This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Dec. 13)
Nordic Volunteers, Poutine For Calories, Exoskeleton Helps Legs, More Incidents & Accidents, Southern Skiing, Mystery Team, Weather Report.
Early morning finds a groomed trail ready to go. Credit: MDM
This co-publisher of SeniorsSkiing.com loves to cross-country ski. Since we live directly across the street from a 900-acre tract of conservation land, owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations, we head over the stone wall whenever there is decent coverage.
In former days, we bushwhacked our own trail through the woods until we connected with the network of tracks made by the early birds. (There are always earlier early bird tracks.) And we followed the early bird trail loops until we decided to bushwhack again back to home base. Fun, but kind of tough for a seventy-five year old, especially at the beginning of the season and deep-ish snow.
NSNA Crew grooms all night for a wonderful trail in the morning. Credit: NSNA
Enter the North Shore Nordic Association. This is an all-volunteer, non-profit, community-based group which forms alliances with large landowners, most of whom are also non-profit organizations or municipalities, to maintain and groom existing hiking and biking trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow skating. For the past four years, NSNA has bought and maintained a collection of equipment through donations from local people and businesses. Every time it snows, the groomers are out there, usually right after the snow stops falling, often in the middle of the night or early morning.
Your retro-attired co-publisher at the Farms. Credit: AAM
The grooming machines create two ski tracks, one a broad corduroy for skating and two pairs of grooved classic tracks on each side. There are many benefits to having these ready and waiting for a senior skier. It is obviously easier to ski, for both beginners and, well, everyone. The packed snow also lasts longer. The machines also loosen up hard pack to extend whatever snow is down.
The NSNA uses social media to alert folks about conditions every day. The group also maintains trail maps on a Smartphone app. When we encountered a grooming crew on the trail one morning, the young man took our picture and immediately posted it on the group’s Facebook page.
All this is free for the skier. Enthusiasts and occasional visitors can donate to the NSNA to keep the machines turning. The group is well-run, organized, and community-focused. In the long term, they hope to create a racing league, offer lessons, and run a rental program.
The Point: If you don’t live near a cross-country ski area or resort where trails are groomed and maintained and rental equipment is available, consider forming a group like NSNA. All it takes are people who love to cross-country ski or snowshoe, some willing land organizations or town governments, and some energy to get all this organized.
Trail Masters Update
We have mailed out over 150 Trail Master patches to readers who responded to our Spring Survey as having skied more days than their age. Most were sent to US and Canadian readers, but there were also numerous addresses in Sweden, Finland, England, and Australia. Please note because some addresses were not completely filled out in our survey form, we were not able to send patches to all qualified readers.
This Week
Poutine, a Frency Canadian comfort food dish. Credit:Yvette Cardoao
SeniorsSkiing.com Northwest correspondent Yvette Cardozo reports on a Canadian cuisine specialty at Silver Star Resort in BC. Ever have Poutaine? It’s a hearty meal designed to replace calories lost to a heavy day of skiing. There’s more. Ever had a Caesar? Not a salad. Find out here.
We have a contributor review of the skiing assist aid Againer Exoskeleton. This device can actually extend your skiing career by supporting your legs and back. Consider our reviewer’s experience here.
What’s the highest mountain on the East coast of the US? If you said Mt. Washington, you’d be wrong. Mt. Washington tops off at 6,288 feet, but Mt. Mitchell reaches up 6,684. Where is Mt. Mitchell? North Carolina. Surprise. Co-publisher Jon Weisberg reveals more secrets about Southern geography and skiing in his book review of Southern Snow: The New Guide To Winter Sports From Maryland To The Southern Appalachians. Read more here.
Correspondent Jan Brunvand reports an Incident & Accident that he actually filmed taking place. His on-scene photos and report are astonishing. As readers know, we are collecting a portfolio of collisions to see if there are comment threads. With that information, we hope to influence ski industry practices and policies on managing unruly and dangerous skiers.
Correspondent Jan Brunvand captured an incident in action.
Last week’s Mystery Glimpse photo was Rip McManus in action. We provide a capsule profile of Rip and his impactful but all too short career in the skiing world. This week’s Mystery presents a jumping team from long ago from Alan Engen’s collection of historic ski photos.
Finally, Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, gives us a round up of regional forecasts as well as a tutorial on what a “trough” is. Here’s his story.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends and remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.
Feb 1941. Ski Jumper. Can you name them? Credit: Alan Engen Collection
Short Swings!
Will I get hit by a boarder?
For most of my skiing life, I looked forward to next season with enthusiasm. But several years ago, I began to face the season with some anxiety. Was I in good enough shape? Will the knees continue to do what they’re supposed to do? Will I get hit by a boarder? Should I listen to my wife and go south?
Inevitably, my love for playing on snow overrides those concerns. And my impression is that most of you share the point of view. If not, there wouldn’t be as many of us still skiing. Those over 52 comprise 20% of all U.S. skiers and boarders.
A ski through the park.
But the questions linger. For many, the older we get, the less confidence we have in our ability to return to earlier performance. Unless you’re in poor health or very poor physical condition, we should consider Bernie Weichsel’s advice. Bernie is a lifelong skier, winter sports marketing entrepreneur, past chairman of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, and member of the SeniorsSkiing.com Advisory Council.
“Everyone gets in shape for the new season differently. Some people do pre-season conditioning. Others do it on the slopes with a lot of easy gliding,” he explains. Not of the “do as I say” school, Bernie tries to ski, at the very least, the same number of days as his age — a goal he encourages all to emulate.
My first time on the snow for this season will be in January, and if things go as expected, I’ll rack up at least half my age, the most days skied in several years.
It will be good reward for working out five days a week. A few months ago I started to work with a trainer.My goal was to improve stamina and explosive energy. The trainer introduced me to several diabolically effective routines. Diabolical, because they require major effort. Effective, because hiking and walking staircases, I feel stronger.
And (sometimes) I listen to my wife and go South. That’s next week’s agenda.
If you’re a bit anxious about returning to the hill, give it a try. Most people are back in the groove after a few runs or a few days of runs, enjoying the thrill, the fresh air, and the scenery. So if you think you’re too old, think again. Go skiing!
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Vermont Nordic Ski Center Stores Last Season’s Snow
Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Northern Vermont was able to save about 6,000 cubic meters of snow from last season. Working with the University of Vermont, the 500 acre Nordic center preserved more than 60 percent of its original snow supply. It’s an important development for low-elevation Nordic centers as the globe warms. Click here for The Boston Globe’s full report.
Mt Norquay (AB) Carpool Incentive
Paid parking is used as an economic incentive to reduce traffic and encourage carpooling. Mt. Norquay Ski Resort in Alberta is trying a different approach. Once a month, the resort lets all car occupants split the cost of a single $89 lift ticket and get their own pass for the day. The area also encourages use of free shuttles from Banff with $20 tickets for the day.
Wise Counsel From The Pontiff of Powder
Jackson Hogen (aka, the Pontiff of Powder) is a reliable font of useful advice, which he conveys through RealSkiers.com, the go-to website for info on skis and other gear. A recent missive presents the case for tipping your bootfitter. It’s really about the value a good bootfitter delivers to your skiing comfort and pleasure and how that service deserves a cash reward. It’s a simple idea and a good one. If your fitter delivers good service, give him (or her) a few bucks. BTW, RealSkiers.com is available to SeniorsSkiing.com readers for half its $19.99 subscription fee. Enter SS20 on checkout.
Last Minute Shopping?
Here are five sites for unusual and interesting ski and cold weather gifts.
The Buffalo Wool Company
This is the place to get the most wonderful socks, hats and gloves. The socks I use are made primarily of bison down and merino wool. They’re soft, comfortable and wear forever. Visit https://thebuffalowoolco.com.
BRR! Skincare
This company makes a variety of skincare products specifically for skiers and others spending time in the cold. They use botanicals to protect against the effects of cold and wind on the skin without any toxic ingredients. Visit https://www.brrskincare.com.
Vermont Glove
This little company has been hand making gloves in Vermont since 1920. They’re full grain goat leather and last forever. I use the heavy duty Farmer model for splitting firewood and other outside chores. Wool liners make them cozy on very cold days. They also make a mitten. Visit https://vermontglove.com.
Bootster
This is one of my favorite skier gifts. It’s the effortless way to get foot into ski boot. The smart design makes this little shoe horn for ski boots easy to fit in parka pocket so it can be used after lunch. Great $25 gift. Visit http://thebootster.com.
NW Sales Connection
Here’s a fantastic site to find reasonably priced women’s and men’s ski clothing in a wide range of sizes and styles. You’ll also find a full range of kid’s ski wear and women’s swimsuits. Enter discount code seniorski10 for 10% off. Visit https://www.nwsalesconnection.com.
The “Snow” Song
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is the 1954 musical-comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. The Crosby and Kaye become a popular song and dance team following WW II, meet Clooney and Vera-Ellen in a nightclub in Florida and accompany them by train to Vermont. The film begins and ends with the song “White Christmas” and includes classics such as “Sisters” and “Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army.” On the ride from Florida to Vermont they sing “Snow,” in a delightful quartet laced with references to skiing. Click on the picture for a nice treat.
Book Review: Southern Snow Explores Skiing; Other Outdoor Winter Activities in the South
We all have preconceived notions about skiing.
There’s no ski resort in Mexico. Actually, there is one: Bosques de Monterreal and when there’s no snow, people use a dry, bristle surface.
There’s no place to ski in South Africa: There is. It’s called Tiffindell and it receives ample natural snow.
The American South doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to skiing. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
I’ve been reading Southern Snow: The New Guide to Winter Sports from Maryland to the Southern Appalachians, (472 pps; UNC Press) and it’s fascinating! There are 23 ski areas south of the Mason-Dixon line, most of which are in the Appalachian Mountains, the same range that provides elevation and vertical drop for skiers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. But down South, the mountains are higher than their northern cousins, and because of geography and weather patterns they attract a surprising amount of natural snow, supplemented, of course, by snow-making.
The author, Randy Johnson, published the first edition in 1986 and did a thorough update for this 2019 edition by The University of North Carolina Press. His articles and photographs are widely published and, for most of two decades, he was editor of Hemispheres, United Airlines’ inflight magazine.
Johnson does a thorough exploration of his subject. He explains the geography and the weather systems that deliver cold and snow to the region. I found the history particularly interesting, especially the region’s pro-Union role during the Civil War, and how these higher elevations became summer playgrounds for residents of Washington, Roanoke, Baltimore and other flat-land cities.
The book presents the development of the southern ski industry. The SCWDC (Ski Club of Washington D.C.) organized early winter forays into the mountains, cleared trails, and installed rope tows. More sophisticated lifts were in place by the late 1940s. Howard Head developed the first metal ski in Baltimore.
Each of the Southern ski areas is categorized by state; the most extensive areas are in West Virginia and North Carolina where vertical drops are as high as 1,500’ (Snowshoe, WV) and 1,200’ (Sugar Mountain, NC). This section includes places to stay and dine. While that information is kept current on the Internet, it’s helpful to have the author’s preferences.
The last part of the book details places for cross-country skiing, winter hiking and winter mountaineering. These cover, among others, state parks, national forests, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The book is infused with personal accounts and points of view. The author is a booster for the region he loves, often comparing conditions there to those on New England and, a few times, to those in the West.
Southern Snow immerses the reader in a general understanding and appeal of winter in the southern Appalachians. In this comprehensive and interesting read, Randy Johnson shares his love of the Southern highlands. Now I feel the need to add some of these resorts to my life list. If only there were world enough and time….
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