Short Swings!

November 6, 2020/3 Comments/in Home Top Box 1, SHORT SWINGS!, Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

You don’t stop skiing when you get old.

You get old when you stop skiing.

Recently saw that bumper sticker statement on a few posters and T-shirts.

It’s a wishful truism for senior skiers, cheering us on our snowy descents as we ascend to yet another year and another season.

But like almost every other overly simplistic proclamation, it simply doesn’t hold up under thoughtful examination.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably trending upward in age. And, more likely than not, you’re an avid skier. And, unless poor health or some other factor has entered your life you have no intention of giving it up.

I’d be dishonest if I told you it has not entered my mind. I’m about to hit twin sevens, and what I was able to do on skis in the past , indeed, may remain there.

In other words, I’m slowing down.

It’s not easy to lower personal expectations. But I realize that by doing so I may be able to extend my days and seasons on snow.

Maybe this is part of my pre-season jitters. Every Fall I experience a touch of anxiety. As a kid, it was about improving my skiing skills. As an adult, it was more about where and when I’d be on the hill. Over the past few seasons, it’s been more about how long it will take to get my legs back.

I have no plan to stop skiing. And I have no way to stop getting old.

Perhaps it’s best to accept what we have when we have it and, like another T-shirt reads, Just stop thinking about it…and ski.

Great Snow; Closed Areas

Kitzbuel. Austria

Austria’s Tirolean areas (Stubai, Hintertux, Soelden, Kauneral, Pitztal, and Kitzbuel) have excellent conditions but are closed until November 30 due to Covid. Some will remain open for professional racers.

Indoor areas in the UK also are closed, effective November 4.

Vermont Issues Covid Operational Guidelines

Vermont just issued guidance spelling-out a cautious and through approach to managing Covid. Out-of-state long term workers will require quarantine and testing. The number-of-out of state weekend workers and volunteers such as patrol and instructors will be reduced. Comprehensive contact tracing will be implemented for workers and guests. This will require daily completion of electronic forms. Social distancing and masks will be required in lines and on lifts. Windows on enclosed lifts will be open. Day lodges will operate at 50% capacity and guests will be limited to 30-minute stays. Contactless systems will be in place for ticket sales and rentals. Click here to access the complete document.

SeniorsSkiing.com Classifieds

It’s our new service to help readers sell, buy, travel, rent, meet, etc. Currently someone is offering a 2 BR condo in Winter Park for $150 a night. Another person has a room available in a 3 BR condo near Beaver Creek for $665 per week. There’s a pair of Apex Boots for $425, and Rossignol Antelope MH waxless Nordic skis with Salomon bindings for $50. Lots of good deals on skis, instructions, etc…even a ski-worthy Mercedes Sprinter van. Posting ads is easy and inexpensive. Sign up by November 12 and get 4 weeks of advertising for $1. Click CLASSIFIEDS on dark blue menu bar.

How do you wear a face mask with a helmet?

Frequent contributor Harriet Wallis emailed raising that interesting issue. This season, most US ski areas will require face masks on lifts and in lines. Personal experience with disposable surgical masks is that ear loops disconnect easily from the paper mouth/nose covering. KN95s are less subject to tearing, as are the less effective (in terms of virus-trapping) cloth masks. Are they to be worn on the inside or outside of your neck or face warmer? Do we pull them down or remove them when we get off the lift? How will areas requiring masks monitor compliance? Will that be left to Lifties? Patrol? Others? Reminds me of the curse: May you live in interesting times.

BOOTSTER for Holiday Gifts

The Bootster is a simple, compact shoehorn for ski boots. It helps the skier’s foot slip effortlessly into the boot – even when the boot is cold and the shell is stiff. It’s small and easily carried in parka pocket. Having used The Bootster as a holiday and birthday present for other older skiers, I know that it is well-appreciated, virtually indestructible, and gets a lot of use. $25. Click on adjacent Bootster advertisement for details and to order.

VIVE Wear Compression Socks

VIVE Wear is an orthopaedic surgeon-developed compression sock combining baby alpaca, merino wool, nano silver plates, and nano copper wire. The company website explains how the metal components enhance healing. I recently tried a pair on a wet and nasty day. EXTREMELY comfortable and added nice spring to my step. No doubt these will serve as excellent ski socks. Reasonably priced. Click here to visit site.

Nothing to do with Skiing Dep’t

Internal shell of ram’s horn squid. Source: New York Times

Researchers exploring Australia’s Great Barrier Reef last week made two never-before-seen discoveries using a remotely operated vehicle: a ram’s horn squid in its natural environment and a coral reef taller than the Empire State Building. The squid is the only living squid that has an internal coiled shell. It also has a single, searching eye and can emit a lime-green light.

A Different and Wonderful Ski Documentary

Every now and then a different kind of ski film pops up on the screen. North Country is a 21-minute documentary about Lahout’s, the oldest ski shop in the U.S. The film tells the story of the store’s founding in 1920 in Littleton, New Hampshire, and how Joe Lahout, returning from combat in WWII and with a deep passion for skiing, emphasizes ski gear and clothing. His three sons — lawyers and other profesionals move back from big city careers to grow the family business. Now, a third generation has returned to continue the growth. Great vintage footage. Wonderfully and sensitively told.

Short Swings!

October 30, 2020/0 Comments/in Home Top Box 1, SHORT SWINGS!, Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

The other night, on Netflix, we watched “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” Sir David, 94 (93 when he narrated the film), is the British naturalist/broadcaster who has been filming and educating the broader public about the natural world since the 1950s.

“A Life on Our Planet” is an incredibly beautiful visual statement. Sir David talks about and shows an abundance of lifeforms and discusses how accelerated natural resource destruction is rapidly leading to an ecosystem that, eventually, will no longer sustain human life.

Referring to the film as a “witness statement,” he presents both beauty and destruction and, with calm and reassurance, explains what we can do to bring Earth back to a state that will sustain all animal life – humans included – for future generations.

Why am I calling this important film to your attention?

As people of a certain age, who love being outdoors, I expect you appreciate the fragility of our ecosystem. Overactive smokestacks. Rainforest destruction. Increasingly violent storms. Dying coral reefs. Depleted ocean life. Melting glaciers. Diminishing polar caps. These and other harbingers don’t bode well for the future.

I know many among us whose interest in short term pleasures limit their thinking to their own lifespans. We lived through what we were handed. Future generations will do the same.

I view it differently. We live longer and better because of industrial progress. But nature and humankind is now out of balance. The relationship must be adjusted in order for life on Earth to be protected.

As skiers we’re beginning to experience the results. Fifteen or 20 years ago I read a study indicating that by 2030, natural snow in Park City would allow only the top half of the mountain to be skied. I think it will take longer. Another sign of unreliable conditions: snow making everywhere. including at the top of Sun Valley.

We don’t need to worry about skiing during our lifetimes. And our children probably will be fine. It’s the future generations we need to think about.

John Donne published “No man is an island,” in 1624. Over the years I’ve come to understand it as a meditation on our interconnectedness, both as humans and as pixels in the larger picture. It’s reproduced below. But for those who remember the poem, it’s important to recall the final words: “…never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man’s death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Don’t Be The Reason We Can’t Have A Season

A lift line, last week, in Cervina, Italy. Not too much social distancing.

“Don’t be the reason we can’t have a season,” is the guidance from Paul Pinchbeck, head of the Canadian Ski Council. Last week, he and other ski industry representatives participated in a Zoom media briefing organized by the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. That clever rhyme captures a sense throughout the industry that responsible behavior — social distancing, wearing masks, etc. — will help areas remain open. Irresponsible behavior already has forced Cervina, in Italy, to close. That decision was quickly followed by Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte announcing that all of the nation’s ski areas, as well as gyms, pools and movie theaters would be closed until Nov. 14.

Among other US locations, concerns about complying with public health regulations are surfacing in Summit County, Colorado. Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin’s COO, recently blogged about the sharp increase in cases across the county. He attributes them to “…socialization – an evening party, drinks after work, hanging too close with too many people. Many of the transmissions have occurred in the late evening, after partying, when peoples’ guards are down.” He warns that if it doesn’t get better, among other things, it will hamper the ability to ski.

Some states have a more laissez faire attitude and, most likely won’t do anything to close their areas. Utah, I expect, is one. But, as this week’s Question For You asks, what will happen if an area’s core operating group catches the ‘rona?

Certainly, après ski carousing does not apply to senior skiers ;>)

P.S. Wednesday, in an effort to halt Covid, France and Germany announced ski resorts would be closed until the beginning of December.

470

That, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) was the number of ski areas last season, in the United States. Of the 37 states with areas, New York has the most (51). Next is Michigan (40), followed by Colorado and Wisconsin (31, each). Click here to see entire state-by-state list of areas.

James Taylor: American Standard

Like many of you,, I started lsitening to James Taylor in the later 60s and kept on listening for the next decade or so. His style always brings back long winter drives to Killington and Stowe and sweaty summers as a single in Manhattan. Earlier this year, he released his American Standard album. Not to be confused with the plumbing fixture company, American Standards (aka The American Songbook) usually is interpreted as popular tunes from the 1920s through the 1950s. Think Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennet, and the many others from that rich and wonderful musical era. Now James Taylor applies his special genius to the genre. It’s wonderful listening. Click on the image above to hear and learn more.

Peak Obsession Trailer

Jeremy Jones is the founder of Jones Snowboards and creator of some very interesting film projects. In this half-hour film, he documents a few of the ascents/descents he is attempting in his quest to climb and ride each of the lines in 50 lines chronicled in the book, “The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America“.

A Friend…

I have a skier friend experiencing debilitating side effects from a chemotherapy-related process to boost her bone marrow. She’s a fine skier with a great mind and intelligent sense of humor. She emailed to describe what she’s going through. It’s not pleasant, but she’s among a handful of people I know who has the grit to get through it. Her experience is a sharp reminder of how fortunate it is simply to get through our days in comfort and good health and to appreciate what we have…as long as we have it.

Short Swings!

October 23, 2020/7 Comments/in Short Swings!, SHORT SWINGS!/by Jon Weisberg

Cassandra

Cassandra came to mind last week as we took our first flight since the craziness began.

In case you missed that part of Greek Mythology, after Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy, he turned it to a curse, causing her prophecies not to be believed.

Stay with me on this one.

The flight was one familiar to many Eastern skiers: SLC to JFK.

We geared up with face masks, face shields, and wipes.

Pam had changed flights so many times, even Delta was confused. At one point, she upgraded us to First, a luxury generally reserved for Frequent Flier miles and overseas travel. The logic: last on/first off.

This was our first encounter with Salt Lake’s new airport, which is still under construction. Our terminal was big, beautiful and empty.

Granted, the paucity of travelers contributed to the speed and efficiency of the place, but I had the feeling that, even when busy, this airport will be on top of its game.

Next stop was the Delta Sky Club. More big and beautiful and filled with signs and notices reminding people to wear masks. Even the WIFI password carried the message: wearmask.

If you choose to continue reading, it’s only fair to disclose that I believe in and respect science. I understand that we live in what some have identified as a post-truth society and have been exposed to its supporting arguments. There may be some truth to post-truth, but I still weigh-in on the side of science.

Back to the Delta Sky Club, which, as we waited for our flight, became more populated.

At any given time, about two-thirds of the travelers were masked and sitting far apart. The rest were not.

On a trip to the restroom, I counted 19 maskless travelers. A few had an empty glass in front of them – which, in their minds, must have qualified them to slip under Delta’s rule of not requiring a mask “while actively eating of drinking.”

I spoke with a Delta supervisor who explained that in the month since the new Club opened, it had become increasingly difficult to get passengers to wear masks.

Not so on the plane, where people were mask-compliant.

What does this experience have to do with skiing?

Many of you rely on planes to get to mountains. Indeed, most Western resorts rely on airlines to get skiers to their lifts and lodges.

If people, out of selfishness, petulance or a sense of not wanting to follow what is good for themselves and for their communities, choose not to follow scientific advice, our return to the “new normal” will be delayed even more.

Which brings me back to Cassandra. She spoke the truth about what would happen. But she was afflicted with the curse that others wouldn’t believe her.

I write this knowing it conflicts with other points of view. Most SeniorsSkiing.com readers have more ski days behind them than they do ahead. Speaking for myself, I want to enjoy as many of them as I can, as healthily as I can.

It’s time to believe Cassandra.

Flurries (Almost) Everywhere

Tuckerman’s Ravine in Spring.

The season is about to start. Over the past week (even earlier) snow fell at higher elevations throughout the West and elsewhere, even Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt Washington (NH). Snow guns are operational. Lifts are running across the Alps. One Scandinavian area unpacked snow saved from last year and spread it on a slope for early race training.

First North American Ski Area Now Open

Wild Mountain, Taylors Falls, Minnesota, is the first North American area to open for the 20-21 season. Four chairs and multiple rope tows service a variety of terrain with a short vertical. Mt Norquay Banff, Alberta, will open Saturday.

Fire Destroys Large Fischer Ski Factory

The factory, in Mukachevo, Ukraine, manufactured 25% of all Alpine and Nordic skis sold internationally. In addition to Fischer, brands made there include Rossignol, Scott, Alpina, Splitkein and Tecno. About 1,500 were employed. The fire occurred Tuesday, October 13.

The Skiing Gypsy

Murray Sandman (aka The Skiing Gypsy) is a 70+ Aussie blogging about his multi-continental ski adventures. He first contacted us following the series a few seasons ago about skiing the Dolomites. Our trip was organized by Inspired Italy, the superb and reasonably priced local outfitter. Murray emailed his DIY approach, which you can find – along with other experiences and advice – at https://gypsyskitravels.wordpress.com.

Great New Winter Clothing Site

Orsden, which made excellent parkas and pants, has pivoted to a curated e-commerce site with wonderful-looking women’s and men’s casual winter clothing. Some of the brands will be familiar; others less so. If you’re seeking something to relieve your Covid-confined existence or to brighten someone else’s special day, click here.

Special Occasion Gondolas

The Gondola Shop’s Sauna: only $25,7000.

The Gondola Shop in Fruita, Colorado, buys and repurposes gondola cars. They design and rent them out for weddings, transform them into saunas, and are in process of preparing 20 or so as individual dining rooms that will sit in Telluride’s Town of Mountain Village.

End Is Near

Living in the US? You may be on the receiving end of an endless stream of fund-raising appeals from candidates for office. A Washington, D.C. friend refers to it as “silly season.” Election Day is upon us. We cast our mail ballots before leaving Utah last week. Most people our age fully appreciate the importance of participating in the system by voting. Skiing can wait. It’s time to cast your vote.

Short Swings!

October 16, 2020/4 Comments/in SHORT SWINGS!, Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Maybe I’m becoming that grumpy old man, but the steady stream of videos about backcountry skiers being avalanched away, the drone videos of sharks swimming perilously close to surfers, and the reports of elk and buffalo attacking people with no common sense are getting to me.

Who in their right mind would try to pet a large wild animal and not expect some consequence? I once knew a woman whose passion was hiking in grizzly territory. She thought of herself as a bear-whisperer, probably influenced by a popular movie at the time. She encountered lots of big bears. Fortunately, she was never attacked. Looking back on that and other decisions she made, I think she had congenitally bad judgment.

We see this type of poor judgment when people drink and drive. Or when they back up and over a cliff taking a selfie.

Authorities recently retrieved the body of a Lake Tahoe drowning victim. It was the deepest water body recovery in US history. The poor fellow had jumped out of the rental boat to take a selfie. He neglected to put the engine in neutral. Hardly good judgment.

We camp with a cautious couple. They’ve guided us to remote and risky locations, but consistently exercise good judgment. Driving back from a lakeside gathering with several vehicles, he made it clear he would go first, stop at the first intersection for the others to meet and continue doing that until we reached pavement. Nobody got lost taking a wrong turn.

A few years ago my wife asked that I no longer hike alone into remote areas, something I had done for years in the wilderness around our home in south central Utah. At first I resisted, but then agreed. What would happen if I took a fall or twisted an ankle?

That’s a lesson for solo skiers. It may not apply to skiing smaller areas or if you stay on trail. But at large resorts where some of us like to go into the woods, it’s always best to buddy-up. If that’s not an option, be sure to enter the area’s phone number or that of its ski patrol into your cell phone. You never know when it might come in handy.

And since cell reception can be spotty, always, ALWAYS, carry a very loud whistle in your parka. Three loud blasts, repeated every 15-20 seconds should attract attention. I googled “loudest hiking whistles.” Some are metal; some plastic; some have compass and other doodads Not one was more than $25, and most were much cheaper.

The greatest form of protection for any outdoors enthusiast, young or old, is that behavior known as common sense. SeniorsSkiing.com readers are older. That means we should be wiser. Use your noggin and minimize risk.

SeniorsSkiing Classifieds

More detail on our new Classified Advertising section elsewhere in this issue. It evolved mainly from reader input. Many of you expressed interest in meeting contemporaries with whom you could ski. Classifieds also give you the opportunity to sell things, offer services, etc. Among other things, we hope that ski clubs offering trips to non-members will use the service. Introductory cost of advertising is as low as it goes: $1 for four weeks of advertising, as long as the ad is placed before November 13. After that the rates increase, but they’re reasonable. It’s all self-service. Click on “Classified Advertising” on the Menu Bar, then click Place Your Ad. You’ll need to agree to the Terms. Then pay by credit card. We’re using a secure third party service for transactions. Have some vintage ski-related item you’d like to sell? Give it a try.

British Medical Journal: More Exercise = Lower Risk of Early Death

Higher levels of physical activity — regardless of intensity — are associated with lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people, according to a study of 36,383 adults aged at least 40 years. The observational study, conducted at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo was published recently in the British Medical Journal. Average age of participants: 62. Resulting guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Findings also show that being sedentary (e.g. sitting still, for 9.5 hours or more a day) is associated with increased risk of death.

New Warren Miller Virtual Film Tour

Future Retro (watch trailer by clicking above) will stream on East Coast Saturday, November 7; Central and Mountain regions Saturday, November 14, and West Coast,Saturday, November 21. Each showing is being supported by regional sponsors and will have offers, prizes and giveaways. Price is $30 for up to 4 people per ticket. Visit the Warren Miller website for details and to purchase tickets.

Vote for Your Favorite X-C Area

USA Today, Cross Country Ski Areas Association and Nordic Group International are inviting votes to determine USA Today’s 2020 Best Cross Country Ski Resorts. Click here to cast yours

Department of Over-the-Top Skis

Source: Foil Skis

Foil is an Italian custom ski maker. Its website states: Foil Skis are the truest expression of our lifelong desire to create authentic “High Performance Art…” Like a Master Chef, the team at Foil has learned not only how to select the finest ingredients but also how to combine them in a way that has produced a ski which is every bit as breathtakingly beautiful as it is a sheer joy to ride. The company’s special edition Oro-Nero model has a top-sheet of 8000 year-old bog oak and is equipped with 14 karat gold bindings. Each purchase is accompanied by gold-plated poles, a flask, and a hand-stitched leather carry bag. My inquiry about cost has gone unanswered.

US Traffic Deaths Declining

Click here to visit an interesting, interactive “heat map” ranking states by the number of traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles. The data, presented by Reviews.com, was compiled in 2018 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration & Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Princeton Ski Club

Looking forward to speaking next Tuesday with the Princeton (NJ) Ski and Sail Club about SeniorsSkiing.com and the coming season. It will be the club’s first meeting of the season and its first via Zoom.

Short Swings!

October 9, 2020/0 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

How often do you think about skiing?

To my wife’s dismay, it’s always top of mind.

A few months ago, camping in a remote, high mountain location with some fellow skiers, we realized we were simultaneously having the same thought: What would be the best line down those North-facing slopes? Chuckles and beers followed.

Harder evidence trickled in throughout summer in the form of hundreds of new subscribers. Curious about that phenomenon (it happens every summer), I did a fast check of where these new subscribers live. The majority were in locations experiencing hotter than usual conditions.

Thoughts of skiing are a pleasant, if temporary, escape from the heat.

A corollary would be sitting in front of a blazing fire on a cold winter day thinking of the beach.

So here we are, early October and, depending on where you live and what the temperature is, you may be thinking ski hill or balmy beach.

Mike and I discussed this recently in one of our planning calls. Did we publish the Best Boots for Older Skiers Guide too early? Should our Best Skis for Older Skiers Guide be published now or in a few weeks when temps are a bit colder and flurries are in the air?

You’ll find an article on Masterfit’s impressive new Buyer’s Guide in this week’s issue and a link to the Guide. If slopes and trails are on your mind, the Guide is a good place to go for a quick fix. If you’re still opting for the beach, the Guide can wait a week or two.

Ditto for our annual listing of North American areas where older skiers get great bargains on passes. We expect to post that in early November.

No Blame if you’re not thinking mountain or beach. There’s an abundance of distraction at the moment.

Wherever you live, Covid and its consequences are issues. I’m not alone in wanting to have those East Coast grandkids back in my arms.

And whatever your position on climate change, the planet is sending increasingly urgent messages about the need to take action.

If you’re a US citizen, the Presidential election is probably occupying a bit of your attention. I mentioned this last week and will continue to do so through Election Day. Whomever you support, be sure to vote.

While we’re working our way through these issues and distractions, we still have slopes and trails to think about.

Now is the time to dust off skis and boots. Have your shop check the bindings. Make your winter plans. Snow is on the way.

Powder Magazine: RIP

Powder Magazine, the publication so many of us enjoyed during its 49-year run, will close down in November. It’s final Annual Photo Issue hits the stands November 16. It should be a collector’s item. For years, I looked forward to and relished each issue of this visually impactful magazine. Like other print ski magazines that have shuttered over the past few years, I’m sorry to see Powder go. R.I.P.

Are Yurts in Our (Skiing) Future?

Snowbasin, the superb ski area about 45-minutes north of Salt Lake City, announced it will be adding several mid-mountain yurts this season. Their stated purpose is to give skiers an alternative place to rest and warm-up. One hopes that seating will be well spaced and masks required. Using these temporary structures as a way to relieve crowding in lodges is a good idea, as long as appropriate Covid protections are in place. It wouldn’t surprise me if yurts start popping at areas in general.

Cancelled: Winter Park Ski Train

The Winter Park Ski Train connecting Denver with the ski resort has become another victim of Covid. With the exception of a multi-year hiatus, Ski Train operated every season since 1941. While social distancing concerns lowered the boom, Denverites can expect the service to resume sometime in the future.

Buy a Tee Shirt. Help a National Park

Wild Tribute makes tee and sweat shirts with graphics representing most U.S. national parks. The company donates 4% of its proceeds (not profits) to non-profits supporting the parks (e.g. National Parks Conservation Association, Grand Canyon Association, Grand Teton Association). The products make good birthday or holiday gifts for anyone who loves our parks. Click here to visit Wild Tribute’s website.

Short Swings!

July 30, 2020/2 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

A Fort Lauderdale resident asked, “Do you know where we Floridians go when we want to ski?” It was a joke. Her punch line: “The airport.”

From the way things appear to be shaping up, fewer and fewer older skiers will be using planes to get to their favorite resorts. There’s a reluctance to get on planes until the virus is under control.

I get it. Regardless of our individual states of health, as a group whose age averages 69.8, we are high risk. Boarding a crowded flight – even in first or with the middle seat empty – isn’t appealing.

I think big resorts get it, too. In normal seasons, big western resorts rely on skiers flying to their destinations. Recently, some resort tourism executives told me they’re shifting attention to skiers within a 6 – 8 hour drive.

In the June readers’ survey, 92% of you indicated you definitely or probably would ski during the coming season, and 71% said you plan to take one to more than 4 long distance ski trips.

Of those planning long distance trips, 40% plan to drive and 41% plan to fly then drive a rental car.

That was in June. The way infections and fatalities have been accelerating, I’m guessing that now, about a month after that survey ended, fewer people would want to fly.

I know I wouldn’t.

In a recent media briefing, the heads of National Ski Areas Association and Vail Resorts’ mountain operations explained how they’re patching together best practices from the restaurant, hotel and other industries to protect skiers from the virus (and, I expect, themselves from liability). Based on what they said, we can expect limits on numbers of skiers/boarders, temperature checks, social distancing, fewer people on lifts, and more outdoor dining.

My biggest takeaway from the briefing was that for the coming season, we’ll need to plan before we go. “No more rolling out of bed and deciding to head to the hill,” is how one of the briefers described it.

Those living close to or at an area will do well. Those of us within a few hours drive will have their fair share of the fun. But for those who are high risk and relying on airplanes, you’ll need to make the “is it worth it?” decision.

One point of view, expressed by several of you is, why not? At this age, how many more seasons will we have?

EPIC’S $169 Unlimited Military Pass

Marc Liebman is a gifted military novelist, public speaker, and occasional SeniorsSkiing.com contributor. A combat veteran of Vietnam and Desert Shield/Storm, he flew helicopters on combat search and rescue, special operations missions, anti-submarine warfare and logistics support missions. He retired as Navy Commander after 24 years of service. His six novels are based on his experience and are really good reads. Recently, he emailed this tidbit about what he calls “the lift ticket deal of the century.” Epic Pass is offering an unlimited pass to ski at any of their 30+ resorts (Xmas excluded) to members of the military – active, reserve and retired, dependents – for $169. Details: click here.

$75 Parka; $50 Pants Deal

Orsden Parkas: Great Colors; $75

Here’s another “deal of the century.” Orsden, the parka and ski pants manufacturer, is having a “Mystery Sale.” Visit the company website, select a men’s or women’s parka, and let the company pick the color. You really can’t go wrong. Like Orsden’s styling, every one of it’s colors is good. I’ve been wearing my Orsden parka for 3-4 seasons. It’s held up exceptionally well, and has many nice features (e.g. underarm zips, RFID pass pocket, built-in goggle/glasses wipe, detachable powder skirt). The company specializes in direct-to-customer sales. It’s parkas sell for $300 and, if sold through retailers, would be double that. My wife purchased one a few years ago on sale for $175. She loves it. Now, Orsden parkas are going for $75!!! The only catch: the company picks the color and final sale/no returns. While visiting the site, check out the men’s and women’s ski pants; normally $200; now $50. Some sizes are sold out and final sale/no returns policy applies to sale pants, as well.

Liftopia Faces Bankruptcy; Collects PPP Funds

According to a Federal database, Liftopia, the online ticket-seller, received a Paycheck Protection Program loan between $350,000 and $1 million. This, while the company may be forced into bankruptcy by a group of resorts claiming Liftopia owes them $2+ million in advance ticket sales.

Elevate Suspends Operations

Roam Robotics, which makes the innovative Elevate Ski Exoskeleton, announced that due to the uncertain context caused by COVID, it is temporarily suspending investment in its unique Elevate product. The company will not be producing pre-ordered product (all deposits have been refunded) and will not be renting/demoing Elevate during the 20/21 season. The announcement said that the company would continue to develop and improve all products in its line up.

In Person 2020 Snowbound Festival Canceled

Organizers of the Boston and Denver Snowbound Festival (formerly the BEWI Ski and Snowboard Expos) announced cancellation of the 2020 events. The reason: COVID-19 and the safety of attendees, exhibitors, and staff. They’re working on a digital version as a possible substitute. For decades,the shows have served as “the unofficial kickoff to Winter.” Last Fall, Snowsports Industries America (SIA), acquired the Boston and Denver expos from BEWI Productions. SIA is the winter industry’s non-profit trade association representing snow sports suppliers, retailers, sales reps and resorts. BEWI was founded in 1980 by Bernie Weichsel, a member of SeniorsSkiing.com’s Advisory Council.

Suicide Increasing Among Sledding Athletes

A feature in The New York Times last Sunday reports on the disproportionately high number of bobsled, luge and other sledding athletes who have taken their lives. Brain experts suspect the symptoms stem from years of crashes, brain-rattling vibrations and strong gravitational acceleration forces. The athletes often experience an exhausted fog, which they’ve named “sled head.”

Your Own (Miniature) Cable Car (and Skiers)

FelinaWorld bills itself as the world’s largest online store for Christmas villages. Among its many miniature trees, chalets, scenes, etc. is a selection of HO scale ski lifts. They’re miniaturized versions of the real ones at a numer of Austrian ski resorts. It looks like they’re motor-driven. They even have miniature skiers for the lifts. The site also sells gondola-shaped key chains. When I visited, many of the products were discounted. Click here to get to one of the ski lift pages.

Short Swings!

June 26, 2020/5 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Over the past few weeks, we’ve received numerous emails from ski industry and other leaders supporting Black Lives Matter. Mike and I want to add our voices to this and to other expressions of social justice.

Many of you will remember Bob Dylan’s 1964 song, “The Times They Are A Changin.” His anthem to social change and the consequences of ignoring it takes on new relevance during this time of social, environmental and economic uncertainty and disease.

Each of these issues is evident in skiing, boarding and other winter sports. There should be more people of color on the hill, but for many, the effects of historic social injustice have prevented their participation.

We are constantly reminded of the unfair treatment of those whose skin color relegates them to economic and educational disadvantage and the lifelong consequences of those disadvantages.

The ski industry has acknowledged the need for change. For years, National Ski Areas Association has reached out to minorities in an attempt to attract them and add diversity to the sport.

It appears that decades after Dylan released “The Times They Are A Changin’,” things, finally, are changing. It’s about time.

National Brotherhood of Skiers

The National Brotherhood of Skiers the group of African American skiers founded in 1972. Its history is fascinating, and its programs introducing black youth to the sport are encouraging. Learn more about NBS by clicking on the image above an watching a first-rate video produced by REI.

95-Year-Old Heli-Skier Sets Guinness Record

World’s oldest heliskier Gordon Precious and grandson. Credit: CMH Heli-Skiing

Gordon Precious, 95, of Hamilton, Ontario, recently set a new Guinness World Record for oldest heli-skier. A lifelong skier, he achieved the record last year and shortly before his 95^th birthday. The previous record was set by a 91-year-old.

Liftopia Stiffs Ski Resorts

Liftopia, the biggest online lift ticket seller, owes more than $3MM in ticket sales to Alterra, Mountain Collective, Aspen and other resorts. Sources report Liftopia will seek bankruptcy protection.

Mountain Collective Lowers Price; Adds Resorts

Good News: Mountain Collective is giving 2019-20 passholders $50 off their 2020-2021 passes. And it has added these resorts: Sun Peaks Resort, BC; Grand Targhee, WY; Panorama, BC; Sugarloaf, ME, and Chamonix, France. There are now 23 top-raking destinations on the pass.

Less Than Good News: “No Questions Asked” refund deadline for purchasers is October 16, 2020; slightly early to know about the health of the ski season when COVID’s second wave may be reaching shore.

Portillo Postpones Opening “Indefinitely”

Portillo

A letter this week from Ski Portillo states that the legendary Chilean resort will remain closed indefinitely because COVID-19 is at peak levels in Chile, quarantines, and travel restrictions.

Reliable Source of Reliable COVID Supplies

KN95 Mask Type II Surgical Mask

I keep on hearing about people ordering face masks online and getting ripped off. An acquaintance thought she was purchasing COVID masks and was sent tiny, mouth-only coverings, unusable for COVID or any other protection. A recent column mentioned that Masterfit, ski boot footbed manufacturer and SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser, now sells high quality KN95 (comparable to the US’s N95) and Type II surgical face masks.

KN95 masks fit securely around the face and provide maximum fluid resistance and filtration efficiency. They’re good for those interacting closely and frequently with the public.
FDA Certified Type II surgical masks are what many surgeons wear. They’re lightweight and provide excellent protection through the triple filtration face barrier. Type IIs comfortably wrap around nose, mouth and under the chin. While not designed to make an air-tight seal, it does provide significantly greater virus filtration protection than a simple dust, particle or homemade mask.

Masterfit also sells reusable face shields and an excellent COVID disinfectant spray. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers enjoy a 10% discount on masks. Pre-discount prices : $35 per package of 10 KN95 masks and $39.50 per package of 50 Type II surgical masks. Click here to access Masterfit’s PPE products. For the discount, enter FOMCOVID1910 at checkout.

Short Swings!

May 22, 2020/1 Comment/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Boris and Ivan have been skiing across the frozen steppe for many days. After too long on the front, they’re finally going home. Boris spent hours telling his colleague what he intends to do when, finally, he arrives home: hug his family, down a hearty meal, paint the dacha, tend the garden.

“Ivan, what is your plan?,” he asks.

“My wife will come to the door with vodka.”

“And then?”

“We’ll embrace and make passionate love.”

“And then?”

“I’ll remove these damn skis.”

That’s one of the few decent ski jokes I know, and, apologies, if I’ve used it before in this space.

Unfortunately, we removed our skis too early this season. And there are legitimate questions as to whether there will be a next season.

That thought, stated indirectly, appears to be on many minds. It’s why Ikon Pass is being sold with a safety net. Purchasers can decide by late November whether they want to use it for 2020-21 or 2021-22. They’ve discounted the price to encourage early sales. And Epic Pass just announced baked-in insurance coverage. Their parent companies need cash to service debt, proceed with planned projects and maintain whatever is left of their payrolls.

Some areas, pursuing similar early purchase tactics, are spinning their messages to get patrons to help them keep the lifts spinning. Their appeal: Your early buy will help keep us afloat. I don’t mind that, as long as it’s not coming from an area that joined one of the big pass programs and eliminated its own senior pass discount. There are several of them.

It’s interesting to see how the resorts are responding to COVID. My prediction is that singles will be riding doubles, triples will be occupied by two’s, etc. Areas relying on gondolas and trams will limit their occupancy and require facemasks. Lines will be longer. See below for Chamonix’s sensible response.

I expect day lodges will have fewer seats and surfaces will be aggressively sanitized. Maybe restrooms will have full-time attendants whose job will be keeping everything clean. Resort HR departments advertise for “Lifties.” Why not “Resties?”

Expect hand sanitizer stations to be as ubiquitous as tissue dispensers.

Of course there will be rogue skiers and boarders defying the rules and placing themselves and others at risk…just like they do when playing human pinball racing down the hill. The likelihood of their getting reprimanded for sneezing in line is about as likely as their getting stopped for reckless skiing.

I haven’t missed a season since 1954 and don’t intend to miss out on 2020-21. But if things get too complicated on the hill, I might throw in my ski towel, grab my beach towel and head South.

Chamonix Fights COVID With Thermal Scans

Skiers at the French resort are now required to enter a thermal scanning device (similar to an airport security gate) to check their temperatures, use sanitizing material on their hands, and wear masks while waiting in line and riding lifts. Social distancing will be implemented in lines and on enclosed lifts. If found effective, this protocol may become the industry standard.

COVID Concerns = Season Pass Changes

IKON and others offer generous early purchase discounts for next season.

Epic now includes full and/or prorated insurance in event of job loss, stay-at-home orders, job transfers, etc. as well as resort closures due to COVID and other diseases, natural disasters, war, and terrorism.

Mountain Collective provides “incentive credits” encouraging existing pass holders to re-up for 2020-21.

Alta will issue discounts to existing pass holders based on last season’s use. For a round-up of Utah area offerings, see Harriet Wallis’ story elsewhere in this issue.

Aspen will credit existing pass holders for its truncated season and “…have a refund policy that makes committing to the 2020-21 season risk-free.”

Indy Pass, arguably the best skiing value in North America, offers two days at each of 52 resorts for $199, including its Get America Skiing Promise providing up to 80% credit for the following season, no questions asked. Passes go on sale September 1. Pass holders at participating resorts can purchase the Indy for $129.

COVID Shutters Las Lenas

Argentina’s premier resort, Las Lenas, announced that because of COVID, it will not open for the 2020 season.

Masterfit Establishes COVID-19 Webstore

SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser, Masterfit Enterprises, has added protective face masks to its offerings during the pandemic. The insole and bootfit training company is selling facemasks to businesses and consumers at its Masterfit COVID19 webstore. SeniorsSkiing.com readers get a 10% discount on their first 100 surgical mask purchase using coupon code FOMCOVID1910 at checkout. Here is a link to a story about how Masterfit landed in the PPE business.

Val Gardena Repurposes Snowguns to Disinfect Streets

Handled by the Italian resort’s volunteer fire fighters, the snowguns are being used to spread disinfectant with hopes of reducing spread of COVID.

Higher Elevation Populations May Be Less Susceptible to COVID

A paper in the June issue Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology concludes that, among other factors, “…the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is reduced at high-altitude due to the physiological acclimatization of its inhabitants, and due to particular environmental characteristics.” The study looked at prevalence of COVID in high elevation populations in Tibet, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Two Dimensional Ski Films

Have you noticed how the many GoPro ski films on the Net have a flattened sameness to them? I enjoy watching ski films, despite their similarities to pornography (Same motions. Different locations. Repeat.). But helmet-mounted cameras generally record ski tops against a white surface, making even the steepest terrain look pretty flat. I just watched a GoPro video of someone skiing the Alguille du Midi in Chamonix. I’ve seen it, and it’s heart-stopping steep. His GoPro footage documents the run, but does little to convey the challenge. Give me those long, across-the-valley Warren Miller and John Jay telephoto shots or the ones from the chopper floating above. Go Pro is great for a lot of things. Showing steeps is not one of them.

High School to Use Local Chairlift for Graduation Ceremony

Graduating Kennett High School (Conway, NH) seniors will ride a Cranmore Mountain chairlift to receive their diplomas. Nice way to maintain social distancing in this small New England ski town.

Send A Photo Wearing Vintage Skiwear

Skiers from 1900. Source: The Guardian

Okay, you’ve cleaned the house, organized the family pictures, Zoom-cocktailed with family and friends. Here’s a suggestion for something different: Send us a selfie of you/spouse/friend wearing vintage clothing and we’ll publish the most interesting ones in June. Make it a sweater, jacket, hat, pants, whatever. For inspiration, check out this gallery of ski fashion dating from 1900 to the early ‘70s. It was published by the British daily The Guardian. Send your pictures to info@seniorsskiing.com and include your name and where you live.

Thanks for reading. Please forward SeniorsSkiing.com to your skier friends. Advertising in SeniorsSkiing.com is a great way to reach the 50+ snow sports enthusiast. Rates are very low and our 16,500 subscribers are very responsive. Contact: advertising@seniorsskiing.com.

Short Swings!

April 10, 2020/12 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Source: Deseret News

In the past few weeks, we’ve learned that skiing has been identified as a significant vector in the spread of COVID-19. If you have not read this article in The New Yorker magazine about Sun Valley’s role, it’s an eye-opener.

Germany, described as a “skiing nation,” has traced many of its cases to a beer pong table in the Austrian resort of Ischgl, a popular destination for German skiers.

The outbreak in Mexico, in part, originated from a group of Mexican business leaders returned from a ski holiday in Vail, where they contracted the disease.

It makes sense. When we ski, we share trams, gondolas, and chairs and dine and shop in the same places. These are ideal conditions for picking up an invisible bug and transporting it back home where it can catch fire.

And ski towns are suffering. Sun Valley and Vail have some of the highest infection rates in the country. They and others are discouraging visitors and second homeowners from seeking refuge in the mountains.

This is not to place blame on ski areas. The same could be said of any form of public transportation, terminals, cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, gyms, beauty salons, etc., etc. It’s just that until now, the most dangerous thing about the sport was hitting or breaking something or getting buried. Now skiing has entered the realm of public health hazard.

We can only hope that the aftershocks will not permanently alter the sport.

It would be great to get your points of view on the subject, which you can do by commenting at the end of this article.

On a related note, we normally stop publishing weekly at the end of April and publish monthly June through September.

Because there’s less and less ski-related things to write about, this will be our last weekly distribution for the season. We’ll continue to publish articles throughout the ensuing weeks. The next issue will be emailed in May.

Since last September, counting this column, you’ve been sent more than 200 articles, including 26 Short Swings! columns. Each week in this column I attempt to deliver a point of view and a gathering of interesting and sometimes weird developments from the world of skiing. Since we started publication in 2013, more than 1300 articles including 134 Short Swings! columns have appeared.

We’ll be back in about a month.

In the meanwhile, stay safe, stay healthy, and do what you can to bring this thing to an end.

Alterra Lays off 17,000

An email from Alterra CEO, Rusty Gregory to the entire organization announced that COVID has forced layoffs of 17,000 seasonal employees, substantial cuts to operating expenses, and postponement of more than 50% of previously approved capital expenditures. Gregory also announced he will be working without pay “…until each of our year-round staff returns to work.”

Vail Patrol Training As Paramedics

More than 20 Vail ski patrollers are training to join Eagle County (CO) Paramedic Services. They are part of a contingency plan that could keep ECPS running even if 40% of staff becomes ill.

Video Explains Storing Skis and Boots for Summer

This five-minute Nordica production gives sensible advice on storing your gear for summer. Among other useful tips, don’t use ski straps and be sure to engage the power strap on your boots.

22 Ski Films from Red Bull TV

Red Bull sponsored these ski films ranging from 10-minutes two hours. Now, with the season shortened and many confined to their homes, the company is making them available free-of-charge. Click here to connect.

Two of the All-Time Best Short Ski Videos

Hardship (e.g. sheltering in place) often spawns creativity.

Freeride at Home (90 seconds) is one of the cleverest ski films I’ve seen.
Lego Skier (40 seconds) is another terrific little film.

Alta Season Recap

DailyPow.com is a site that produces and posts video reports for the legions of Altaholics everywhere. Whether or not you’re an Alta skier, you’ll enjoy it.

Short Swings!

April 3, 2020/2 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Storytelling is one of the things that distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Cave drawings and other prehistoric clues inform us that storytelling predates written history. It preserves memory, forms order out of chaos, and binds people together.

It shows itself in every culture in the form of religion, entertainment, and politics, to name a few.

SeniorsSkiing.com is a storytelling vessel. For the past six years, we have delivered a weekly menu of stories about our shared interest. Volunteers write the stories, Mike and I included.

I love making up and telling stories and have been doing it in one way or another most of my life. It formed the basis of my professional career, developing narratives that would help clients and employers present themselves in the best possible light or help them rise to the top in a field of fierce competition.

When my kids were young, they went to sleep listening to bedtime stories. Many were made up spur of the moment and probably lost to their young memories. One that stuck with me was the tale of the squeaky forest where trees made squeaky sounds when the wind blew. That was where the squeaky floorboard in one of their bedrooms had come from. They’re now in their 40s. I need to ask if they remember that one.

Two of our grandchildren 6 and 7, soon to be 7 and 8 are on the East Coast. When we’re together they love it when I tell them stories before they go to bed.

But now we’re separated for an indefinite time because of the virus. They’re in Rhode Island and we’re in a remote location on the Colorado Plateau. Thank God for Facetime. A few nights a week, we gather electronically, they in bed, me in the high desert, and I tell them a bedtime story.

They always ask if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Sometimes I tell them. Sometimes I let them figure it out on their own. I always ask whether or not they liked it. And in the time between those bedtime stories, I’m thinking of another theme or plot or set of characters.

They don’t know it yet, but their next story will be a true one; about the odor of fresh baked bread from the Freihofer’s Bakery in North Troy, NY. I’ll try to paint a word picture of that warm and delicious smell, and I’ll explain how a few mornings each week when I was their age a horse-drawn wagon would stop in front of our house and the Freihofer Man would walk onto our porch with a large tray of freshly baked goods, and my mother would make a selection and ask me what I wanted. I’ll pepper the story with the hay-laced horse droppings that were left on the road. They’re of an age where that type of detail will add credence to the tale and help the story become a permanent memory of their grandfather’s childhood.

Perhaps one day it will influence them to tell their own stories to their own children and grandchildren about a time long ago when they could no longer go to school or play with their friends in the park or attend birthday parties. A time when they and their parents left their home in the big city and escaped to their summerhouse near the beach. A time when their grandfather, Poppa, told them bedtime stories through Facetime and kissed them goodnight over the phone.

US Ski Industry May Lose $2B

National Ski Areas Association, the trade group for U.S. ski areas projects that the season’s early close will result in losses approximating $2 billion, about 30% of season revenues.

Ski Blandford Closes Permanently

Ski Blandford, about 25 miles from Springfield, MA, announced it’s permanent closure. The area was owned and operated by the Springfield Ski Club from 1936 until 2017 and was the oldest continuously operating club-owned ski area in North America. It was purchased by Ski Butternut which invested substantial sums in the area. Ski Blandford had 27 trails, five lifts and 465’ vertical.

Vail Furloughs Employees, Reduces Capital Improvements

The announcement was made in an April 1 letter to employees from Vail CEO Rob Katz. Year-round hourly employees in the US are being furloughed for “the next one to two months” without pay but with full healthcare coverage with the company paying all premiums. A six-month salary reduction is being implemented for all U.S. salaried employees. Katz is giving up 100% of his salary for six months. The company is reducing capital expenditures by $80-$85 million, “…with the intention to defer all new chair lifts, terrain expansions and other mountain improvements.”

Goggles For Docs

Goggles for Docs is an effort to get used or new ski goggles into the hands of healthcare workers who currently have no eye protection as they treat COVID-19 patients. Click here, select a state and hospital, fill in the form, and ship your goggles. Some states have reached their capacity with donations. Others, such as Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are in need.

Cold War

Source The New Yorker Illustration by Thomas Danthony

That’s the title of an article about the science of avalanche study in the March 23 issue of The New Yorker magazine. Authored by James Somers, it starts in Alta, Utah and moves to Davos, Switzerland. The article covers some of the history of avalanche control, including a 1397 Swiss law prohibiting logging because old-growth trees helped minimize avalanche damage. For readers interested in avvys and what is being done to understand and control them, this is an excellent read.

R.I.P. Copper Mountain’s “First Chair Frank”

“First Chair Frank” Walter

Frank Walter, known as Copper Mountain’s most dedicated skier, died on March 5. He was 97 years old. Known locally as “First Chair Frank,” he was born in 1922, raised in Boston, graduated from Tufts University and served in WWII as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Marines Corps, rising to the rank of captain. Post-service he received a Masters degree in engineering from MIT and became a VP in the Chrysler Corporation. One year, Frank skied 160 days out of the 162 Copper was open. During another season, when he was in his early 60s, Frank skied 8.7 million vertical; about 45,000 vertical feet per day. A few years ago, Copper Mountain named a run, Frank’s Fave, in his honor.

An Idea

Some ski friends invited us to a Zoom Après Ski Cocktail Hour where we’ll discuss our respective ski seasons. We participated in a Zoom Cocktail Hour a few days ago with three friends. Two were nearby; the other was in Calgary. A very nice respite from this isolation.

Newest Issue of Skiing History Magazine

The March/April issue of Skiing History Magazine is now available online. If you’re a member of International Skiing History Association, the print edition may already have arrived. If you’re not a member, click on ISHA’s adjacent ad to receive a free digital subscription. You’re in for a nice treat.

Short Swings!

March 27, 2020/2 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Are skiers gamblers? I started thinking about that when COVID-19 prematurely ended the season. A lot of people purchased season passes of one form or another, never expecting early termination.

What odds would bookmakers have given last fall of that happening?

Skiing always involves some degree of considered risk and reward, not unlike many casino games, or life in general.

That patch of powder is inviting, but are there roots or rocks?

If I take that unknown trail, will I wind up where I don’t want to be?

Buying skis without trying them is a risk. Buying boots without an expert to fit them also is a gamble.

When I used to leave the house early and drive two hours for a day of skiing, there were times I didn’t know whether it would be raining or snowing by the time I reached the hill. I remember decades ago driving through steady rain for more than an hour, gambling that by the time I reached the foothills, it would change to snow. It did, and I had a great day.

But taking a chance isn’t always rewarded. Many scheduled their annual ski holiday for mid-March or later. At the time, they didn’t know they were taking a chance. Now, we all do.

On a grander scale, we’ve been gambling with the environment for years. Many favor short-term gain over the terrifying long-term risk. As skiers, that gamble is showing a losing hand in areas closing due to lack of snow or the cold temps needed to run their guns.

Supporting that gamble is the understanding that we’ve entered a time when scientific fact is being challenged by uninformed personal opinion. When information sources were few, it was easier for the majority to know the difference between truth and falsehood. But now, with the explosion of information sources and with aggressive blurring of the borders between true and false, the idea that fictions can be perceived as facts has settled in. Those promoting our “post-truth” gestalt do it to confuse and manipulate; to conquer through confusion.

Like the sport of skiing, accepting the new post-truth standard involves a very slippery slope. It is risky. And, except for those promoting these fictitious agendas, the rewards are nil.

Vail Reports March/April $ Loss

COVID-19 closures caused the company to announce its operating revenues for March and April will be around $200 million lower than expected.

Members Purchase Vermont’s Hermitage Club

Several former members raised $8+ million to buy southern Vermont’s Hermitage Club. The purchase includes Haystack ski area, the accompanying golf course, and numerous structures and inns.

SkiSkating with Snowfeet

The areas may be closed but many of us are living where there’s still snow on the ground. Recently I came across a new alternative to snowshoeing and X-C skiing. Snowfeet is a well built ski/skate that attaches to any winter boot. Once on, it lets you take off on flats or slopes with or without a set of poles. The company sent me a pair at the beginning of the season, and I loaned them to Brian Doubek, a friend in his early 50s who is an enthusiastic backcountry skier and an accomplished skater. He immediately determined that Snowfeet is best used on hardpack. He said the buckles were easy to use and effective. His observation was that weight needs to be centered over the product and using a skier’s stance with weight forward against the tongue of the boot won’t work. The FAQ section of Snowfeet’s website asks the question: Is it hard to learn? Their answer states: “It is as hard as learning to ski. So it takes some time and you will definitely fall now and then, but that’s the part of the fun.” I have yet to try Snowfeet, but expect that the learning curve is much, much shorter than learning to ski. Every time I passed the company’s exhibit at the SIA/OR Snow Show, it looked like retailers were showing interest. Snowfeet are very nicely designed, well manufactured and beautifully packaged. The company put together this short video of people trying Snowfeet for the first time. Their average age looks substantially younger than that of our readers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the product, as well. They’re lightweight, fit easily in a pack, and look like they are a helluva lot of fun! They cost about $150, shipping included.

70% Off Parkas and Ski Pants!

During it’s end-of-season clearance, Vermont-based Orsden, is selling its parkas and ski pants at a 70% discount. Orsden sells exclusively on line. Men’s and women’s jackets, normally $330, are now $99. Ski pants, normally $200, are $75. I’ve worn the parka for 3 or 4 seasons and love it. It looks great, wears well, and has nifty features like a built-in goggle cloth. The company is donating 10% of purchases made through April 1 to the Vermont Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund to support non-profits addressing the public health and economic impacts of the disease. Click orsden.com to learn more.

Cabin Fever Cures

Source: Getty Images

In the past week you’ve probably received many notifications of free online diversions. Here are a few more that you may find inspiring (or at least entertaining):

Visit Portugal produced this video providing advice and hope

Travel and Leisure offers these virtual tours of several US national parks

National Public Radio has these virtual concerts

Patagonia offers documentary films and stories.

And finally…

This video by a physician in Grand Rapids (MI) explains a logical way to shop for and sanitize groceries before putting them away. It also covers what to do with restaurant take-out.

Short Swings!

March 20, 2020/0 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

What a strange time.

There are some exceptions, but most ski areas throughout Europe and North America have closed.

There is nothing happy about this scenario except the prospect that removing ski areas as a place where people gather may help slow the virus’ progress.

SeniorsSkiing.com readers range in age from 50 into the 90s. The average age is 67. We are among the most vulnerable. Those with compromised immune systems, heart and lung conditions and diabetes, even more so.

Science will find treatment or a cure, but it will take time. In the meanwhile, we’re advised to minimize close physical contact with others. Hence the premature end to the season.

We should use good hand-washing hygiene. Someone suggested spraying objects entering our living space with a weak bleach and water solution — four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water. Our household is trying that as an additional precaution. I hope it works.

Having things in common are one of the hallmarks of a community. By that standard, SeniorsSkiing.com is a virtual community. Our shared interest is descending snowy terrain, as is enjoying other passions and being with family and friends.

For those of us in self-isolation, it’s important to know that all of these things await us when we can once again meet without concern.

We’ve been through other health scares in our lifetimes. Polio. AIDS. SARS. MERS. Ebola. Each a virus. Each, eventually managed to a reasonable level.

The same will happen with COVID-19.

Science will find answers. Societies will manage though the chaos with varying degrees of success.

Wherever you are during this time of crisis and worry, please be grateful for family and friends, and the scientists working overtime to bring us relief.

Remember your good times on snow. This metaphorical Winter will pass. Next season will arrive.

In the meanwhile, please do what you can to care for yourselves, your families, and your communities.

And remember to wash your hands.

Keeping Your Home Virus-Free

This article from Houzz, the home-oriented website, explains how to protect your home from the virus.

List of Acceptable Cleaning Products

Here’s a list of cleaning products that are pre-approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use against COVID-19. It’s from the Center for Biocide Chemistries and American Chemistry Council.

Lake Tahoe: 114” in Three Days

Snow clouds must not have received the COVID-19 memo. 9.5’ of snow fell on Lake Tahoe over the past three days. Click here to see what that meant for one driver.

5 Short Films

These five films won the 2^nd annual “Best Sustainable Tourism Films” competition. The longest is 3 minutes. They’re interesting and beautiful and come from Morrocco, Sweden, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and Newfoundland/Labrador. Click here to view.

Bored At Home? Watch This!!

This 8-second home-ski video should get a chuckle. Click: IMG_9266

Colorado Skijoring

Here’s a piece from yesterday’s New York Times about Skijoring in Leadville, CO.

And, finally…

While many of us are exercising prudent social distancing by remaining home, we’re also spending time outside walking, hiking, exercising and enjoying nature. If you think your sneakers or waking shoes could be performing better, try EZ Fit AutoAdapt® Universal drop-in insoles. They improve shoe comfort and performance. They’re made by Masterfit, one of our loyal advertisers. They support us. Their products support your feet. Please support them. Click here to learn more.

Yesterday was the vernal equinox. We need a good dose of Spring!

Short Swings!

March 13, 2020/1 Comment/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

The 4-leaf clovers make this early post card look like a St Patrick’s Day greeting. The wording is Hungarian for “Happy New Year.”

Valentino and I had an interesting conversation a few months ago. He’s my seven-year-old grandson, and we were walking back from his weekly skating lesson. He didn’t like his new skates.

He was making nice progress on the ice, but something happened during the lesson that left him frustrated. He blamed the skates.

As we walked, I explained that when starting any sport, we need to experience a variety of tools in order to learn what we like. Then we talked about how quickly he’d grow out of those skates and be able to try something new.

It was a good conversation. He dropped the subject and over the past few months, with the same skates, has become a very good skater.

I grew up subscribing to the idea that a good craftsman never blames his tools.

But sometimes, the useful life of tools like skis and boots run their course and need to be replaced.

I started the season on an old pair of Rossignol B3s, a wonderful ski that gave me several years of great service. It was obvious I should not have taken them out of retirement.

Then I switched to my old Volkl Gotama‘s. Another great ski that saw a lot of vertical over numerous seasons. This season they were sluggish and worn out.

Both are about to make a trip to the boneyard.

In early February I skied a few different brands and models and was impressed with the Black Crows Camox. They’re such a good match for me on packed surfaces and those with a little chop. They are 97 underfoot. I use my DPS Wallers (112 underfoot) for powder days.

To be honest, before these new skis, I was getting frustrated and tired turning the old boards. The new skis made a world of difference. They remind me of being a kid with new sneakers. Liberated. Soaring. Unconfined.

I often see older skiers, especially people on their annual ski week, using out-of-date gear. Whatever their reasons, they should give the new equipment a try. Designs and materials just keep on getting better and making it easier to get more out of the day.

Valentino will be moving on to new gear because his feet are growing. For the rest of us, it’s a great time of year to purchase new equipment. Many shops still have substantial inventory and are selling at discount.

If it’s a knowledgeable shop, explain what you’re looking for and listen to their advice. Then, if you can, demo a pair for a day.

Always best to try before you buy.

Alterra Announces Capital Improvements

Alterra Mountain Company will invest $223 million in capital improvements for its 15 North American resorts over the coming year. Major developments: Deer Valley will receive $14 million, mostly for lodge improvements, the purchase of four snow cats, and snowmaking. Mont-Tremblant will get $8.8 million for a new beginners’ area, the new Timber Summit area, and improvements to lifts and buildings. Steamboat will expand by 355 acres. Mammoth will replace Chairs 1 and 16.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Season

Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control

Most Italian resorts are closed because of the virus. Areas in the Aosta Valley and the Dolomites have closed or soon will.

Additionally, the Italian winter sports federation (FISI) cancelled the alpine skiing World Cup finals in Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites. The event was due to take place March 18-22.

The Austrian state of Tyrol announced all of its ski areas will close Monday, March 16 because of the virus. Among the resorts are St. Anton, Kitzbuhl, Ischgl, and Solden.

Aspen is cautioning 60+ skiers with compromised immune systems or respiratory issues not to visit Colorado’s high country. That, after several people tested positive at the resort.

Activities at Michigan‘s Crystal Mountain are being scaled back to comply witht he governor’s guidance of limiting groups to no more than 100.

Catamount Ski Area in Hillsdale, NY, announced it and its sister area, Berkshire East in Charlemont and Hawley, MA, have closed for the season because “COVID-19 has been discovered in the surrounding hill towns and multiple people are being quarantined.” The GM’s statement is worth reading.

Here, again, is a brief hand-washing video from The New York Times. PLEASE wash your hands after touching public surfaces and, to the best of your ability, maintain the advised 6′ social distance. Many of us are older and want to keep skiing.

Sports Den: Salt Lake City’s Go-To Ski Shop

Visitors to Salt Lake City who stay downtown and take day trips probably miss out on Sports Den in Foothill Village. It’s one of the top ski shops in Utah and a mere 10-miunte drive from most of the hotels.

For 48-years, Sports Den has been Salt Lake’s go-to shop to buy or rent anything associated with the sport. They stock the best of everything, and their help is knowledgeable in ways that make the shop a true standout.

And they back up what they sell. A few years ago, my wife got fitted there for a pair of boots. It was mid-Winter, and she used them the rest of her season. The following year she felt they weren’t working well. Back to Sports Den, where her feet were reevaluated and the boots replaced. No questions. No pressure. No charge.

Another thing that makes Sports Den stand out from most of the other shops in the area is its consistently great selection of soft goods. Those who grew up in this community know that Sports Den is where they’ll find top ski clothing brands and beautifully styled casual wear, including an impressive shoe department. They also know that Sports Den is where they can score discounted lift tickets for most of the Wasatch areas.

What many of them don’t know is that the basement level, accessed through an adjacent entrance, houses Sports Den’s custom embroidery and silkscreen shop. It’s where the University of Utah and many local businesses go to personalize T-shirts, hats, bags, you-name-it. A few days ago a young woman walked out with hanging travel bags embroidered with her monogram.

Skiing in Utah? Staying in downtown Salt Lake? Have your own wheels? Give Sports Den a visit. It’s one of the best ski shops around.

Season Passes

This is time of year when next season passes go on sale.

We missed reporting on Mountain Collective’s three-day window for cardholders to re-up for for $449. Billed as a “secret sale,” the offer was good from March 6 through March 9. Current price is $469 and includes four more resorts: Grand Targhee (WY), Panorama (BC), Sugarloaf (ME), and Chamonix (FR).

Killington’s Beast 365, which provides unrestricted 4-season access to all resort facilities and includes the IKON Base pass, costs $1092 for those 65-79. At the time this was being written, I was awaiting a response from the resort as to what the price would be for those 80+. Killington’s regular season pass is $609 for those 65-79 and only $59 for those 80+. Way to go, Killington!!!

Move Over Shark Tank. New Mexico Does it on the Chair.

ABQid is the group promoting entrepreneur-led economic development in New Mexico. It holds an annual competition for start-ups to pitch their ideas to representatives of a panel of experts. Twenty contestants are accepted, and one wins a check for $10,000. Instead of a boardroom, the pitches are made during a chairlift ride at the state’s Taos Ski Resort.

Short Swings!

March 6, 2020/1 Comment/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

I was in a place I shouldn’t have been. When I entered the gate, I thought I had been on this part of the mountain years earlier. But as I descended, nothing about it seemed familiar.

It was steep beyond my comfort. There were bumps and trees, and the surface was getting icy. Signs on the trees warned this was a cliff area.

At my age, this was no place to be skiing alone.

I heard scraping skis below me and saw someone near a rope line skiing to the left.

Then I was alone. My skis were long past their useful life. My goggles kept fogging. I had a phone, but not a whistle. It was at home in a pack. No use to me now.

Before passing through the gate, someone had warned me not to go. I said not to worry, I knew what I was getting in to.

That was a mistake. Steep, Icy surface. Tight trees.

I wasn’t scared, but I had lost confidence. Side-slipping and kick turns were all I could muster. Even when I found a stretch of softer snow, I couldn’t bring myself to make a few turns.

It was beautiful in there. Cliffs above and below; twisted trunks rising to blue sky. Quiet.

How would someone find me? Maybe they’ll start looking when my car is the only one left in the lot?

Eventually, I saw a trail.

I must have been in there 30 or 40 minutes. It’s unlikely I’ll try it again, but if I do, it will be on better skis, I’ll have a whistle, and I won’t be in there alone.

Vail Announces Northeast Passes and Rewards Program

Vail just announced two regional passes for the Northeast (US). The Northeast Value Pass (adults, $599; college students, $419) provides unlimited, restricted access to Okemo, Mount Snow and Hunter, 10 restricted days at Stowe, plus unlimited, unrestricted access to Wildcat, Attitash, Mount Sunapee, Crotched, Liberty, Whitetail, Roundtop and more. The Northeast Midweek Pass ($449) has similar access, but restricted to Monday through Friday, and five restricted midweek days at Stowe.

Vail also announced ‘Epic Mountain Rewards,’ which gives pass holders a discount of 20 percent off food and beverage, lodging, group ski and ride school lessons, equipment rentals and more at the Company’s North American owned and operated resorts.

For details, click here.

2020-21 IKON Pass Discount

Renew your Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass before Wednesday, April 22, and (depending on the pass) get up to $100 on next season’s IKON Pass.

When Skiing Utah, Visit The Lift House

My first visit to a ski shop was when I was 10. It was a narrow and deep store in Albany, NY, and what I remember most is the rich smell of leather boots. Over the years I’ve been in many ski shops: some okay, some quite good, and some terrific. Spending much of the winter in Utah, I’ve been reminded that The Lift House, the venerable store near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, is an absolutely terrific place. Its location is ideal for people skiing Alta, Snowbird, Solitude or Brighton. It is consistently well-stocked with the top equipment and clothing brands. And the personnel are knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. Years ago, when we visited with kids in tow, The Lift House is where we rented. Over the years, it’s one of the places I’ve relied on for quality tunes. It’s the kind of place with a deep inventory of useful accessories And when they have a sale, they really mean it. Many people stop on the way to the mountain to purchase discount lift tickets. For example, a weekday at Snowbird costs $130. At The Lift House, it’s $97. An Alta day pass is $125. At The Lift House it’s $105, a better deal than the $119 if purchased directly from Alta online. There are other excellent shops in the area, most with similar brands, some specializing in only the most expensive ski and casual clothing. When headed in the direction of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, The Lift House is highly recommended.

International Skiing History Association

The International Skiing History Association (ISHA) is the non-profit with the mission of preserving and advancing knowledge of ski history and increasing awareness of skiing’s heritage. ISHA publishes Skiing History magazine the bimonthly filled with interesting articles and great illustrations. A six-month digital subscription is free. Click here or on the adjacent ad to subscribe.

Two more things from ISHA:

As a member ($49 annually; $59 international members) you’ll receive hard copies of Skiing History and have access to the organization’s digital archives. Among other things, you’ll find a guide to more than 160 ski museums and collections in 22 countries.
If you’re attending Skiing History Week in Sun Valley, March 25-28, sign up for ISHA’s annual Awards Banquet. Click here for details.

How Snowbird Trails Got Their Names

It’s not that often that we get to know the stories behind the trail names. The Snowbird website has a wonderful short article about how many of its trails were named. Written by frequent SeniorsSkiing.com contributor, Harriet Wallis, it’s informative and amusing. Who wouldda thunk that the West Second South trail refers to Salt Lake City’s long gone red light district? It’s an easy trail named for a the street of easy women.

This Self-Massage Device is Essential for Older Skiers

Last year, a skier friend recommended the Tiger Tail, a highly effective self-massage tool that doesn’t require getting on the floor, like you do with a foam roller. OMG!!! What a fantastic device! I get off the mountain and roll out my quads. At home, when my calves start to cramp, Tiger Tail comes to my immediate rescue. The company’s website is rich with useful text, picture and video instructions. Last month at the big industry trade show in Denver, I met Spring Faussette, who invented Tiger Tail and owns the company. She’s offering SeniorsSkiing.com readers a discount code for 30% off Tiger Tail and the company’s other products. Visit the Tiger Tail website and enter snowski50 during checkout to receive the discount.

Mont-Tremblant, Extends Season

The Quebec area will be open through April 19, and kids under accompanied by an adult will ski free.

Short Swings!

February 28, 2020/0 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

We get to the mountain, put on our boots, click into our skis and…you know the rest.

But how often do we stop to think about the people we rarely see; those who get the mountain ready for us and who keep it going?

Some will read this and tell themselves, “We pay for these services.”

My response is, “Yes, but take a moment to appreciate the people whose job it is to assure that you have a good experience.”

There are electricians who keep the lifts going and the lights on, and technicians who keep the snow guns running, That’s just to name a few.

We see some who prepare and serve food. But we rarely see the men and women plowing and maintaining the parking lots.

Patrol proactively stakes poles to warn us of hazards, control avalanches, and perform other dangerous tasks, all on our behalf.

Look up the hill at night, and you’ll see headlights from the grooming crew getting slopes and trails ready for the next day. Larger areas have late afternoon and graveyard shifts. Skill is required to operate those 10-ton mechanical behemoths. They groom in the dead of night in blizzard conditions when it’s impossible to see the trail’s edge. They groom steep slopes winching their cats around stanchions and groups of trees.

Last season, I spent an hour in a highly computerized mega-cat in the Dolomites. There, the entire trail network – which, end-to-end would extend from New York City to Chicago – is groomed every night by an armada of cats. The driver exhibited a quiet, professional pride as he explained his complicated nightly chores.

I left the cab with a new appreciation of what these unseen people do to make our skiing experience more pleasant.

The next time you go skiing, take a moment and look around. All the organization, safety measures, snow making, grooming, food prep, lift operators, reservations personnel – everything that makes up and maintains the infrastructure of what you’re about to enjoy – deserves our attention and our appreciation.

What would we do without them?

Alta Patrol Featured in New Short Video

Apropos of my thoughts on appreciating the people behind the scenes, click here to view a wonderful and informative video about Alta’s Ski Patrol. The area’s patrol has more than 80 men and women, with 20-30 working most days.

Helicopters Deliver Snow To French Resort

That’s just one piece of discouraging news about the impact of warming on the ski industry. Among other things, this CNN article reports on a study showing that by 2050, about one-half of the past Winter Olympics venues will be too warm to host the event.

Bumps in the Road Scholar Ski Offerings?

People tell me that they loved the Road Scholar alpine skiing trips. Good prices, convenient lodging, great camaraderie. A look at their current offerings shows one trip to Steamboat (CO) and another to Sunday River (ME). That’s much reduced from the days when Road Scholar had trips to numerous other areas. When I emailed the organization’s PR person to ask why these popular programs had been eliminated, she responded saying they currently offer 18 different ski programs and advised that I consult the Road Scholar website. There, I found a total of four skiing activities: the two aforementioned alpine trips and two X-C trips (VT and NY). She also said that Road Scholar is exploring new downhill destinations for 2021. We’ll see.

Vermont Adaptive To Build New Sugarbush Facility

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports plans to build a new $2 million adaptive sports facility at Sugarbush Resort’s Mt. Ellen. The non-profit hopes to break ground in the spring. Friends and participants of Vermont Adaptive’s programs at Sugarbush have pledged a generous challenge to match every dollar up to $1 million for the facility. Donations may be made on Vermont Adaptive’s website.

PhotoEssay on Killington Snowmaking

Last weekend, The New York Times ran this informative photoessay about snowmaking at Killington in Vermont.

Mikaela Shiffrin Graces Cover of March Sports Illustrated

Skiing’s female rock star is dubbed “the world’s most dominant athlete” by SI. This is her third time on the cover. The first was leading up to the 2014 Olympics; the second, after she won slalom in those games. She is all of 24.

Video: Runaway Truck on Ramp

Drivers in mountainous areas are accustomed to seeing runaway truck ramps. They’re generally located on the right side of long downhill roads. Truckers and bus drivers experiencing brake failure can direct their rigs to these uphill emergency ramps that have sand or gravel beds to help slow them down. This recent video was shot on the west side of Eisenhower Tunnel on the Colorado stretch of I-70.

Ski Area Safety Survey

We know that on-snow safety is an issue for our readers. Please take a minute to weigh-in on the subject by participating in a survey from the SnowSport Safety Foundation. See the article about the survey in this issue or click here to go directly to the survey.

How To Wash Your Hands

The New York Times just issued this video about hand-washing. It shows the technique advised by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) and the slightly more rigorous and effective technique advised by the World Health Organization (WHO). A skiers’ hotel in Kitzbuhel closed because of coronavirus. Washing your hands correctly is a first line of defense.

Short Swings!

February 14, 2020/3 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.]

Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here.

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How many of you have taken a skiing road trip recently? Over the past few seasons, I’ve ridden lifts with numerous retired couples skiing their way across the continent; getting the best value from their Epic, IKON and Mountain Collective passes.

Using cars and RVs, they traverse from one resort to another, taking occasional non-ski breaks. It’s a return to the collective skiing fantasy promoted by ski magazines and filmmakers for as long as I can remember.

As romantic as the skiing road trip seems, moving from one place to another can be a pain. There’s packing and unpacking. Moving stuff in and out of hotel rooms and friends’ homes. Waking up in unfamiliar places, etc. etc. It gets old, especially as we get older.

There are exceptions. Last season, we toured the Dolomites on a guided ski safari. That week skiing from mountain inn to mountain inn, enjoying great food, beautiful scenery and our small group’s camaraderie made it one of our all time best skiing experiences.

But I’ve reached a point where I no longer want the hassle of moving around. I thought that renting a place in Salt Lake City for the season would do it. But that, too, requires a drive to one of the nearby areas. Because the place has become so overpopulated, Ski Utah and Ski City USA, two of the local ski promotion entities, encourage people to use public transportation to get to the resorts. At this age, I prefer to drive.

The solution, which many of you long ago discovered, is in the form of staying on or very close to the hill.

Our Vail friends have the good fortune of walking to the end of their driveway and stepping into a private community van for a short ride to the lift.

And our Deer Valley friend simply walks down his heated driveway and up his community’s heated road to reach the slope.

Talk about skiing luxury!

For those of us without homes on or near the hill, there are the hotels, lodges and inns that are. They can be pricey at big name resorts. But some digging can produce surprising bargains.

For example, from March 6-15, Chalets Montmorency at Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec has a five-night deal for $175 (Canadian) per person, double occupancy.

Generally, exchange rates make skiing in Canada a good deal.

And, as I’ve explained in past columns, Europe has many great bargains. Click on the adjacent Inspired Italy or Alpskitour ads to get a few ideas.

Ski club trips also can be economical. 70+ Ski Club consistently offers well-priced trips with slopeside lodging. Click on its ad to learn more.

It turns out that for this aging couple, the season has had a few too many moves. And the way things are scheduled, there will be more.

I’m not sure where we’ll ski next year, but wherever we go, except for when we’re on the hill, we won’t be moving around.

RIP: Mammoth Mountain Founder, Dave McCoy,

Dave McCoy, who started and developed Mammoth Mountain in California, died February 8. He was 104. McCoy started Mammoth in 1942 and operated the resort for 68 years. When he was 22, he was the California State Skiing Champion. He skied until he was 92. Watch the video about Dave and Mammoth, produced when he was 98.

OOPS!

Last week’s appreciation of Alta neglected to make reference to the Wild Old Bunch, the group of older skiers who gather daily for lunch at the large round table in Alf’s Lodge and Wednesdays for dinner at 5:30PM at the Chuck-o-Rama in South Salt Lake’s Fashion Place Mall.

Avalanche At Alta

This week’s issue has a not-to-be-missed letter from Harriet Wallis advising her nephew to exercise more caution in the backcountry. Last week, avalanche danger and control closed Alta, Snowbird and Little Cottonwood Canyon for two days. During the shutdown, Mac Charval was able to video a slide as it tumbled across the road heading for the Alta Peruvian Lodge. My understanding is that there was no damage.

https://twitter.com/SeanDNeves/status/1226174442637672448?s=03)

Apple iWatch DOES Like Skiing, After All

Thanks for reader Steve for advising that iWatch users look under “D” for Downhill Skiing in the device’s “Workouts” function.

Bootster Booster

Jim Cobb, who invented and manufactures The Bootster ski boot shoe horn regularly receives fan mail for this clever compact device. He sent in this comment from a senior skier: Thank YOU for creating and providing the Bootster so that all of us “old and stiff” skiers (and our old and stiff boots too!) can keep getting on the snow even as time marches on. The Bootster is essential for any skier grappling with the ordeal of getting boots on. Click on the adjacent ad to learn more.

Prevent Cold Temp Phone Failure

Typically, even when my phone is in an inside pocket, it loses juice on cold days. Yesterday, at Alta, it was 21F, time to try a product I picked up at the Snow Show in Denver. It’s an air-activated warmer, similar to a disposable glove warmer. But this one has a peel-off layer that exposes a tacky surface to affix the warmer to the back of a cell phone. I stuck it onto the back of the phone’s protective case. I checked several hours later and the phone was warm and almost fully charged. It’s made by Ignik Outdoors. A 10-pack costs $19.95; 30-pack, $29.99. (Use discount code WarmSenior15 for a 15% discount exclusive to SeniorsSkiing.com readers through March.) The company also makes hand warmers. All of its disposable warmers come in resealable pouches, which, when used correctly, extend the life of each warmer.

Please Help

February is when we pass the SeniorsSkiing.com collection plate. Donation messages are posted throughout the site. When we started this labor of love six years ago, we decided to make it weekly and free. Since then it has grown substantially, forming a global community of older skiers. By the end of this season, there should be 20,000 subscribers. As we grow so do our expenses. Advertising and your donations help cover some costs. Mike and I cover the rest. For those of you who have donated, we appreciate your support. If you enjoy SeniorsSkiing.com, please click here to help.

Short Swings!

February 7, 2020/7 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

I know that some people don’t get attached to ideas, things or each other. But it must be rare.

I was 10 when skiing entered my life, and I’ve been playing in mountains and snow ever since. At first, Mount Snow in Southern Vermont was the center of my winter universe. Then it was that state’s Stowe and Killington.

In the early 70s my new bride and I visited Alta for the first time. It’s the classic ski resort at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, just outside of Salt Lake City. We were there for a week. There’s hardly a season since that I haven’t returned.

There are other great areas, some with bigger terrain, more sophisticated lifts, and other bells and whistles. I’ve skied many of them and hope to ski many more.

Alta keeps pulling me back.

The obvious reasons are accessibility, snow, and terrain.

But there are more subtle things that are part of Alta’s draw. There is a unique Alta culture that understands and appreciates its rich history, its remarkable beauty, and, for those who know and love it, it’s essence.

Over the years I’ve skied most of the area, but some places were out of my reach and, at this age, will remain that way.

Utah’s license plate reads “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Of its 14 resorts, Alta consistently receives the most. The 2010-11 season delivered 724″. Last season snow depths totalled 626″. This season, to date, Alta has more than 355″. Click here for its annual totals.

Most people drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon for the day. Unfortunately, as the Salt Lake Valley population grows, that 8 mile drive can take a long time. It took me 90 minutes a few weeks ago. Powder days require a very early start.

In the 47 years of skiing Alta, I’ve stayed at each of its five lodges. The Alta Lodge and The Rustler are favorites. The old Snowpine Lodge was Spartan-like. I have yet to try its posh replacement. Goldminer’s Daughter and Alta Peruvian each have their own charm.

If you’re an Alta regular, you’ll understand. If you’ve never been or haven’t been in a while, it’s time to go. Like everything else, Alta is destined to change. But because it is Alta, when it does, it will only add to the magic.

Masterfit Buyers Guide

The new Masterfit Buyer’s Guide provides comprehensive guidance on the best choices in 2019-20 skis, boots, bindings, poles, insoles, and kid’s gear. The free, 105-page guide is chock full of valuable information explaining what to buy and how to buy it. It was put together by an all-star team of reviewers and writers who, for years, worked for the nation’s top ski magazines. My strong recommendation: make the Masterfit Buyer’s Guide a “favorite” on your computer (click here for the link). It will be useful the next time you’re considering a purchase. And while you’re there, check out the SeniorsSkiing.com ad on Page 106.

Is Apple iWatch Anti-Skiing?

A few iWatch obsessives I know say the device’s “Workouts” function shows “Snowsports” and “Snowboarding,” but not “Skiing.” Can anyone out there disprove it or explain why?

New Name for Ski and Snowboard Expos

The Denver and Boston Ski and Snowboard Expos have been renamed Snowbound. This year’s Denver event is scheduled for November 6-8; Boston’s is scheduled for November 19-22.

Pico Hosts Blind Skiers

This weekend, more than 30 athletes who are blind or have visual impairments will learn to ski with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports during the 13th anniversary of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Winter Ski Festival at Pico Mountain. Click here for more info.

Skiing History’s New Issue Now Available

The January-February 2020 issue of Skiing History is online. If you’re a member of the International Skiing History Association (ISHA), a hard copy is on its way to your mail box. If you’d like a free digital copy, click on the ISHA advertisement on the SeniorsSkiing.com home page.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Father Dies in Roof Fall

Jeff Shiffrin, father of the World Cup athlet died earlier this week when he fell from the roof of his home in Edwards, CO, near Vail. The 65-year old anesthesiologist was shoveling snow when he fell. He had raced on the Dartmouth Ski Team.

75-Year Old Uphill Skier Profiled in New York Times

Sharon Crawford, 75, a multisport athlete from Frisco, Colorado, is an uphill skier. he Times profiled her participation in the Breckenridge Ascent Series, which, took her from Breckenridge’s 9,600′ base up 1,500′ vertical on a black diamond. The fastest racer completed the course in 32 minutes. Crawford clocked in at 1 hour 2 minutes. Click here for complete story.

Fantastic Gift For Young Mothers To Be

Mountain Marsupial 4-in-1 Jacket

Mountain Marsupial is a 4-in-1 jacket that can be worn while baby carrying in the front, on the back, and while pregnant. It caught my eye last week at the SIA/OR Snow Show. The jacket lists for $239. If you’re looking for an attractive, functional gift for a pregnant someone or a recent Mom, click here.

Short Swings!

January 31, 2020/1 Comment/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

This week’s column is devoted to asking you to donate to SeniorsSkiing.com.

When Mike and I started the publication in 2014, we had no idea that this free, weekly digital magazine would become so popular.

Most of you are US-based, but each week, SeniorsSkiing.com gets emailed to readers in Canada, throughout the EU, Australia, and New Zealand.

It takes a lot of time and costs quite a bit to do this. We don’t pay contributors or ourselves. But we do have considerable back office and related expenses. Some of this is defrayed by our handful of advertisers.

We are asking for your help so we can continue to advance the interests of older snow sport enthusiasts. We do this by publishing relevant and useful information; encouraging an engaged, online community, and advocating on your collective behalf.

Through SeniorsSkiing.com Reader Surveys, you informed us of your deep concerns about being hit by younger, reckless skiers and boarders. As a result, we introduced the Incidents and Accidents feature and are running a series on how ski areas deal with (or don’t deal with) the problem.

We’ve also learned about the important role grandparents play in introducing their grandkids to the sport. This is an important understanding at a time when the ski industry is trying to attract newcomers.

Please help.

Every donor will receive SeniorsSkiing.com stickers. Readers donating a minimum of $65 will receive a terrific tote bag to carry their ski accessories. They’ll also get a sew-on SeniorsSkiing patch. Donations of $35 will receive the sew-on patch, $25 will get our Mountain Man stickers.

Click here to link to the digital donation page or send a check to: SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

It’s Primary Season in New Hampshire. Time to Go Skiing!

That’s the title of an article in last Sunday’s New York Times in which veteran political journalist, David M. Shribman, explains how his two favorite sports – politics and skiing – are easily exercised and covered in New Hampshire. Click here to link.

Downhill: New Film Starring Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Downhill is the name of a feature film starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The comedy will be released February 14. They and their kids are on a ski holiday in the Alps, when an avalanche strikes, forcing them to reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other. Based on the brief description and the trailer, it looks like a Hollywood remake of Force Majeur, the Swedish comedy-drama from 2014.

New Liftless Area in Colorado

Bluebird Backcountry is the name of the nation’s first liftless ski area. The 1500 acre area is located between Kremmling and Steamboat Springs. It will open Feb 15 for a “test season.” Amenities include patrol for medical emergencies, warming huts, and backcountry gear rentals and lessons.

Half of US population Doesn’t Recreate Outdoors

Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association, released its latest Outdoor Participation Report. The good news is that about half the U.S. population participated in some form of outdoor recreation in 2018. The bad news?

Less than 20 percent recreated outside at least once a week.
Americans went on one billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 than they did in 2008.
Kids went on 15 percent fewer annual outings in 2018 than they did in 2012.

The report also shows a continued gap between the diversity of outdoor participants and the diversity of the U.S. population; more specifically, non-Caucasian ethnic groups reported going on far fewer outings in 2018 than they did five years ago.

Another finding: of the people who report they participate in outdoor activity, 63 percent report they go outside within 10 miles of their home.

Essential Product for Bad Air

Vogmask is a breathing mask that, unfortunately, will become essential gear as air quality declines and we run into health isses such as the coronavirus. The Korean import carries an N-95 rating, which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for most cases of air contamination. These filters are designed to seal tightly around mouth and nose and are made of material certified to block 95% of particles roughly the size of a single virus. Vogmasks come in a variety of sizes and are designed to fit closely around nose and mouth. One version has a single valve to facilitate exhaling; another carries two valves. They are attractive, washable and reusable. Older skiers living in the Salt Lake Valley or other locations where air quality often is compromised by frequent inversions would be prudent to visit the Vogmask website.

X-Games Postponed Due To Coronavirus

Chongli Ski Resort

Forbes reports that ESPN’s first-ever X Games winter event on Chinese soil, has been postponed until a later date, due to continued coronavirus concerns.

X Games Chongli was scheduled to be held February 21-23 at the Secret Garden ski resort in Chongli district within the city of Zhangjiakou.

Short Swings!

January 24, 2020/8 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

To some extent, skiing is a fashion statement. Current trends have an impact in what we wear, the equipment we purchase, and the way we ski.

Over the past several seasons, I’ve noticed skiers taking run-after-run using the same high speed, up-on-their-edges, race turns. It reminds me of the 60s when people were wedeling straight down the hill, or the 70s when extreme bump skiing was the rage.

Good technique is the foundation upon which we develop a well-rounded repertoire of turns; one than can evolve into your own skiing style.

I know two people who raced in college and continued to use race techniques whenever and wherever they skied. I never learned to race and admire those who have. But the need to be first to the bottom, regardless of terrain, can lead to disaster. Both had serious breaks.

Skiing is not a one-turn-fits-all sport. Endless terrain and condition changes require us to draw from a repertoire of moves.

Age and physical limitations are changing the way I ski. But when I’m in the groove, each run becomes a form of personal expression: Mixing short and wide turns. Playing with the fall line. Slowly descending a cascade of bumps. Entering powder for a few weightless turns.

It’s not skiing to a template or keeping up or showing off. It is personal choreography, and it feels very good.

Jon in an undated photo with more hair and less waist.

It Wouldn’t Hurt to Take a Lesson

That’s the title of Jackson Hogen’s most recent Realskiers.com Revelation (click here to access). He builds a strong case for improving skiing skills in order to move beyond your comfort zone.

Vermont Boomerangs Back

Following a devastating January thaw, Vermont areas had an outstanding MLK weekend. A Ski Vermont news release reported that on Sunday, Sugarbush had the biggest day in its 61-year history and Jay Peak’s 600 room capacity was 100% sold out. Some of the mountains got about 2’ and temps dropped to form ideal snow-making conditions.

Alta’s New Website

Alta’s New Website

One of the many wonderful things about Alta is that when it makes a rare change, it does so thoughtfully. The classic Utah ski resort just introduced a new web design featuring simplified navigation, an improved mobile experience and interactive weather features. Some of the old features such as Photo of the Day remain. Click here to visit.

Mt Rose (NV): Free Lessons for 50+

Mt Rose on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe offers Silver Ski Clinics designed for experienced skiers ages 50 and older at skill levels of lower-intermediate to advanced. The Monday and Friday clinics are free to season pass holders or $25 with lift tickets. Click here for details.

Aussie Crosses Antarctica on Skis

Dr Geoff Wilson Source: Facebook

Australian adventurer, Dr. Geoff Wilson, 49, skied 3,300 miles across Antarctica in 58 days. He used a kite and a sled in the historic trek, completing the journey with five weeks of rations remaining.

New Utah Training Facility

Utah Olympic Park at Kimball Junction in Park City opened the Mountain Expansion, a training facility for the state’s ski and snowboard teams. It features 5 alpine training lanes, a mogul lane, expanded terrain for freeski and board athletes, 11 acres of lighted terrain, high-efficiency snowmaking and a fixed grip quad. The facility is expected to expand in coming years.

A Different Hand Warmer Perspective

Last week, I advised placing hand warmers on top of the hands. That, on the advice of a ski shop sales person who told me that heating the hand’s blood supply would help warm the fingers. Nice concept but wrong anatomy lesson. The superficial veins on top of our hands carries blood back to the heart. Thanks to SeniorsSkiing.com subscriber, Roger Skugrud, for making the correction. A resident of frigid Minnesota, he advises positioning warmers in the palms where they’ll warm the blood feeding the hand and allow you to grasp the warmth when riding the lift.

New Pocket Instruction Guide

Bill Hernon’s Modern “A” Frame Ski Technique is a 45-page, small format paperback describing an approach to skiing based on a variety of “A” shapes. It is short and to the point and an interesting approach for self-learners. The book covers basic turns, skiing powder, bumps and Telemark turns. The author also recommends professional instruction. Click here to learn more and/or to purchase.

Short Swings!

January 17, 2020/9 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

AARGH!!!! What follows, unfortunately, is the tale of what NOT to do when renting in Salt Lake City through Airbnb or VRBO.

My wife and I decided to take a place for January through March. We know SLC from having lived there.

The city is a terrific base with easy access to nine fantastic ski areas and more hotel, restaurant, and entertainment options than found in any individual ski resort.

Many have found decent accommodations through the aforementioned Internet-based services. Even if the places weren’t so clean or well appointed, they were there for only a few days.

What a disappointment! Cluttered closets and drawers; grimy bathroom; hooks pulling out of walls; electrical extension cords plugged into extension cords, plugged into more extension cords. And my wife, whose sniffer is more sensitive than mine, swore the master bedroom had the odor of men.

Fortunately, the landlord, a lovely and reasonable man was committed to salvaging the situation. We moved into the much smaller and more comfortable adjacent apartment at a lower rent.

But, the place feels like I’m back in college.

Seeking an alternative to this housing crisis, we found on VRBO a fantastic looking condo at Snowbird for $100 a night, minimum, 30 nights. We grabbed it. Within minutes a fee of $4,380. was posted to our credit card. Seemed like someone had a problem with arithmetic.

After HOURS trying to reach VRBO customer service, someone picked up the phone. He investigated and learned that the condo owner had added a $1000 cleaning fee. VRBO’s fee accounted for the balance. An hour later my wife’s phone rang; the condo’s owner profusely apologizing for our inconvenience and explaining that his HOA wouldn’t allow him to rent the unit.

It took several days to get a full refund.

Speaking with several senior skiers at Alta, I learned than many take three or four month apartment and condo rentals in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City where rentals are about $1000 – $1500 a month, three month minimum. The places are newer than many of Salt Lake’s options and the location is closer to the Wasatch Front ski areas (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude).

Remember how my wife thought she smelled men in the bedroom? She was right. The landlord told us his previous tenants – there for several months – were a group of male oil refinery workers. He agreed its time to replace the housekeeper.

Where The Snow IS

Not this deep…yet!

Last Tuesday, Ski Utah, the marketing arm of Utah’s ski industry, announced that Alta and Snowbird got 6’ in the preceding 7 days. North America’s top ten snow magnet to date: Snowbird: 299”, Alta: 290”; Brighton (UT): 271”, Revelstoke (BC): 259.4”; Jackson Hole (WY): 254”; Whitewater (BC): 242”; Alyeska (AK): 237”; Castle Mountain (AB): 227”; Solitude (UT): 222”, and Monarch Mountain (CO): 189”.

Snow Guns Fight Aussie Fires

Thredbo and Perisher Ski Resorts are deploying snow guns to prevent wildfires from destroying their buildings and lifts.

Sugarbush Deal Closes

Alterra closed on the purchase of Sugarbush Resort (VT).

Crystal Mountain Ends Walk-Up Ticket Sales

Crystal Mountain (WA) will no longer sell walk-up lift tickets on weekends and holidays. The area will release a limited amount of online sales and continue to honor Ikon Pass holders.

Your Own Ski Area: $1.25MM

Spout Springs, in Northeastern Oregon, is available for $1.25-million. The area has 250 skiable acres (800’ vertical), 14 runs, two double chairs, illuminated slopes, and two X-C trail systems. It is accessible from Walla Walla, La Grande and Pendleton.

Big Dump on The Big Island

Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser 1/14/20

Hawaii’s Mauna Kea received 1-2 feet with snowdrifting to 4 feet. The snow fell above 12,000 feet.

Hand Warmer Advice

This, I never knew: When using hand warmers, place them on top of the hand where they warm the blood vessels and keep your fingers comfortable. This advice is from a helpful salesperson at the Alta Ski Shop at Albion Lodge. And all these years, I’ve positioned them against my palms! P.S. Many skiers extend hand warmer use by wrapping them tightly in food wrap for the night.

Documentary Offer Hope while Warning “Humans Have Overrun World”

This trailer for the new feature-length documentary,“David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet,” features Sir David, 93, warning “human beings have overrun the world.” In the doc, he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen. Honest, revealing and urgent, he bears witness for the current state of the natural world. The film will be available on Netflix this Spring.

Short Swings!

January 10, 2020/2 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

I don’t know how it happened, but between last season and this one I lost my custom foot beds. They were made about 15 years ago when I purchased my first Surefoot customized boots and, like the boots, they were pricey. Those beds stayed with me over the course of three or four subsequent boots. Then they were gone.

Foot beds can improve ski performance by stabilizing the feet in a way that helps maximize the ski boot’s primary role: transferring energy from body to skis. That, admittedly, is a gross oversimplification. There are master boot fitters with medical-grade knowledge of foot anatomy, especially as it relates to skiing. I plan to solicit an article or two from one of these experts about the intricacies of creating an effective foot bed.

Brannock Device

But this week I needed new foot beds and visited the Dale Boot store in Salt Lake City to have them made. The whole process took about 20 minutes. The fitter started by measuring my feet with an old-fashioned Brannock, the same device that fascinated me as a kid in my grandfather’s shoe store in Schenectady, NY. Next, I placed my feet in a Masterfit machine that took an impression of the contours of my foot soles. He then placed Masterfit foot beds in the machine where they took on the shape of the bottoms of my feet. That was followed by cooling the beds with cold packs and trimming some excess material before placing them in the boots.

Patrick, the boot fitter, clearly knows his stuff and approaches his job with the same quiet pride I’ve noticed among other boot fitters. Boot fitting is a craft in which many of its practitioners appropriately treat it as a profession. He attends educational workshops including Masterfit University and related courses. He mentioned the pleasure he gets sharing war stories about helping all kinds of people with and without foot problems to get the most out of their boots.

Quality ski and boot shops provide boot fitting as a service built into the boot’s cost. Getting foot beds customized (typically a $100 – $200 add-on) or purchasing boots with the help of a professional boot fitter is clearly a smart step to greater comfort and performance. A resource for well-trained boot fitters is America’s Best Bootfitters.com.

A few months ago, Jackson Hogen of RealSkiers.com, suggested rewarding the work of these pros with a gratuity. Given the critical service provided by fitters like Patrick, I could not agree more.

Fire Claims Aussie Ski Resort; Others Threatened

Australia’s devastating fires destroyed Selwyn Snow Resort, the country’s most northerly ski area. The New South Wales resort employed 60 during the season. Falls Creek and Mt. Hotham in Victoria are being evacuated.

Bait and Switch at Northstar?

Two older skiers are suing Vail Resorts for breach of contract and fraud. The essence of their complaint is that Vail, which owns, Northstar Resort (CA), sold non-refundable season passes before announcing a parking fee. According to the claimants, the cost of parking will add thousands of dollars to their cost of skiing at Northstar. Each is seeking free parking and $200,000+ in damages.

Good News For Taos Skiers

Taos Air is now servicing the Carlsbad-San Diego and Hawthorne-Los Angeles airports, starting at $125, one way. The service is available Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays through March 29. The airline started last season with daily direct flights to Taos from Dallas Love Field and Austin-Bergstrom International. The airstrip is 30 minutes from Taos Ski Valley.

Tree Well Safety

Courtesy Ski California

Suffocating in deep snow is a concern for many Western skiers. Evergreen branches capture snow, cusing deep pits to form around the tree’s base. Skiers falling into these “tree wells” are subject to breathing in powder snow. The problem is exacerbated by landing head-down or injury. It’s extremely difficult to get out, even with help from others. I had the experience years ago catskiing in the Canadian Selkirks. Fortunately, the well wasn’t too deep and the person I was with got me out quickly. Fifteen tree well deaths have occurred in California since 2001, the most in the nation. Tree well safety advice is available from Ski California, the state’s ski area trade group. Click here for more.

Winter PrideFest Jan 30 – Feb 2

Winter PrideFest, the multi-event weekend celebrating diversity and inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, will hold its third annual gathering January 30 – February 2 in Bend, OR and Mt. Bachelor. Activities include skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, panel discussions, and evening social functions. For information or to register, click here.

Senior Deals at Belleayre

Belleayre, the venerable Catskills ski area north of New York City has great deals for senior skiers during the second week of January, February and March. Skiers and boarders who are 65 or older get a lift ticket for $10, when they go with anyone with a paid lift ticket, and they can purchase coffee for $1 and breakfast sandwiches for $2.

Happy 80th Harriet!

Harriet Wallis, a prolific contributor to this publication, celebrated her 80th birthday at Alta earlier this week. What a silly helmet cover!!!

Alta Old Timer Celebrated in New Video

Lloyd Johnson moved to Utah for work in 1973, having never skied before. One Sunday, after an Alta church service, a friend convinced him to give skiing a shot. Now, at age 87 and almost five decades later, Lloyd is still making beautiful tele-turns at Alta, His kids and grandkids follow his tracks. This short video tells his story, one that reflects the lives and loves of many dedicated skiers.

Short Swings!

January 3, 2020/1 Comment/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

This misguided soul gave up on New Year’s resolutions many years ago when I accepted that I could correct my errant ways on an as-needed basis or in response to my wife’s frequent course corrections.

But it’s the start of a New Year, and I’d like to share a few ski-related resolutions that I plan to keep.

Ski more days this season than last. Last season delivered some terrific skiing experiences in Utah, Colorado and the Alps, but when totaled up, there were too few of them. This season, I want to ski at least half my age.
Ski more frequently with others. Historically, much of my slope time has been solo. But I enjoy the camaraderie of skiing with others. This season, I plan to make more of an effort.
Follow the snow. There are times when I find myself in a self-imposed rut, skiing the same runs in the same sequence. Several seasons ago, I decided to spend each day following the best snow and found it liberating.
Spend more relaxing ski days with my wife. She likes to be out on bluebird days when we cruise and enjoy leisurely lunches. It’s both relazing and non-taxing.
Try telemarking again. Years ago I took a telemark lesson at Alta and thoroughly enjoyed it. Approached correctly, it’s not a knee-stressor. Definitely want to try it again.
Advocate for skier safety. Accident prevention and reporting are part of the dark underside of the ski industry. Areas pay lip service to the safety issue but resist efforts to be transparent. As so many of you have reported, patrol does little to slow or control reckless skiers and boarders. Our new Incidents and Accidents feature is a step toward greater transparency. This year, Mike and I plan to do more.

Wishing you a Healthy, Snowy, and Safe 2020!

Knee Issues? Roam’s Elevate Changes Everything!

Roam’s Elevate Ski Exoskeleton is a breakthrough product that supports knees and quads and allows older skiers to ski longer and without pain. Unlike other knee assist devices, Elevate utilizes a small computer that senses body position and other factors as it signals the soft exoskeleton around the knees. This short video explains all. The company has demo locations at resorts in California, Utah, Idaho and Montana where you can give Elevate a 2-hour try for $25. Reservations required. Click here for more info.

Remarkable Avalanche Article

Last Sunday The New York Times Magazine published “What I Learned in Avalanche School.” Authored by novelist Heidi Julavits, it explores the limitations and possibilities of how we make decisions. While the context is backcountry skiing, the ideas apply to life. Superbly written! Be sure to visit the Reader Comments, as well. Click here.

Last Season’s Ski Insurance Payouts

Generali Global Assistance sells Ski and Mountain Travel Insurance. Last season, sickness, injury or death accounted for 62% of claims and weather for 27%. The average cost of ski trips protected by the company was $2,463.

Sprinter Van Service Between Boston and Ski Areas

GoSherpa provides home-to-slope transportation from Boston to 27 New England ski resorts. The vans are spiffy, the costs are reasonable, and they pick you up from and deliver you home to home! Visit the GoSherpa website for details.

“Ski For Light” Seeking Volunteers

Ski For Light is the all-volunteer, non-profit that organizes an annual cross-country skiing week for the blind and visually-impaired. The group has openings for volunteer guides for this year’s ski week, Feb 8-16 in Casper WY. Interested in volunteering? Contact Bob Civiak at civiak@gmail.com or call 603-715-0817. Click here for details on the 2020 Ski For Light International Week.

Indy Pass Adds Maine Area

Mt. Abram in Greenwood, Maine has joined the national Indy Pass. The 60-year-old family-owned area has 4 lifts and 1,150’ vertical. Indy Pass offers two days at each of 47 ski areas, 40 of which provide pass holders with unrestricted, season-long access. Current cost is $239. For details visit indyskipass.com.

New Year’s Fireworks

Since many of us didn’t celebrate at a ski resort, here’s what it looked like at a variety of places.

ASPEN

ALTA, UT

KITZBUHEL, AUSTRIA

JACKSON HOLE, WY

THE CANYONS AT PARK CITY, UT

MOUNT SUNAPEE, NH

TAOS, NM

BIG WHITE, BC

BRISTOL MOUNTAIN, NY

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA

Short Swings!

December 20, 2019/5 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Away this week through the New Year, so no fully-developed column. But thought you’d enjoy this statement explaining what it is about skiing that is so inexplicably wonderful.

It’s available as a poster in a variety of sizes. Click here for specific sizes and (very reasonable) prices.

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Short Swings!

December 13, 2019/3 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Will I get hit by a boarder?

For most of my skiing life, I looked forward to next season with enthusiasm. But several years ago, I began to face the season with some anxiety. Was I in good enough shape? Will the knees continue to do what they’re supposed to do? Will I get hit by a boarder? Should I listen to my wife and go south?

Inevitably, my love for playing on snow overrides those concerns. And my impression is that most of you share the point of view. If not, there wouldn’t be as many of us still skiing. Those over 52 comprise 20% of all U.S. skiers and boarders.

A ski through the park.

But the questions linger. For many, the older we get, the less confidence we have in our ability to return to earlier performance. Unless you’re in poor health or very poor physical condition, we should consider Bernie Weichsel’s advice. Bernie is a lifelong skier, winter sports marketing entrepreneur, past chairman of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, and member of the SeniorsSkiing.com Advisory Council.

“Everyone gets in shape for the new season differently. Some people do pre-season conditioning. Others do it on the slopes with a lot of easy gliding,” he explains. Not of the “do as I say” school, Bernie tries to ski, at the very least, the same number of days as his age — a goal he encourages all to emulate.

My first time on the snow for this season will be in January, and if things go as expected, I’ll rack up at least half my age, the most days skied in several years.

It will be good reward for working out five days a week. A few months ago I started to work with a trainer.My goal was to improve stamina and explosive energy. The trainer introduced me to several diabolically effective routines. Diabolical, because they require major effort. Effective, because hiking and walking staircases, I feel stronger.

And (sometimes) I listen to my wife and go South. That’s next week’s agenda.

If you’re a bit anxious about returning to the hill, give it a try. Most people are back in the groove after a few runs or a few days of runs, enjoying the thrill, the fresh air, and the scenery. So if you think you’re too old, think again. Go skiing!

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Vermont Nordic Ski Center Stores Last Season’s Snow

Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Northern Vermont was able to save about 6,000 cubic meters of snow from last season. Working with the University of Vermont, the 500 acre Nordic center preserved more than 60 percent of its original snow supply. It’s an important development for low-elevation Nordic centers as the globe warms. Click here for The Boston Globe’s full report.

Mt Norquay (AB) Carpool Incentive

Paid parking is used as an economic incentive to reduce traffic and encourage carpooling. Mt. Norquay Ski Resort in Alberta is trying a different approach. Once a month, the resort lets all car occupants split the cost of a single $89 lift ticket and get their own pass for the day. The area also encourages use of free shuttles from Banff with $20 tickets for the day.

Wise Counsel From The Pontiff of Powder

Jackson Hogen (aka, the Pontiff of Powder) is a reliable font of useful advice, which he conveys through RealSkiers.com, the go-to website for info on skis and other gear. A recent missive presents the case for tipping your bootfitter. It’s really about the value a good bootfitter delivers to your skiing comfort and pleasure and how that service deserves a cash reward. It’s a simple idea and a good one. If your fitter delivers good service, give him (or her) a few bucks. BTW, RealSkiers.com is available to SeniorsSkiing.com readers for half its $19.99 subscription fee. Enter SS20 on checkout.

Last Minute Shopping?

Here are five sites for unusual and interesting ski and cold weather gifts.

The Buffalo Wool Company

This is the place to get the most wonderful socks, hats and gloves. The socks I use are made primarily of bison down and merino wool. They’re soft, comfortable and wear forever. Visit https://thebuffalowoolco.com.

BRR! Skincare

This company makes a variety of skincare products specifically for skiers and others spending time in the cold. They use botanicals to protect against the effects of cold and wind on the skin without any toxic ingredients. Visit https://www.brrskincare.com.

Vermont Glove

This little company has been hand making gloves in Vermont since 1920. They’re full grain goat leather and last forever. I use the heavy duty Farmer model for splitting firewood and other outside chores. Wool liners make them cozy on very cold days. They also make a mitten. Visit https://vermontglove.com.

Bootster

This is one of my favorite skier gifts. It’s the effortless way to get foot into ski boot. The smart design makes this little shoe horn for ski boots easy to fit in parka pocket so it can be used after lunch. Great $25 gift. Visit http://thebootster.com.

NW Sales Connection

Here’s a fantastic site to find reasonably priced women’s and men’s ski clothing in a wide range of sizes and styles. You’ll also find a full range of kid’s ski wear and women’s swimsuits. Enter discount code seniorski10 for 10% off. Visit https://www.nwsalesconnection.com.

The “Snow” Song

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is the 1954 musical-comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. The Crosby and Kaye become a popular song and dance team following WW II, meet Clooney and Vera-Ellen in a nightclub in Florida and accompany them by train to Vermont. The film begins and ends with the song “White Christmas” and includes classics such as “Sisters” and “Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army.” On the ride from Florida to Vermont they sing “Snow,” in a delightful quartet laced with references to skiing. Click on the picture for a nice treat.

Short Swings!

December 6, 2019/2 Comments/in Short Swings!/by Jon Weisberg

Growing up in Troy, N.Y., my friends and I often rode our bikes to Oakwood Cemetery, where we’d visit the tombstone of Samuel Wilson, aka Uncle Sam. One cold day, a pond had frozen in a way I never forgot and never saw again. For some reason, the ice had formed thousands of vertical tubes.

Oddities like this happen throughout nature. I find them special because they’re ephemeral. We’re fortunate to be there when they occur. And when they do, they don’t last for long. The brevity of their existence, like ours, makes the moment even more beautiful.

Since these occurrences are so fleeting, I find myself relying on pictures taken by others.

Google “weird snow and ice formations” and you’ll get many results. One website that pops up is called Bored Panda. It describes itself as dedicated to publishing articles about “lightweight and inoffensive topics.” There, you’ll find a photo gallery of fascinating ice and snow formations from around the globe.

As we enter the Northern Hemisphere’s 2019-20 season, take a few minutes to enjoy these photos of unusual, natural winter formations. And when you’re out and about in the cold, whether skiing, in your garden, or walking through the park, look around and see what natural wonders are there.

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Roam Elevate Named One of TIME’s Best Inventions

Every year, TIME highlights the Best Inventions “…making the world better, smarter and a bit more fun.” This year, under the headline, Pain-Free Skiing, TIME gave Special Mention to Roam‘s Elevate robotic ski exoskeleton. “The equipment includes a backpack and a device that resembles a knee brace, which you strap to your legs. Elevate sends air pressure from the backpack to the brace, acting as an intelligent shock absorber that reduces load off the quads and knees.” Starting December 15, the Roam Elevate will be available for rental from 10 resorts in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah for as little as $25. Click on adjacent ad for more information.

Happy 100th, Klaus!

Klaus Obermeyer

Klaus Obermeyer, the legendary skier and innovator, whose eponymous ski clothing brand is found almost everywhere, turned 100, December 2. Click here for “It’s Easier To Ski Than To Walk,” the interview with Klaus which appeared in SeniorsSkiing.com in 2017.

Alta: 117″ To Date

There are many reasons Alta (UT) is among my favorite places to ski. The old school ambience. The fantastic terrain. The lack of boarders. And the remarkable snow!!!! As of this writing (early in the week) the resort has captured more than 10′ of the natural stuff. More is predicted by the time you read this.

Indiana’s Perfect North: Earliest Opening in 40 Years

Perfect North Slopes, Indiana, opened Nov. 15, the earliest date in its 40 year history. Thanks to Cathy Meyer for letting us know! Other news from Perfect North Slopes: It is purchasing Timberline Four Seasons Resort in West Virginia.

Whiteface Lodge Burns

Whiteface’s Mid-Station Lodge was destroyed by fire last weekend. Staff there notified firefighters around 9PM Saturday. Area firefighters reached the structure via snowcat. No one was injured.

Skiing Idaho With The Grandkids?

The Idaho Peak Season Passport lets 5th and 6th graders ski or board 18 mountains for $18. The program allows 5th graders to ride three days for free at each of the Gem State’s 18 ski resorts (Sun Valley and Grand Targhee, included) and offers 6th graders two days free at 17 areas. Unlike some other states with similar programs, Idaho makes the free skiing available to kids from any state or country.

Candide Thovex skis Great Wall of China

A current Land Rover commercial shows an SUV ascending an impossibly steep portion of China’s Great Wall. Now, Audi has released this short video of French skier, Candide Thovex skiing a snowless Great Wall.