Short Swings!
My Ski/Family Balance
It dumped in Utah a few days ago, and I decided not to go skiing.
It was a choice between playing in the snow with pre-school/pre-ski grandkids and deep powder. Being with grandkids won out. Granted, the weekend’s revelry left me a bit under the weather, and the wind and flat light were convenient excuses. In the past, fresh powder trumped (almost) every other draw for my attention. It was gravitational, pulling me to its seductive pleasures. But grandchildren are a more powerful force, and sledding with them on a small hill in a city park was a special joy. I’ve had many great powder days in my skiing career and hope to have many more. Being in the snow with grandchildren I only see from time to time is more precious than powder. Both experiences are ephemeral. Despite climate trends, the snow should continue to come. Small children, on the other hand, grow. Maybe, one day, if health continues and all is well, we’ll be able to ski powder together.
The Bleak Future of Winter Sports
Watching the Olympic Games is a peek into the future of winter sports. According to an article in the January 27 issue of The Economist, the popularity of skiing — declining in Western countries — is shifting to Asia. In China, the number of skiers and boarders is increasing 20% a year and 500 new resorts are expected to be built ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Accompanying the article is an excellent video explaining the history of modern skiing and projecting the future of the sport. Climate change is having a big effect.
Odd But (Apparently) True
The disappearance February 7 of a skier at Whiteface Mountain at Lake Placid in New York’s Adirondack Mountains resulted in a massive but unproductive search involving multiple government agencies and ski patrols. Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis surfaced in Sacramento almost a week later wearing his ski outfit, helmet and goggles. It was reported that he was returning to Lake Placid to meet with the police.
New Hampshire
Cranmore Mountain will host its annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Weekend, March 9-11. Races on
Hannes Schneider
intermediate terrain will be held for several age categories. Past racers have ranged in age from 4 to 95. Hannes Schneider was an Austrian mountain soldier in WWI; his son, Herbert, was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. The Meister Cup pays tribute to American mountain soldiers with a special military race, in which active duty soldiers of the 10th and the Army Mountain Warfare School participate. The weekend features a welcome reception and buffet, opening ceremony, ice carving contest, silent auction, a wear-your-own vintage skiwear show, awards ceremony, and ski history presentation. A Torchlight Parade is scheduled that Friday.
Quebec
Mont Tremblant‘s Super Demo Days, Saturday March 3 is its final of the season. Next season’s skis, boards and accessories will be available. The resort’s SnowSchool hosts a variety of family-friendly programs March 3- 11. Click on SnowSchool (above) for details.
Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort will offer numerous on-mountain activities during Quebec Spring Break. Notably, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s Fulllmoon Descent, March 2, when participants of all ages don headlamps and ski. Stoneham’s activities include a playground, make-up stand, arts and crafts, campfires, BBQs, winter survival workshops, and, March 6–9, pony rides for the kiddies.
Visit Happy Parents Package for special lodging deals with free tickets for kids as old as 17.
Utah
Presidents’ Day Weekend delivered the goods in Utah. 48 hour totals range from 23″ at Snowbird to 22″ at Brian Head, the state’s most southern resort.
Vermont
Bromley will hold its Vertical Challenge, March 11. Skiers and boarders compete for medals. The Vertical Challenge is a northeast ski area favorite with participating resorts creating a festival atmosphere.
Mystery Glimpse: Hold On
You Have To Be A Certain Age To Have Used This.
Credit: John Emery
Thanks to reader John Emery, 65, from Meridian, ID, who skis as regularly as possible at Bogus Basin. He sent in this memory from yesteryear. Do you know what it was used for? By the way, John has been skiing since age 4 when he started back in Connecticut. There’s a bit of a nuanced hint in that last sentence. Scroll down and write your guess in COMMENTS below.
If you have any “guess who/what this is”, let us know. We are running these archival pictures in partnership with some outstanding ski museums sprinkled across the US and Canada. However, if readers have a puzzler, we’ll consider it.
Last Week
Medals. Whose?
Yes, these are Bode Miller’s medals at the New England Ski Museum in Franconia, NH, at the base of the Cannon Mountain tram. Incidentally the new branch of the New England Ski Museum opens in North Conway this Saturday, Feb. 24, with a ribbon cutting.
These five medals represent Bode’s victories in the Olympics at Salt Lake City (2002) and Vancouver (2010). Bode also won three other medals at the Olympics, presumably they are in a vault somewhere. (Source: Wikipedia)
- Sochi 2014, bronze (super combined), bronze (super-G)
- Vancouver 2010, gold (combined), silver (super-G), bronze (downhill),
- Torino 2006, gold (giant slalom)
- Salt Lake City 2002, silver (giant slalom, combined)
Bode can well be said to be the most successful American male Alpine ski racer of all time with eight Olympic and five World Cup medals over a 17 year career.
Despite his somewhat controversial start at NBC offering color commentary for the Alpine events at Pyeong Chang, we think Bode adds a level of expertise that is rare. He’s also into ski fashion and horse racing. Interesting lifestyle for an ex-ski racer.
Salt Lake City: Ideal Base for Skiing the Wasatch
For many Western resorts this is the season when it’s best to stay on the groomed. There just hasn’t been enough natural snow to enter the woods with confidence.
The trail skiing I’ve done at the four resorts closest to Salt Lake City — Alta and Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon and Brighton and Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon — have more than enough snow coverage to keep most skiers well-entertained, especially those who decide to stay downtown or somewhere in Salt Lake Valley.
Staying at a single resort when conditions confine you to the groomed and semi-groomed can get redundant. Being centrally located and visiting different resorts each day can be a more interesting option. Downtown has a lot going on. For those not wanting to deal with a car, there’s inexpensive public transportation to each of the areas.
Salt Lake City markets itself as Ski City U.S.A. Other municipalities use “ski city” when promoting themselves as Winter destinations. Salt Lake City is the real deal. A Delta hub. At the base of the mountains. Thirty, forty minutes from downtown hotels to 36 lifts serving almost 7000 highly skiable acres. Not to mention the state’s license plate slogan, “Greatest Snow on Earth.” This season being the rare exception to that P.T. Barnum knockoff.
Since I lived in Salt Lake City for the past decade and frequented the four areas, I thought that readers considering a Salt Lake City-based ski trip would benefit from some local guidance, which I’ll dole out in this and another article next week.
Super Pass and Alternatives
If you plan to stay in town or in the valley and ski Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude, consider purchasing a Super Pass or staying in a hotel participating in the Super Pass promotion. The Super Pass provides good savings on lift tickets and is flexible as far as number of days you choose to ski. The Ski City U.S.A. website shows numerous hotels that include a Super Pass in the price of lodging. Residence Inn Downtown, for example, charges $129.50 per person for a suite with kitchen and living room. The price includes two Super Passes.
You’ll need to do the math, but If you’re 80, you’ll ski free at Alta and enjoy deep discounts at each of the other areas.
What to expect if visiting at the right time. Photo: Steve Griffin
If you’re 70, you’ll pay $104 at Alta ($88-$99, if purchased in advance online) and $59 at Snowbird (mid-week). Brighton and Solitude discount their tickets starting at age 65. Brighton costs $52 – $57, and Solitude costs $61. Go online a day in advance and you may find better bargains.
Every Super Pass comes with free public transportation to the resorts. Depending on where you’re located it may be by bus alone or bus in combination with light rail. These are good options if you’re on a budget or don’t want to be hassled with a rental car.
Waterfall House in Salt Lake City
And there’s always airbnb. A search for arrival on Saturday and departure on Wednesday for two people produced results starting under $50 a night. If you have a smallish group, one of the city’s most remarkable rental homes is Waterfall House, which sleeps 7 and averages about $330 a night. It’s filled with entertaining and beautiful features.
Next article will give food and entertainment choices.
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