Update: Reader Input Brings Changes To List Where Seniors Ski Free
Following Last Week’s Publication Of SeniorsSkiing.com’s List Of US Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free, We Received Numerous Corrections From Readers.
Mad River Glen in Vermont and Hunter Mountain in New York don’t have freebies; Bear Valley in California and Gunstock in New Hampshire do. The list has been updated to reflect those and other changes.
Some areas have prices so low that they’re virtually free. For example, Snow Basin in Utah has a $99 season pass if you’re 75. It’s not “free,” but it is quite the bargain. The footnote on the last page had been altered to cover that type of bargain.
We’re confident that there are other such bargains we haven’t captured. As you come across places offering free or “virtually free” skiing, please let us know. We’ll inform readers as the information comes in.
In the meanwhile, make the most of the list and suggest that other senior skiers subscribe so they, too, will have access to that list and other valuable Subscriber Only content.
States with the most areas offering free or “virtually free” skiing:
- New Hampshire: 12
- California: 11
- Minnesota: 10
- New Mexico: 8
- Pennsylvania: 8
- New York: 7
- Maine: 7
- Vermont: 6
- Oregon: 6
- Colorado: 5
- Washington: 5
If you’re a current subscriber, access the full list by looking under the COMMUNITY>SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT menu picks. If you aren’t a subscriber, give us your name and email address (free by the way), and you’ll be good to go.
XC Skiing: Older, Wiser, And Cheaper
A Veteran Ski Instructor Finds Nordic Matches His Senior Skiing Philosophy.
A seasoned Alpine skier (left) compared to a pro Nordic skier. XC is easy to do wrong.
(Credit: Brad Noren_
Older, wiser, cheaper, what is this about? It reflects on what happens with age for most, but let’s put it into a skiing context. Having taught skiing since 1971, I’ve discovered these are the three adjectives that seem to reflect on one’s skiing philosophy with the passing of time.
Most of us in this age group probably skied a lot in the 70s and 80s, maybe even the 60s. I’m sure those memories are rich with fun, challenge and thrill. But as we move into the present, the love of the sport is struggling against those three words in many ways, and, for some, as the song says, “The Thrill is Gone”.
Over my many years of skiing and teaching skiing, I watched aging skiers make changes that were hard to accept (me included). This often resulted in some quitting the sport (not me included). Back to the “older” adjective; in brief, “the body doesn’t do that anymore”. The “wiser” adjective points to personal safety issues, and the “cheaper,” well, you know what that means.
Being “older, wiser, and cheaper,” I have found cross country skiing to be an excellent sport for seniors but often not understood or accepted by the once serious downhill skiing fanatic of decades past.
XC skiing will give you the opportunity to circumvent most of the “older” issues by building muscular strength, adaptive fitness, respiratory health, and the thrill of learning will return. A new challenge is in your future. XC skiing will make you much “wiser” on how your body parts really work, because you will be focusing on efficient movement, good diet, refined balance and more. XC skiing can also be “cheaper” than the downhill sport.
Being both an alpine and Nordic ski instructor, there’s a problem I’ve seen with the move from alpine to Nordic. Alpine skiers sometimes feel that since they are a seasoned, 40-year plus alpine skier, black diamonds, powder, NASTAR gold and all that they can put on a pair of XC skis and master the Nordic/XC sport.
Yes, you can try that but you will surely miss the fun, challenge, and the thrill. You must learn to XC correctly. XC skiing is easy to do BUT even easier to do wrong. I have seen this happen over and over again with close ski friends who are expert alpine skiers in their day. Ditch the ego and take a Nordic/XC ski lesson, you will not regret it. Yes, you will bring many skills in from your downhill resume, but you will also learn things you never even thought of. Your health will likely improve; you are going to be wiser learning a new skill, and you might—probably will—spend less cash.
And don’t give up your love for downhill because I also know your downhill skiing skills are going to be strengthened, and you will find a new thrill there as well.
For more information on properly learning XC skills, check out my web site, Nordic Fusion. As I tell all I ski with “Glide Long and Prosper”.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 10)
Veterans Salute, Free Skiing For Seniors Announced, Rush To Prep For Season, Funny Mammoth Memories, Ditch The SmartPhone.
A platoon of the 10th Mountain Division training at Camp Hale, CO. They were one tough bunch; many went on to become ski industry pioneers.
We’re heading off to Boston’s Ski and Snowboard Expo at the World Trade Center this morning, armed with lots of SeniorsSkiing.com stickers and many copies of a hot-off-the-press news release announcing a list of resorts where seniors can ski for free.
When we started SeniorsSkiing.com, we were told by many industry veterans that, in the past, many resorts offered free skiing for seniors. Over the decades, that benefit eroded away until it became noticeably absent at major and mid-sized resorts. Nevertheless, with the help of baseline information provided by the International Skiing History Association, SeniorsSkiing.com has ferreted out where seniors can still ski for free. Most of the 111 ski resorts we identified are on the small to medium size, but some are bigger, almost destination resort sized. It is clear from this research that there is a sizable segment of the ski resort industry which values the contributions of and business from senior skiers, many of whom have been skiing for multiple decades.
The list of resorts offering free skiing is available to our subscribers under the COMMUNITY menu pick on the top blue menu. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up, it’s free, and, hey, we’re fun city.
Veterans Day is a time to remember those who served. This year, we salute the 10th Mountain Division, the iconic and hardy group of hunters, climbers, skiers, and outdoorsmen who transformed themselves into a potent military force. You can click through to an article on the 10th Mountain from Snow Magazine.
There’s an interesting development in the Blandford Ski saga. This venerable area was almost in the hands of real estate developers when it was purchased in early September and saved for a skiing future. Blandford is the type of area families and seniors love: friendly, accommodating, pleasantly challenging and convenient. We are ecstatic the resort will continue. Now the challenge is to get ready for the upcoming season. Thanks to correspondent Harriet Wallis for this report.
And, here’s a funny story contributed by Roger Monty, a subscriber who responded to our call for reader submissions. It’s an example of how age can prevail over youth.
If you have an anecdote to share, send it along to us at info@seniorsskiing.com.
Finally, correspondent Don Burch reminds us to be mindful when we head out to mountains and trails. Basically, enough with the Smartphones already.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. We are on your side. Please tell your friends about us, and, remember: There Are More Of Us Every Day, And We Are Not Going Away.
If you’d like a couple of SeniorsSkiing.com stickers, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.
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