This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 28)
Isn’t It Time For You To Go Home?
We’ve all hosted house parties where one or more guests have decided to hang around long after everyone else has gone. Perhaps the table has been cleared, dishes stacked, and the corks put back in bottles. Perhaps the hostess has gone to bed with a telling backward look. Yet, here they are, discussing with vigor something about something.
Is this not the case with this year’s never-ending ski season? At last look, there were at least four areas still operating, some on weekends, but nevertheless. SnowBrains reports the summer skiing is “unbelievable” at Mammoth. Snowbird is winging. A-basin is open, too, with snow STILL falling in Colorado. Always a late closer, Timberline Lodge is going to end end of August. Although it is closed, Steamboat got a 20″ dump last weekend. Something happening here.
Amazingly, this “season” appears to have no end, now running consecutively with resorts in Australia, New Zealand, and South America whose season has just started.
And so we wonder, gentle readers, is it time to call it a season? Or not. Please tell us if you are still out there. More importantly, what keeps you going into the summer? Curious minds want to know. Drop a comment down below in the Comment Box.
Speaking of Latin America, our Chile-based correspondent Casey Earle offers a resort review of La Parva, right outside of Santiago. Check out the webcam links in the story. Lotsa snow there, too.
Even if the snow season refuses to shift, this week we are on to different topics. Pat McCloskey discovers a brand of ultra great maple syrup from Vermont’s famous Cochran ski-racing family that he simply has to write about. Our ever-traveling correspondent Yvette Cardozo visits a dude ranch…er, guest ranch…giving us a snapshot of yet another non-snow season activity. Did you know legs strong from skiing help you stay on a horse?
Finally, we’re publishing a season summer video diary by correspondent Don Burch. He’s taken the time to document this season with pictures and videos (some taken by ski journalist Peter Hines). Perhaps the idea of a video journal of the season is something that might catch on. At least, watching it might keep you a bit cooler in July.
Off we go into summer. We’re going sailing. What about you? Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com . Wherever you go, remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
Short Swings!
This morning only the silver slice of moon interrupted the pure blue sky.
Capitol Reef NP
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 mountain peaks at 11,328’ and is crowned by an escarpment currently spotted with snow. One north facing section is long enough to get about twenty turns. It probably would take a few hours to get up there and find the spot. More runs would be guaranteed if I drove the 3½ hours to Snowbird, where lifts are still running. It’s a possibility, but a few hours of turns may not be worth the effort.
Last weekend, 20” fell at Steamboat Springs. Snowfall this late in the year is due to a warmer and wetter atmosphere. At cooler, higher elevations it turns to snow. The last time Colorado had this amount of snow in June was 91 years ago.
If you’re fortunate to live close to Snowbird, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Arapahoe Basin or Timberline Lodge, you may be enjoying an extended season. I’m envious.
If you plan to be visiting my corner of the West, please let me know (jon@seniorsskiing.com).
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Elan Introduces First Foldable Ski
Elan’s new folding ski
Elan’s Ibex Tactix is the world’s first foldable ski. Made for backcountry, skis, bindings and skins weigh in at 5.5kg. The 163cm skis use a folding mechanism that reduces skis to 90cm for easier transport. The company’s claim that the package is good for all conditions is demonstrated in this video.
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Many National Parks Plagued by Air Pollution
Ninety-six percent of America’s national parks are plagued by significant air pollution problems reports the National Parks Conservation Association. The group evaluated air, haze, and soil and water pollution in 417 national parks. The results are available in NPCA’s report, Polluted Parks: How America is failing to protect our national parks. NPCA is the leading voice safeguarding America’s national parks.
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Alta’s (Now Past) Ski and History Tour with Alan Engen
For many years, Alan Engen served as Alta’s Director of Skiing. Alan is a strong contributor to the history of skiing in the Intermountain West and was the driving force behind the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City (named for his father, one of Alta’s founding fathers). Alan took great pleasure in sharing Alta’s history and its terrain with its senior visitors. This poster announcing the program is from the late 1990’s.
Videos Worth Watching
I recently stumbled across this 7-minute review of skiing in the US from the 1930’s through the 1950’s. It’s great fun.
This 8-minute instructional film from 1941 appears to be a US Army production explaining skis, bindings, boots, and skins. The difference between then and now is amazing!!!
The History of Alpine Skiing shows the evolution of the sport from its earliest days. Produced by Alpine Life, the video is about 12 minutes.
Correspondent Don Burch Wraps the Season
Don Kept A Video Diary Of His 2018-19 Season.
Perhaps this will keep you cool in July. If you have videos of this past season, please let us know at info@seniorsskiing.com.
(Some videos by Peter Hines)
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