Wildflowers Galore! A Hike in Alta’s Albion Basin
Perfect Day’s Outing For Fit Seniors.
Alta’s Vail Ridge.
Credit: Maura Olivos
[Editor Note: This article was contributed to SeniorsSkiing.com by Sue Z. Sue Z., born in Brooklyn, is now a senior skier who likes to spend her time at Alta. When she is not skiing or hiking with her husband, David, she paints in acrylics, plays the piano, and plays the drums. She and David have two sons, one in technology, living in Austin, the other a stand-up comic, living in Brooklyn.]
Alta’s Albion Basin area has terrific skiing for families in winter. In the summer, it becomes a beautiful high altitude destination for seniors who like to hike through meadows covered in wildflowers. They (flowers, not seniors) start blooming in mid-June and reach their peak at the end of July, when the Wasatch Wildflower Festival offers guided tours.
For dedicated Alta skiers like my husband and me, summer hiking reveals what’s has been hidden by snow during the season. This past season Alta accumulated 438.5 inches before closing on April 24. All the slopes and trails we enjoy during winter are now a riot of yellows, purples, reds, and whites.
Wildflower Festival hike at Alta
Credit: Maura Olivos
What was hidden? We could see big boulders, entire trees, and lots of logs. At the beginning of the hike, starting at the Albion Lodge and Grill, we saw the parked fleet of groomers. We then realized that the popular location for the resort’s photographer on the novice run is actually atop a large rock. A nearby outcropping is a young skiers’ jump. Further up the trail, around a corner, you might see a moose. Most wildlife are ground squirrels which scurry across your path. We discovered that Sugarloaf mountain, with so many trails, slopes and bowls, is mostly rock.
Although the Upper Albion Meadows trail is labeled moderate, we think it’s an easy hike for seniors. We bring our trekking poles, hats, long pants, suntan lotion, water, and sliced oranges. We chuckle when we encounter families with young children, hiking in sneakers, t-shirts, shorts, and the occasional flip-flops. It begins at the Albion Grill and leads to the Albion Basin campground and Cecret Lake Trailhead. The total distance is 1.5 miles one way, with an elevation gain of 1,100 ft. We traveled about a mile on the trail to Alf’s Restaurant and returned from there. There are several shaded areas at the beginning of the trail, and the surface is mostly dirt and small rocks. My husband and I have a favorite shaded rock to enjoy our oranges.
Campground Trail’s wild flowers.
Credit: Maura Olivos
Paul Paris, our ski friend, leads wildflower tours. He comments: “It is truly hard to describe the awe-inspiring beauty standing waist deep in flowers in the Albion Basin. No matter one’s age, a visit to the Basin during the peak of wildflower season is close to a spiritual experience.”
Ah, the colors! Alta in summer.
Credit: Maura Olivos
Alta’s Supreme Top in summer dress.
Credit: Maura Olivos
Stein Eriksen: Secret Tales Of His Life
The Ski Industry Remembers His Humor And Tenderness.
Iconic Stein Eriksen was famous for his stylish and graceful ski turns. Generation of skiers tried to mimic him. “Stein made the turns we all wish we could make,” said Tom Kelly, vice president of communications for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. “Everyone who met him came away with a life-long experience.” He passed away in December, 2015.
The Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City opened the Stein Eriksen exhibit this month.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
Stein was honored by ski industry leaders on Wednesday at the unveiling of the Stein Eriksen exhibit at the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City, Utah. And they told secret tales of his life.
Stein was dedicated to his family and to the community, said Bob Wheaton, president and CEO of Deer Valley Resort. “If you needed a hand, Stein was right there.” And he had a whacky sense of humor.
We were at a party that was a bit stale, Wheaton said. Stein went to the food table, scooped up a dollop of whipped cream and put it on his nose. Then he went around the room meeting people – with the glop of white on his nose.
Wheaton recalls more of Stein’s humor. He would often introduce himself saying, “Hi. I’m Stein. It’s so nice for You to meet Me!”
Russ Olsen, CEO of the five-star Stein Eriksen Lodge, recalled Stein. “I skied with Stein once. Actually, I rode up the lift with him.” We got off the lift, he took off, and I never saw him again the whole day. He could ski anything at 90 miles per hour, without a hat, and when it was 40 below.
And he really could ski anything. With his athleticism to spun and flip, he became a father of freestyle skiing.
Stein’s skis and and racing bibs from the 1954 Olympics are on exhibit.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
Stein enjoyed the meeting the guests at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, which was also his home. He would go from table to table in the dining room and personally welcome the guests. He loved doing that. Solemnly, near the end of his life, Stein had hopes of returning to the Lodge and told Olsen to let guests know he would be back.
The exhibit includes a video of Stein skiing and his skis and bibs from the 1954 Winter Olympics where he earned three medals. His trophies and medals are on exhibit in the lobby of the Stein Eriksen Lodge.
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About the Alf Engen Ski Museum. It’s an interactive museum where you can take a selfie in a bobsled, try your luck in a slalom race game, learn about snow and avalanches, see ancient skis and glimpse ski pioneers. The museum is free, and there are free self guided tours of the Olympic Park.
The Olympic Park was the 2002 Winter Olympics venue for ski jumping and it continues as a premier training facility. During the summer there are youth camps and you can watch kids learn the sport. They soar off the actual Olympic jumps and land in a pool of bubbling water to soften the impact.
In addition, for a fee, there are freestyle shows, bobsled rides, extreme summer tubing, an alpine slide, a zip line, and a ropes and adventure course and so much more.
The Olympic Park and the Alf Engen Ski Museum are “must sees” when you’re in Park City.
Stein was a graceful athlete throughout his life and the father of Freestyle Skiing.
Credit: Harriet Wallis
70+ Ski Club Is New SeniorsSkiing.com Advertiser
SeniorsSkiing.com Is A Perfect Match For This Senior’s Ski Club.
Club leader Richard Lambert personally leads senior ski trips around the globe.
Credit: 70PlusSkiClub
The 70+ Ski Club is known to be the oldest and largest ski club of its kind. Lloyd Lambert, a popular upstate New York ski reporter and broadcaster, founded the club in 1977 when he saw many seniors giving up the sport. He led the effort to get free senior skiing and remained a tireless advocate for senior skiers until his death at age 96. Today, his grandson Richard continues the legacy of encouraging skiers to keep skiing for as long as possible and in as many places as possible. While you need to be 70 years old and an active skier/boarder to be an official member, younger skiers/boarders can and do join club trips. This is because many members ski with younger friends.
Many people join because they want to meet new people their own age to ski with. Richard says there is an amazing amount of camaraderie in the group which includes both singles and couples. The club has even resulted in some marriages, including a recent wedding of a two members who met on a summer ski trip to Argentina. Richard describes most of the group as solid intermediate skiers, but that there is a wide range of abilities. People who think they might quit skiing soon, quickly rethink that after seeing the energy in this extraordinary group which boasts over 3,000 members nationwide and over 150 in their 90’s.
Richard, who leads most of the trips, is known for his attention to detail and effort to make sure everyone has a good time. A longtime member from Pennsylvania expressed a sentiment shared by many members. He says he has been blessed to take many ski trips with numerous clubs that have run the gamut from “great” to “lousy” largely attributable to the organization and management. Relative to all those he says the 70+ has earned the status of nonpareil! For 2017 the club will offer many trips and events at several ski resorts in the US & Canada. Check out the website here: www.70plusskiclub.org.
[Sponsored Content by 70Plus Ski Club]
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