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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 22)

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Green Shoots On The Horizon (?), Yellowstone Opens, Season Ticket Puzzle, Bike Fit, Questions For You.

Superstar Killington, VT,  May 19, 2020 Credit: Killington/NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com

According to New England Ski Industry, early-open, late-close Killington resort has decided to pivot to golf on May 19th despite skiable conditions on one popular trail.  Indeed, as the photo shows, Superstar looks ready to go, top to bottom.  The resort closed on March 14, holding open a tendril of possibility of re-opening for some late season skiing. That’s not going to happen. Killington president Mike Solimano said that even if the resort opened with just one trail, a thousand visitors would show up, confounding any attempts at social-distancing.  For the first time in a long time, Killington has lost its “last-to-close” honor because four New Hampshire resorts closed four days later on March 18.

And so the chapter officially closes on the 2019-2020 season, one which currently finds snow falling in the Sierra and the White Mountains in May. It “coulda been a contenda” for a great season, but…

On the other hand, there are green shoots signaling a turning towards the direction of normal. For example, Yellowstone National Park is opening up this week in a series of cautious phases. Come to think of it, what a perfect place to be outdoors and stay isolated. Pitch your pup tent in one of the National Parks’ halycon camp sites, and you’re in lock-down in paradise. If you can get on the road, why not travel to a National Park near you?

Active Travel For Seniors

Which brings up a new feature series for SeniorsSkiing.com.  We’ve realized for a while that our readers are interested in active vacation travel.  Snow sports is just one part of the wide interests of our audience. So are many non-snow destinations and activities.  We’re going to be publishing stories about interesting places to go where you can be active, engage with nature, learn something new, and stay fit. We’re calling the series, “Active Travel For Seniors”.

Coincidentally, our first article is about Yellowstone opening up. Thanks to our new correspondent, Chicago-based Mira Temkin, you can read about its astonishing features and perhaps contemplate a camping/holiday trip into one of its isolated corners. That is, when you’re comfortable with traveling away from your confinement.

Our Looking Ahead Survey

One of our trademark practices at SeniorsSkiing.com is to keep in touch with our readers through online surveys. This spring, we’re going to ask you about how you see your snow sports activity unfolding in the fall. Realizing full-well that everything changes in one news cycle, we’d like to capture a snapshot of how you view the upcoming season as of late May, early June.  So look for the survey coming soon to your email box. And please respond. We will share that information with you when we sift through the data.

This Week

Harriet gets fit in a bike shop studio with an Oriental rug on the floor. Credit: Harriet Wallis

In addition to our inaugural Active Senior Travel story about Yellowstone, you can learn how to get your bike fit to your own peculiar metrics. Correspondent Harriet Wallis visits a pro bike fitter who explains the process.

We are also asking two Questions For You this week.  Questions For You is a new feature which provides you with an opportunity to sound off on a topic. From these collected comments come some themes and and ideas that we can use for future editorials as well as interesting connections between readers.  The Questions For You this week involve what you’re doing for fitness in these virus times and what ski resorts need to do to make you feel comfortable returning to the lifts.

We have also included a nostalgic tribute video story from Outdoor TV about the incomparably stylish Stein Eriksen. Check out his moves and those sweaters right here. 

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  We will get through these difficult times together. We plan to publish monthly through the summer until the snow starts to fly, as we know it will.  It always does.  And remember there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Yellowstone sits on top a thin part of the earth’s mantel, so hot springs are everywhere, heated by the planet’s core.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Boris and Ivan have been skiing across the frozen steppe for many days. After too long on the front, they’re finally going home. Boris spent hours telling his colleague what he intends to do when, finally, he arrives home: hug his family, down a hearty meal, paint the dacha, tend the garden. 

“Ivan, what is your plan?,” he asks. 

“My wife will come to the door with vodka.” 

“And then?”

“We’ll embrace and make passionate love.”

“And then?”

“I’ll remove these damn skis.” 

That’s one of the few decent ski jokes I know, and, apologies, if I’ve used it before in this space.

Unfortunately, we removed our skis too early this season. And there are legitimate questions as to whether there will be a next season.

That thought, stated indirectly, appears to be on many minds. It’s why Ikon Pass is being sold with a safety net. Purchasers can decide by late November whether they want to use it for 2020-21 or 2021-22. They’ve discounted the price to encourage early sales. And Epic Pass just announced baked-in insurance coverage. Their parent companies need cash to service debt, proceed with planned projects and maintain whatever is left of their payrolls.

Some areas, pursuing similar early purchase tactics, are spinning their messages to get patrons to help them keep the lifts spinning. Their appeal: Your early buy will help keep us afloat. I don’t mind that, as long as it’s not coming from an area that joined one of the big pass programs and eliminated its own senior pass discount. There are several of them.

It’s interesting to see how the resorts are responding to COVID. My prediction is that singles will be riding doubles, triples will be occupied by two’s, etc. Areas relying on gondolas and trams will limit their occupancy and require facemasks. Lines will be longer. See below for Chamonix’s sensible response. 

I expect day lodges will have fewer seats and surfaces will be aggressively sanitized. Maybe restrooms will have full-time attendants whose job will be keeping everything clean. Resort HR departments advertise for “Lifties.” Why not “Resties?”

Expect hand sanitizer stations to be as ubiquitous as tissue dispensers.

Of course there will be rogue skiers and boarders defying the rules and placing themselves and others at risk…just like they do when playing human pinball racing down the hill. The likelihood of their getting reprimanded for sneezing in line is about as likely as their getting stopped for reckless skiing.

I haven’t missed a season since 1954 and don’t intend to miss out on 2020-21. But if things get too complicated on the hill, I might throw in my ski towel, grab my beach towel and head South.

Chamonix Fights COVID With Thermal Scans

Skiers at the French resort are now required to enter a thermal scanning device (similar to an airport security gate) to check their temperatures, use sanitizing material on their hands, and wear masks while waiting in line and riding lifts. Social distancing will be implemented in lines and on enclosed lifts. If found effective, this protocol may become the industry standard.

COVID Concerns = Season Pass Changes

IKON and others offer generous early purchase discounts for next season.

Epic now includes full and/or prorated insurance in event of job loss, stay-at-home orders, job transfers, etc. as well as resort closures due to COVID and other diseases, natural disasters, war, and terrorism.

Mountain Collective provides “incentive credits” encouraging existing pass holders to re-up for 2020-21. 

Alta will issue discounts to existing pass holders based on last season’s use. For a round-up of Utah area offerings, see Harriet Wallis’ story elsewhere in this issue.

Aspen will credit existing pass holders for its truncated season and “…have a refund policy that makes committing to the 2020-21 season risk-free.”

Indy Pass, arguably the best skiing value in North America, offers two days at each of 52 resorts for $199, including its Get America Skiing Promise providing up to 80% credit for the following season, no questions asked. Passes go on sale September 1. Pass holders at participating resorts can purchase the Indy for $129.

COVID Shutters Las Lenas 

Argentina’s premier resort, Las Lenas, announced that because of COVID, it will not open for the 2020 season.

Masterfit Establishes COVID-19 Webstore

SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser, Masterfit Enterprises,  has added protective face masks to its offerings during the pandemic. The insole and bootfit training company is selling facemasks to businesses and consumers at its Masterfit COVID19 webstore.   SeniorsSkiing.com readers get a 10% discount on their first 100 surgical mask purchase using coupon code FOMCOVID1910 at checkout. Here is a link to a story about how Masterfit landed in the PPE business. 

Val Gardena Repurposes Snowguns to Disinfect Streets

Handled by the Italian resort’s volunteer fire fighters, the snowguns are being used to spread disinfectant with hopes of reducing spread of COVID.

Higher Elevation Populations May Be Less Susceptible to COVID

A paper in the June issue Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology concludes that, among other factors, “…the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is reduced at high-altitude due to the physiological acclimatization of its inhabitants, and due to particular environmental characteristics.” The study looked at prevalence of COVID in high elevation populations in Tibet, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Two Dimensional Ski Films

Have you noticed how the many GoPro ski films on the Net have a flattened sameness to them? I enjoy watching ski films, despite their similarities to pornography (Same motions. Different locations. Repeat.). But helmet-mounted cameras generally record ski tops against a white surface, making even the steepest terrain look pretty flat. I just watched a GoPro video of someone skiing the Alguille du Midi in Chamonix. I’ve seen it, and it’s heart-stopping steep. His GoPro footage documents the run, but does little to convey the challenge. Give me those long, across-the-valley Warren Miller and John Jay telephoto shots or the ones from the chopper floating above. Go Pro is great for a lot of things. Showing steeps is not one of them.

High School to Use Local Chairlift for Graduation Ceremony

Graduating Kennett High School (Conway, NH) seniors will ride a Cranmore Mountain chairlift to receive their diplomas. Nice way to maintain social distancing in this small New England ski town.

Send A Photo Wearing Vintage Skiwear

Skiers from 1900. Source: The Guardian

Okay, you’ve cleaned the house, organized the family pictures, Zoom-cocktailed with family and friends. Here’s a suggestion for something different: Send us a selfie of you/spouse/friend wearing  vintage clothing and we’ll publish the most interesting ones in June. Make it a sweater, jacket, hat, pants, whatever. For inspiration, check out this gallery of ski fashion dating from 1900 to the early ‘70s. It was published by the British daily The Guardian. Send your pictures to info@seniorsskiing.com and include your name and where you live.

Thanks for reading. Please forward SeniorsSkiing.com to your skier friends. Advertising in SeniorsSkiing.com is a  great way to reach the 50+ snow sports enthusiast. Rates are very low and our 16,500 subscribers are very responsive. Contact: advertising@seniorsskiing.com.

Harriet Wallis

Buying A Season Pass In The Covid Year

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[Editor Note: This article first appeared in the Cottonwood Heights Journal on May 18, 2020. The situation unfolding in Utah is similar to what is happening in other regions of North America.]

 

Wish the rules for buying a season pass were as clear as the skies over Alta. Credit: Harriet Wallis

A Season Pass Is A Complicated Decision.

Gone are the days of one deadline, one price. This year, season passes are a jigsaw puzzle.

It’s complicated by multi-mountain season passes, narrow canyon road congestion, and the now the virus. Each resort has its own spin on passes. You almost need a PhD and a crystal ball to figure out what’s right for you.

A Roundup Of What To Look For.

Deadlines for the best price. Deadlines are all over the place. Some deadlines are as early as this month (May) while others have been extended. And some resorts haven’t specified a deadline.

Discounts because of virus-shortened season. Some resorts are offering discounts on their 2020-21 passes. But the formula for discount varies from resort to resort. Some resorts have other options, too.

Budget plans. Some resorts let you buy your pass now and pay for it in installments.

Change-your-mind assurance. Some resorts let you buy a pass now and change your mind later if you decide you don’t want to ski next season. Options include pushing your pass forward into the 2021-22 season. Those change-your-mind deadlines vary all over the place.

Blackout dates / no blackouts. Yep, that varies too.

One resort, adult season pass. The plain vanilla, “adult pass at one resort, ski any day you want” has gone into tailspin. Some resorts have replaced it with family deals, midweek only deals, and pack of ticket deals.

Highlights Of Resorts In The Region.

Powder Mountain. A season pass includes supplemental injury insurance should you crash and break a bone. A season pass for seniors 75+ is $40.

Snowbasin. If you had a pass last year, you can choose a 20% discount or partial refund on a 2020-21 pass. Or you can donate the amount to one of several charities.

Brighton. It has the clearest explanation of how the Assurance “what-if-I decide-not-to-ski” plan works. While details vary from resort to resort, Brighton’s Q ad A page gives the best point-by-point explanation so you can absorb it.

Deer Valley. It has the best side-by-side comparison chart for comparing a Deer Valley season pass with an  Ikon pass. It eliminates the mumbo-jumbo. A Deer Valley pass comes with multiple benefits.

Snowbird. Snowbird prices passes for 9 different age ranges and occupations. It also offers valet and preferred parking passes.

Solitude. If you had a pass last year, you’re eligible for discounted season pass for car parking this year. And this year you can register two cars on your parking pass — but you can use the pass for only one car at a time. Solitude also offers a mid-week only adult pass.

Park City Mountain. The Epic pass lets you ski Park City plus a gazillion other mountains around the world. But to take advantage of all that, you can’t possibly be working full time. For some, not working might be a reality this winter.

IMPORTANT: Two resorts haven’t posted prices yet.

Alta is taking a wait-and-see approach. Rather than rushing to grab skiers’ money, it’s being cautious because of the virus. Alta told skiers it will let them know about passes when it has a better look down the road.

Sundance has not posted prices.

seniorsskiing

Stein Shows The Way

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Remember Classic Skiing?

Those sweaters, that hair, those baggy pants. Stein was a one-of-a-kind.

Here’s a really great tribute video from Outside TV on Stein Eriksen’s role in creating the world of modern skiing. From extreme skiing to blue cruising, Stein has had a deep and lasting impact on the sport.  Who hasn’t tried to ski with knees locked together in a comma position just like him?

Click below to watch real wedlen and gelandesprungen in action. He sure makes it look easy.

 

Harriet Wallis

Spring Is Time To Bike Fit

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Ride More, Enjoy More With Properly Fit Bike.

Harriet gets fit in a bike shop studio with an Oriental rug on the floor. Credit: Harriet Wallis

If you think your bike hates you, it’s time to schedule a bike fitting. If you hurt when you ride, there’s probably a mismatch between your body’s geometry and the geometry of your bike.

Sure, all bikes look pretty much alike. They have wheels, pedals, handlebars and seats. And they come in sizes – essentially small, medium and large. But your body’s measurements are more complex than that.

Unfortunately, many dedicated bike shops will say: “Find the bike you like and we’ll fit it to you.” That usually means they’ll jiggle the seat up and down.

A real bike fitting includes taking body measurements: shoulder width, arm length, leg length, sit-bone width, and more. You’ll have to ask around to find who’s the real bike fitter in your area.

Some physical therapists are qualified bike fitters, while others are bicycle fitting gurus. A skilled fitter can solve arthritis-related and other structure-related aging problems so it will be fun to ride your bike.

This is what the computer sees. Credit: Harriet Wallis

A fitting  can take about an hour, and the fitter is likely to suggest a different seat or stem or some other component to make it compatible with your body’s unique geometry. They can’t change your body, but they change the bike to suit your body! All this comes with a price tag, but it’s worth it if you want to have fun riding after the snow melts.

Here are some ways to figure out what’s wrong, but if you change one thing then something else will probably feel wrong. A real bike fitting should help you be “one with your bike.”

1. If your knees hurt, you’re seat’s probably too low, too far back, or both.

2. Ask a friend to watch you from behind. If your hips rock back and forth even a little bit, your seat’s probably too high.

3 If your hands, arms, shoulders or neck hurt, you’re probably too far away from the handlebars.

4. If your neck hurts, your handle bars might be too low, too far away, or both.

5. If you feel you’re just not getting enough power for your push, lots of things are probably out of whack.

Friend Laurie is fit by a physical therapist. He placed markers on key areas to analyze her alignments on the computer. Credit: Harriet Wallis

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Question For You 6: Next Season

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How Is This Going To Work?

Everyone in the ski business has been puzzling about next season and how it will unfold. Uncertainty brings with it lots of speculation about if, when, and how the ski industry will re-open. Even if it does re-open, whatever that means, will people show up? So our first Question For You this month is asking for specifics from your point of view.

Please write your response in the Reply Box below.

What will you need to see ski resorts do to make you feel comfortable about coming back next season?

 

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Question For You 7: Keeping Fit

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What’s Your Routine?

From our reader surveys, we know that our audience is interested in fitness and a variety of outdoor activities as a regular element of their lifestyles. Tennis, hiking, cycling, golf, kayaking, running are some of the top choices, however, we do have some equestrians, sailors, fishers, and weightlifters out there, among a bunch of other miscellaneous sports and exercises.

During these unprecedented times, we’re wondering how COVD-19 has affected your fitness regime. What have you stopped doing because of the virus threat? What have you started? What has helped you get moving (apps, online communities, family, Zoom, etc.)?

So here’s our Question For You:

How has the virus changed your usual fitness habits over the past two and a half months?

Please make a comment in the Reply Box below.

Mira Tempkin

SeniorTravel: Yellowstone For Remote Active Adventures

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The Oldest National Park Starts Phased Re-Opening This Week. 

Yellowstone’s vast 2.2 million acres holds many opportunities for an active vacation, and there’s plenty of space for isolation.

Located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is the first national park, named in 1872, and ideal for active seniors who want to explore the great outdoors. The park is about to be gradually opened up this month. Here’s more information on the re-opening plan.

There’s something surreal about being in Yellowstone. Maybe it’s the millions of years of formation that seem to hold tight to its secrets. When you’re in the park at 8,000 feet of elevation, it evokes a serene sense of calm with lush valleys, jagged buttes, and free-flowing waterfalls.

For seniors who love adventure, the park offers a range of recreational opportunities from hiking, biking and horseback riding to kayaking, white water rafting and fishing. One of the most popular sports is wildlife spotting. When you see a line-up of cars along the highway pulled over to the side, you know there’s something to see. Maybe it’s a herd of bison with their babies, an elk, antelope, or mountain goat. Get your camera out and take some pictures. 

See Old Faithful in All its Glory

When Old Faithful will erupt is predicted on the NPS webcam. Place your bets.

The star of Yellowstone is Old Faithful, erupting on schedule every 35 – 120 minutes and shooting as high as 140 feet in the air. This magnificent geyser in all its splendor lasts between 1 minute, 30 seconds, and five minutes. For those fascinated with statistics, there’s even a clock in the lodge to predict the next eruption. For now, check out the webcam at yellowstone.net/webcams/old-faithful.

With more than 1,000 miles of trails, there’s a hike to challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone. There’s a range of activity for all. Check out the 500-plus geysers in the park with their own schedules, paint pots, calderas, and hydrothermal wonders. Fish enthusiasts will discover the largest population of wild cutthroat trout in North America. Don’t miss the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River with its gorgeous waterfalls that will simply take your breath away.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel: Classic Accommodations with Spectacular Views

Hugging the shores of Yellowstone Lake, the “Lady of the Lake” is a magnificent hotel featuring 158 deluxe rooms, recreating a time of grandeur and elegance. Built in 1891, this historic hotel provides guests with fine dining, a string quartet, and an Inspired by Artist series. The narrow halls, back porch, and Sunroom make you feel like you’re on a cruise ship.

A Range of Accommodations and Dining

Yellowstone offers nine types of lodging from the elegant Lake Yellowstone Hotel to cabins and more rustic lodging for those who prefer something other than a hotel. as a part of the premier Xanterra Travel Collection. Check their website for lodging openings. The Lodges also offer tours and activities guided by Certified Interpretive Guides.

Consider visiting in the shoulder season when crowds are a little thinner. Spring (May – June) welcomes bison and antelope newborns, while bears are out of hibernation. In winter, wolf-watching is popular and the geysers even more spectacular.

Yellowstone will be back this summer.  If you decide to travel, you can get “lost” in its vastness. Talk about getting away from it all.

For group travel and recommendations, check out roadscholar.org, yellowstone vacations.com and www.nps.gov. 

Yellowstone sits on top a thin part of the earth’s mantel, so hot springs are everywhere, heated by the planet’s core.

Open: South and East entrances in Wyoming, the lower loop of the Grand Loop Road, restrooms, self-service gas stations, trails, and boardwalks in open areas

Closed: Montana entrances, overnight accommodation, full-service dining, commercial tour buses, and ranger programs.

For the most current information, visit www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm.