Richard Lambert

We’re Back!

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As you may know by now, seniorsskiing.com founder Jon Weisberg passed away suddenly a few months ago and will be sorely missed for his love of winter sports and his importance to the industry.

Let me introduce myself as the new publisher.  Some of you already know me from my work with the 70+ Ski Club, which was founded by my grandfather in 1977.

So it’s in my DNA to share my love of skiing and a main reason I decided to continue the website. I’m grateful to Jon for generously sharing his knowledge and giving me the confidence to continue his work. 

I’m delighted to announce longtime travel journalist and winter sports writer Evelyn Kanter has joined the website as Editor.  Evelyn is passionate about snow sports and together with a talented group of contributors we will be bringing you a steady stream of great articles.

I appreciate your ongoing support of seniorsskiing.com.  Please don’t hesitate to let us know how we are doing. 

Richard Lambert, Publisher

Evelyn Kanter

What’s New For the 2022/23 Season – Eastern Edition

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Photo Credit: Stratton Mountain Resort

It’s time to check your goggles and helmet for wear and tear, shake your packed-up down jackets back to life and try on your ski or snowboard pants to make sure they still fit well enough to let you bend down and fasten your boots.

Here’s a short swing through what’s new at resorts in the Northeast.

New York State

Windham Mountain invested more than $9 Million for improvements, including replacing the old triple-chair from the base area with a Dopplemayr high-speed quad.  That will speed up-load times and shorten lift lines.  The Catskills mountain resort also increased snowmaking, and renovated an old mountain hotel as employee housing.

Vermont

Killington Resort opens its long-awaited new base lodge this season. The K1 Lodge offers indoor and outdoor seating for over 900 guests, multiple bars and food stations, retail and rental shops, and—by popular guest demand—45 restroom options.  Killington also has expanded its Woodward Mountain terrain parks.

 Mad River Glen replaced outdated snowmaking over the summer.  The new system can put more snow on the lower mountain/high traffic areas faster than before while using less water.

 Magic Mountain doubles its uphill capacity with the new Black Line Quad and its lunch and apres ski capacity with a new, larger base lodge deck. The locals fav area will maintain its 1500-per-day ticket limit. Also new is lights on the terrain mark, making Magic the only night terrain park in southern Vermont (open Friday and Saturday nights, including holidays).

 Stratton Mountain Resort launches Next Step Lessons, a beginner and lessons package, aimed at helping second- or third-time skiers and riders expand their footprint in the sport. Also expanding is Stratton’s number of terrain parks, with a new one on Beeline.

Snow tube fans will find an expansion to 6 tubing from the previous 4 at the Tuber Park, along two-for-one tubing for the last hour the park is open, for all Ikon Pass holders.

Sugarbush improved snowmaking on Easy Rider/Pushover to improve the beginner experience and also on the upper half of Mt. Ellen to provide more snowmaking reliability. The resort also replaced Reverse Traverse with an improved pitch that could change the way Lincoln Peak’s terrain opens up early winter.

Suicide Six is gone – in name only.  The 86-year-old Vermont resort has chosen the new name Saskadena Six.  The new name means “standing mountain” and honors the area’s connection to the native western Abenaki people.  Resort owners collaborated with Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation for his counsel and insights on the land, its heritage, and current use.  

Maine & New Hampshire

Sunday River Resort has replaced the old Jordan Express lift with the Jordan 8 chair, a Doppelmayr D-Line 8-person chairlift – one of the most advanced lift designs in the world. It is designed to be wind resistant and weatherproof, with heated seats and bubble covers in signature Sunday River Red. 

New for this season is a three-resort pass, for Sunday River and Sugarloaf, both in Maine, and Loon in New Hampshire.  The new N.E. Day pass is valid any day at all three resorts, available in increments of 2-5 days.

Where are you skiing or riding in the Northeast this season?

Evelyn Kanter

What’s New for the 2022/23 Season – Western Edition

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Photo Credit: Praxis Skis

As always, resorts were busy over the summer replacing lifts and improving or adding terrain.

Here’s a quick rundown to whet your appetite of what’s new and noteworthy in several states West of the Mississippi.

In alphabetical order, by state –

 California

Palisades Tahoe – For a second season under its new name, there’s a brand new Base-to-Base gondola. It connects the two valleys and makes the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows resorts one of the largest in North America, with 6,000 acres of terrain.

The new gondola is 2.4 miles long and traverses just over 3,100 vertical feet. The ride takes approximately 16 minutes, including a brief stop at the new KT-22 mid-station.

 Also, the Red Dog chair lift, which starts at the base of Palisades Tahoe, has been relocated to offer convenient direct access from the parking lot, and is now a high-speed detachable six-person chair.

Northstar – This venerable resort celebrates its 50th anniversary this season with the new Comstock Express lift, a high-speed six-person chair that increases capacity by 50%.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe – A favorite of locals, Mt. Rose redirected its Lakeview chair lift so it now goes all the way to the top, with expansive views of Lake Tahoe along the way.

Colorado
 
Arapahoe Basin – The old fixed-grip three-seater Lenawee Lift, which dated from 2001, has been replaced with a high-speed six-pack.  This will alleviate one of the last remaining pinch points on what most of us call – simply – A-Basin.
 

Buttermilk –   Known as the beginners and family area of the four mountains of Aspen (Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk), this under-rated area gets a sparkling new base area with services including a guest lounge and lockers.

Eldora – This locals fav celebrates its 60th season this season, with upgrades including a $7 Million parking expansion with room for nearly 800 additional spaces.  Eldora also has increased snowmaking and its rental fleet.

Steamboat – Also celebrating its 60th season, “The Boat” is almost done with its $200 Million multi-year transformation of the base area.  New for this season is a beginner area, called Greenhorn Ranch, serviced by the new Wild Blue Gondola, a new beginner lift and two new carpets.

Telluride Ski Resort – The new high-speed detachable quad for Chair 9 cuts the lift time in half, from 15 minutes to 7, and services 2,000 vertical feet of terrain.

Winter Park – The resort is opening what’s called “previously unutilized terrain” in The Cirque Territory. The new terrain is called “Jelly Roll” for its steep pitch and ability to hold powder for days after a storm. Winter Park also is planning to open more terrain in the Chutes area on Mary Jane.

Amtrak Ski Train – The popular train between Denver and Winter Park returns for the season, weekends only, with fares as low as $29 each way.  The official name is Winter Park Express. Reservations often get booked out, so plan ahead.

 Idaho and Montana

Lookout Pass – This area, which spans two states (Idaho and Montana) and two time zones, opens its Eagle Peak Expansion this season, nearly doubling the resort’s skiable terrain. Lookout Pass which is, Idaho’s oldest continuously operating ski area, consistently gets in excess of 400 inches of snow per year, making it a secret stash for consistent powder.

Big Sky Resort – More than 350 new complimentary parking spots have been added across the resort, including one priority area for carpools. Big Sky is a member of both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective – these passholders need to make reservations this season to use their days.

Wyoming   

Jackson Hole – After 28 years of service, the fixed-grip four-seat Thunder lift has been replaced by a new high-speed quad.  It’s twice as fast as the lift it replaces, cutting ride time from 7 minutes to under 4. The new Thunder lift still accesses some of Jackson’s top runs, including Laramie Bowl, Thunder Bumps and the Grand.

Grand Targhee – On the other side of the Teton Pass from Jackson Hole, this resort debuts the new Colter Lift on Peaked Mountain this season. It can transport up to 2,000 people per hour, gaining 1,815 vertical feet in just over 5 minutes. It also accesses 30 percent more skiing and riding to what was formerly hike-in.

It is the first major terrain expansion at Grand Targhee since the Sacajawea lift opened in 2001. The resort usually gets more than 500 inches of snowfall each winter.

So where are you going this season?  As always, we welcome your comments.
Evelyn Kanter

What’s New This Ski/Snowboard Season – Utah Edition

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Photo Credit: Ski Utah

So many resorts, most of them within 45 minutes of the Salt Lake City airport.  And so many new lifts, trams, on-mountain dining, and more, this season.

Here’s a short swing around what’s new and notable on the snow in Utah, in alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way:

Alta Ski Area – The Sunnyside fixed-grip triple has been replaced with a high-speed six-pack, speeding access from the Albion base area.  Also new this season is that parking reservations are now required for Fridays, in addition to Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.  Alta has improved some of the Sleepy Hollow terrain off the Supreme Lift area.

Cherry Peak Resort – Introducing one of Utah’s newest ski resorts, near Logan.  The family-owned resort features three triple chairlifts and 400 acres of family-friendly terrain. There are 29 runs, a terrain park, tubing, night skiing and ice skating.

Deer Valley – The Burns Express is a new chairlift connecting the Snow Park base area to Little Baldy, offering Ski School access to more beginner teaching terrain and an additional option for skiers to navigate out of the main arrival area.  Also, surface lifts and beginner terrain in the Wide West area have been improved.

The Snow Park Village base area has been upgraded with new transit arrival facilities including new food and beverage options.  A new high-end seafood and steak restaurant, Cast & Cut, opens in Snow Park Lodge, featuring seafood towers, grass-fed beef and more.

Nordic Valley – There are new glade runs on the Nordic Express area, plus a new Yurt lounge, and the former Ski Patrol room has been transformed into a beer bar, appropriately called The Aid Room.

Park City Mountain – There’s a new outdoor patio at Red Tail Grill, near the Orange Bubble Express and Red Pine Gondola. The resort also has invested in employee housing, with a 441-bed development at Canyons Village.

Snowbasin – The big news is the switch from the Epic Pass to both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective Pass this season.  

Snowbird – The big news here is two brand new large, super-modern Tram cabins – one red, one blue – which will whisk guests to 11,000 feet. The trams offer spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows and additional see-through viewing panels in the floor, for a true feeling of flying. 

After snow season, prepare yourself to experience –  drumroll please – a rooftop balcony, first of its kind in the United States.  Hang out – and hang on – riding outside for 360-degree views.  Starting summer 2023. 

Solitude Mountain – The resort opens its first terrain park, adding features to the North Star and Main Street runs. The Yurt has been revamped to be open during the day for lunch.  In the evening, it transitions to an exclusive five-course dining experience reachable by a moonlit snowshoe tour. 

Sundance Mountain Resort – There’s a new fixed-grip quad south of Jake’s lift this season.  The 14-minute ride opens 40 acres of new terrain. In addition, the resort, founded by film icon Robert Redford, is expanding operations with 15 acres of groomed terrain, 10+ new runs, and 36 new acres of skiable terrain. 

Woodward Park City – Open just a few seasons, the area already has redesigned its layout to increase it’s terrain park features by 20%.  It is also one of the few ski/snowboard resorts anywhere with a parkour zone. 

Find more information on any or all of these resorts on www.skiutah.com.

Where will you be skiing in Utah this season?  

John Gelb
John Gelb

To Do List Before First Tracks of the Season

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Buy a Back-Up Pass

Even you already have your perfect Ikon, Epic or Mountain Collective pass, it’s worth checking out resort-specific and regional passes to give you extra days. 

I’m an Ikon guy because I ski a lot at Stratton in VT and Snowbird UT.  But this season, I also got an Epic Northeast pass.  Why?  Because Epic offers a stripped-down pass that includes several areas within 30-40 minutes of where I live.  And for a super reasonable price, it’s a great deal enabling me to ski three top Vermont resorts, all nearby.   Another example is Brighton, Utah, which offers a resort-specific pass that adds days to your Ikon Pass.

So check your ski map and see if it makes sense to add an “other” pass to your ski season.  And don’t delay, because when pass sales end, they’re gone.  

Start Walking

“Age creep” is a problem for all of us senior skiers.  

Hip problems caused me to stop running over the past year, but walking is an amazing replacement.  I get in thousands of steps, see the sights, and sleep better, too. In just 30-40 minutes a day you’ll be amazed at your results, including increased stamina, so you’ll be more fit for ski season. 

Take a Group Lesson

Find two or three friends with a similar proficiency, and get everyone on board for one group private lesson during one of your first ski weekends.  Ski instructors like me “take lessons” at the beginning of every season because it truly helps us to dial-in the key tips and exercises that make a difference for our own performance on skis. 

With a few friends, and a 2-3 hour private, you’ll all get some useful tips from your instructor, get feedback and some practice, all of which will get you sliding in your best way.  Everyone’s got to re-learn a bit of their technique, and this makes it easy to lock-in the right ideas and leave behind the other stuff. 

Most ski areas will allow 3 or 4 adults in the same group as a private lesson, which helps spread the cost.

Remember the Little Things

Zero in on the little things that will make your season easier and more fun. Four suggestions:

Hands get cold? Buy a box of hand-warmers now, before you need them. You’ll have plenty for the season and you’ll also save money by buying in bulk instead of individually when you are already at a ski resort.

Check your goggles.  Are they scratched enough that vision is impaired a bit?  Did they fog up last season, which means they will fog up even more this season? Then get rid of them, and buy a new, decent brand, even an inexpensive one. 

Feet cold?  Now’s the time to explore boot heaters, since they often sell out early.  Or, try a “boot glove”, which I compare to the wetsuit that scuba divers use.  It’s simply a stretchy, neoprene wrap that covers the toes and top of boot, with a Velcro fastener behind the heel.  I’ve been using them on super cold days for seven years and can tell you that they work. 

Here’s a tip – pre-heat your boots on cold days: Put 1 or 2 hand warmers in each boot when you start getting ready in the morning, and by the time you put on boots they’ll be toasty warm.  The Boot Glove won’t warm up cold boots, but they help a lot to keep warm boots.

Seasonal Ski Check

More resorts are offering an all-season ski check or locker, which will relieve you of having to carry skis/poles to and from the parking lot.  Of course, this only works if you are skiing the same area all season, as ski instructors do.  Even if your season is several different resorts, overnight ski-check is worth the money so you don’t have to lug your skis and poles to and from the parking lot, shuttle bus, or even a base area hotel.

Roger Lohr

INDY XC PASS – The National Ski Pass For XC Skiers

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Trails at Waterville Valley

Most dedicated winter sports enthusiasts are familiar with the major season passes such as Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective and Indy Pass, among others. So far, these multi-ski area passes have been geared toward Alpine skiing and snowboarding. Not anymore! Make way for a new season pass specifically for cross country (XC) skiing and a deal that highlights XC skiing for Alpine skiers and snowboarders.

The new Indy XC Pass recently introduced for the 2022-23 season will provide two days of trail access at (as it stands now) nearly 20 XC ski areas for $69 adult and $29 youth (12 and under). XC skiing will also be included in the regular Indy Pass marketed to alpine skiers and snowboarders ($279 for adults) at 100 alpine ski areas, where applicable. The price is an early season offer and the Indy Pass prices was expected to increase on May 17 (the Indy XC Pass is still $69 in end July).

The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA, which is an organization of XC ski areas) is partnering with Indy and will be receiving 10% of the Indy XC Pass proceeds. The initial XC ski areas are located in different regions where XC skiers can ski two times at each area and they include:

EAST

High Point XC Center, NJ; WhiteGrass Touring Center, WV; Woodstock Nordic Center, Rikert Nordic Center and Jay Peak XC Ctr in VT; and in NH Jackson XC and the Adventure Center at Waterville Valley.

CENTRAL, MOUNTAIN and WEST

Maplelag Resort, MN; Treetops Resorts in Gaylord, MI; Enchanted Forest Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoe Area in NM; Crosscut Mtn Sports Ctr in Bozeman, MT; and Bear Valley Adventure Ctr in CA.

Alpine ski areas that have XC skiing on the Indy Pass include Black Mountain of Maine; Jay Peak, VT; Waterville Valley, NH; 49 Degrees North in WA; and Meadows Nordic Center at Mt Hood, OR.

Canadian resorts are participating, too including Manning Park, Sovereign Lake, and Nickle Plate XC Ski Club in British Columbia.

These areas provide a wonderful cross section of experiences and destinations and it is anticipated that the Indy XC Pass will have another couple of dozen XC ski areas sign on by the start of the upcoming winter.

Depending on where one lives, that cost for XC skiing can be reduced further. Currently, those who live in the northeast can receive ski visits (two visits at each of six resorts in New England and New York within reasonable driving distance) for the $69 Indy XC Pass or less than $6 per visit. As more locations are added to the Indy XC Pass, the savings will become more widespread. However, the $69 price tag allows current XC skiers to discover new areas to visit and also offers an attractive enticement to those who are interested in learning the sport.

Most XC ski areas charge about $25 for a day pass to ski on their marked, maintained, and groomed trails. Many of these trails have set manicured tracks that make it easy for anyone to ski. Taking advantage of the Indy XC Pass will save a small amount and help XC skiers to discover some new ski areas to visit.

Promoting the Indy XC Pass will increase awareness of XC skiing and it will educate nonskiers and alpine skiers about XC skiing at areas that provide marked and regularly groomed trails. The image of XC skiing to many people is going out to ski at parks when it snows, breaking trails, or skiing in a previous skiers’ tracks in ungroomed snow conditions. Cross country ski areas use machines to groom the trails to provide consistent ski conditions all winter. Additionally, there are more than 50 areas that can produce machine-made snow because sometimes Mother Nature can be snow-stingy in the winter.

XC skiers who go to a few XC areas because of the Indy XC Pass may very well discover the joy of XC skiing regularly and raise it to a higher status as a prime recreational endeavor in their quiver of things to do in the winter. For more information, see https://www.indyskipass.com/ or https://xcski.org/

Don Burch

Getting Ready For The New Season

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Tongue-In-Cheek Tips For Dusting Off All Your Stuff…And You.

Where did you stow those boots? Keep looking, they must be hanging around somewhere.
Credit: Don Burch

You know it’s time to get ready for skiing when leaves are falling and there have been snow flurries in the mountains. You’ve started having ski dreams, and everyday you check SeniorSkiing .com (and your other favorite ski sites) for new postings.

Here’s what you need to do:

Get in shape. Go to the gym, do a plank. Spritz yourself with water so it looks like you’ve worked up a sweat. Do a lunge. Check your phone for messages. Call it a day.

Schedule all appointments for before or after ski season. Get your teeth cleaned now.

Find your ski clothing. Wash the long underwear that was lovingly stored under the bed. Clear out the pockets of your parka. Put the half-eaten protein bar in a baggy. Pull the fuzz off the loose ibuprofen pills in find a new baggie for them.

Find your new ski pass among the pile of plastic cards in the junk drawer. Throw out all the video store membership cards you find. Yes, even the Blockbuster card.

Go toward the pile of ski poles tossed in the back corner of your garage. First move all the string trimmers that you can’t start, the fishing poles with broken tips and the other things you’re going to fix. Pick out two ski poles that are the same length. No, they don’t need to actually match in any other way.

Get your ski boots out of the barn, shed or whatever outbuilding you promised yourself you’d never again store them in after what happened last year. DO NOT put your hands into the boot. First, turn them over and shake out the acorns. Shake them again, harder this time. Still do not put your hands in them. OK, they’re probably ready for the season.

Hunt for your skis. Do a visual binding check. If they are caked with highway salt and rust spray them with WD40. If they have Cubco bindings, buy new ones. Put them with the ski boots and the mismatched poles.

Watch YouTube instructional ski videos. Visualize yourself making carved turns. Get yourself centered by watching videos posted by your favorite life-coach. You’re working hard so indulge yourself with some cute cat videos.

Download the latest ski apps to your smart phone.

Bore your non-skiing friends, spouse, relatives and anyone you meet with all the new stuff you’ve learned online.

Call all your ski buddies. Subtly ask questions in order to determine their “ski status”. Do they have new grandchildren, new hips or knees, or a new sweetheart who doesn’t ski?

I know you didn’t throw out all the video store membership cards. You knew vinyl records made a modest comeback and so might Blockbuster. So get one of the plastic cards and use it to scrape sleet off goggles. Put it in the interior pocket of your parka along with the fuzz-less ibuprofen pills baggie and the half eaten protein bar. You are now fully ready for the new ski season.