Skiing In The Rain: Yes You Can
Don’t Stay Home: Precip Can Be Hip.
Rain comes with early season skiing. Lilly Venn braves the drops at Bretton Woods and gets to see the moody views towards the Presidential Range.
Credit: Tamsin Venn
For seniors who like to zig without the worry of another skier’s zag, one of the best times to hit uncrowded slopes is in the rain. Sometimes that is what these early season ski days bring us. It’s not exactly the bluebird day most of us hope for, but before you turn on the TV for a Netflix binge, consider these advantages.
- The temperature is above freezing and the snow is soft and pliable, even like spring corn skiing.
- Not only are the slopes close to empty, ditto the base lodge where you can find ample space and a good window view. Hang your wet stuff out to dry over several chairs.
- You have the dryers in the bathroom pretty much to yourself.
- It’s warm out, so although you may get damp, you don’t get cold.
- Ski outerwear is designed to combat the elements, rain included. However, if you have a GoreTex raincoat handy and possibly a sou’wester, not a bad idea. Bring a spare set of mittens or gloves, maybe two spares.
- Visibility sucks. Your goggles have huge droplets on them. But you’ve got few skiers to avoid, and your speed is curtailed by soft snow so clear vision is not critical. Bring a bandana to wipe off the goggles.
- Your bum gets wet sitting on the chairlift. Often the main information desk or cafeteria will give out garbage bags or plastic ponchos.
- Mountain weather is fickle. Wait five minutes and the rain may stop, allowing you a rain-free run. The views can be stunning with low level clouds and fog shrouds lifting off the mountains, like a moody Chinese water color.
- One item you should be aware of: Lift attendants may stay in their shacks so you may have to load yourself onto the chairlift, but at least there’s no waiting time.
- You can even sing along to your iPod in the rain, loudly, and few will hear you. No need to stay inside on those early season rainy days.
Does anyone have skiing-in-the-rain pictures or stories to share?
Editor Note: Skiers who are also sailors think rain is just another way to enjoy your sport. And remember the old expression, “There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.”
Senior-Friendly Cross Country Ski Resorts
X-C Resorts Offer Discounts, Amenities For Senior Skiers.
Special Thanks to Roger Lohr, Editor and Publisher of XCSkiResorts.com for pointing out these snow-country x-c resorts that are specially accommodating to seniors.
Martha Chandler, 84-year old mother of Bretton’s Nordic Center director Ellen Chandler, glides along.
Credit: Ellen Chandler
About a quarter of the cross country (XC) skiing population is older than 50 years old, and, as Baby Boomers continue to age, we are remaining active—many of us are looking for softer or easier forms of recreation and cross country skiing and snowshoeing fit that prescription.
It is important for older people to exercise because it can help fight both physical and psychological maladies. Everyone understands the need to stay physically active and there is a growing body of research indicating that physical activity is beneficial for the brain, particularly the hippocampus, which is that part of the brain where working memory partially resides and is most susceptible to problems associated with aging. There is extensive evidence that outdoor exercise has positive impacts on sleep, depression, and anxiety. No matter how old you are, it just makes you feel good, too.
The SeniorsSkiing.com 2015 Subscriber Survey showed that the priorities of the older skiers include: discounts; easy access to the area facility from the parking lot; newsletter or website pages dedicated to specific activities catering to older skiers; instruction or guide tailored to older skiers; and a meeting place or set-aside areas in the lodge for seniors.
There are XC ski resorts and lodging establishments that have those senior-friendly characteristics and the incentives almost always include discounts for older people. At Canmore Nordic Center in Canada, trail fee discounts begin at age 55, while most ski resorts set a higher age for lower-priced season or daily passes. At Bear Valley Nordic Center in CA, skiers aged 60-69 get a 28% discount on trail passes and those aged 70 and older get 60% off. At Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, MT there is a discount for skiers aged 60-69 while it is free for those aged 70 or older to access the ski trails. They also apply a senior discount for season passes. This is a popular way that most ski areas attract the older skier segment.
One of the age-old concepts is that many senior skiers are retired and as such, they have more flexibility in their weekly schedule. During the week, most cross country ski areas have few patrons, thus the development of group offers, activities, and programs such as at Lutsen Resort in MN where there is a Sunday-Thursday discount offer on lodging rates that includes free XC ski or snowshoe gear and a guide. The Cross Country Ski Headquarters in Roscommon, MI (and other XC ski areas in MI) has the Silver Streak Week (Monday-Friday on January 11-15, 2016) with complimentary facility access, free hot cocoa, and free demos.
Jackson Ski Touring has easy-ski programs for seniors.
Credit: JSTF
Programs such as Jackson Ski Touring’s Friday Gliders & Easy Sliders and Tuesday Trekkers provide a group experience that’s taken advantage of by mostly older folks. Such programs coordinate a scheduled weekly outing for groups such as the Easy Sliders, which is a group of skiers who cross country ski on easier trails (and they get tips from a guide) or the Tuesday Trekkers snowshoe group. For these examples, the Jackson Ski Touring Center in NH is the starting point, and, after the tour, people meet back at the lodge for an après ski spread with wine and cheese, fruit, coffee. There’s even a masseuse on hand to offer massage for tips. Garnet Hill Lodge in North River, NY, hosts a weekly snowshoe club and Cross Country Ski Headquarters reports a similar group regularly drives two and half hours from Grand Rapids to visit and ski the area.
At Lapland Lake Vacation Center in Northville, NY there’s a Silver Strider discount trail pass and the weekly “Soup-er Seniors,” which includes a free bowl of soup on non-holiday Thursdays starting in January.
“Road Scholar” is a brand within the Elderhostel program intended for adults (many who are seniors) who want to travel, learn and stimulate discourse and friendship among other people for whom learning is the journey of a lifetime. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosts week-long Road Scholar XC ski programs during the winter months with programming inspired by the hostels and folk schools of Europe offering short term academic experiences to adults. This year, Craftsbury Outdoor combines XC skiing and snowshoeing with yoga programs, film programs, and dance programs.
The folks taking advantage of cross country ski offers are proof that you’re never too old to get out and enjoy nature in the winter. If you are an older skier or someone who would like to try cross country skiing or snowshoeing, check an XC ski resort near you for special programs.
An X-C AMC Lodge Deep In The Maine Woods
X-C Ski Six Miles To Gorman Chairback Camp Lodge and Guest Cabins.
If you’re an active cross country skier, you probably enjoy staying where you ski. Plus, if you’re an active senior xc skier you most likely enjoy comfortable surroundings, pleasant company and staff as much as you enjoy snow covered trails. A number of locations across the USA come to mind like
Gorman Chairback Lodge is a rustic winter retreat that appeals to your inner Thoreau.
Credit: Steve Hines
Royal Gorge, CA., Jackson Hole, WY., and Craftsbury Common, VT. But the State of Maine, LL Bean and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) have collaborated to bring the inspired xc skier a wonderful resource—Gorman Chairback Camp and Lodge. The Camp is located near Greenville Maine at the southern tip of Moosehead Lake. Exact directions to the lodge are at www.amcoutdoors.org where you can also make your reservation.
All the cabins have wood stoves amply supplied by the camp staff. As one of our party quite succinctly put it, “cabin accommodations were very comfortable yet simple.” The camp sits on the shore of Long Pond (really a very large lake) with no discernable development in sight or nearby. The food in the lodge’s dining hall was exceptional using many vegetables right from the Camp’s own garden. All meals are included with each night’s stay – and (delicious) coffee is available from early morning to late in the evening.
What makes Chairback unique is that you must ski about six miles from a winter parking lot to the lodge. The staff will bring your other gear and luggage to the lodge for you on snowmobiles. While the staff grooms the trails, you should be at least an intermediate skier. I use a metal edge, back country ski, but others in our group make do on touring skis. Plan to also bring a pair of snowshoes to enjoy the many hiking trails that are not groomed but have scenic terrain and panoramic vistas.
Trail markers point the way to Long Pond. The last few miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the area.
Credit: Steve Hines
The lodging is what I call “rustic elegance”. The cabins are heated with wood stoves that can be tricky to adjust and often need to be refilled in the middle of the night. So there’s and element of “roughing it” in the winter too. Many guests bring sleeping bags, but I usually bring my own flannel sheets and use the blankets and comforters provided.
I’ve found that skiing in this area always has what xc skiers call dependable snow. There’s never a time in the winter when the snow is missing or the trails have bare spots.
I’d like to make recommendations for specific trails but all the ski terrain is equally excellent.
As a post- script, it is well to remember that the AMC is a club and Not For Profit company. This means all members and guests have a responsibility to keep the camp clean and to provide proper feedback.
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