SeniorsSkiing Guide: At Steamboat Let Mountain Masters Be Your Guide
Popular Program For Seniors Offers Guided Skiing All Day. For Free.
Mountain Master Guide Steve Cozette (red jacket) herds his charges down Two O’Clock.
Credit: Tamsin Venn
On one of those perfect bluebird Colorado days, I rode up the Gondola at Steamboat (www.Steamboat.com) with a group of women from the Indianapolis Ski Club (www.indyskiclub.org), who thought I was one of them. All us skiers look alike in our goggles and helmets.
They were spending a week here and were on their way to join Mountain Masters, a program at Steamboat for skiers and riders 50 years and over that meets daily at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. right outside Thunderhead Lodge at the top of the Gondola. Mountain Masters replaced the long-standing Over the Hill Gang when Steamboat wished to consolidate senior programs.
Mountain Masters is the only program of its kind in the U.S. that offers free all-day, guided skiing for seniors, according to one guide. You just need to sign a waiver, then head out and join a group: The “mellows” ski intermediate groomed runs, the middle group, the groomed blues and blacks, and the top group, bumps and powder. My new friends, Janet and Marilyn, with whom I buddied up, had been skiing groomed blue all week and wanted to up their game with someone leading the way.
Guide Steve Cozette briefs his charges before a run.
Credit: Tamsin Venn
For fledgling Steamboaters, Mountain Masters takes the guesswork out of where to ski on this mountain with 168 trails and 16 lifts spread over nearly 3,000 acres. But the program is also very popular with locals and many vacationers actually return to Steamboat because of it.
Take Anne Keddie from Dundee, Scotland. Each year, she and her husband spend four weeks at Steamboat, in part because of the program. He snowboards on the gnarly tree runs like Closets and Shadows, while she likes to rip down the groomed blacks.
Why is this so wildly popular?
As one participant said, no one wants to ski alone. Whether you’ve skied the mountain before or haven’t, it’s nice to have someone lead you to the uncrowded spots according to the day’s traffic, plus follow the grooming and sun across the mountain.
And the anecdotes and tips are fun and useful. Don’t try to outrun a moose you see on the trail (“Moose Don’t Shoo”). A bear hibernates off the Hurricane trail. Here’s where the champagne powder is stashed. Get up speed for the connector ahead. Use the Burgess Creek lift when Storm Peak Express is too crowded. Head for the Pony Express first thing in the morning to rip the groomed blacks, or else sunny Sunshine Peak. The north facing Norther keeps good snow on its bumps. Cyclone is the easiest black on the mountain. Four Points has the best food. For luck, touch the shoulder of Buddy Werner’s bust before jetting down Buddy’s Run. That is all invaluable for the first time and regular Steamboat skier alike.
Steve Cozette is our guide today, a very personable, experienced, and knowledgeable skier. He leads our large group with the assurance of a cowboy taking his herd to pasture.
No reservations needed. Just show up. You should be able to comfortably ski blue runs. Group size varies from one or two people to eight or more. Rest breaks for hot chocolate and stops to enjoy the scenery, or to perhaps hear a little local history, are all part of the experience.
Mountain Stats
Base: 6,900 feet
Mt. Werner Elevation: 10,568 feet
Vertical Rise: 3,668 feet
Permitted Acres: 2,965 acres
Trails: 165 named trails
Trail Classification: 14% Beginner 42% Intermediate 44% Advanced
Total Lifts: 16
Annual Snowfall: 349
Snowmaking: 375 acres
Indie Ski Club members get ready to ski Mountain Masters: left to right:
Anne Kelvin, Laryn Peterson, Marilyn Rader, Janet Zusman, Sue Johnson
Credit: Tamsin Venn
This Week in SeniorsSkiing.com (March 10)
Stay conditioned to keep skiing. It’s a message I, not as well-conditioned as I’d like to be, think of every time I feel the need to take a break. The other day, I took a few runs with a couple from Arkon, OH. It was their third day at elevation and he, 75, was feeling it. Fortunately they’ll be out for the next month. I’m confident his normal stamina will return.
That said, John Nelson reports on 74 year-old Fred Frost who clocks between 35,000 and 40,000 vertical feet every ski day at Whitefish Mountain in Montana. Fred is a local marvel who racks up 4+million vertical a season!
Marc Liebman gives his advice on what to do to stay conditioned. His practical guidance explains why exercise needs to change as we age. I had the pleasure of skiing with Marc and his brother recently. They were skiing between 27,000 and 30,000 vertical a day.
If that sounds tiring, check Yvette Cardozo’s account of snowmobiling in Idaho to remote natural hot springs. She and friends did it at Brundage Mountain. Looks like a terrific adventure with a hot soak as reward.
Finally, Harriet Wallis gives us a tour of the sculpted delights on Deer Valley’s Last Chance beginner’s run. It is a must-see for grandchildren. Even if kids aren’t a factor, if you visit Deer Valley, ski the run and see the numerous houses graced with cute carved animals doing amusing things.
The next reader survey will be on your screens when Mike returns next week from sailing in the BVIs. Personally, I’d rather be skiing. (My wife would have an entirely different point of view.)
For those who may have encountered difficulties with the Experticity discount program we appreciate your patience. We hope to resolve the issue soon.
In the meanwhile, keep visiting SeniorsSkiing.com and referring it to your friends. Our numbers — just like the numbers of seniors who like to play in the snow — are growing. There are a lot of us, and we are not going away!
Short Swings!
Mountain goats in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Photo: Harriet Wallis
Contributor Harriet Wallis snapped this pic on her way down one of the Cottonwood Canyons connecting Salt Lake City with several resorts. Mountain goats are visible from the road this time of year. They maneuver the narrowest ledges like they’re strolling Main Street. Thanks for the picture, Harriet!
CALIFORNIA
Dennis Quaid’s band, The Sharks, will kick off Squaw Valley’s Toyota Ski Pro-Am, Saturday, March 11 at the Resort at Squaw Creek.
COLORADO
Aspen hosts the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals. March 15 – 19. The world’s top 25 men’s and women’s alpine ski racers will compete in Aspen, the first time the event has been held outside Europe since 1997.
UTAH
Park City Area Lodging Association’s Delta Gift Card Program gives an $800 Delta Air Lines electronic gift card when booking a minimum six-night stay, valued at $800 or more. Good through April 16. Program details: 855-585-0776.
Snowbird got 75″ in seven days. It released a brief video to celebrate the event.
Solitude Mountain Resort is offering several attractive Spring ski and stay packages.
OTHER
The ’17-’18 Mountain Collective pass just went on sale for $399. It provides two days of skiing at some of the world’s best resorts. Additional days are 50% off. This season, I’ve met several older couples on a grand tour of Mountain Collective areas. One couple from D.C. started at Stowe and worked their way to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole, Snowbird and Alta. Another couple, from the state of Washington, started at Whistler Blackcomb and worked their way south to the participating Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado resorts. Now is the time to get the best deal on the pass; prices increase over coming months. If you ski two days at each of four resorts, the daily rate will be less than $50. This season, an online advance purchase for two days at Aspen, alone, (included in the pass) costs $250.
FITS is the sock manufacturer that makes the FILM SKI OTC sock. I tried it and liked it. Because it’s thin, I recommend it for spring conditions. I needed to buckle down one additional notch to accommodate for thinness. Made with non-cushioned merino wool, the sock has graduated compression all the way over the calf. It also has anti-itch and flame resistant properties (good if you plan to place feet on hearth). Odor resistant and antimicrobial, the FILM SKI OTC is a practical addition to any ski wardrobe. Around $24.00 online or in ski shops.
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