Age Forces You to Change the Way You Ski
Let’s face it, if you are reading SeniorsSkiing.com, you don’t have the stamina, strength, balance, or flexibility you had when you were younger.
Over the past 10 years, I have had to change the way I ski and as I approach my 80th birthday, the evolution continues. So, let’s talk about what’s changed.
One, I slowed way down. Way back when, I was a pretty good racer, and my best events were downhill and GS, and was terrible at slalom. I liked skiing fast but at 65, I stopped running gates. Not worth the risk.
Two, I pick and choose the conditions in which I ski. Those that require strength and stamina such as soft, slushy snow, cut-up powder, heavy powder, to plow through are avoided along with glare ice. Flat light is another condition that needs specialized goggles to help see, but to me, flat light is dangerous.
Three, by skiing with my feet slightly apart, I use the outside edge of my uphill ski to increase stability. By being comfortable holding an edge with either ski adds to one’s confidence and stability.
Four, I reduced how many turns I make on each run. Modern skis are easier to turn than the 200 cm skis of the past but making lots and lots of turns (wedeln/short swing) is work. The steeper the slope, the more work it becomes.
Now, rather than make lots of quick turns, I make large, round carved turns through which I control the length of the turn. Holding the turn longer slows me down and lets me ski any terrain.
Five, my energy/stamina is limited and is like a lithium battery. It goes and goes until it runs out of energy, and then it is done. When it quits, there’s no last run unless it is to get to the bottom.
Remember, energy conservation is the order of the day if you want to ski 25,000 vertical feet a day. I went back to a technique taught children how to go from Mr. or Ms. V to Mr. or Ms. H. See my piece on the Punch Bicycle Turn.
And six, when I skied what trails has also changed. So, in the morning/before lunch, I’m on the steeper runs. Many large areas groom most, if not all their expert runs, so I spend early part of the day yo-yoing up and down those trails. Knowing the mountain helps because you can find a lift without lines serving four or five runs you like several times. Then, in the afternoon, its fewer steep runs and more blues.
The goal every day is 25,000 vertical feet or more. Some days I make it, some I don’t. It just depends on the conditions – snow, light weather, etc.
Remember each run is precious and what’s important is that one is skiing, not how much, how fast, or where!
Historic Hickory Ski Area Becomes Film Subject
Sue Catana, Ski Hickory manager
Ski season is also ski film season, when any number of movies about the sport are released. This may conjure images of Warren Miller, or films about 20-something free skiers who conquer remote mountains or perform evermore challenging and outrageous stunts.
But I recently attended a film that spoke to the history as well as the present of skiing.
“Reviving the Legend” is a half-hour documentary about efforts to bring lift-served skiing back to Ski Hickory, a small area near the Adirondacks’ Gore Mountain.
The enthusiasts who attended the premier of the movie, at an historic theater in Hudson Falls, N.Y., was filled not just with Boomers but some of their parents and grandkids as well – many of them fans and some stockholders in this small resort.
Hickory 16 months ago had a brief viral moment online that led to production of the movie.
It all started when operators of the ski center, notably Manager Sue Catana, took to Facebook saying they needed to raise $38,000 for insurance in order to open for the 2023-24 ski season.
Without that, state lift inspectors wouldn’t come and certify Hickory’s aged poma-lifts and t-bar for operation.
Hickory had been closed since 2016. Without a snowmaking system, there weren’t enough skiable days to make the place profitable. While it is owned by a group of shareholders whose families helped start the area in the 1940s and 50s, Hickory had become something akin to a club.
The Albany Times Union newspaper and several ski-focused social media sites picked up the call for help. Local devotees began contributing and buying season ski passes. (Full disclosure, I am the retired ski writer for the Times Union who wrote the story and am interviewed briefly in the film).
Most notably, operators of the Unofficial Networks ski site and of the Indy Pass multi-mountain pass chipped in more than $30,000 needed to pay Hickory’s insurance bill.
News that Hickory’s lifts would be spinning elicited cheers from the area’s fans, many of whom were descendants of the area’s founders, who live in and around the Southern Adirondack communities of Warrensburg, Glens Falls and Lake George.
That community spirit caught the eye of Kingston-based cinematographer Ian McGrew who started researching Hickory’s history and decided to produce a short documentary. He interviewed players like Catana and others.
McGrew drew on archival footage of the ski resort in better times when it was bustling with weekend visitors from the surrounding area. He also weaved in photos and interviews to portray the area past and present.
Hickory in many ways represents the way skiing in the Adirondacks used to be, before the technological revolutions in snowmaking, high speed chairlifts, along with the corporatization and convenience of skiing that characterizes so much of the sport today.
The place is a proud throwback. In addition to the all-natural snow conditions skiers rely on poma lifts and t-bars for uphill travel. In fact segments of the movie, and testimony from longtime skiers after the viewing, pointed how youngsters could, with the proper combination of technique and intestinal fortitude, get “launched” several feet off the ground when riding the poma.
With a 1,200-foot vertical rise, Hickory can also satisfy hardcore skiers as the upper trails are narrow, steep and twisty providing plenty of challenge. The base lodge is simple but inviting with a 60s-era round fireplace in the middle. The spot’s mom-and-pop nature also comes through in the film, with Catana, now 76, describing how she did everything from taking lift tickets to answering the phone and making vats of chili hours before the lifts opened.
Her father Hans Winbauer helped build the area after WWII. He served in the 10th Mountain Division U.S. Army ski troopers who battled the Axis forces in the war.
After returning home, some of these veterans went on to build what became mega resorts in the U.S. including Vail.
Hickory, though, stayed true to its small-town club-like roots and McGrew’s film depicts families of skiers, with little kids making their first turns at the resort.
He plans to enter “Reviving the Legend” in several outdoor and film genre competitions next year and plans to find an online outlet for it in the near future.
As for Hickory, they were hoping to open in late February, once state inspectors approve their surface lifts.
When they open tickets are free for those 17 and under, $70 for adults and $45 for those 70 and over. Hickory is located on 43 Hickory Hill Road, Warrensburg, N.Y.
Corporate Passes Have Brought “Ikonic” and “Epic” Changes to Skiing
Daily lift ticket prices at a major resort.
There’s no doubt that the introduction of two corporate passes, Vail Resorts Epic Pass and Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass, have enabled skiers to purchase season-long skiing at an impressive number of resorts for a one-time, up-front price. But one of the most significant consequences has been the astronomical increase in the cost of a daily lift ticket. Changing business models, increased consumer demand and a corporate push to drive season pass sales have all contributed to the issue. It’s clear that walk up, daily ticket prices at the window are intended to discourage day trips and encourage pass purchases. The era of the daily “snow chaser” is long gone.
As a former “snow chaser”, part of me laments for the days when I could wake up, check the snow reports and decide where I wanted to ski that day. Even though I couldn’t afford a season pass, whether I chose a mountain close to home or several hours away I knew I could get a relatively fair priced day ticket when I arrived. That’s no longer an option. Walk up to a ticket window today and depending on where you are it will cost you anywhere from $140 to $300.
Earlier this season I was planning a trip to Colorado. Having lived in Evergreen throughout the ‘90s, I made a point of skiing each resort in Summit County and the surrounding areas at least once a season. I was considering which old haunts I would like to ski again. I planned to ski a day or two at Loveland on my Indy Pass and thought it would be nice to add some days at A-Basin, Keystone, Copper, Breckenridge, or Winter Park. I was surprised to learn that even as a senior a day pass was prohibitive. In fact, Winter Park doesn’t even sell a senior daily ticket at any price. What was the area’s solution for me? Buy a senior season pass. But I only wanted to ski there for one day!
Resorts have created a growing divide between passholders and day visitors. They increasingly cater to season passholders, offering them perks like early access, priority lift lines, and discounts on lodging and dining. Day trippers are facing the highest ticket prices in history, making skiing less accessible to those who can’t commit to a season pass. Casual skiers or families who only visit once a year are priced out of the market. This exclusivity continues to underscore the impresssion our sport is “elitist” and “for the wealthy”.
Single-day lift tickets at major ski destinations have exceeded $250 during peak holiday periods. This pricing strategy nudges day visitors toward committing to a season pass or multi-day packages. Resorts benefit from this shift by locking in revenue before the season begins, reducing dependency on weather variability, last-minute consumer decisions or economic downturns. This stability allows resorts to invest in mountain operations, snowmaking, and amenities without the uncertainty of daily ticket sales.
The shift from single-day ticket sales to season pass revenue has led to several operational changes at ski resorts. The increase in pass holders has led to higher visitor numbers, particularly on weekends and holidays. This has raised concerns about overcrowding, longer lift lines, packed lodges, full parking lots and strained resort infrastructure. All of which deteriorates the overall guest experience. Resorts now must manage crowds and encourage more predictable visitation patterns. How will they do that? Partially by raising daily ticket prices further, using them as a deterrent against last-minute or casual skiers who might otherwise clog the slopes on peak days.
Yet another challenge for the day skier is the implementation of dynamic pricing models. This is how resorts prioritize market factors by fluctuating daily lift ticket prices based on demand, day of the week, and how far in advance they are purchased. With a revenue model that prioritizes season pass holders there’s little incentive for resorts to offer affordable single-day tickets.
The Epic and Ikon passes have undoubtedly made skiing more affordable for frequent visitors. Yet they’ve also led to historic increases and unprecedented daily lift ticket prices, effectively discouraging single-day visits and making it harder for newcomers or occasional skiers to enjoy the mountains without a season-long commitment. The traditional walk-up ticket is nearly extinct. It’s unlikely daily lift ticket prices will decrease. Resorts will continue to push consumers toward season passes and advanced purchase discounts. It’s a business model that works for them for now.
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