Imagine an extensive road network in which single and double lanes merge with big highways. No stoplights. No speed limits. Highway patrol rarely issues tickets. Driving these roads doesn’t require a license. Anyone willing to pay the steep toll gets on. Vehicles aren’t safety checked. Tickets issued at the tollbooth carry a well-lawyered statement about […]
Big bargains await older skiers this season at 157 North American ski areas. Fifty-two allow them to ski free. The rest have heavily discounted the cost of skiing. But it all depends on your age. The comprehensive list includes season pass prices, age requirements, and links to each area’s website. To access, click “Community” on […]
A subscriber recently brought to my attention the SnowSport Safety Foundation, a non-profit, with the mission to encourage and enable ski area safety improvement through research, education and public access to reliable safety information. It was conceived by Dan Gregorie, after losing his adult daughter in a terrible snowboard accident at Alpine Meadows. Dan, a Physician Executive, Board Certified in […]
If there’s a skiers’ Hell, its boot room will be full. Many of you have written to complain that your boots don’t provide good support; they’re too cold; you have to tighten them until your feet go numb. They have you thinking about ending your skiing careers. There’s no other piece of equipment […]
Based on the overwhelming number of reader responses about on slope hits and near misses, it’s probably safe to say that skiing has become a contact sport. Body armor products aren’t far behind. Most of us got our first taste of protective gear when we donned helmets. I resisted a few years. Then word of head […]
Doug Coombs was one of the most celebrated steep and deep skiers of the ‘80s, 90s, and 00s. Many of you will remember his film exploits and his steep skiing camps at Jackson Hole and in Tinges and elsewhere in Europe. He died in La Grave France in 2006, when he slipped off a cliff […]
What about that Big Dump last week in the West!!!!!! If you’re like me — waiting for the first signs of Winter — the season is now on its way. These areas plan to open in October: Wolf Creek, CO – 13th October Killington, VT – 19th October Sunday River, ME – 19th October Arapahoe Basin, […]
Each year, SeniorsSkiing.com collaborates with Realskiers.com to inform its readers about skis that allow older skiers to turn more easily and to ski longer without tiring. Women’s skis – sometimes engineered for female size and physique – are included. To find the list on the site, a) click “Community” on the menu bar, b) click “Subscriber Only Content” […]
Arapahoe is running its guns. Big Sky, Alta, and Lake Tahoe are among the Western ski destinations that have received natural snow. A few areas in the Austrian and Italian Alps are already operating. It’s all about to happen again. Farmer’s Almanac predicts a “Polar Coaster” with wildly swinging temps. NOAA is expected to give […]
A total of 195 readers qualified as Trail Masters, reporting that the number of days they skied, boarded or snow shoed last season equaled or surpassed their number of years. Their ages average 67.6, and their number of days skied average 89.9. One-hundred-fifty-five respondents provided their names and contact details. Of those, 37 are women. […]
In case you haven’t noticed, ageism hasn’t gone away. The only difference is that over the years we’ve become the object of this form of cultural disdain. That’s why I thought it would be good to pay respect to some really old timers. Last month, we hiked to a grove of Bristlecone Pines, the oldest trees […]
Any one living in or visiting Salt Lake City can escape the heat and enjoy the remarkable wildflowers at Alta. Contributor Harriet Wllis reports that the Alta’s wildflowers are blooming like crazy right now. The meadows and slopes are like Persian carpets — covered with color!
“Too Darn Hot.” Cole Porter got it right with his enduring 1948 hit. What a summer! Weather is getting more and more extreme. Hot. Cold. Wind. Flood. I like this church sign: But I don’t like these pictures taken within a week of each other from near the top of Mont Blanc. Going from snow […]
This morning only the silver slice of moon interrupted the pure blue sky. The landscape here in south central Utah is exceptional. My summer grounds are at the base of Boulder Mountain, not far from Capitol Reef National Park. Boulder Mountain is the eastern end of the Aquarius Plateau, the highest plateau on the continent. […]
The most important equipment we need to maintain is our bodies. Cardio and weight training are essential to getting the most out of ourselves. My wife is great at exercise: persistent and consistent. Hardly a day goes by when she’s not swimming or doing yoga, weights or other gym stuff. It helps that she enjoys […]
We’re about to switch from publishing weekly, as we have since October, to our once-a-month off-season schedule. Many of you are back on the golf course or in your boats. The next time you’ll see SeniorsSkiing.com in your in box will be May 31. SeniorsSkiing.com had a record season. In November we celebrated our 5thyear […]
There’s a difference between skiing and a skiing experience. Confused? Let me explain. With just a few exceptions most of my 65-seasons have been spent skiing. I can’t remember every day or every run, but riding up and skiing down so many places and in so many conditions has been wonderful. Small areas, enormous areas: in retrospect […]
He may not be the world’s oldest skier, but at more than 5000 years, he is the world’s oldest and best-preserved wet mummy. Given his advancing years, Ötzi is in particularly good shape. Named for where he was found in 1991 by two hikers on the Italian-Austrian border, Ötzi now resides in the South Tyrol […]
Considering a ski trip to the Alps? Here are a few suggestions from our four-week journey in Italy. They may make your trip a bit easier. Travel light: We didn’t, and we regret it. Unless you’re going for the entire season, take one parka (possibly a shell), one pair of pants, and a variety of fast-drying […]
Italy’s Aosta Valley is rich with history; even richer with places to ski. The Romans used the valley as a route to Gaul. In the intervening centuries, more than 100 castles were built. Starting in the early 1930’s, the Italians, the Swiss and the French started building ski lifts. They haven’t stopped. The valley provides easy […]
Older skiers have older eyes, and all skiers eventually experience decrease in snow contrast sensitivity. The most common culprit is cataracts, the cloudiness that forms on our lenses, causing the eyes to lose clarity and decreasing the quality of light focused on the retina. Cataracts can start forming when we’re in our 40s and […]
There are times when we can benefit from some extra help, especially as we age or develop chronic medical conditions. Nick Manley, a remarkable athlete with a degenerative neurological condition, swears by the Ski-Mojo knee bracing system. The product’s shock absorbing springs reduce the load on his knees, allowing him to continue to race and […]
The Grand Mesa in western Colorado is the world’s largest flat-topped mountain. Six-thousand feet higher than surrounding terrain. In places, it ascends to 11,000’. You drive through high desert, ranchland, tiny villages. Then you climb to the heights of Powderhorn Mountain Resort. Many of you have expressed interest in lesser-known ski areas. To those not […]
Many thanks to those who responded to our February fund-raising campaign. Your decals, patches, and hats are being sent. There are delays in shipments because the patch supplier is behind schedule. Thank you for your support!!! Once upon a time, stores, malls and restaurants didn’t look the same. Places in different parts of the country […]
Many thanks to each of you who has generously responded to SeniorsSkiing.com’s fund raising campaign. We soon will be sending out decals, patches and hats. The campaign will run through February. The Things We Carry What do we really need for a week or two on the hill? Answers will vary depending on whether we’re […]