Short Swings!
Wednesday, I skied Alta. It was my second day out. Snow was blowing. Light was flat. I felt the chill.
After a few runs, it was time for something warm. I headed for Alf’s and looked around for a familiar face. No one even remotely familiar.
Tje crew at Alf’s makes terrific soups and other goodies.
So I took my bowl of mushroom bisque (consistently good at Alf’s), walked up to a table where another older skier was seated and asked if he wanted company. He did. I sat down, and we had a pleasant conversation. Turns out he’s a Vermont ski industry veteran and, to my pleasant surprise, a SeniorsSkiing.com subscriber. We talked shop for a while and skied together the rest of the afternoon.
We know from reader surveys that most older skiers prefer to ski with others. In the past I was happy to ski alone, but with age, I enjoy teaming up. I don’t have many friends who ski so I pick up ski companions on lift or in the lodge.
If you find yourself in a similar circumstance — on vacation, not knowing other skiers, simply wanting company — don’t be reluctant to approach an age-appropriate (or younger) stranger and start to chat. If he or she seems compatible, suggest taking a run together. The camaraderie is enjoyable. There’s the opportunity to learn more about the mountain. And, if either of you run into trouble, there’s someone there to help.
ALTERRA MOUNTAN COMPANY: New Name for Recently Formed Ski Area Coalition
Announced last year, the group comprises Big Bear, June Mountain, Mammoth and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in California; Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado, Blue Mountain in Ontario, Mont Tremblant in Quebec; Deer Valley in Utah; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia, and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. It will be interesting to see how Alterra’s to-be-announced season pass will compete with Vail’s Epic Pass.
CALIFORNIA
Achieve Tahoe provides winter and summer adaptive sports instruction for adults and children with disabilities. January 16-19 in North Lake Tahoe, it will host its annual “Ability Celebration & Winter Ski Festival.” The program is sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and Warfighter Sports. Thirty-four injured veterans will receive complimentary ski and board lessons (including individualized adaptive instruction and adaptive sports equipment), accommodations in the Village at Squaw Valley, meals, and transportation.
MASSACHUSETTS
Expect to see more about Massachusetts ski resorts on the Internet. The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and the Massachusetts Ski Areas Association are advertising on TripAdvisor. The campaign runs through March. The state’s 12 alpine areas produce 1.5 million skier visits each year.
PENNSYLVANIA
The state has a great program for grandkids who ski or board there. It offers free lift tickets to all 4th and 5th graders, regardless of whether or not they’re state residents. As part of the program, first timers receive a complimentary beginner lift pass, lesson and equipment rentals. First time adults with them receive a 50% discount. Visit http://www.skipa.com for details.
QUEBEC
February 2-4 is the 4th edition of the Festival Rando Alpine Tremblant presented by Smartwool. Activities include alpine touring, trail fatbiking, dinner, and a nighttime climb on skis to Mont Tremblant‘s summit.
VERMONT
Ski Vermont continues its series of humorous videos with the hopes of educating people about skiing safety. Their release is timed to coincide with National Safety Awareness Month (January). Individual areas throughout the state will be hosting their own safety education initiatives.
Bromley will host its 15th consecutive Mom’s Day Out fundraiser, Saturday, January 20. Mothers receive a day pass in exchange for a $25 donation to the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center (SVRCC) based in Bennington. To qualify, mothers need to show a picture of their offspring at the ticket window. Last season, 400 mothers participated.
Mystery Glimpse: Name That Turn
Not Easy, Nor Healthy, This Was The Turn Of The Early 70s.
Thank goodness, this fad turn didn’t last long. This week’s Mystery Glimpse: What was it called? If you think you know, note in the COMMENTS below.
Last Week’s Glimpse
Okay, okay, it was Jean-Claude Killy, the famous French celebrity ski racer of the 60s and 70s. Many of you got it. We remember meeting JCK at the offices of SKIING Magazine on Park Avenue around 1971 or so. He was a compact, wiry, with angular, athletic features with a firm handshake.
Jean-Claude was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there. He also won the first two World Cup titles, in 1967 and 1968. Later in the 70s, he became a race car driver, and a notable spokesperson for a sporty brand of Chevrolet. (“Camaro, eet iz my kind of car.”
Here’s the rest of his story on Wikipedia. Check it out to see who his very famous head of state friend is.
The Box In The Back
When You Need “The Box” For Survival, You Really Need It.
This can happen. If it does, you’ll be glad you have the “Box.”
Most people think driving to a ski area is a routine trip. Before they leave, they check and recheck what they think are the most important items—ski equipment. That’s not the only “equipment” you should bring.
Back in the good old days when the back seats of our all wheel drive van or SUV had two kids, ski gear and luggage went in first. Followed by what my daughter dubbed at age eight—“The Box.”
Mandated clothing for everyone was jeans, boots, long sleeve shirt or turtleneck, and, if they wanted, a sweater. In our ski jackets that were always an easy reach in case we had to leave the car in a hurry, we stuffed our gloves in one sleeve and a ski hat in the other. The boots stayed on at all times.
Why? “Because”… It’s a good parental answer because in this case, just “because” is true.
Anytime you head off to the mountains, you need to think about survival. Black ice, mechanical failure, an accident up ahead that halts traffic for hours, or worse, you get into an accident can turn a pleasure trip into a nightmare. BS, you think, I’m one of those who think the glass is always half empt
Au contraire. Enter “The Box” in the back. Actually, it wasn’t a box. It was and still is a medium size tool box. It contains a hatchet, survival knife, a multi-tool, small bricks of fire starter, matches in a sturdy waterproof container, six thermal blankets, a hundred feet of rope, a first aid kit complete with ace bandages to make a splint, tweezers, a scalpel with the blades still in the sterile packages, hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol in sturdy plastic bottles. And, when they became available, eight MREs (Meals Ready To Eat). Lashed to “The Box” by four bungee cords were two lightweight shelter halves. Also in the back were two gallons of water either in twenty ounce bottles or large jugs. All this is wedged in the back so if we got into an accident, it wouldn’t fly around. Under the luggage, I carried a snow shovel!
You’re thinking, this guy is nuts! Well, have you ever driven the road between Mojave and Lone Pine, CA? If you haven’t, you’re on the western edge of the Mojave Desert and not much of anything else. I-40 between Amarillo to Albuquerque is arid, and there isn’t a soul for miles. I-91 through Vermont or I-93 through New Hampshire can get really lonely at 11 at night with a broken car in the middle of a snowstorm. On any one of these roads (and many others), you can slide off into the gullies and not be seen from the road.
It can get lonely out there, worse if you’re not prepared.
Don’t think your car will be your lifeboat. If you’re in an accident, the engine may not run or worse. Sitting in an idling car puts you at risk of dying from carbon monoxide. The car is designed to dissipate heat, not retain it!
If you are stuck a long way from the nearest gas station, and do not know how long you are going to be stuck, stay with the car. Don’t use it for a source of heat unless it is well vented. Heat rises so it goes out the windows very quickly. If you are on a road, get something or someone on the road to stop whatever traffic comes by. Don’t set off for help unless the weather is clear, and then take your survival stuff with you. In today’s world, a working fulling charged mobile phone is your best friend. Small, solar-powered rechargers might be wise to carry in your glove box.
My point in all this is every year, people get stuck alongside the road and the news stories all involve hunger, exposure, frostbite, hospitalization, etc. Don’t be one. Create and carry your own box and be prepared. It’s insurance and you never know when you’ll need it. Not having it could ruin your day.
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