This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan.29)
Mid-Winter, Ski Art, SmartPhone Photography, XC Booming, Question About Racing, Reminiscence, Skiing Weatherman, AI Ski Coach, Rx Goggles, And More.
Jon WeisbergComing soon: Prognosticator of Spring.We are approaching the middle of the winter season, and Ground Hog Day, coming up next week on Feb. 2, marks the half way point till spring. Hope you have half your firewood and half your hay left, at least that’s what the old time New Englanders say.
Curious that Dec. 21, the first day of winter and the date of the winter solstice is considered “mid-winter” just like June 21, the first day of summer is “mid-summer”. On Ground Hog Day we are technically half way through the twelve weeks/three months of the winter season, and the dark, long days are behind us, the longest, and darkest Dec. 21. So why not call Ground Hog Day “mid-winter?”
Actually, Ground Hog Day falls on a cross-quarter day, an astronomical event that marks a midway point between the solstice and equinox.
There are four cross-quarter days each year, Ground Hog Day, usually Feb. 2 or so, is the first. The others are May 1 (May Day), between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, August 1, between Summer Solstice and Autumnal Equinox, and November 1, between Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice.
Our ancestors used these cross-quarter days as well as the equinoxes and solstices to mark the progress of the year, these markers indicating the time to begin planting or harvesting. In our non-agrarian world, we’ve lost the significance of the sun’s movements across the sky. And no one really celebrates the significance of August 1 and November 1. May 1 has occasional followers (May poles and Morris dancers) as the mid-point of spring. Only Ground Hog Day remains as a celebration of movement towards spring and a huge public relations event for Punxsutawney, PA.
And as a symbol to snow sports lovers that time is running out for this crazy season.
This Week
Don Burch is posting the second of his Ski Art series. Don has managed to create a unique art form from video images, turning them into impressionistic, sometimes dramatic pictures of the ski world. Thanks again Don for publishing your work here. Click here.
Sugarloaf inversion taken by Smartphone. Credit: Tamsin Venn
Correspondent Tamsin Venn has tips from a professional photographer on how to make the most of Smartphone pics in snow country. Almost everyone we know pauses at the top of a lift or mid trail to take a picture of the scenery or their pals. These ideas can raise the quality of those “snaps” and put them into the “art” category.
XCResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr reports on the boom in XC activity: Visits to XC areas, gear sales, etc. People are coming back to the sport, bring in old XC gear for tune ups. First timers are being accommodated when Alpine areas run out of capacity. Interesting trend.
Our Question For You this week asks about your racing experience, if any. If not, why not? We are impressed by the many essays we received on how readers learned the sport. Your stories make interesting reading. Thanks for all your contributions. It makes SeniorsSkiing.com a tighter-knit community.
Veteran ski journalist Dave Irons recounts the only time he was a ski instructor. He was called to action to teach a small group of women despite the fact he never took a lesson in his life. How’d it turn out?
Dave had to teach a group of local women, and he never even had a lesson himself.
One again Herb Stevens checks in with the next week’s snow forecast. His mid-season predictions more snow for all coming up next week. Standby for news.
Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg describes the SnowVision Rx goggles he’s been using on hikes. The uniqueness of this goggle is that it claims to be fog-proof and full range of vision using a prescription lens insert. This can be a positive feature if you use this for XC skiing as well as Alpine. By the way, SnowVision is a SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser. Check it out.
A reader Bob Margulis reports in a new AI product that is essentially a custom ski coach. CARV is a tool you can use to get feedback as you ski. It consists of footpads in your boots, a Smartphone app, and Bluetooth trackers. He’s found his skiing has improved after just a short time using the product.
We have another poem for this week. In the past, we’d occasionally post a poem or story about snow, skiing, winter, and the like. We’ve posted a lot of Robert Frost, an excerpt from a Hemingway story, modern poets like Linda Pastan, Wallace Stevens, Wendell Barry, Emily Dickinson, W.S. Merwin, John Clare, John Greenleaf Whittier. We’ve published a song by Pete Seeger, and a poem written just for SeniorsSkiing.com by a street poet in Denver. This week we are very pleased to present a poem written by Matthew Haddad, 11 years old, submitted by his grandpa, SeniorsSkiing.com reader Doug Haddad. It’s really good.
Thanks so much for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Please tell your friends. Remember there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away. Stay safe out there.
Short Swings!
Pam and I got our first shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine last Sunday. It was a big relief. The second round is scheduled for Valentine’s Day.
Pfizer Covid vaccine
She estimates spending about 20 hours over the previous weeks trying to get the appointment. That involved phone calls to places listed on New York State’s Covid website and to area hospitals. It also involved being on hold for hours at a time. She was able to get a late February appointment for me because I’m over 75. Then the state changed the threshold to 65. She made yet another call and got lucky. We secured an injection time for early last Sunday at Javits Center, the massive exhibit hall on the west side of Manhattan.
Check out the sticker.
As disorganized as the scheduling was, the order in Javits Center was pristine. Camo-garbed National Guard guided us through well-marked mazes leading to a station where we filled out a two-page form and signed releases. Then we were shown to a station where a nurse administered the injection while another person entered information into the system. I have NEVER experienced as painless an injection in my 77 years.
The final step was to wait 15-minutes in a socially distanced seating area where help would be immediately available in the event of a bad reaction.
The entire process took about 45 minutes, and it was flawless. But there were many underutilized stations. I don’t know if that was because of vaccine availability, being early on a Sunday morning or something else.
While Pam was dedicating herself to securing our slots, some former colleagues emailed about places where they were able to get shots. One hospital, not far from us, was getting rave reviews for ease of scheduling and friendly service. We already were scheduled and decided not to change, but we gave the contact information to some friends who called and got their shots the next day.
The lack of vaccine distribution coordination suggests that each of us is on our own when it comes to securing personal protection. If you plan to get vaccinated, my suggestion is to stay abreast of availability where you live and book as early as possible. It didn’t have to be this way, but it is.
The more people vaccinated, the sooner we’ll get back to normal. Whatever that is anymore.
World’s First Urban Ski-Share
Lahti (pop. about 120,000), in southern Finland, is rolling out City Ski, the world’s first urban ski-sharing program. Skis and poles are borrowed and returned on the honor system. The program is part of the city’s commitment to reduce transport-related carbon emissions. Over the past 30 years, Lahti has reduced total greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. Within Lahti’s 180+km of trails is a newly constructed trail system in the city center. Lahti is seven-time host of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
Vail Not Negotiating with Stevens Pass Patrol
Stevens Pass Patrollers Demonstrating
After publishing an item last week about the possibility of the Park City Ski Patrol going on strike, we learned that patrol at another Vail Resorts-owned resort – Stevens Pass (WA) – has been going in a similar direction. In 2019, that patrol, seeking sustainable wages and co-equality as resort stakeholders — voted to join the Communications Workers of America. According to a report in Outside Magazine, Vail has yet to participate in negotiation sessions. The president of the Stevens Pass patrol group is Brianna Hartzell, who explains that it takes several seasons to build expertise needed to perform the multiple first-aid and safety tasks associated with good patrolling. An article in High Country News summarizes the conundrum facing patrollers with 3-5 years experience: “Embrace a lifestyle that leaves you earning barely more than minimum wage, or hang up the red coat and trade passion for practicality?”
Need Your Help Identifying Areas With Senior Programs
We’re asking you to help SeniorsSkiing.com assemble a list of all North American ski areas offering programs for seniors. Some, we know, sponsor local groups, others offer workshops through the ski school, etc. We’ve heard of a few with weekly gatherings (similar to Women’s Workshops) that provide workshop, speaker, discounts, etc. If you know about these senior-oriented programs, please let us know by emailing info@seniorsskiing.com. No need to be exhaustive. Simply name 0r describe the program, name the area, and, if possible, a contact person with email and phone. We’ll follow up to get the details. Our goal is to publish the list for 2021-22. Thank you!!!
Got Pain?
Biofit’s Relief CBD Cream works extremely well.
Sometimes I hurt. Maybe I pushed it too much on a hike. Or it’s an old injury acting up with a change of weather. Inevitably, my right wrist hurts after a day of skiing. Some over-the-counter meds work; others don’t. Recently, I’ve been rubbing the painful areas with Relief CBD Cream. It’s an anti-inflammatory, and it works very well. Biofit 360, an advertiser, makes the stuff, and frankly, I was skeptical that it might be just another of the many CBD products found in every grocery, convenience, and drug store. Not the case. Like the company’s Sleep drops which have helped my wife get a good night’s rest after years of insomnia, Relief CBD Cream helps me keep doing what I’m doing without needing to gulp down more pills. If I were skiing this season (unfortunately, I’m not), I’d use a little on that wrist and around my knees in the morning and at the end of the day. In the meanwhile, it gets rid of my discomfort, whatever its cause. To learn more click here.
Before I forget…
…February is when we ask readers to donate to SeniorsSkiing.com. Your support (along with our advertisers) allow us to deliver a weekly package of articles about skiing and boarding through the eyes of the older participant. More on this year’s initiative next week.
and Finally…
The Kings and Queens of Corbet’s is an annual invitational in Jackson Hole’s Corbet’s Couloir. Each of the 24 competitors are drawn from the ranks of the world’s top skiers and riders (plus a handful of locals). They get two runs in the competition for the title, King or Queen of Corbet’s. This year’s event will be Feb 16-21. To get an idea of what happens among these mostly twenty-somethings, click on the highlight video of the 2020 event (above). It is nothing short of AMAZING!
Skiing Weatherman: Mid-Season Update
Terrain Opens Coast to Coast
In my mind, the end of January is roughly the mid-point of the season and as we hit that mark, the slopes of North America are in good shape from coast to coast. There are a few spots here and there where trail counts and base depths are lacking a bit, but overall, the very active weather pattern of late has helped resorts in just about every winter sports region. A persistent Pacific trough has absolutely pounded the southern Sierra and Southwest this past week, with the amount of open terrain skyrocketing in the past several days. That trend will continue this weekend, pending avalanche work to ensure skier/rider safety. The parade of storms across the country will continue in the upcoming week, with the northern mid-Atlantic and Northeast in line for a significant snowfall to kick off February. At the same time, another juicy Pacific storm will bring new snow along the full length of the Cascades and Sierras, from Mount Baker, Washington in the north to Mammoth Mountain in California. We will likely have two major winter storms going at the same time, as suggested by this jet stream map outlook for Monday night.
The upper level low centered over Cape May, NJ, will be supporting a surface low that will spin south of New England, a classic Nor’easter track. The orange area over northeastern Canada is a blocking ridge, a feature that will not move out of the way, and that will slow down the progress of the coastal low and result in heavier snow amounts from the central Appalachians into central New England. Heavy snow will fall with the trough off the Pac NW coast on Sunday and Monday, and as the trough pivots east-southeastward, Monday and Tuesday will bring a couple of feet of snow to the southern Sierra. By the end of next week, the western trough will be positioned east of the Rockies, as you can see on this jet stream forecast for the afternoon of Friday the 5th.
The deep trough over the center of the continent will result in a surface low cutting from the southern Plains through the Great Lakes, which will bring a welcomed snowfall to the northern Lakes, but a messy storm farther east, where the deep southwesterly flow will bring a warmup that will last for several days. Meanwhile, along the west coast, a strong upper ridge will build and help to deliver a cold air mass to the Rockies. The very cold air will also move into the Plains and Midwest in the wake of the passage of the surface low next weekend, and then spread into the East early in the week of the 8th. By the time we reach the second week of February the overall pattern will be cold pretty much from coast to coast, and I anticipate a favorable pattern for snow and cold to persist through much of the month.
REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Pac NW/B.C.:
Early week storm brings another dump…dry and colder pattern develops thereafter.
Central and southern Sierra:
VERY snowy pattern brings another round early in the week. Drier pattern develops later in the week as trough departs.
Rockies:
Light to moderate snow northern resorts middle of next week. Heavy snow central and southern Rockies as core of trough passes through. Colder throughout after the storm.
Midwest:
Cold pattern in place. Western Lakes in line for significant snow later next week…mixed precip central and eastern Lakes. Lake effect snow follows passage of storm.
Northeast:
Cold weekend. Major storm from central Appalachians to central New England Monday/Tuesday. Lighter amounts across the far north. Messy mixed precip event late next week.
Mid-Atlantic/Southeast:
Moderate to heavy snow early next week. Turning milder with late week rain event. Colder thereafter.
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