Richard Lambert

How To Select Your Next Pair Of Skis – 2025

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Don’t ski as aggressively as you used to? Looking for a ski that makes the sport a little easier? As part of its annual review of new skis, realskiers.com, the go-to site for in-depth ski evaluations, has determined the best skis for older skiers.  Their ”Silver Skier” selections are models, in their estimation, either inherently easier to steer with light pressure or possess such a broad performance envelope that their charms are accessible to lower-energy skiers as long as they’re sized down.
 
We recommend trying before buying. Start by choosing the most suitable ski category for the terrain and snow and working with a quality ski shop, preferably one at or close to the mountain so you can switch out demo equipment throughout the day. 

SeniorSkiers.com subscribers are eligible for a 50% discount off subscriptions to realskiers.com.  This is a limited time offer.  Click here to request your promo code.  I used the  realskiers.com reviews for a recent ski purchase and was delighted with result.  The amount of time I saved narrowing down the options was worth cost of the subscription alone.

Recommended 2025 Skis for Senior Skiers

The Best 2025 Skis for Senior Skiers has selections from Atomic, Blizzard, Fischer, Head, K2, Kastle, Liberty, Nordica, Rossignol, Salomon, Stockli, and Volkl. 16 of the recommended skis are identified as women’s skis, which sometimes are engineered for female size and physique.

The selections fall into four groups, organized by range of ski width, which helps determine the terrain where its performance is optimized.

Specific recommended skis follow:

FRONTSIDE

MEN
Finesse Favorites: Easy Riders
Blizzard Anomaly 84
Salomon Stance 84
Rossignol Experience 82 Basalt
Power Picks: High Speed on High Edges
Head Supershape e-Magnum
Head Supershape e-Titan
Head Supershape e-Rally
Kastle MX84
Stockli Montero AX
Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S
Rossignol Forza 70o V-Ti
 
WOMEN
Finesse Favorites: Strolling Down Easy Street
Nordica Wild Belle DC 84
Salomon Stance W 84
Power Picks: Carving Queens
Blizzard Black Pearl 84

ALL-MOUNTAIN EAST

MEN

Power Picks: High-Geared & Gifted
Volkl Mantra 88
Kastle MX88
Nordica Enforcer 89
Blizzard Anomaly 94
Fischer The Curv GT 85
Nordica Steadfast 85 DC FTD

Finesse Favorites: The Friendly Fraternity
Head Kore 93
Nordica Enforcer 94
Blizzard Anomaly 88
Head Kore 87
Salomon Stance 90
Salomon QST 92
Atomic Maverick 86 C

WOMEN

Finesse Favorites: The Friendly Fraternity
Nordica Santa Ana 87
Head Kore 85 W
Head e-Total Joy

Power Picks: Pandering to the Proficient
Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Head Kore 91 W
Nordica Santa Ana 92

ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST

MEN

Finesse Favorites: All-Terrain Access for All
Head Kore 99
Blizzard Rustler 9
Kastle ZX100
Salomon Stance 96
Power Picks: All-Condition Chargers
Nordica Enforcer 99
Liberty Radian 100

WOMEN
Finesse Favorites: Smooth Operators
Blizzard Sheeva 9
Head Kore 97 W
Power Picks: Dominate Black Diamonds
Nordica Santa Ana 97

BIG MOUNTAIN

MEN

Finesse Favorites: Kicking Back
Head Kore 111
Nordica Enforcer 104
Blizzard Rustler 11
Salomon QST 106
Head Kore 105
Volkl Blaze 104
Atomic Bent Chetler 120
Salomon Stance 102
Fischer Ranger 102
Fischer Ranger 108
Power Picks: Killing It
None

WOMEN
Finesse Favorites: Easy Access to Off-Trail Adventure
Head Kore 103 W
Völkl Blaze 104 W
Salomon QST Stella 106
Fischer Ranger 102
Power Picks: Ripping the Gnar
None

Evelyn Kanter

Short Swings for December

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Klaus Obermeyer

As always, there is plenty of good news at our favorite winter resorts for the end of 2024 and start of 2025.  But let’s begin this monthly edition of Short Swings with a warning – don’t hit the person who hit you.

On one of the first days of the new season in November, two female senior skiers had stopped for a quick break on a trail at Copper Mountain, Colorado, when they were hit by a male skier.  One of the women hit him back with her ski pole in what the Denver Gazette described as “an angry outburst”. 

We all know the downhill skier has the right of way, but it wasn’t the uphill skier at fault for the collision who was charged with assault – it was the woman who hit him back. 

 It’s not clear from the newspaper article whether it was the male skier or ski patrol who charged the woman with assault, or if anybody was injured or even knocked down in the collision. But the message is clear – 

Ski poles are for skiing, not for striking out at the person who hit you.

In happier news –  

Happy 105th birthday to the legendary Klaus Obermeyer, who started skiing at the age of three in his native Germany.  He’s lived in Aspen most of his life, first as a ski instructor, when he realized his students didn’t have the proper clothing.  He started Sport Obermeyer in 1947, combining his aeronautical engineering training and the Bavarian tradition of down comforters (my Bavarian-born mother called them “steppedecke”) to design warm parkas and other fashionable and functional clothing we all know and love. 

For many of us parents, the best Obermeyer design was his “I-Grow” children’s clothing line, with extendable pants and sleeves that allowed fast-growing kids to wear them for several seasons, as my own kids did.

Obermeyer’s motto is “the longer you ski, the longer you live”.  Absolutely!

Saddleback Mountain, Maine, has been honored by the Audubon Society for the environmentally conscious design of its new mid-mountain restaurant, The Nest. The building’s innovative bird reflection screens help prevent birds from colliding into its plate glass windows. 

As many as 988 million birds die that way each year in the USA.  Saddleback worked with BirdSafe Maine, a partnership between Maine Audubon, the University of Southern Maine and the Portland Society for Architecture, to design the protective windows.  https://maineaudubon.org/advocacy/birdsafe/

Palisades Tahoe has received local regulatory approval for a much-needed expansion of the base area village. It includes up to 850 new lodging units, which will be a mixture of hotel and condo, additional parking, new housing for employees, new trails and what the press release describes as “enhancements on mountain”.  Construction will be over several years.

Aspen has revamped the Beach Club, its mountaintop outdoor dining and entertainment venue, into Eleven212.  The name reflects its altitude – 11,212 feet.  What has not changed is that free entry continues to be first-come-first-serve, or by reservation.

Attitash’s T.G.I.F. program takes place on Thursday’s throughout the ski season and is exclusively for those who are ages 50+. Join this mid-week Adult Seasonal Program (50+) for “no stress” improvement on technique and skills, while building companionship amongst the group. All types of recreational, cruisers and performance skiers are welcome. Join for the season or pay by the day.

The most popular drink at the St. Regis Deer Valley is the 7452 Bloody Mary, also named for its altitude.  The 7452 consists of tomato juice, cornichon juice, Worcestershire, sriracha chili sauce and vodka and is topped with a light green froth made from celery juice, parsley, wasabi powder and green apple, and the glass is rimmed with jet black Hawaiian sea salt and lime.

The spicy cocktail is so popular that the hotel offers clinics to teach guests how to make it. The St. Regis claims to have served an astounding 300,000 of them since it opened in November 2009.  I’ll drink to that!

See you on the slopes. Or at the bar.  Or both.

Don Burch

The Senior Ski Bum

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Follow the senior ski bum on his first ski trip of the season. Follow along as he has two bluebird days, a powder day and a day with wind holds. Listen to his musings on the positive impact skiing has on our psyches.

 

Marc Liebman

Ski Safety Starts With Looking in the Mirror

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Credit:ultramarinfoto

Let’s face it. The older we get, the more fragile our bodies become. Yet, if you are like me, the older I get – I’m 79 at the time this this piece is published – the more I cherish my days on the snow. Gone are my days as someone who would ski non-stop from the top of almost any mountain to the bottom at GS speeds in any conditions.

Now, my goal is ski more and avoid injury. If that’s yours as well, where does the process start. It starts with each of us at home, long before we head toward the mountain to ski.

If you are not in decent physical condition, don’t go skiing. If you do, you’re an injury waiting to happen. 

Skiing is a strenuous sport, and fatigue is a major causal factor of injuries. When your legs are tired, you can’t control your skis as well as you did when you first put them on in the morning.

Next, you need to realize that you will never be in as good a shape this year as you were last year, unless of course you were totally out of shape. Mother Nature has ensured that via the aging process. Understand we all age differently and at different rates. I often tell people I work harder each year to get in less good shape as I was last year.

Also note that as we age, our bodies’ ability to deal with temperature extremes decreases. Two years ago, at age 77, I found myself shivering in conditions that would never have bothered me before. It led to a change in what I wear on colder days.

I also believe in the Boy Scout motto, be prepared. Bring your own medical kit with stuff like Voltaren, OTC anti-inflammatories, sandwich/snack bags for ice packs, and other first aid stuff. Trust me, because when you need it, the drug stores are either closed or far away.

For those of us who ski outside the U.S., remember Medicare doesn’t cover you. I have Tricare for Life and still buy a supplemental health insurance policy that also provides for air-ambulance transportation back to the U.S.

Take care of your skis. If you are driving to/from a ski area and if they are on a rack outside the car, put them in a bag or inside a rooftop carrier. This keeps the dirt and grit out of your bindings which could affect their performance. You might also consider having them checked and adjusted every year.

And my last rant is that booze, recreational drugs, and skiing are a toxic mix. Altitudes above 5,000 feet where 50% of the earth’s atmosphere and oxygen content is below you adds to the effect alcohol and drugs have on the body.

 Hangovers affect your ability to function mentally so unless you have access to 100% oxygen to breathe for 10 – 15 minutes or more before you go skiing, then think twice about skiing with a bad hangover. SWI – skiing while intoxicated/stoned – is simply dumb because you are a danger to yourself and everyone else on the mountain.

Phil Johnson

Take Care of your Customers

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Alpin Haus founder Bud Heck with wife Kay Heck

For Bud Heck, the journey had an unexpected beginning. Stopping in for some after ski refreshment after a day on the slopes at Whiteface, Heck and friend Bob Moore struck up a  conversation with a fellow patron. It turned out to be the launch of a 60 year long career in the ski business.

Heck was a young college graduate with a new job as an auditor with New York State. On the side during the holidays, he with then partner John Daly sold crushed ice snow cones and Christmas trees in his hometown of Amsterdam NY.  The man in the chance conversation that day turned out to be a ski equipment representative who pointed out there was not a ski shop in Bud’s hometown.

“Why not start one?” the man asked.

Heck listened. Sixty years later, his Alpin Haus ski shop is one of the largest in the Northeast with three locations in New York’s Capital District including a recently expanded 40,000 square foot showroom less than a mile away from the location of the original shop that opened in 1964.

At the start, the shop sold inventory Heck had bought from a nearby ski hill that had closed the year before. Heck would work his regular job in Albany then come to the store afterwards and stay on until closing at 9 pm. Weekends it was all day.  Kay, then his girlfriend,  was a teacher in town. She came in to work in the shop after school.

“We had no money to go out on dates then.”

Total sales that first year?  $1500.

Sixty years later, the bottom line is a lot different and  Bud no longer turns the light on and off  daily. But Alpin Haus patrons can still catch up with him at the store when he drops in for a cup coffee in the lounge area of the showroom. He loves chatting with customers, especially those he has known for more than half a century, and their kids, and now their kids too

Kay is still there, Mrs Heck since 1965, and now too is son Andy as company President,  and co-owner with his brother Greg and sister Katie Osborn. Grandchildren Nicole, Ryan, and Danielle are the third generation of leadership in the business.

“Its easy to run into a Heck at Alpin Haus these days.” said Bud recently.

While the ski business has continued to grow significantly over the years, Alpin Haus has  expanded too. Recreational vehicles were added to the mix in the late 1960s, swimming pools in the 1970s  and boats in the 1980s.

“We don’t sell anything that’s essential.” says Heck. ” We are a feel good business.”

While Alpin Haus has spread – there are seven locations currently – in  the Adirondacks, the Hudson Valley, and now in  northern New Jersey, “We are still based in Amsterdam.”

With 275 full and part time employees, it is a major local employer.  And involved too. In addition to the usual community activities,  Alpin Haus has underwritten a summer splash pad and an ice skating rink in the city in recent years.

Today, in an era where people can buy what they want, wherever they want, why has Alpin Haus succeeded for more than half a century?

Bud Heck believes he knows the answer: “Have a passion for the business; provide a good store experience; and take care of the customers.” he says.

Sixty years in the business suggests that Heck knows what he is talking about.

Richard Lambert

Ski History in the Berkshires at Catamount Mountain

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Catamount Mountain Resort Dedicates a Race Trail to Skiing Legend, Toni Matt

Ski pioneer, Toni Matt, was a champion Austrian and American ski racer who spent his life in the mountains beginning in his childhood home of St Anton, Austria and continuing in America in New England, Montana, and New York. The former Ski School Director at Catamount from 1960-1974 achieved success and notoriety throughout his career culminating with his induction into the United States Ski Hall of Fame in 1967.

Soon after becoming the 1938 Austrian Junior national champion at age 19, Toni Matt came to the United States in 1939 with Herbert Schneider to teach skiing with the Hannes Schneider Ski School in North Conway, NH. In the same year, Matt won his first United States downhill championship and also set a record when he won the Inferno Race on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Matt’s record time still stands today and clocks in at 6 minutes ahead of the previous record time. Toni Matt’s second United States downhill championship would come in 1941.

Later in 1942 with the United States joining the war effort in Europe, Toni Matt enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division in Alaska. A few years after returning from service in WWII Matt became a founder and builder of Whitefish Mountain in Montana in 1947. After moving back to the northeast to raise his family, Catamount owner, Jack Fisher, hired Toni Matt to become Catamount’s Ski School Director in 1960, a position Matt would hold until 1974 when he accepted the same position at Whiteface in Lake Placid, NY.

Toni Matt had a storied career on two continents in skiing, ski racing, coaching, and serving his country when he was needed most. “The Toni Matt racing trail dedication will be a great day for the Toni Matt family, a great day for Catamount Mountain Resort, and a great day for ski history in America” said Richard Matt, son of Toni Matt.

“The ownership of Catamount and I have been involved in alpine ski racing our entire lives. To have Toni Matt, one of the legends of the sport, so connected to Catamount is an honor to be celebrated” said Catamount General Manager Mark Smith. “We appreciate his legacy and the efforts of his family to remind Catamount’s race coaches, instructors, and young ski racers that a man of Toni’s caliber forged a tradition of excellence to be emulated” continued Smith.

There was a dedication of the Toni Matt racing trail at Catamount on Saturday December 14th at 1:00pm.

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Discover Stability and Joy in Skiing with Stable Ski – Designed for People with Limited Mobility

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Stable Ski

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Roger Lohr

Bretton Woods: New Hampshire’s Biggest Ski Resort

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Bretton Woods Credit: Ski NH

SKI Magazine readers once again chose Bretton Woods for the BEST SNOW and BEST GROOMING in the EAST for the 2024 season. For older skiers who prefer gentle skiing and great conditions with fewer difficult slopes, Bretton Woods is the place! Other top rankings for Bretton Woods in 2024 include the best in New Hampshire for Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Lodging, Guest Services, Dining, Family Friendly and Après Ski Scene. The area also did well in the New England Ski Journal poll rankings and among the accolades is the most scenic ski area.

Bretton Woods is New Hampshire’s largest ski area with 464 acres of skiing and snowboarding on 63 trails and 35 glades! Ten lifts, including the Bretton Woods Skyway 8-Passenger Gondola and four high-speed quads, make your ride up the mountain almost as fun as the ride down.

The Rosebrook Lodge is at the top of the Bretton Woods Skyway Gondola with stunning panoramic views of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. The Switchback Grille (11 AM – 2:30 PM) offers lunch or libations at the bar or there are snacks at the Peaks Café. The Slopeside Pub & Restaurant is in the main Base Lodge for a sit-down lunch menu and large glass windows for a slopeside dining experience. The Lucy Crawford Food Court is the other base lodge option which is on the main level for food to keep fueled.

Snow and Terrain

Bretton Woods is known for consistent snow conditions, and it’s rarely ever windy. They’ve got snowmaking on 92 percent of the trails. Over the years, Bretton Woods was known as an easy mountain with few steep slopes and that, in fact, is one of the best reasons for older skiers to become aficionados of the area. The runs are short and the lifts are fast, and this allows older skiers and riders to ski comfortably or turn on the jets and avoid getting tired from runs that are too long.

The ski area has become recognized for its grooming by earning first place mention in a skiers’ poll.  It also has excellent accessible glade skiing that can be enjoyed by intermediate skiers and boarders and has long lasting powder. Bretton Woods has an excellent layout with the four high speed chairlifts helping to spread skiers out on the mountain, which keep lift lines reasonable and often nonexistent. The West Mountain and Rosebrook areas on the mountain are separated from the main mountain, and they provide plenty to explore both on the slopes and in the glades.

Suggested Alpine Skiing Itinerary for Seniors

Upon experiencing Bretton Woods SeniorsSkiing correspondent Tamsin Venn stated, “The overall experience here is a friendly mountain that’s fun to ski. There’s plenty of skiing available for an older person without putting too much pressure on hips and knees. For tree skiers, the glades are fairly open in keeping with the resort’s easy-going nature.” 

My recommendation for Bretton Woods is to take the Bethlehem lift and then ski to the Rosebrook lift. Take a few runs in the Rosebrook area in some easy glades, but don’t go too far to the east, or you’ll end up back down at the base. From the top of the Rosebrook lift, you can also go west (to the right) and keep your speed up as you pass by the Rosebrook Lodge to reach the West Mountain for runs in the glades on that side of the mountain. Enjoy plenty of narrow runs in the West Mountain trees. There’s a restroom at the base of the West Mountain quad, if you need it.

Bottom Line

Seniors 80 years and up ski free any day, and those 65-79 ski for $40 midweek (M-Th)/non-holiday. Holiday or weekend (Fri-Sun) lift tickets are $124 for ages 65-79. Adult day passes are $97 Mon-Thur non-holiday and $139 holiday or Fri-Sun.

2024 Bretton Woods Mountain Stats

Summit Elevation: 3,100 feet

Vertical Drop: 1,500 feet

Base Elevation: 1,600 feet

Trails and Glades: 98

Skiable Acreage: 464 acres

Snowmaking: 92% of Trails

Average Annual Snowfall: 200+ inches

Season Length: Early-November to mid-April

Exposure: North-Northeast

Lifts: 10

Uphill Lift Capacity: 14,000 skiers per hour 

 

Bretton Woods Nordic Skiing

The Bretton Woods Nordic Center is one of the best XC ski facilities in the world at the golf club next to the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel and has classical and skate skiing as well as snowshoeing on trails prepared with state-of-the-art grooming. Visit on-trail destinations including a warming cabin on Porcupine Trail, and the lift-served Mount Stickney Cabin. There are exceptional scenic vistas along many parts of the trail network for those who want to retain the memory with the Mt. Washington peak as the backdrop.

The lift-served Mountain Road trail may be the most fun to be had on XC skis in New England and the photos from the trail are unsurpassed.

I’ve taken many friends on the Mountain Road because it is much easier to take the lift up and then ski downhill on the trail, and it has incredible scenery and views. This 7 km trail is accessible from the top of the Bethlehem Express quad at the Bretton Woods alpine ski area (five minutes from the Nordic Center via complimentary resort shuttle). Along the way, take a side trip on a T-bar lift to the Stickney Cabin for snacks and libations and to ski additional trails on the way back to the Mountain Road. For senior or novice XC skiers, the Mountain Road is sure to be a lifetime highlight!

XC ski and snowshoe rentals are available at the Nordic Center and skiers can be outfitted with classic and skate skis, pulks (pull sleds for pre-skiers) and snowshoes. The Nordic Center also has an excellent retail shop for everything XC ski. Private and semi-private lessons are available with advanced reservation.

While you’re at the area take the free shuttle and go check out the historic Omni Mt. Washington Hotel for some drinks or dinner. It harkens back to the time of the grand hotels (bell boys, ski concierge, etc.) and it has been renovated with a new spa, wonderful restaurants and bars, and even a dance club in the basement for late night action.

Nordic Trail System Stats

Total Kilometers: 100km (95km tracked and skate groomed)

Trails: 45 (34% Novice, 45% Intermediate, 21% Expert)

Base Elevation: 1,600 Feet

Peak Elevation: 2,800 Feet

Total Acreage: 1,770 Acres

Annual Snowfall: 200+ inches

Season Length: mid-November to mid-March

Guest Contributor

How Not to Learn How to Ski

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Editors Note: This article comes from SeniorsSkiing subscriber Chet Kaplan from Brooklyn, NY

Credit:4maksym

I tried to learn to ski in my early 50’s, going on a day trip whenever I could. I rented equipment and was always eager to get as much free advice as possible. “Lean forward!” “Hold your arms out as if you’re carrying a tray!” “Bend your knees!” “ “Always face down the hill!” “Breathe!” Somehow, despite all this slightly confusing information, I managed to begin to parallel ski because I got very tired of snowplowing.

The second season of my ski career I was invited join two friends who were excellent skiers at Whiteface Mountain. Knowing that we could not possibly ski together, they urged me to join the Mountain Tour to become more acquainted with the area, so I signed up.

The guide took us up a lift to the top of a run and said, “Follow me!” As I looked down at what seemed to be Mt. Everest, my brain went into overdrive as I struggled to comprehend what I had gotten myself into.

I realized I had not yet made out my will, if I did go down and did.  An instant later, I convinced myself I’m probably a much better skier than I imagined, so I began down the hill at what seemed like 100 mph.

Within a few seconds, I fell and found out later that I tore some cartilage in my chest. But I was alive! That ended my ski season, but I healed in time for ski season number three.

The next season a group invited me to join them in Utah. I thought that this was a wonderful opportunity to become a good skier, so I quickly signed on. My friends were supportive, offering me lots of advice, all for free! “Press down with your big toe!” “More flexion!” “Stand taller!” “Bend your knees more!” “Move your hips forward!” My favorite was “Chet, relax, this is supposed to be fun!”

I did begin to ski more parallel until the day we went to the Canyons and opted to do the Mountain Tour. I was directed to join the more advanced group. Instead of changing to the slower group I followed some advice which was, “The only way to improve is to take more risk and go with more advanced skiers!” This was my golden opportunity!

My group got off the lift and went to the top of a steep mogul run. After looking down, I quickly told the guide that I had never skied anything like that. He said not to worry, just follow him. The last time I heard “follow me” it did not turn out well. So, I decided that if again I made the wrong decision, the first thing I would do after returning home would be to immediately register for a new IQ test. Falling very hard on the first mogul, I tore a calf muscle. After some time in PT, I was advised that this is all part of learning to ski!

Determined that I would start having fun by becoming a good skier, I then joined “Ski College” in Park City in early December for several seasons. This involved 5 hours each day of group instruction for 5 days with a “Certified instructor”. One day, I asked the instructor for any advice on how I was doing. He said “Fine”.  The next season I had an instructor who only advised, “More angulation!” That was all he ever said.   At the end of the week, I asked how he thought I progressed, and he said, “More angulation!”

It’s very possible that the best advice I ever received was from myself. When I am completely balanced, relaxed and comfortable on my skis, I register what my body needs to do to achieve that feeling. I’m also very lucky to ski with wonderful folks in the 70+ Ski Club who rarely give me advice. Maybe I’m finally learning to ski?

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The Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit transforms your helmet from just protection to a first responder’s info source

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Safety on the slopes is consistently the top concern of SeniorsSkiing.com readers. Now you may elevate your safety, and that of others, with the Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit. 

This unique skier/snowboarder safety solution integrates Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with Search and Rescue (SAR). The ultra-compact and durable Kit combines your medical/contact ID with a high-visibility Trail Marker designed for maximum emergency assistance. The “dual-purposed” Kit allows instant access to your essential personal information while empowering another skier to provide a SAR tool to deploy the high-visibility Trail Marker that helps rescuers pinpoint your location rapidly. The Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit is your ideal “ski buddy.” The Kit offers peace of mind by combining critical information with high-visibility rescue features, helping ensure rapid response to unanticipated events on the slopes.

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  • The pouch is universally positioned on the left rear of the helmet. This allows emergency personnel to quickly and easily locate your vital information. This instant access to your information saves valuable time and eliminates the need to search through clothing layers. 
  •  The medical data form is a synthetic material impervious to moisture and tearing. Your information is easily printed with a pencil. The pencil is recommended as the synthetic form is non-porous and ink is not absorbed leading to smudging and fading.  The graphite “lead” lasts indefinitely yet is easily erasable, permitting you to “Edit with Ease” to keep your data current and avoiding 3rd party intervention.
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The Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit is very well thought out, quite simple, yet very effective in an emergency. The retail cost of a 2-pack is normally $6.99 Thanks to an agreement between SeniorsSkiing.com and the makers of the Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit SeniorsSkiing.com readers can use Coupon Code SS65 and get the 2-pack for only $5.00 total. Isn’t your safety and that of your loved ones worth $2.50 a person? We think so. That’s why the Alpine Helmet ID+ Kit will be on our helmets this season. To get your discounted kit, click on their banner ad.  

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Jonathan Wiesel

XC Skiing-What It Is, What It Isn’t, And Who We Are

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Photo by Laura Lezman on Unsplash

Cross country skiing has a complex and formerly unenviable reputation. Many North Americans, including ski media, used to visualize it as acceptable only when there was no downhill alternative. Couch potatoes and many alpine skiers took know-nothing or condescending attitudes, and XC often was viewed as technically simple to the point of boredom, granola-and-wool dowdy, and primarily practiced by young masochists.

Dr. Bob Arnot, former NBC News Chief Medical Correspondent and himself in the mid-70s, writes that “Aerobically, XC is the finest recreation you’ll ever find. It builds muscles and lowers body fat – a single hour of moderately-pace skiing burns 800 calories…”

Here’s a true story about XC stereotyping, from my conversation in the 1980s with a Colorado alpine resort manager. He told me they wouldn’t allow cross country skiers to take up valuable parking spaces because “He’s a guy who heads into the woods on Friday and comes out Sunday without having changed either his $5 bill or his underwear.”

Times have changed. Today, aficionados recognize the sports’ cardiovascular benefits, and also love it for the grace, variety, conviviality, and the taste of clear air, pure light, sighing wind. Today, it’s more than mere recreation, it’s exhilaration.

XC can be enjoyed from the moment you attach boots to boards, but it takes time to become an accomplished skier. As to the familiar “It looks like so much work!” misunderstanding, running a marathon is physically demanding too – but like jogging, XC is something you can do at your own pace.

As to the lycra-wearing-loner-male-athlete-with-a-frozen-mustache stereotype, it was sorta-kinda apt decades ago, mostly before machine-groomed trails..

Fewer Mishaps

Another XC attraction is very low injury frequency, and even then, the damage is almost always minor. Hypothermia and frostbite are possible but infrequent. Yes, you can get hurt, or lost, or chilled, but if you’re at a XC ski area properly clothed (no sweat-inducing parkas!), it’s very unlikely – and as with downhill, there will be people around to help.

Over the past 50+ years, I’ve skied thousands of kilometers -including silly things such as skiing backcountry solo – and twisted an ankle once, and I was back out on the trails within days.

Finally…

Cross country ski areas come in all shapes, sizes, settings, and qualities. Generally, they offer instruction and often also accommodations and dining. They may be community parklands, alpine ski area affiliates, guest ranches, golf courses, centuries-old inns, even real estate developments, with activity options, too.

It’s quite all right to take an afternoon or a full day to enjoy other forms of recreation such as relaxing with feet up, reading a good novel, glass of wine in hand, glancing occasionally at falling snow.  Give a thought to museums, antiquing, night life, toy factories, bookstores, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing, sporting clays, disk golf, enjoying local accents, country stores, arts and crafts, hot tubs, even horseback riding and dogsledding. OK, snowmobiling too.

Fellow XC ski writer Roger Lohr says,” I prefer to go Nordic skiing on the weekend or when it is colder because groomed Nordic ski trails are very skiable, there are no crowds as fewer people go XC skiing and the skiers are spread out along miles of trails, it’s easier to keep warm… (muscle utilization warms the body), and Nordic area trail passes are significantly less costly compared to the weekend/holiday rates at alpine ski areas.”

There are elegant and vast operations along with  small and intimate, moms-and-pops, in mountains, valleys, meadows, forest. Some destinations are intriguing only for a couple of days, with not be much to do but ski. However, many lodges, ranches, and resorts can be immensely fulfilling for a week or more. Thes merit annual visits, combining beautiful settings with dependable snow and fabulous food. The folk who run them often do it for love as much as for money, and their affection for the land and way of life imprints every aspect of the business.

In choosing your destination, there’s so much variety that it’s worth defining vacation priorities. Is cross country skiing the primary objective, or part of a mix with downhilling? Is magnificent setting the overriding interest? Wildlife? Lodging and dining quality? A quiet or a lively ambiance? Do views of the Continental Divide justify altitude acclimation time? (Adjusting to elevation isn’t an issue in most regions, but above perhaps 6,000’, it’s sensible to take it very easy for at least a day.)

There are more than 100 alpine resorts in the USA and Canada with major Nordic affiliates, lodging, dining, and other services on the premises for multi-day visitors – think Sugar Bowl (Royal Gorge), CA; Silver Star, BC; Crystal Mountain and Boyne Mountain, MI; Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC; Bretton Woods and Waterville Valley, NH. Or, go wild and take in a Nordic-with-no-downhill destination. Whether your goal is beauty, entertainment, romance, history, family time, fellow souls, or endless exercise, there is an ideal cross country ski vacation.

P.S. XC trail distances are measured in kilometers (1 km. = .6 miles). You’ll notice that saying “I’ve skied 10 kms. this afternoon!” marvelously improves the appetite and frequently justifies a second dessert. It’s all part of the fun!