Short Swings!
This is the first issue of SeniorsSkiing.com of 2022. I wish all readers good health, happiness, and peace for the New Year. But Covid’s omicron variant is challenging that wish for good health. It’s spreading fast, even among those who have been triple vaxxed. For most of the infected, it appears to be less taxing than Delta or earlier iterations. One side effect reported by several people I know, is hearing loss.
Ultimately, omicron’s virulence may cause such widespread infection that we’ll achieve herd or crowd immunity. That remains to be seen.
We’re older skiers and, by definition, more vulnerable to serious illness from the virus. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll divide our cohort into two categories: those who stay at lodges when they go skiing and those who ski and return home. Each is subjected to infection on lifts and in day lodges. Those overnighting in lodges have the additional risk of exposure from employees and other guests.
I don’t know if Utah is typical, but in terms of looking at the intersection of skiing and Covid, it is relevant.
Alta has no mask or vaccination-proof requirements. That, according to several friends who have skied there multiple times this season. The area recently closed its Watson Shelter because some staff tested positive. Alf’s remains open but with no mask or vaccination-proof requirements. The midmountain day lodge does keep windows open, according to a source working there.
Alta’s Smiling Rock Photo: Harriet Wallis
By comparison, day lodges at Park City Mountain Resort (indeed, all Vail Resorts ski properties) require proof of vaccination and masks to access food-service and tables.
On the day I’m writing this, a front-page article in The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Covid swept through several of Alta’s overnight lodges, causing some guests to leave early, rather than risk getting ill. Of the five lodges, the only one requiring proof of vaccination is The Rustler. Snowpine, totally rebuilt a few years ago, follows Utah’s libertarian spirit and requires neither vaccination nor masks. The lodge’s website is devoid of any reference to Covid.
The Tribune quoted a 74-year-old guest who beat it back to her California home: “I’m not going back to Utah. It’s a COVID [nightmare]. Nowhere has better powder than Alta. Too bad it’s in Utah.”
The Christmas feast at our friends’ home was a lot of fun. Three guest couples, all contemporaries; all skiers; all known to the host and hostess but not to each other. Following festive fare, our ever-creative hostess, asked each of us to talk about the first time we skied and about a time we got into trouble while skiing.
The answers to Question #1 revealed surprising similarities among the men: none had been particularly “athletic” in youth. But then they were introduced to skiing. Each of the wives became interested through their husbands.
Getting into trouble on skis produced stories of literal, cliff-hangers; skis lost in deep powder, etc. Listening to these tales of woe, reminded me of the time I inadvertently became the end-of-the-day Pied Piper to a bunch of kids whose anxious parents awaited their return.
It was in the mid 70s and Pam and I were skiing Plattekill, an 1100’ ski hill with a variety of interesting terrain in the Northwestern Catskills, a few hours north of New York City.
Pam returned to the day lodge as I took one last run. At the top, I entered a trail I hadn’t noticed before. It was more of a road than an actual trail, one of those endless runs looping back and forth through the forest. A few minutes in I heard laughter behind me. I looked back and counted 12 little ones following.
Back to Pam waiting in the lodge; wondering, Where’s Jon? Around her, clutches of agitated parents wondering, Where are our children? Several minutes later, I walk in, followed by the kids. Emotional parents embraced their missing ones.
The angry area owner yelled at me from across the large room, accusing me of taking the kids on a closed trail. I called back: “The trail wasn’t roped off, and I didn’t know the kids were following.” His response: “Do you know how much it costs for rope?”
I was banned from returning to Plattekill; a punishment promptly ignored. Those kids must now be in their 50s!
Have you gotten into trouble while skiing? Send in your stories. We’ll publish the most interesting.
Stevens Pass Petition: 20k Signatures
In a mere five days, more than 20,000 Epic Pass holders at Stevens Pass ski area in Washington, signed a petition demanding that Vail Resorts refund 60% of the cost of their passes. Why 60%? They claim that VR sold passes while knowingly planning to keep 60% of Stevens Pass terrain and a majority of lifts closed for the season. The petition gives VR a deadline to act by January 15 before filing a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division and the Attorney General of Washington State. Click here to read the petition.
Incivility at Beaver Creek
According to a posting by the victim’s wife, her husband was struck by someone skiing in a group. When he confronted the person, another man in the group removed his skis and gave her husband a severe beating, leaving him with a broken rib and other injuries. The group, thought to be in their 30s, skied off and were not found. The incident was reported to patrol and the Sherriff’s office. It occurred December 31 at Beaver Creek.
Park City Patrollers Seek Raise
The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) rejected Vail Resorts’s offer of a starting wage of $15 per hour. The patrollers want $17. Current wage is $13.25. More than 200 patrollers are working without a contract. Other Park City Mountain Resort employees receive $15 per hour minimum. Patrolling requires extensive training and patrollers generally are responsible for supplying their own equipment. If VR blinks, minimum wages for patrol throughout its many holdings will climb.
Timberline and Ski Bowl Discontinue Free Skiing for Seniors
Subscriber, Thomas Levak, informs us that Timberline and Ski Bowl (OR) have discontinued free skiing for super seniors (73+). Lift tickets for 65+ skiers are $65 (days) and $45 (nights), and skiers are required to make advance reservations for the days and times they want to ski (perhaps not a bad idea given that limited numbers of skiers are allowed for different time slots). Thanks for the info, Thomas!
New Advertisers: Booster and Slide On
The Booster Dynamic Power Strap is an elastic power strap that replaces the power straps found on most boots and helps you ski better, regardless of skill level. It is used by 80% of all Olympic skiers. Slide On is a dry lubricant spray that helps your feet slip in and out of your ski boots. One application lasts for a month of frequent boot use. One 2 oz. can is good for the entire season. Click on the Booster/Slide On ad for more information.
Snowbird’s Golden Anniversary
Believe it or not, The Bird opened 50 years ago. Those of you who have been there, know its magic. If it’s still on your “to do” list, take steps to get it done. Its 2500 skiable acres are accessed by tram and 10 chairs. It connects to Alta, for a combined 5000+ acres terrain. I have many memorable days skiing thigh-deep (sometimes waist-deep) Snowbird powder with friends. The resort produced a 3-minute video telling its history. Click on the image, above.
Patagonia Walks the Talk
Patagonia makes superb, durable outerwear and redirects a portion of its profits to support environmental and other worthy causes. Another example of the company’s progressive policies is its closing all its stores from Christmas through New Year’s while paying employees.
Austria Tightens Covid Rules for Brits
Austria has classified the UK as a “virus variant” region. Effective December 25, visitors from the UK are required to quarantine 10 days upon arrival, even if fully vaccinated. Given that Austria is a major destination for UK skiers, this is a big deal. Exceptions: Those fully vaccinated and boosted who have a negative PCR test. Children under 12 are exempt. Teens meeting certain conditions also may enter the country.
Record Snow Records
More than 200″ (almost 17′) fell in the Sierra’s in December. Utah is getting hammered with one pulse after another. Revelstoke (BC) has received 21’+ so far this season. All that snow prompted me to look into snow accumulation records. An amazing 1,140″ (95′) was recorded at Mount Baker Ski Area (WA) (4,200 feet elevation) during the July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999 snow season. Mt. Ibuki (Japan’s Honshu Island) measured 465.4″ (38.8′) February 14, 1927. The most snowfall in 24 hours (6.3′) was measured in Silver Lake, CO, April 14-15, 1921. Mount Shasta Ski Bowl (CA) recorded the most snow from a single storm: 189″ (15.75′), February 13-19, 1959.
Brrrrrrr: New Ice Hotel on Italian Glacier
A bedroom is the ice hotel next to Capanna Presena Refugio
A new ice hotel is now booking reservations. The luxury facility is on Italy’s Presena Glacier at Passo Tonale in Trentino and features intricate ice carving on both interior and exterior surfaces. The three-igloo-room facility is next to the Capanna Presena Refugio.
Vintage Cars in Snow
Here, from Weather.com, are 53 photos of cars in snow…most of them stuck in the snow. They’re from both sides of the pond and fun to see. Click here to view.
Another Weather.com entry: 91 vintage images of people playing in the snow. Notice that virtually every person pictured is smiling. Of course, they are! They’re in the snow. Click here to view.
Do you have information you want to share with other members of the growing SeniorsSkiing.com community? Send it to jon@seniorsskiing.com. Use the same address if interested in contributing articles. Please forward SeniorsSkiing.com to other older skiers who may enjoy receiving it. Or simply tell them about the site.
The Skiing Weatherman-January 7, 2022
New Year…New weather pattern…
The 2021 holiday period provided epic snow conditions across most of the West with trails counts and surface conditions rather sketchy over the eastern half of the country. While storm after storm nailed the West, a typical La Nina upper level ridge over the southeastern states was enhanced by a sudden spike in the output of the sun, as detailed last week. The solar flux increase has reversed course in dramatic fashion as the red line on the following graph shows…
With the change in the solar flux, that pesky southeastern ridge has been crushed and replaced by a skier friendly upper trough as illustrated on this map…
That trough has delivered two snowfalls to the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast this week and troughs will be the dominant jet stream feature over the eastern half of the U.S. for the next several weeks. The northwesterly flow across the Great Lakes will deliver cold air masses that will support major snowmaking efforts, as well as natural snow at times. One source of natural snow will be “Alberta Clippers”…smaller scale troughs that originate in west-central Canada before tracking through the Great Lakes and into the larger jet stream feature further east. Mid-winter Clippers produce fluffy snow north of their centers and usually bring along a reinforcing shot of cold air with them. After a mild autumn and early winter, the waters of the Great Lakes are still warmer than normal, so meaningful lake effect snow can still fall although we are approaching midwinter. Lake effect has helped boost trail counts and soften surface conditions in the Midwest during the past week and that trend will continue. Clippers can turn into something more formidable as they approach the east coast if a smaller scale trough also comes rolling along in the southern branch of the jet stream. If the two streams phase, which strengthens the trough, very often the result is a bonafide Nor’easter.
I don’t want to forget the West, but the parade of storms that pounded that half of the country for the final three weeks of December has slowed down considerably, and with an upper ridge axis just off the west coast for much of the time in the next 2-3 weeks, the amount of moisture that reaches the Cascades, Sierra, and Rockies will be much more limited. Systems will crest the top of the ridge and spin down through B.C., the Northwest, and the northern Rockies at times, but they will be weaker than their December cousins. The southern branch of the jet looks to be more active later next week, so the southern Sierra and Southwest resorts could be in line for a refresher event at that time. As long as the trough dominates in the East, though, there will be more bluebird days than powder days out west.
Looking further down the road, here is a jet stream forecast for the 21st that looks good to me…
The clockwise flow around the ridge over the northeast Pacific will deliver arctic air to the trough covering the eastern two thirds of the country, sustaining the winter weather that is now locking in. By this time, conditions coast to coast should be outstanding.
Here are regional highlights…
Northwest U.S./Western Canada: This week ends with one more heavy snowfall. Weaker systems move through with light snow next week.
Sierra: Development of upper ridge stops the storm parade for the next week and likely beyond. Southernmost resorts could pick up new snow late next week.
Rockies: Upper ridge dominates going forward. Bluebird skies common…snowfall harder to come by.
Midwest: Winter has locked in. Lake effect, clipper snows and virtually unlimited snowmaking windows continue.
Mid Atlantic/Southeast: Two snowfalls in the past week have helped. Favorable pattern continues in place much of this month.
Northeast/QB: Cold dominates this month. Presence of upper trough will pick up the pace of natural snow.
Musings of a Greenie
SeniorsSkiing.com encourages readers to submit accounts of personal experiences on the hill. The following, sent in by Cynthia F. Jones, expresses her joy of returning to skiing following a 35-year absence.
Vanity Fair 1919
I ski only green runs. At 73, coming back to skiing 35 years after the briefest taste of its magic and delight many years ago, I’m having so much fun it should be illegal.
So…why am I writing this? First I LOVE that I found the SeniorsSkiing website – it’s been inspirational. The articles and information have opened doors to let me know I CAN re-embrace skiing as a senior. However, when it comes to connecting with senior ski groups – I realize I’ll probably never ski at the level of those members (acing the blue runs, tackling the single and double black diamonds), so there probably isn’t a peer group for those like me who just enjoy cruising the greens. Or maybe we are just the silent elder skiers.
Truth Magazine 1896
My goal is simply to have fun and continue to embrace the joy, the stoke and absolute zen I find on the mountain. Experiencing that perfect glide downhill (if the body is willing to cooperate on any given day) is worth all the effort.
Ok – I’m saying this in full view of senior skiers – I may never tackle a blue run. I do sometimes cast a glance over at them, on my fun runs, but they don’t beckon yet and the call to go blue may never be strong enough. The one thing I don’t want to do is take the fun out of skiing with “should’s.” And right now I’m having tons of fun.
My reintroduction to skiing was via a student in my yoga class. Forever will I be grateful to Sue for encouraging me to take that plunge back into something I had not been able to continue in my 30’s due to life circumstances. And yet – while eternal gratitude will always be there – Sue is a highly skilled skier (she’s been skiing for decades) and she quickly tired of skiing with me since my goals and skills on the mountain are quite different from hers.
Woman’s Home Companion
But hey – it’s all good. I take the occasional group or private lesson, as I explore different mountains, to keep my confidence growing. I’m exploring the “Senior Friendly” ski resorts…it’s one of the most enjoyable travel adventure projects I’ve had in a long time. I have no goal or personal need to graduate from the green slopes because I’m HAPPY!
And mostly I’m delighted, that now, in retirement, I can make following the powder a priority in life (I’ve put everyone on notice that a snow alert has priority over EVERYTHING!).
So here’s to the greenies if there are others out there – life is good!
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