NM), Hesperus (CO), and Nordic Valley (UT).

Mt. Bachelor (OR) is the site of the third annual Winter PrideFest, an LGBTQ+ celebration of winter sports. The event, to be held January 30 – February 2, is expected to draw about 700.  More info at www.outcentraloregon.com/winter-pridefest/ or the Winter PrideFest Facebook Event page.

Spineless Youth?

Rossignol surveys a panel for opinions about a variety of brand-related subjects. Based on the English used, I assume the people in charge are in France. This is from a recent report on a survey about back protectors: In a previous study, we asked you if your children had a backbone: this is the case of 40% of you! Not clear if this is a translation or orthopedic issue.

Build Your Own Rope Tow

In 1941, Popular Mechanics published detailed instructions for ski clubs to construct their own rope tows. That article is followed by another one with plans to build your own cartop ski rack. Click here.

Lindsey Vonn HBO Special

Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season looks back on the four-time Olympian’s career and presents a look at the final chapter of her skiing journey. Premiers November 26 on HBO. 

10th Mountain Division Training Film

This 10 minute video is the last segment of a 1941 training film for USA mountain troops. Click here.

Jon Weisberg

Againer Helps You Ski Stronger and Longer

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How many of you remember the days when you got to the mountain early, skied all day, and quit when the lot was empty? I didn’t fully appreciate it then and look back on those times with nostalgia. Youth is wasted on the young.

But what if we could be out there a bit longer and ski a bit stronger? There’s a device that helps do just that.

It’s called the Againer, and for more than a decade, European skiers have used it to reduce pressure on their knees and backs and to increase their leg muscle performance. Now, for the first time, the Againer is available in the U.S. and Canada via a unique demo/purchase program. More on that later.

Againer attaches easily to boots and legs and employs a shock absorbing system that provides an overall boost to the skiing experience.

An Expert’s Point of View

I won’t be able to try it until January when I’m back on the hill. But I have a copy of a letter about the Againer written by Mark Spieler, a ski pro for 45 years, a PSIA Alpine Examiner, and Ski School Director of Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, a nonprofit adaptive ski school in Mammoth Lakes, California. 

He characterizes the Againer as “…a device to help people save energy while skiing” and states that before trying it he was skeptical. Spieler explains that he tested it “through hard, fast and dynanic skiing.” He was “impressed by the constant lifting action at the top of the femurs…”

“The gas powered strut placed on the outside of each leg consistently helps the skier move up and forward through the turn initiation. The lift the Againer provides is surprisingly powerful! I found the product to be quite comfortable and easy to use on the hill. The switch to disengage the gas strut when riding the chair is simple and effective.

“I am convinced that over the course of hundreds of turns a day, the energy savings the Againer can provide a skier will make a significant difference in a skier’s ability to conserve energy and help the skier with better technique, as well! “

Spieler goes on to say that the Againer is “perfectly suited to assist any skier who has any type of fatigue challenges while skiing,” whether due to advancing age or because of a disability.

According to Murray Jacobson, Againer’s U.S. Sales Manager, the Againer’s performance is most noticeable during turns and when skiing powder.

How To Demo and Buy

Jacobsen sells the units directly to skiers and to adaptive skiing programs. He makes the units available on a 2-week demo basis for $250. If the user wants to buy, the demo fee is applied to the $1300 purchase price. He is available by phone to explain set up and usage and to answer questions. The Againer carries a two-year warranty.

To reach him, call 909-557-3000 or email againerus@gmail.com. To visit the Againer website, click on the Againer ad on the SeniorsSkiing.com Home Page. Yes,  this is an advertiser, and YES, this device looks and sounds like it will help a lot of our readers.

Reviews of Againer will be forthcoming as the season progresses and as I and others experience it. 

I don’t expect to be making turns continuously for seven hours, but I do look forward to adding some octane to my aging tank.

Roger Lohr

Remembering Joe Pete Wilson

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An All Around Snow Sports Legend and Sportsman Moves On.

Joe Pete Wilson was involved in snow sports his entire career.

Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com.

Joe Pete Wilson recently passed away at age 84. He will be remembered as a pioneer and endless promoter in the snow sports world. 

Wilson hailed from Lake Placid, NY where he spent years as the innkeeper at the Bark Eater Inn in nearby Keene. His tireless work to promote cross country skiing was recognized by the former Ski Trax Magazine as one of the top 10 promoters of cross country skiing in the US.

Wilson competed in the 30 km race at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA. In 1972 he directed operations at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT which was one of the first cross country ski area resorts in the US.

Wilson’s history is like a guide to snow sports guide. He led the Vermont Ski Areas Association and was the general manager of Burke Mountain in 1966-69. Later he sold real estate at Glen Ellen. Drawing on his experience on the four-man bobsleigh team that competed in St. Moritz in 1965, Wilson later became the venue manager for bobsled and luge for the Lake Placid Olympics in 1977-78.

In cross country skiing, Joe Pete was honored by the Professional Ski Instructors Association for developing the teaching system for cross country skiing. He was also involved with setting up the original Eastern Professional Ski Touring Instructors organization (EPSTI). Additionally, Wilson had a hand in organizing the Northeast Ski Touring Operators Association, which became the National Ski Touring Operators Association, where he was the organization’s first president 1973-77. Today this North American organization is known as the Cross Country Ski Areas Association.

Wilson has a place in the St. Lawrence University Hall of Fame and in 2001 he was elected to the Lake Placid Hall of Fame. In 2014, Wilson was given the Founders Award by the Cross Country Ski Areas Association. During his life he also coached local high school cross country skiers as well as the US Biathlon Team.

Along the way, Wilson built a polo field at the Bark Eater Inn on a hillside farm in 1981. He also built a trail system in the Keene area while his stable grew to 85 horses. In 1977, Wilson co-wrote the book Complete Cross-Country Skiing & Ski Touring, and later in 1986 he helped to produce the coffee table book Cross Country Ski Inns of the Northeastern US and Canada.

In his later years, I exchanged emails with Joe Pete and discussed his XC ski-snowshoe invention that he wanted to manufacture and market. He shared his invention drawings and strategies with me, but mostly it was laughing and remembering old times. During his many years at the Cross Country Ski Area Association meetings, he would stand up to share old fashioned stories that usually had a humorous punchline at the end. If cross country skiing had its own hall of fame and museum in the US, Joe Pete Wilson would be among the first to be honored.


mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Pointy Peak

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Where? Significance To Skiing?

There was a road to a famous early ski resort somewhere on this mountain.

Thanks to the Alf Engen Ski Museum for sharing this dramatic photograph.

Last Week

Early days at Steamboat Springs. Each of two sleds held ten skiers. This unusual lift served Howelsen Hill in the mid 1940s. If anyone knows the back story of this “lift”, please let us know.

Thanks to the Tread of Pioneers Museum at Steamboat Springs for contributing this picture.

seniorsskiing

Have A Banana: A Senior Skier’s Friendly Fruit

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A banana a day goes a long way in keeping you fit.

[This article was originally published in October, 2014. The message is still relevant and worth reprising. Put a banana in your boot bag!]

We have recently discovered the magnificence of bananas which we long regarded as a kid food and something to by-pass on breakfast buffets. Wrong attitude.  Turns out, bananas have multiple benefits for those who are active, especially senior snow enthusiasts.

Fun Fact: Bananas skins can help mollify mosquito bites. Credit: Mike Maginn

Fun Fact: Bananas skins can help mollify mosquito bites.
Credit: Mike Maginn

For starters, have a banana before you ski to give you a natural  and fast energy boost.  And they are high in potassium which makes your internal electrical system—heart, muscle cells—working very nicely, reducing chances of muscle cramping.  Sour stomach, acid reflux?  Have a banana to coat your stomach lining; bananas are a natural antacid. Not feeling regular?  Have a banana which contains soluble fiber to keep you moving.  Working on low cholesterol numbers?  Have a banana; zero cholesterol.  Saving your pennies?  Have a banana; they are remarkably inexpensive, given the number of great things that come from them.

We’ve barely scratched the surface on how wonderful bananas can be.  For more, check out this list of 25 banana’s powerful benefits.  We never expected to see shoe shining on the list, but there it is.  Also, for more about health benefits, see this article.

Regardless, bananas, you are still a funny fruit.

Herb Stevens

The Skiing Weatherman: Haves And Have Nots

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The Difference Between East and West Is Remarkable.

Over the past few weeks, I have shared with you some of my winter forecasting tricks of the trade but now it is time to get down to business and do some actual forecasting. 

The pattern change that was foretold a couple of weeks ago by the re-curvature of a typhoon east of Japan is well underway (The “Typhoon Rule”). By this weekend an unseasonably cold upper trough will cover the eastern half of the country.  The air that the trough delivers will be of arctic origin, and, although it travels over ground that is not yet covered with snow, it will still be cold enough for some productive snowmaking in the taller mountains of the Northeast and as far south as resorts in the central Appalachians. 

Better yet, the cold air will rush in on the heels of a low pressure system that will generate a swath of snow from the Great Lakes eastward to the interior Northeast.  Lake effect snow will kick in downwind of Erie and Ontario for a short time, but because the system will be progressive, that backside snow won’t last very long.  This looks like a three- to six- inch event from the Adirondacks eastward through the Greens and Whites and on into the mountains of Maine.  That may not seem like much, but that first inch of machine made snow is laid down a lot faster when it lands on crystals and not leaves and dirt.  The cold temps this weekend will help to chill the soil, too.

On a broader scale, the developing pattern will be one of the “haves” and the “have nots” with respect to cold weather and prospects for snow.  Here is what the jet stream pattern is likely to resemble late next week

The deep trough will cover much of the eastern half of the country, with a strong ridge covering the waters of the eastern Pacific.  Clockwise flow around the ridge will combine with counterclockwise flow around the trough to tap into air masses from far to the north. This setup is ideal for the delivery of cold to the Midwest and East.  This next map shows the expected temperature anomalies at the five thousand foot level in a week from now. That altitude level is a proxy for forecasting surface temps.

The purple shading tells me that the air will be plenty cold for snowmaking and natural snow opportunities from the upper Midwest through the Northeast.  That takes us to the middle of the month, but my sense is that the same general pattern will persist until after the 20th or so, and perhaps close to Thanksgiving.  From time to time, smaller scale disturbances embedded in the flow around the trough will spin through the Lakes and into the East, and those systems will represent the best shots at natural snow over the next couple of weeks.

That is the good news.  While eastern North America will be unseasonably cold for the foreseeable future, thanks to the trough, the not-so-good news is that the ridge over the Pacific will keep temps above normal for the most part from the Continental Divide westward, as the temperature anomaly map suggests. 

Some snowmaking will be possible at times in the higher elevations of the West, but natural snow will be hard to come by in this pattern.  In the heart of winter, there is enough cold air around for both the West and the East to be cold simultaneously, but we are still six weeks away from the START of winter, so we are playing the game of “haves” and “have nots”.  For now, it is “advantage Midwest and East”.           

This Week
seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 1)

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Collecting Resort Safety Scores, Knowing The NAO, Outdoor Therapy For Vets, Tow Boat, Lessons Learned From Coaching Seniors.

We continue to receive comments about the skier safety issue we raised when we published our “Things That Piss Us Off” findings from our Spring Survey. Clearly, we’ve struck a vein of passion about the unsafe skier issue.

And as you have probably read in last week’s edition, the National Ski Patrol has stated the responsibility for enforcing the Skier’s Code of Responsibility is up to the resorts. Although some readers were disappointed with that response, when you think about it, it makes sense. NSP are volunteers at a resort, and the resort usually maintains a paid staff of patrollers who administer safety policy. However, as we have heard from the comments, some resorts are good at this, and some aren’t.

The answer to that question is partly taking form through the work of the Snow Sports Safety Foundation which was featured in last week’s Short Swings. This non-profit provides safety ratings for ski resorts, currently displaying “Resort Scores” for some California, Nevada, and Colorado resorts.

The question now turns to who among the many and diverse resorts are serious about lifting the tickets and passes of out-of-control, hit-and-run, high-risk skiers and boarders and who is, well, less serious.

Some resorts understand the value of enforcing the Skier’s Code of Responsibility. For instance, Vail Resorts, at Vail in Colorado, displays an electronic scoreboard of how many season passes or tickets have been lifted for reckless or dangerous skiing or boarding. So, this is a serious issue being addressed by some resorts. Emphasis on “some”.

SeniorsSkiing.com is planning to collaborate with Snow Sports Safety Foundation in the coming months on its efforts to bring skier and boarder safety into focus. Watch this space for upcoming developments.

This Week

We know that many SeniorsSkiing.com readers are veterans of the armed forces. This week, correspondent and XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr reports on a number of programs that bring disabled vets into the outdoors for therapy. Click here.

Our Mystery Glimpse presents an odd vehicle for getting skiers up and around a ski resort somewhere out West. And yes, the snow-dusted mountain top photo from last week was indeed Killington. Our thanks to a friendly pilot who happened to snap a great aerial shot of the mountain.

Our UK-based ski coach correspondent Bob Trueman has a really interesting article on the five things he’s learned about teaching seniors. Bob has a unique approach to ski “coaching”, based on a cognitive understanding of what the body is being asked to do.

The Skiing Weatherman, Herb Stevens, introduces us to a meteorological concept: The NAO or North Atlantic Oscillation. The strength and relative position of the NAO between the Iceland Low and the Azores High determines the kind of weather we will be getting on the east coast. Fascinating stuff. Click here.

If you have any updates and/or corrections to our listing of 157 Ski Resorts in North America that offer free or really big bargain discounts for seniors, please send to info@seniorsskiing.com. To locate the listing of Free or Big Bargain Resorts, go to COMMUNITY>SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT and scroll down.

Once again, thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends and remember there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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If you’re accustomed to US prices, Canada offers great skiing value. The current exchange rate guarantees it.

Skiing in Japan also is reasonable, but there’s the cost of getting there. Some clubs have reasonably priced all-inclusive packages. This one to Japan organized by the Baltimore Ski Club looks like it will be a lot of fun.

And skiing the Italian Alps is a great bargain. I just checked non-stops from NY and Boston for mid February. The prices are under $500. Chicago, Philadelphia and Salt Lake cost more, but they’re still reasonable.

When you book with Alpskitour, the rest of your trip – transfers, hotel, skiing, guides, some meals, equipment, lifts, transportation to different resorts – will be around $3500 per person. My wife and I went with them last season. It was one of the two best ski experiences we ever had. 

We stayed in a nice hotel in the center of Saint Vincent, a small, scenic city in the Aosta Valley. From there we took a scenic ride each day to different resorts in Italy, France, and Switzerland. 

Alpskitour puts together small groups of intermediate and advanced skiers and takes them for five days of skiing in the best resorts in the Aosta Valley. Mauro Cevolo and Andrea Jory, who run Alpskitour, guide you in Breuiel-Cervinia, Zermatt, Monterosa, and Courmayer, among others. 

They choose the best conditions and most empty slopes for each day.  If it’s foggy at one end of this spectacularly scenic valley, they’ll take you to a resort where it just snowed. Ditto if one is too crowded. There are so many areas to choose from that every day offers fantastic conditions.

And they know all the right places to stop for a snack or for lunch and all the right people to assure a warm welcome wherever you’re skiing.

The other best experience was a few hours east in the Dolomites. There, we joined an Inspired Italy Ski Safari. Inspired Italy is run by a small crew headed by Tim Hudson. He and his team are intimately familiar with Dolomiti SuperSki, the vast, interconnected ski circuit with hundreds of miles of runs, served by every conceivable uphill lift and dotted with restaurants and refugios, the small mountain hotels known for their cuisine and wine cellars. Inspired Italy also specializes in small groups. The cost of a seven day trip, not counting airport transfers and lunches, is about $2500. I just visited the Inspired Italy website to check availability. One slot is left for 2020. If you’re interested in this fantastic skiing experience, book soon for 2021.

Reasonably priced trips to Europe, Canada, US resorts and, next summer, New Zealand, are available through 70+ Ski Club. Groups tend to be larger — a great way to meet and ski with other older skiers. 70+ was started in the Seventies by Lloyd Lambert, the famed Northeast ski journalist. At one point, his son joined the operation. Now, Richard Lambert, Lloyd’s grandson heads 70+ Ski Club. There’s a modest membership fee, which provides access to many well-organized and equally well-priced trips throughout the season.

The 5 Habits of Smart (Adventure) Travelers

Global+Rescue, which provides medical evacuation insurance and other services, recently issued this guidance for “smart adventure travelers.” 1) Know Your Limits: This includes a link to the (humiliating for me) interactive Mont Blanc Guides Fitness Checker. 2) Willingness to Adjust plans, itineraries, etc. 3) Collecting Information from Multiple Sources (i.e. not relying on one expert’s advice). 4) Selecting Guides Carefully. (I’ve had good and pretty bad guide experiences). 5) Practicing Non-Stop Awareness. This applies wherever we roam. For the complete report, click here.

Highest Eastern Areas

I always assumed that the highest Eastern ski areas were in the Northeast. Of the ten highest areas on the East Coast, the top four are in North Carolina. They are Beech Mountain (5506’), Cataloochee(5400’), Wolf Ridge (4600’), and Sugar Mountain (4432’), The next highest area is Whiteface in Lake Placid, NY, topping out at 4396’.

NW Sales Connection

Unfortunately, we neglected to link the NW Sales Connection ad to its website. That’s now corrected. The company is a terrific resource for reasonably priced women’s skiwear from XS to 6X. The site also features men’s big and tall ski pants and parkas and many options for children’s skiwear. Click on the ad or here to visit the website.

 

Perfect Gift For Senior Skiers

As we approach the season, keep The Bootster in mind for yourself and older skiers on your gift list. It’s a $25 device that effortlessly helps foot enter ski boot. Nicely designed and handmade, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Haunted Ski Resorts

Charlie Leocha’s work was brought to my attention by Jocelyn Curtis of the Baltimore Ski Club. He spoke to the group about “haunted ski resorts.” Given that Halloween has just passed I’m sharing this article Charlie wrote some years back. It’s less about the areas themselves than the spirits occupying their lodges.

Silly Skiers Toy

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brunvand/videos/10221155652463660/

A few weeks ago after reading a piece here on the Silly Skiers toy from the Seventies, Jan Brunvand, retired University of Utah professor and frequent SeniorsSkiing.com contributor , found one in his basement. He fixed it up and sent this video. Note his SeniorsSkiing.com hat. Thanks, Jan!!!

Nice Video From Salomon

Almost everything Salomon does is done well. The company’s skis are generally terrific. It’s clothing is nicely styled and lasts forever. And its promotional videos are interesting. This one, featuring skier Cody Townsend, takes us to a mountain in the La Sal range east of Moab, Utah. He goes with a few Native Americans, who explain their intimate and ancestral relationship to the mountains. Watch here.

Dave Barry on Skiing

Humorist Dave Barry wrote about his first skiing experience in 2004.  An updated version was published by The Miami Herald in 2012. Like much of his material, it presents an amusing point of view. Click here.