Deer Valley Animals Delight Your Spirit
Mischievous raccoons, rascal bears, and stately elk are trailside fun for all ages.
Photo: Harriet Wallis
Deer Valley is famous for fabulous dining, manicured slopes, superior guest services and posh amenities. But there’s more.
Photo: Harriet Wallis
Life size wood and bronze wild animals decorate the porches and roofs of trailside private homes along the Last Chance beginner run.
Raccoons peek in a window at one home and prowl the porch railing. A nosey raccoon watches oncoming skiers through binoculars. Another raccoon skied out of control went splat on the side of the house.
A family of bronze elk are nearby. Mom and the little one rest quietly in the safety of bushes. The bull stands guard trailside and you can almost hear him bugle.
Photo: Harriet Wallis
Further along, bears get into all kinds of trouble. They ski off the roof, poke paws into the hot tub, snooze on the railing, stuff themselves with a pot of honey and use binoculars to watch the raccoons.
There’s also a totem pole home and one with a mountain goat perched on the peak. Additional sculptures appear periodically.
Hard core skiers often miss the critters because they’re along a beginner run. But skiing Last Chance is a great way to wind down. Just give beginners plenty of room.
Short Swings!
Deep Powder Cat Skiing: $25 Per Run
We’ve carried several articles about Powder Mountain, the enormous, old-fashioned resort about an hour northeast of Salt Lake International Airport. It was purchased a few years ago by a group of investors, and improvements are underway. It’s the go-to place for untracked powder long after the other resorts have been skied out. The place has so much acreage and so few skiers that untracked runs are available all day long and for days following the last big snowfall. It also offers a variety of snowcat skiing experiences, with single rides as low as $25.
Guided half and full day adventures are higher, but still quite reasonable. For newcomers to powder skiing, its acres of broad, gentle terrain make it a great place to learn. For the more experienced, there are long pitches to satisfy most appetites. Whether you live here or plan to visit, Powder Mountain is an adventure worth experiencing.
MASSACHUSETTS
Jiminy Peak‘s 2017/18 Zephyr season pass (six non-holiday days per week, Sunday to Friday) on sale for $349. Purchase now and get same perks for rest of current season.
PENNSYLVANIA
Several Pennsylvania resorts also have season pass deals that, if purchased now, let you ski free the rest of the season. Among them: Blue Mountain Resort, Camelback Mountain Resort and Roundtop Mountain Resort.
VERMONT
Okemo‘s Spring Skiesta Card offers unrestricted skiing/riding from March 17 through end of season. Price ($139-$159) based on when purchased. Some purchasers will be entitled to $99 off ’17/’18 season pass.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (March 3)
March!!!!! Can you believe it’s here already? Warm temps are blanketing much of the East. In D.C. cherry blossoms are predicted to appear a month early. I’m writing from the West, where snow is plentiful.
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If you know an older someone thinking either about skiing for the first time or possibly spending less time on the mountain, read Rose Marie Cleese’s article, “How Old is Too Old…?
In Short Swings! you’ll learn about discounts for early purchase of next season passes. There’s also an item on $25 snow cat skiing at Utah’s enormous and underskied Powder Mountain.
Credit: Jackson Ski Touring Foundation.
There’s a report on X-C at Jackson Ski Touring in New Hampshire. Roger Lohr’s description makes me want to book a flight up to New England.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo
Finally, Yvette Cardoso describes a horse-drawn elk feed trip near McCall, Idaho. It’s a great outing with grandkids; one that can produce a lifetime memory.
Thanks so much for subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends! And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
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