KOSSAK
Guest Contributor

Living My Dream – Joining the Ski Patrol After Decades of Skiing

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By Robert Kossak

Robert Kossak

I’ve wanted to be a Ski Patroller since I was a kid, and finally got to do it as an adult. It’s a dream come true.

Growing up in New Jersey, my first time skiing was an elementary school class day trip to Holly Mountain, more hill than mountain, which no longer exists. I remember speeding downhill while my buddies cheered me on as they passed overhead on the ski lift. It was great.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to stop.  Luckily, a chain link fence at the bottom of the run stopped me. Later that day I learned something called the “hockey stop”, which I still use when necessary.

The years passed and I continued to ski. Whenever, wherever and with whoever wanted to tag along with me. These days, my favorite tagalongs are my wife and kids.

In 2023, I decided to join the Ski Patrol at Blue Mountain, close to home.  After surviving the ski off, I was given a huge book, “Outdoor Emergency Care: A Patroller’s Guide to Medical Care, Sixth Edition” and told, simply,  to learn it, report every Tuesday night at 6pm starting from April to August. That’s when I would be tested on the material and must pass to continue on as a Ski Patrol candidate.

I have no medical background. I thought I just had to ski around looking cool in that Ski Patrol jacket. It was a surprise that I would have to learn medical stuff.

Okay, I’ll study, I’ll train and do whatever is needed to be listed among the ranks of the National Ski Patrol! Let’s rock! I passed with a 90% grade, only to learn that was just a start.  Next would be OET (Outdoor Emergency Transport) as soon as there was snow.

On the first night of OET I was told by the Patrol Director that it’s a shame I paid full price for my skis because I’m only using the back third. But  I press on. Two nights per week plus Saturday mornings meant a two hour drive each way with about $23 dollars in tolls each trip. Never mind the cost. I’ve been wanting to do this since I was a kid.

I failed that first OET test but encouraged to try again next season.  The instructors also advised me to get new boots and learn to get out of the back seat. My parting words were, “I’ll be back.” One instructor said, “I like your attitude.” That meant the world to me.

Spring, summer and fall came and went and I couldn’t wait to get back to the mountain. I was literally the first one in line on opening day, remembering the parting advice from my OET instructors: “Never let good snow go to waste.”

I would train solo. I would attend every OET training session. I would ask anyone better than me (which was pretty much everyone on Ski Patrol) for tips and advice, and before I knew it, it was OET test night, when 26 OET candidates gathered at Patrol Base. There was a stack of numbered beanies and we were told to grab a number. I chose 13. Nobody ever grabs number 13. I don’t believe in luck and always felt that number 13 has gotten a bad rap.

KOSSAK

OET Test Night

We headed to the hill. Test night was on the double black diamond “Challenge.” Appropriate. Then, back to Patrol Base to wait while the OET Instructors rated us.  When my name is called, our lead instructor says they all wanted to recognize my hard work and perseverance and that … I passed!

I will never be able to fully articulate my thanks, appreciation, admiration and love for my Blue Mountain Ski Patrol family, and the joy and purpose it has given me to help and protect skiers and snowboarders.

Recently, I visited another local mountain. I called their Ski Patrol for a courtesy pass for the day. When I got there, I met some of the Patrollers, who asked where my home mountain was.  When I said Blue Mountain, one replied with, “Blue Mountain Ski Patrol is intense. It is known for making Patrollers.”

I can testify first hand that the Blue Mountain Ski Patrol is known for making Patrollers, because they made one out of me. Within two seasons, I went from Tag Along to Sled Hauler. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful and proud to wear the red jacket.

Mike Roth

Utah’s Best Kept Secret Slopes

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Powder Mtn

We all know there are many options to ski Utah – Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Park City, Snowbasin, Deer Valley.  But none can hold a candle to Powder Mountain.  Why is this, you might ask?

Powder mountain boasts the largest ski/snowboard area in North America, with 8,464 acres of groomed trails and un-groomed of pure skiing pleasure.

You are at an elevation of 7,500 feet to almost 9,000 feet at the top, and because of the high elevation the mountain produces over 500 inches of light fluffy powder annually. They do boast the greatest snow on earth with no snowmaking.

It’s easy to lose track of what you’re skiing since the area is so vast.

I was amazed that we had skied most of the day and noticed we had only skied 15 runs. Even though there are – literally – miles of downhill options, there are a few  lifts.  Most are older fixed grip chairs. The vertical ranges from a short 582 feet vertical at the Village lift to 1,609 vertical at Paradise lift, and an impressive 1,268 for the high-speed.

All the lifts service some very good long runs from beginner to expert (they are also open till 9pm on one lift, for night skiing on the Sundown chair).

On one day, I decided to ski only the Hidden Valley hi-speed lift.  From 9am to 3pm, I skied 25 runs and 29,000 vertical feet. That was a max for me, and I wasn’t tired from it because I found the “zone”.

Limiting Guests

Something important to mention is that Powder Mountain limits the number of skiers to 1,500 season pass holders plus day-trippers. So, even on a busy weekend you can expect about 2,200 to 2,500 skiers on 8,500 acres.  That’s 3.5 acres plus or minus for each skier.

It’s also important to note that Powder Mountain offers FREE skiing to anybody 75+, which makes it a popular destination for senior skiers and riders – and there are lots of us.  The 70+ Ski Club includes a day at Powder Mountain in its annual Utah trip.

There is a reservation system, so if you don’t want to be blocked out and you are purchasing a daily ticket, do it ahead of time online. Also for 75+ senior skiers, who need to reserve online, not at the ticket window.

The limits on daily skiers and riders meant that it was few and far between that I was passed by another downhiller.  As you look up a slope from any chair you might see a dozen people on any given slope.

So, safety wise, it was a delight. As a matter of fact, at least eight of about 50 who passed me on the entire week of skiing made announcements of “on your left” or “on your right”.  When was the last time you heard that on a crowded slope?  Utah, or anywhere else?

Powder Mountain is a throwback to skiing in the 60’s and 70’s, with a basic and unpretentious lodge, compared to some other resorts in the west.

Many of the skiers/riders here are diehards, with about 45% locals and the rest of 55% from out of town.

For the adventurous, there is also the opportunity to go Cat Skiing on a per ride basis. Next season – 2023/34 – Powder Mountain plans to provide full day cat skiing with the strong possibility of having an additional 20,000 acres beyond what they already have.

As the area expands, they are trying very hard to keep the current “down to earth” feel of the area.  Everyone from lift attendants to mountain hosts, to all the staff, are very friendly and cheerful.

And chairlift conversations were equally friendly and cheerful, including tips on where to stay nearby, since there is no base area lodging. On one lift ride I was offered a prayer session!

 

Season Passes and Other Tips

Powder Mountain season passes are hard to come by. There’s a waiting list of about 6,000 people and currently 3,000 pass holders, do don’t hold your breath. I maintain mine, which I received five years ago, so I don’t have to worry about getting a reservation.

If you are going for a longer period, buy a five-pack early in the season, which can be used on a choice of days during the season.

The area’s goal is to provide the best snow conditions to serious skiers and riders, which it is able to do by limiting the number of downhillers on any day.

You will never see a long lift line here,  as you might find at other areas on weekends, especially on a powder day.  The longest lift line I encountered in a week here was just three minutes long on a weekend day when they had reached the max number of skiers for the day.  Mostly, I just skied right up to the lift with just a one or two chair wait for the few people in front of me.

What a delight it is to ski Powder Mountain.  I’m already planning my trip for next year………

Stanley Rubenstein

Low Key Skiing at Monetier les Bains, France

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On the recommendation of a dear French friend who lives in Grenoble, we booked two weeks at Monetier les Bains in the Serre Chevalier Valley, between Grenoble and Turin in Italy.  It is less well-known and less crowded than such mega-resorts as Chamonix and Val d’Isere, which also makes them more low key.

The Serre Chevalier Valley ski resorts are spread over four small towns boasting 250 kms (200 miles) of pistes over 1,000 acres.

Monetierles Bains is the smallest of these towns and most authentically French. It’s well known in France for its aquatic spa center featuring geothermal spring water, which comes out of the ground at 110 degrees Fahrenheit and is cooled down to 97 degrees in a variety of settings including an outdoor pool.

After skiing, or on a day with poor weather, it’s a real treat to relax and enjoy the gentle feeling of the naturally heated water.

The town itself is one main street with a variety of shops selling local French delicacies, ski shops, and a few restaurants. While there are a few hotels, most  accommodations are apartment rentals, which can be booked through the local tourist office.

January is their low season, and February is the busiest month. There is a shuttle that runs every twenty minutes between the town center and the ski lifts, but it’s less than a ten minute walk.

It snowed the first few days we were there in January 2023, so it took me two or three days to find the pistes that were best for me. The lifts run from the village at 1,550 meters up to 2,850, with the mid-station at 2,176 meters, from where there are several tree-lined pistes down to the village.

Normally, I prefer to ski on open slopes above the tree line, but here I found that I preferred the variety of the pistes going back to the village. On snowy days I skied in the new snow until it got skied out, and on the sunny days I enjoyed the long runs on the groomed trails with hardly another skier in sight.

I never encountered a lift line, and if I had younger legs I could have skied more and more. The area serves mostly local folks and, on the weekends, families from Grenoble and its surrounding regions come to ski and enjoy the outdoors.

The base lodge was large enough to accommodate everyone and we never had to wait for a table. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. Since we were there for two weeks the waiters remembered us and were quick to bring us our favorite beer during our mid-day breaks. On the mountain, there are several quaint mountain restaurants with more limited menus at higher prices.

Monetier les Bains is a low-key ski area: in low season no crowds, no stress, everything easy and, of course, a free ski pass for seniors 75+.

People were friendly and everyone spoke good English, except for our landlord… my wife’s French saved the day.

Mike Roth

Seeking the Snow in Tahoe

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View of Lake Tahoe (credit M. Roth)

After an early start to the ski season here in the East that I would describe as less than stellar, I went west, to Reno, Nevada to seek better conditions. My goal was the smaller ski areas within a short drive from Reno, not the larger and well-known ones on the side of Lake Tahoe in California.

Our the first day driving up the Mount Rose Highway, there were snowbanks as high as that 8’-0” high as we increased in elevation – a very encouraging sign of things to come.

The smaller ski areas in the Reno area are certainly not the magnitude of Heavenly or Kirkwood, Northstar or Palisades Tahoe.  But since you can ski just one trail at a time,  and these areas have the elevation to have and keep snow and they are much bigger than one would expect, they stack up well compared to an eastern“small area”.

Mount Rose Ski area, which you can see the slides from Reno, is the largest of the three areas we visited, with 2,000 feet of elevation and starting at 8,250 ft. Beautiful views of the Reno Valley, of course continual blue bird skies, without a cloud in site. There was plenty of snow on the mountain and the trails were groomed perfectly.

The surfaces at times were very much like Eastern skiing from groomed corduroy and as the day progressed some hard packed showed up. Now if the temperature was above 32 degrees, all that hard pack snow would have been soft packed powder because there was a very deep base below of 200-300 inches of snow.

In fact, one of the skiers with us, who was from California, commented that us easterners must love these conditions (which although he didn’t come out directly saying it, I don’t think he liked the surface). For me, wherever I can get on the snow, I am happy with the surface, unless of course it is boilerplate and to be honest , I have not encountered that in a very long time. Ski areas have made great advances in snow making and grooming to provide a good skiing surface most of the time.

Diamond Peak, just 27 miles from Reno, also the way to Lake Tahoe, offers great views of the lake as you ski down that you must stop and take a photo. This area is smaller than Mount Rose with the base at 6,700 feet and topping out at 8,540, with 1,500 feet of vertical and an  average annual snowfall 300 plus inches.

There are 28 trails marked and plenty of glades, with 655 acres of skiing. Great terrain to ski. Don’t forget to checkout their senior pass rates ($225 for years 70-79, Free 80+, and no blackout dates).

The third area, which was the smallest but not the least important, was Sky Tavern, a strange name for a ski area but with a history that ages way back into the late 50’s.  The area probably has the most meaning for skiing and promotion of skiing with the youth of the Reno Valley. This area is the oldest and largest non-profit ski and snowboard learning area.

Owned by the City of Reno, this ski area is devoted to teaching and training the city’s youth who want to learn to ski as well as aspire to skiing as a high school / college / olympic goals. The area staff is devoted) to this project. Founder Marcie Herz established the program in 1948, and her remaining family is still involved with the area.

This area’s learning and training staff can be compared with programs at Stratton Mountain School and other eastern ski schools and high school programs which don’t spend pots of money to train their children to become aspiring ski athletes.

Sky Tavern has 7,583 feet of base and 8,238 at the top, with about 800 feet in elevation, so they receive plenty of snow due to the high base elevation. On the weekends you can expect lots of training and families participating in this unique venue. They train in ski racing, terrain parks, aerials, and the park is striving to be a year-round training facility.

While staying in Reno, there are plenty of venues with a reasonable nightly cost as compared to staying on a mountain. We stayed at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino which gets you plenty to eat and play after skiing.

Rentals were also as easy as 1, 2, 3, at the base of the Mount Rose Highway, at Blue Zone Sports. The ski’s we rented were excellent and the staff were more than accommodating. You can get all your skiing gear at a one-stop rental/purchase shop.

I certainly recommend skiing these areas in lieu of the big boys on the other side of the highway.

Randy Johnson

Virginia’s First Ski Area Restores the Nation’s Oldest Spa

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Omni Homestead Snowman

The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, is not the biggest ski area in the South, but it’s the oldest. When snowmaking was installed on new slopes in 1959, the historic hotel appended the words “ski” and “spa” to its self-description.

The hotel has been hosting guests “taking the waters” at local hot springs since 1766, a decade before the American Revolution. Today, its upscale offerings continue to make it a posh, even exclusive destination – one with its own ski hill.

It’s the perfect place where not-so-crowded slopes and not-too-difficult terrain for senior skiers to introduce the family, including the grandkids, to skiing and a rarefied escape to a newly refurbished hotel and spa facilities.

https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia/things-to-do/resort-activities/winter-activities

The Homestead’s Ski Area

Omni Homestead Ski Slope

A free shuttle links the hotel and the modest slope layout, which is open Sunday to Thursday this season.

Back in 1959 when Austrian immigrant and southern ski legend Sepp Kober designed and built the ski area, it included a “skimobile” trestle lift similar to one then in use at Mount Canmore in New Hampshire.  Also, it was the first are anywhere to rely solely on snowmaking, setting an example for the region and world.

His ski school was staffed by young Europeans whose accents became the norm at southern slopes, as well as in ski areas in the North and West. Sepp and his Austrian instructors are no longer with us, but his ski school still offers a family-friendly setting that makes skiers and boarders out of beginners from 4 years up. A Little Penguins Program focuses on children ages 5 to 11.

The Homestead’s 10 slopes, up from 5 in the 1980s, drop 700 vertical feet. The main double chairlift tops out at 3,200 feet. Two blue runs leave the top of the chair, Escape and Upper Main, and merge with Upper Main continuing along the chair to mid-station. There’s also a short, steep black run, Nose Dive, from the top of Upper Main, and a pair of blues, Upper and Lower Glades.

At mid-station, green Yonder-Weigh leads beginners off the lift back down to the lodge on a longer green run, Lower Main. Another green, Briar Patch, slips by the resort’s tubing park, Penguin Slides. Also from mid-station, a terrain park comes back to the main slope above the tubing runs. Absolute beginners have a learning area served by three surface lifts, and kids can ride mini-snowmobiles.

The base lodge has large picture windows and an outdoor deck backed by plexiglass to break the wind. On a spring ski weekends, white-coated chefs from the hotel flip gourmet burgers. An upstairs grill, Kober’s, serves lunch and dinner amid extensive memorabilia of the life and legend of Sepp Kober.

Alternatives to skiing and riding include The Homestead’s Allegheny Springs, an ice skating facility with rentals, and a spring-fed, two-acre water park where a steaming outdoor pool and hot tub are perfect for soothing sore legs.

Homestead Re-Opens After Major Makeover

Omni Homestead Outdoor Pool

The grande dame hotel reopened for lodging on Feb. 2, 2023, after a massive

$121+ million makeover, the most significant investment in the resort in more than a century. The resort is a member of the Historic Hotels of America, a nationwide collection of legendary lodging spots organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

www.historichotels.org

The impressive Great Hall, five hundred guest rooms and suites, and numerous dining destinations were fully refurbished and ready to carry the venerable resort’s luxurious reputation well into the 21st century. Given The Homestead’s singular historical status, the work involved a painstaking preservation process that included restoring 978 original wood windows and hundreds of doors and repair of interior and exterior stucco, terracotta, limestone and brick masonry.

For many, the real “wow” is the complete restoration and reopening of the nation’s oldest historic spa structures.  Once called “the Jefferson Pools,” after Thomas Jefferson’s early 1800s visits, the restored Warm Springs Pools include buildings that always reminded me of what a nuclear power plant might look like if they’d been in use in the 19th century, including the plume of steam emerging from the top of the dome-shaped roofs. Restoration included preserving and/or replacing the historic wood structure, windows, doors, siding and roofing.

The restoration effort involved the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and

notable preservationists to be sure the project adhered to The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Head Back in Time

At the newly restored spring buildings, there are adult and family times for spa visits, and sex-segregated clothing optional sessions. But unlike back in Jefferson’s day, guests no longer hang from ropes in the warm mineral waters. Today foam noodle floats do the job without the upper body workout.

The Homestead’s slopes and snowmaking gave birth to the now bullish Southern ski market, but back in 1761, when the stone basin of the 1820s Gentlemen’s Bathhouse was first constructed, it became the oldest spa resort structure in the country. No wonder The Homestead’s 2,300 acres are today surrounded by aptly named “Bath” County.

With its impressive recent improvements, the entire Homestead experience is a fitting tribute to Kober, often called the “Father of Southern Skiing” for his decades-long efforts to nurture the active Southern ski market. Kober was inducted into the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2009.

Evelyn Kanter

What’s New for the 2022/2023 Season – Idaho Edition

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With the La Niña weather pattern developing thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean for the third consecutive winter, the Northwest should expect a cold, wet winter with heavy mountain snow. That means another great ski and snowboard season in Idaho.

It’s not just the snow – for the first time in history, SKI Magazine named three Ski Idaho destinations to its list of the top 30 ski resorts in the West, and two have been nominated as part of USA Today’s “10Best”list.

So here’s all that’s new this season in Idaho, by region.

Northern Idaho

 Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area – In northern Idaho, near the historic town of Wallace and straddling the Idaho-Montana border and the Mountain and Pacific time zones, this multi-use area opens highly anticipated Eagle Peak Expansion this winter, with a new fixed-grip quad.  It adds 500 acres of new terrain, nearly doubles the resort’s footprint to 1,023 skiable acres and adds 14 named runs, raising its total to 52 trails. With a summit elevation of 6,150 feet, Eagle Peak offers 1,650 feet of total vertical — 500 feet more than the original Lookout Pass summit. The new chair stretches just under a mile at 5,640 feet and can move at least 1,500 people uphill per hour.

Eagle Peak will deliver more and drier snow than Lookout’s already snowy reputation thanks to the 500 feet in elevation gain.  Lookout Pass also regraded its Success beginner learning terrain to offer a more consistent pitch ideal for learning to ski and snowboard. It upgraded its trail cameras to streaming video, and also improvements to the main lodge, rentals and additional parking.

Schweitzer – near Sandpoint, Idaho’s northernmost ski resort, skiers and riders will enjoy better access to the tree skiing and long groomers in The Outback Bowl thanks to 14 new chairs on the six-pack Stella. This will boost total uphill capacity on the lift by 25 percent, allowing it to carry 600 additional riders per hour.  The resort also has expanded its children’s center — a fully licensed childcare facility serving guests ages 4 months to 6 years old – with age-appropriate indoor and outdoor programming.

Schweitzer also opens its new spa, Cambium, in the village in a new building adjacent to Selkirk Lodge. The 3,600-square-foot retreat includes a relaxation with outstanding mountain views.  Schweitzer’s boutique, 31-room hotel, Humbird, which opened in February, will officially reach completion with the new 12-person rooftop hot tub.  Construction continues on Schweitzer’s new $22 million employee-housing project in Ponderay, with 84 apartments and a full-service daycare facility for employees with young children.

Silver Mountain Resort – South of the Border terrain is now within the borders, with the destination expanding its boundaries to include the popular pow stash. Off Chair 2 to left of Skyway Ridge just past Sunrise, SOB is naturally gladed, holds tremendous powder, and now boasts a new marked trail graded to get skiers and boarders back to the lift. The resort, in the historic North Idaho mining town of Kellogg, also opens the new Jackass Snack Shack at Midway Chair 4. It is on the original site of the ski lodge back when the mountain was named Jackass Ski Bowl in honor of Bill the $12 Million Burro, who accidentally assisted in founding the Bunker Hill Mine underneath Silver Mountain. The structure will have a restroom.

 North Central Idaho

The three destinations encircling the Camas Prairie — Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce, Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood, and Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area near Grangeville — have not announced any upgrades for the 2022-23 ski season beyond usual maintenance and upkeep. They offer throwback experiences where it’s all about snow riding, family, and happy vibes with adult lift tickets costing only $20.

Central Idaho

Renowned for its glade skiing, Lost Trail Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana border between Salmon and Missoula has thinned more than 80 acres of its intermediate and expert tree-skiing terrain served by Chair 2 and Chair 4. It also completed micro grooming on its beginner and intermediate runs to help ensure an early opening.

Three miles west of Hailey, Rotarun Ski Area heads into its 74th ski season with key infrastructure improvements including new snowmaking that supports early and late-season programming. It also celebrates winter sports and mountain-town culture with free public skiing under the lights on Wednesday evenings.

For the third consecutive year, SKI Magazine named Sun Valley Resort — the birthplace of the chairlift and American’s first destination resort — the top ski resort in North America in its 2022 Annual Resort Guide. Sun Valley ranked no. 1 in the West for overall satisfaction, lifts, dining, apres and nightlife, family-friendly, and local flavor.

The resort is also a leader in sustainability, with the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project to improve forest health, reduce fuels and associated fire risk, and preserve the recreational experience on and around Bald Mountain. As a result, the resort will open up 79 acres of new gladed terrain in the Warm Springs area in advance of two new lifts being constructed this summer — including a six-pack chair — slated to open next season. Sun Valley also hosts the Alpine Skiing National Championships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

Southwest Idaho

Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area  – Near Boise, Idaho’s capital city, installed additional chairs on the Morning Star and Superior Express lifts, which will increase uphill capacity on those lifts by 30 percent.  There also are two new trails — Independence and Blackbird – with 11 acres of additional terrain. Blue and black runs, respectively, the new trails return riders from the backside of the mountain to the frontside. The nonprofit ski area also expanded night-skiing terrain by 15 acres, lighting the Sunbeam and Superior runs off the Superior Express lift, bringing the number of lit trails to 21.

Several beginner runs and cat tracks have been widened and improved, including Buttercup Cat Track, Shamrock, Sleepy Holly, and Sunshine has been regraded to improve learning progression.  New and extended snowshoe trails have doubled the distance of mapped snowshoe trails, and Bogus Basin will offer regularly guided and special-themed snowshoe tours. It is also introducing RFID ticketing technology for hands-free access to lifts. It also paved the main parking lot and added 50 new paved parking spots.

Brundage Mountain Resort – Between McCall and New Meadows, the resort added a 2,800-square-foot ski and bike patrol first-aid facility. This is the final season for nostalgia-minded visitors to ride the Centennial Triple Chair, a fixed-grip lift installed in 1990. A new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed detachable quad will debut in its place next winter, cutting ride time from 14 minutes to 6 minutes and offering two high-speed quads on the front side of the mountain. The resort also purchased and transformed a historic building in New Meadows into its newest employee-housing facility.

Just outside McCall, the Little Ski Hill has lit a third trail, Race Run, and added more lights to the base area and lodge face. The Payette Lakes Ski Club will finish lighting the ski area’s terrain park next summer. Only the top quarter of the terrain park is currently lit.

The après ski scene at Tamarack Resort near Donnelly gets a boost with the opening of Seven Devils Tap House. Located next to The Village’s grand staircase, the 5,000-square-foot restaurant and bar is large enough for more than 300 guests with indoor seating, a mezzanine for more intimate dining, and covered and uncovered outdoor seating overlooking the snow front and West Mountain.

Save time and money by pre-purchasing day tickets with 24-hour advance online purchase — only $55 for midweek and $75 weekend tickets — and through Tamarack’s expanded system of ticket-pickup kiosks and automated ticket-scanning lift gates. New features include RFID-enabled snow-front ski check and heated seasonal lockers along with paid seasonal access to prime ski-in, ski-out parking via RFID gates. SOUTHERN IDAHO

Although Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Kimberly has not announced any major upgrades for skiers and snowboarders this winter, it is promoting a new Kosmik Tubing experience on Friday and Saturday evenings. Private group bookings are available on those evenings and other nights, and weekday afternoon group tubing will be available on a limited basis by reservation only. The mountain’s Saturday and Sunday daylight tubing will continue as normal.

Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion has upgraded grooming with new PistenBully 400 Park Pro groomers. The rental shop sports a new fleet of ski and snowboard gear from Rossignol and Burton, respectively.

New adventures and an improved on-mountain experience will greet guests at Soldier Mountain, near Fairfield.  The tubing hill which opened last winter returns, plus key runs at the top of Chair 2 have been cleared of brush, which will allow the snow to stick better and enable the resort to open trails earlier and keep them open longer. In addition, Soldier Mountain deployed three SNAPD action cameras — one at the top of the magic carpet, one as skiers and riders unload Chair 1, and a third near the top of Chair 2 with a picturesque mountain backdrop.

The camera systems are designed to work like those at amusement parks that automatically capture guests as they pass by. They leverage RFID technology to identify guests and allows them to access their pictures online or via a smartphone app. SNAPD day passes at Solder Mountain will cost $10 and a SNAPD season pass will run $25. Soldier Mountain is already booking seats on the snowcat for its renowned backcountry experiences

Eastern Idaho

Grand Targhee Resort — which lies four miles across the border in “Wydaho”, across the Teton Pass from Jackson Hole, and affiliates with Ski Idaho because the only way to reach it is through Driggs, Idaho debuts the brand-new Colter Lift on Peaked Mountain. The new lift can transport up to 2,000 people per hour, gain 1,815 vertical feet in just over 5 minutes, and provide 30 percent more skiing and riding with the addition of the new terrain on Peaked Mountain. These 600 acres used to be accessible only via snowcat bootpacking when the gates were open. Now, skiers and riders can access varying types of terrain, including awesome tree skiing and steep pitches.

This is the first major terrain expansion at Grand Targhee since 2001, when it opened the Sacajawea lift.  Grand Targhee also has renovated the slopeside Teewinot Lodge, and is introducing RFID ticketing technology to allow guests to access lifts hands-free via smart gates.

Kelly Canyon Ski Resort near Ririe as added new snowmaking and upgraded its trail lighting system. The new owners also have upgraded the lodge and transformed its cafeteria into the Half Cab Grill with an expanded menu.

Pebble Creek Ski Area, near Inkom has replaced the haul rope on the Skyline Lift and gave the rental shop a facelift.

Noteworthy Milestones

 Amid all these improvements, Ski Idaho, which counts 19 ski areas among its member destinations, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, Bogus Basin is turning 80, Soldier Mountain is turning 75, and Silver Mountain is turning 55 this season.

Multi-Resort Passes

Sun Valley has joined Schweitzer as partners with the IKON Pass.

The Indy Pass has a new, seventh Ski Idaho member with Kelly Canyon joining Brundage, Lost Trail, Pomerelle, Silver Mountain, Soldier Mountain, and Tamarack.

Grand Targhee and Sun Valley are members of the Mountain Collective.

Lost Trail joins Bogus Basin and Silver Mountain as partners in the Powder Alliance.

Sun Valley offers a Sun & Snow Pass with Snowbasin in Huntsville, Utah, that allows up to three days at each resort.

About Ski Idaho

Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded in part by the Idaho Travel Council via the state’s 2 percent lodging tax paid by travelers and collected by hotel, motel, private campground, and vacation rentals owners.

Boasting 29,000 feet of vertical spanning more than 21,000 acres, Idaho is home to America’s first destination ski resort, the birthplace of the chairlift, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 19 family friendly alpine ski areas offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, affordable passes, and short lift lines. Many Ski Idaho destinations open for the summer season, as well, to provide lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hiking and trail running, disc golf, horseback riding, and more.

Visit skiidaho.us for more details.

What’s your favorite destination in Idaho?  We love your comments

Randy Johnson

What’s New for the 2022-23 Season—Southeastern Edition 

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Massanutten Resort

Terrain expansions and technology upgrades are routine at the seventeen ski resorts south of the Mason-Dixon Line. This year, that trend continues.

Here’s what’s new for the 2022/2023 season in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Virginia –

Massanutten – 2022-23 marks the 50th year of skiing inside the “Kettle” bowl of Shenandoah Valley landmark Massanutten Mountain. In 1990, the resort joined the regional “big list” jumping to its present 1,110 feet of vertical by opening two major slopes and a summit quad.

This year, Mueller’s Mile adds a third run from the summit, along with two other new slopes, a black connector to Mueller’s Mile called Slot, and Ridgecrest, a blue from the upper mountain along the craggy crest of the Kettle. The expansion finishes up next winter, replacing the old fixed quad with a detachable, and turning the lift line into the resort’s only double black diamond run.

The requisite snowmaking expansion started five years ago with a two and a half-mile pipeline tapping a new water supply, and finishes this year with 21,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe on the mountain. Director of Skiing Kenny Hess, says “this expansion will be a game changer for Massanutten, especially next year. With a double black lift line trail, Mass will ski much bigger than in the past.”

Bryce Resort, near Basye, Virginia, has converted its legacy double chair to a fixed grip quad. And Wintergreen Resort, near Charlottesville, makes a big snowmaking upgrade to its Upper Dobie and Lower Diamond beginner slopes and The Plunge snow tubing park.

West Virginia –

Timberline Mountain – After being closed for two pre-pandemic seasons, Timberline Mountain in Canaan Valley (pronounced kuh-NANE) was purchased in 2019 by Indiana’s Perfect North Slopes. The reinvention of a great southern ski area is picking up speed as COVID issues ebb.

The new owners have made “a complete do over on the snowmaking, quadrupling capacity,” says Paige Perfect. Two new lifts went in, West Virginia’s first six-pack detachable, to the summit, and a fixed grip quad to mid-station with a loading conveyor. New lighting to mid-station brings back night skiing this winter.

The summit, where two-mile Salamander starts, the South’s longest run, stays dark for now to protect the Cheat Mountain salamander. Flanking the alpine-like Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, the slope is the only one in the region on US Forest Service land. In fact, Perfect says, “we saw Salamander and knew Timberline was it.” The slope’s beginner pitch, few intersecting runs, and expansive width make it a regional favorite.

Snowshoe Mountain – Even with nearly 200 inches of annual southern snowfall covering its 1,500-foot vertical, this Alterra Mountain Company resort added 15 automatic fan guns on the revamped Skidder beginner slope beside the summit village, creating a longer, wider learning slope with consistent pitch. There’s also additional snowmaking at Progression Park and at the Silver Creek area, the ridge top run and adjacent easy routes get the same snow gun expansion as Skidder.

To reduce traffic on the Ballhooter lift, the usual route back up to the village from The Boat House eatery on a lake below, Skidder’s carpet lift has been realigned to access the village from the top of the Grabhammer lift.

Winterplace – The only southern ski area located five minutes from an interstate highway celebrates its 40th anniversary this season. The resort has redesigned its rental process and expects a 75% decrease in the time required to rent from a ski and snowboard inventory that this year is all new. There’s also a new Progression Terrain Park with a double chair located beside one of the area’s favorite easier slopes, Highland Run.

North Carolina –

Appalachian Ski Mountain – This area, in Blowing Rock, becomes the latest of the South’s slopes to embrace the RFID ticketing system based on an easy, radio verified lift ticket purchase that’s reloadable online.

Beech Mountain – In the northwestern High Country corner of the state near Boone, this is the East’s highest ski area at 5,506 feet, one of two major ski areas flanking Banner Elk (town license plates read “Ski Capital of the South”). This season, Beech’s far left legacy double chair has been upgraded to a fixed grip quad with a loading conveyor. he mountain’s former terrain park becomes a new beginner trail, Carolina Caribbean, named after the resort’s original development corporation back in the late ‘60s that paired the ski area with a resort in the US Virgin Islands. That new green gets an enclosed conveyor lift.

New terrain parks are being built, for advanced riders on the former Powder Bowl slope, and for beginners on the Meadows run, both with new LED lights and fixed SMI tower Polecats (among Beech’s ten new guns for this year). An interesting new Latitude L60 All Weather Snowmaker is being installed in the tubing area.

On the “back side” of the mountain, the Oz slope’s new name is West Bowl, and its Lift 7 has gotten an electrical upgrade.

Sugar Mountain – The other ski area near Banner Elk, Sugar Mountain adds its second new high speed detachable quad chairlift in three years, on intermediate cruiser Oma’s Meadow. The first opened on the Easy Street beginner run in 2019, and a new fixed grip quad went in on intermediate Big Birch in 2021.  There’s also a six-person Summit Express servicing the rousing Gunther’s Way advanced run.

With all the new high-speed lifts since 2014, and lift configurations since the mountain has literally reinvented its slope system, dramatically improving the ski experience at one of the region’s top ski areas. Snowmaking improvements will help cover the expanded base of the Oma’s slope and on adjacent upper mountain runs from the mile-high summit. The resort’s conveyor lift gets an enclosure to shelter skiers and new electronic lockers make ski storage easier in the lodge.

Cataloochee – The snowmaking system has been fully automated at North Carolina’s first ski area (1961) and an additional twenty-seven guns added. The lodge has a new menu with gluten free and vegetarian options, along with authentic, on-site smoked North Carolina pulled pork barbecue. Hand-crafted ski racks have been installed on many walls and railings.

 Tennessee –

Ober Gatlinburg – The state’s oldest (1962) and only ski area has changed hands, with original owners the Anders family selling to local investors led by Joe and Jessi Baker, founders of Ole Smoky Distillery and Yee-Haw Brewing. The name means “over Gatlinburg” in German, and Eastern America’s largest tram lifts skiers to the slopes from the streets of the Great Smoky Mountain tourist town. The area’s new name will be Ober Mountain.

LeMassif
Evelyn Kanter

What’s New for the 2022/2023 Season – Quebec Edition

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LeMassif

Fall and cooler weather are giving antsy legs to all skiers, snowboarders, as well as all other winter lovers.

Here’s what’s new this season, north of the border in the province of Quebec, by region, including several important resort anniversaries.

Bas-Saint-Laurent

Parc du Mont-Saint-Mathieu has expanded its snow park, and snowmaking improvements will allow both earlier and later season access to an area with multiple glades.

Eastern Townships

At Mont-Orford, the new electronic RFID ticketing system will simplify the customer experience, and improvements to the snowmaking system will ensure a longer ski season, just like at Mont Sutton and Owl’s Head.

Centre-du-Québec

At Gleason, there’s been a transformation to LED lights for night skiing and improvement of the snowmaking system.

Quebec and Charlevoix

Mont Grand-Fonds celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, adding a new magic carpet and improvements to the snowmaking system. There will be special anniversary events throughout the year.

This is the first full season for Club Med Quebec which opened in December 2021 with all-inclusive food and drink, and an instructor-level on-snow touring guide.

Chaudière-Appalaches

Massif du Sud also has implemented a new RFID system on the mountain.

Côte-Nord

This season is the grand reopening of Gallix Ski Resort, which was partially closed last season due to a major chairlift breakdown.

Gaspésie

Petit Chamonix celebrates its 60th anniversary this season.  Val d’Irène has added two new double-black runs.

Laurentians

Belle Neige celebrates its 60th anniversary this season with new lift, La Fenster, as well as improvements to the snowmaking system. At Vallée Bleue, the new Le Muskeg Bar is sure to be the scene for great après-ski.

Les Sommets has upgraded the snowmaking system for Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Versant Avila, Sommet Gabriel and Sommet Morin Heights, and to the learning zone at Sommet Olympia. Sommet Gabriel skiers will be able to sit in the new La Laurentienne chairlift.

Mont Blanc has added a new main lift boarding mat, new service center and improvements to the Pioneer Bar.

Tremblant introduces a new app with live weather and ski conditions, ski and village interactive maps, run history and challenges, and more. Details here.  Hymne des Trembles is a new multi-phase project that will connect the Versant Soleil to the Versant Sud areas, supporting the eventual expansion of skiable terrain.

Montérégie
Mont Rigaud will offer a different experience to the users of the magic carpet since it will now be covered with a dome. The mountain’s lighting is now all in LED. Also, improvement was made to the snowmaking system. At Ski Saint-Bruno there’s a new terrace and a ski café for après-ski enthusiasts.

Outaouais

Camp Fortune has expanded the main lodge and made improvements to the snowmaking system which will extend the ski season.

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Mont Fortin introduces a new magic carpet ski or snowboard beginners. Valinouët is launching a new website.

Thanks to the Quebec Ski Areas Association for this information.

Founded in 1979, the ASSQ is a non-profit organization grouping together Quebec’s ski areas. Its mission is to promote and defend the interests of the ski areas, to foster the development of the next generation, and to support the industry to offer skiers and snowboarders memorable experiences.

Skiing and snowboarding are practiced by about 1.4 million Quebecers.

What’s your favorite place to ski in Quebec?

TMT HIVER_ 86
Jonathan Wiesel

XC in Mont Tremblant Canada

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XC at the Domaine Saint-Bernard

Mont Tremblant is a major alpine ski resort just north of Montreal, part of the vast Alterra Mountain Company menu of ski areas, which includes Steamboat, Winter Park, Mammoth Mountain, Deer Valley, Stratton, Sugarbush. Therefore it’s part of the Ikon Pass system. 

 Though it’s well-known to Eastern Canadians, cross country skiing around Mont Tremblant isn’t quite the clichéd “hidden gem” for Nordic skiers in the U.S., but it’s certainly not a byword.  And that’s mildly ridiculous for so many reasons, ranging from extensive, superb terrain and good grooming to opportunity to mix your sports to the fantastic dollar differential between the U.S. and Canada.

Mont Tremblant is a year-round resort in Quebec’s spectacular Laurentian mountains, roughly 1.5 hours northwest of Montreal’s airport, which is served by multiple airlines from American hubs.

For XC visitors interested in history, this is Jackrabbit Johannsen country (so is Lake Placid, incidentally). Famous in Canada but not so much in the U.S., Jackrabbit was a fascinating guy who is justifiably credited with introducing skiing to eastern North America. Still skiing at the age of 102, he died in 1987.  And check out the Canadian Ski Museum while you’re at Mont-Tremblant.

XC in the Mont Tremblant Region

The best pre-trip resource on Mont-Tremblant-region XC skiing – including extremely useful trail maps – is https://www.tremblant.ca/things-to-do/activities/cross-country-skiing

 A typical XC season runs from early December through March; average snowfall is around 135 inches per winter.

 A quick summary: Lots of trails (many of them short), lots of lovely kilometers (100+), many of them with multiple uses – some classic technique only, some classic and skating, exclusively snowshoeing, a number with XC and fat biking or snowshoeing and fat biking or walking.  Overall, there’s a nice mix of “boulevards” and winding narrower routes, many trails passing by many lakes. While most skiing is suited to beginners and intermediates, there’s some challenging stuff too. It’s guaranteed that you won’t get bored. 

There are two trail networks with some parking for easy access. The northern system emanating from the resort (Secteur Tremblant) is smaller, has generally easy trails and several access points, as well as road crossings.  It also connects to the famous P’tit Train du Nord trail (the roadbed was formerly a Canadian Pacific railroad line) via la Villageoise-de-Mont-Tremblant trail; and the system based around the Domaine St.-Bernard, these days a large nature (ecotourism) and recreation complex. The two are connected by the ski-over Pont Jackrabbit over the Devil’s River (Rivière du Diable). 

Secteur Domaine Saint-Bernard has much more extensive skiing, with a day lodge, more diverse terrain (snowshoeing and walking paths too), outstanding viewpoints, and a number of convenient parking points as well as several warming huts. Some trails are groomed for both classic and skating, plus some ungroomed routes. 

There’s also equipment rental as well as the only XC ski school in the region (CANSI-trained instructors), offering both private and group instruction. 

In sum, there’s meadow, forest, mountain views, intriguing rock outcroppings, even riverside skiing… and birds that will feed from your hand.

Accessible by car nearby are another 40-or-so km of groomed trails, along with rustic wood-heated shelters, at Parc National du Mont-Tremblant. Difficulty runs from easy to difficult, with multiple loops. There’s a trail fee, which you can purchase online. 

Other Stuff

Purpose-built Mont Tremblant Village is a European-style village, reminiscent of Whistler Village in BC. You can visit spas or a casino, and enjoy a wide variety of fine dining and local cuisine, Mexican, Lebanese, pizza. Les Moulins Lafayette is one of a Québécois bakery chain… delectable! Plus, the old Mont Tremblant village is a few minutes away with more traditional shops and restaurants. 

As to winter recreation locally, there’s also ice skating on lakes and rinks, hiking and walking, fat biking and now e-fat biking, ice climbing, ice fishing, sledding, sleigh rides, dog sledding, snowmobiling, paintball. And if you also ski alpine, there’s more than 2,000’ of vertical drop on 102 trails. 

 If you’re a cross country skier and part of a group or family, consider staying at Domaine-St.-Bernard’s Farmhouse or Pavillon de Chasse (fully equipped kitchen and full bathrooms but bring your own bedding).

 If you’re splitting your time between XC and alpine and have a little Jackrabbit nostalgia but like more comfort, consider the comfortable Le Johannsen – right in the pedestrian village but not immediately accessing the XC trails. 

 Along with pervasive – and charming – French-Canadian culture, what more could you ask for?

Evelyn Kanter

What’s New For the 2022/23 Season – Eastern Edition

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Photo Credit: Stratton Mountain Resort

It’s time to check your goggles and helmet for wear and tear, shake your packed-up down jackets back to life and try on your ski or snowboard pants to make sure they still fit well enough to let you bend down and fasten your boots.

Here’s a short swing through what’s new at resorts in the Northeast.

New York State

Windham Mountain invested more than $9 Million for improvements, including replacing the old triple-chair from the base area with a Dopplemayr high-speed quad.  That will speed up-load times and shorten lift lines.  The Catskills mountain resort also increased snowmaking, and renovated an old mountain hotel as employee housing.

Vermont

Killington Resort opens its long-awaited new base lodge this season. The K1 Lodge offers indoor and outdoor seating for over 900 guests, multiple bars and food stations, retail and rental shops, and—by popular guest demand—45 restroom options.  Killington also has expanded its Woodward Mountain terrain parks.

 Mad River Glen replaced outdated snowmaking over the summer.  The new system can put more snow on the lower mountain/high traffic areas faster than before while using less water.

 Magic Mountain doubles its uphill capacity with the new Black Line Quad and its lunch and apres ski capacity with a new, larger base lodge deck. The locals fav area will maintain its 1500-per-day ticket limit. Also new is lights on the terrain mark, making Magic the only night terrain park in southern Vermont (open Friday and Saturday nights, including holidays).

 Stratton Mountain Resort launches Next Step Lessons, a beginner and lessons package, aimed at helping second- or third-time skiers and riders expand their footprint in the sport. Also expanding is Stratton’s number of terrain parks, with a new one on Beeline.

Snow tube fans will find an expansion to 6 tubing from the previous 4 at the Tuber Park, along two-for-one tubing for the last hour the park is open, for all Ikon Pass holders.

Sugarbush improved snowmaking on Easy Rider/Pushover to improve the beginner experience and also on the upper half of Mt. Ellen to provide more snowmaking reliability. The resort also replaced Reverse Traverse with an improved pitch that could change the way Lincoln Peak’s terrain opens up early winter.

Suicide Six is gone – in name only.  The 86-year-old Vermont resort has chosen the new name Saskadena Six.  The new name means “standing mountain” and honors the area’s connection to the native western Abenaki people.  Resort owners collaborated with Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation for his counsel and insights on the land, its heritage, and current use.  

Maine & New Hampshire

Sunday River Resort has replaced the old Jordan Express lift with the Jordan 8 chair, a Doppelmayr D-Line 8-person chairlift – one of the most advanced lift designs in the world. It is designed to be wind resistant and weatherproof, with heated seats and bubble covers in signature Sunday River Red. 

New for this season is a three-resort pass, for Sunday River and Sugarloaf, both in Maine, and Loon in New Hampshire.  The new N.E. Day pass is valid any day at all three resorts, available in increments of 2-5 days.

Where are you skiing or riding in the Northeast this season?

Evelyn Kanter

What’s New for the 2022/23 Season – Western Edition

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Photo Credit: Praxis Skis

As always, resorts were busy over the summer replacing lifts and improving or adding terrain.

Here’s a quick rundown to whet your appetite of what’s new and noteworthy in several states West of the Mississippi.

In alphabetical order, by state –

 California

Palisades Tahoe – For a second season under its new name, there’s a brand new Base-to-Base gondola. It connects the two valleys and makes the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows resorts one of the largest in North America, with 6,000 acres of terrain.

The new gondola is 2.4 miles long and traverses just over 3,100 vertical feet. The ride takes approximately 16 minutes, including a brief stop at the new KT-22 mid-station.

 Also, the Red Dog chair lift, which starts at the base of Palisades Tahoe, has been relocated to offer convenient direct access from the parking lot, and is now a high-speed detachable six-person chair.

Northstar – This venerable resort celebrates its 50th anniversary this season with the new Comstock Express lift, a high-speed six-person chair that increases capacity by 50%.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe – A favorite of locals, Mt. Rose redirected its Lakeview chair lift so it now goes all the way to the top, with expansive views of Lake Tahoe along the way.

Colorado
 
Arapahoe Basin – The old fixed-grip three-seater Lenawee Lift, which dated from 2001, has been replaced with a high-speed six-pack.  This will alleviate one of the last remaining pinch points on what most of us call – simply – A-Basin.
 

Buttermilk –   Known as the beginners and family area of the four mountains of Aspen (Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk), this under-rated area gets a sparkling new base area with services including a guest lounge and lockers.

Eldora – This locals fav celebrates its 60th season this season, with upgrades including a $7 Million parking expansion with room for nearly 800 additional spaces.  Eldora also has increased snowmaking and its rental fleet.

Steamboat – Also celebrating its 60th season, “The Boat” is almost done with its $200 Million multi-year transformation of the base area.  New for this season is a beginner area, called Greenhorn Ranch, serviced by the new Wild Blue Gondola, a new beginner lift and two new carpets.

Telluride Ski Resort – The new high-speed detachable quad for Chair 9 cuts the lift time in half, from 15 minutes to 7, and services 2,000 vertical feet of terrain.

Winter Park – The resort is opening what’s called “previously unutilized terrain” in The Cirque Territory. The new terrain is called “Jelly Roll” for its steep pitch and ability to hold powder for days after a storm. Winter Park also is planning to open more terrain in the Chutes area on Mary Jane.

Amtrak Ski Train – The popular train between Denver and Winter Park returns for the season, weekends only, with fares as low as $29 each way.  The official name is Winter Park Express. Reservations often get booked out, so plan ahead.

 Idaho and Montana

Lookout Pass – This area, which spans two states (Idaho and Montana) and two time zones, opens its Eagle Peak Expansion this season, nearly doubling the resort’s skiable terrain. Lookout Pass which is, Idaho’s oldest continuously operating ski area, consistently gets in excess of 400 inches of snow per year, making it a secret stash for consistent powder.

Big Sky Resort – More than 350 new complimentary parking spots have been added across the resort, including one priority area for carpools. Big Sky is a member of both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective – these passholders need to make reservations this season to use their days.

Wyoming   

Jackson Hole – After 28 years of service, the fixed-grip four-seat Thunder lift has been replaced by a new high-speed quad.  It’s twice as fast as the lift it replaces, cutting ride time from 7 minutes to under 4. The new Thunder lift still accesses some of Jackson’s top runs, including Laramie Bowl, Thunder Bumps and the Grand.

Grand Targhee – On the other side of the Teton Pass from Jackson Hole, this resort debuts the new Colter Lift on Peaked Mountain this season. It can transport up to 2,000 people per hour, gaining 1,815 vertical feet in just over 5 minutes. It also accesses 30 percent more skiing and riding to what was formerly hike-in.

It is the first major terrain expansion at Grand Targhee since the Sacajawea lift opened in 2001. The resort usually gets more than 500 inches of snowfall each winter.

So where are you going this season?  As always, we welcome your comments.
Evelyn Kanter

What’s New This Ski/Snowboard Season – Utah Edition

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Photo Credit: Ski Utah

So many resorts, most of them within 45 minutes of the Salt Lake City airport.  And so many new lifts, trams, on-mountain dining, and more, this season.

Here’s a short swing around what’s new and notable on the snow in Utah, in alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way:

Alta Ski Area – The Sunnyside fixed-grip triple has been replaced with a high-speed six-pack, speeding access from the Albion base area.  Also new this season is that parking reservations are now required for Fridays, in addition to Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.  Alta has improved some of the Sleepy Hollow terrain off the Supreme Lift area.

Cherry Peak Resort – Introducing one of Utah’s newest ski resorts, near Logan.  The family-owned resort features three triple chairlifts and 400 acres of family-friendly terrain. There are 29 runs, a terrain park, tubing, night skiing and ice skating.

Deer Valley – The Burns Express is a new chairlift connecting the Snow Park base area to Little Baldy, offering Ski School access to more beginner teaching terrain and an additional option for skiers to navigate out of the main arrival area.  Also, surface lifts and beginner terrain in the Wide West area have been improved.

The Snow Park Village base area has been upgraded with new transit arrival facilities including new food and beverage options.  A new high-end seafood and steak restaurant, Cast & Cut, opens in Snow Park Lodge, featuring seafood towers, grass-fed beef and more.

Nordic Valley – There are new glade runs on the Nordic Express area, plus a new Yurt lounge, and the former Ski Patrol room has been transformed into a beer bar, appropriately called The Aid Room.

Park City Mountain – There’s a new outdoor patio at Red Tail Grill, near the Orange Bubble Express and Red Pine Gondola. The resort also has invested in employee housing, with a 441-bed development at Canyons Village.

Snowbasin – The big news is the switch from the Epic Pass to both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective Pass this season.  

Snowbird – The big news here is two brand new large, super-modern Tram cabins – one red, one blue – which will whisk guests to 11,000 feet. The trams offer spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows and additional see-through viewing panels in the floor, for a true feeling of flying. 

After snow season, prepare yourself to experience –  drumroll please – a rooftop balcony, first of its kind in the United States.  Hang out – and hang on – riding outside for 360-degree views.  Starting summer 2023. 

Solitude Mountain – The resort opens its first terrain park, adding features to the North Star and Main Street runs. The Yurt has been revamped to be open during the day for lunch.  In the evening, it transitions to an exclusive five-course dining experience reachable by a moonlit snowshoe tour. 

Sundance Mountain Resort – There’s a new fixed-grip quad south of Jake’s lift this season.  The 14-minute ride opens 40 acres of new terrain. In addition, the resort, founded by film icon Robert Redford, is expanding operations with 15 acres of groomed terrain, 10+ new runs, and 36 new acres of skiable terrain. 

Woodward Park City – Open just a few seasons, the area already has redesigned its layout to increase it’s terrain park features by 20%.  It is also one of the few ski/snowboard resorts anywhere with a parkour zone. 

Find more information on any or all of these resorts on www.skiutah.com.

Where will you be skiing in Utah this season?  

Don Burch

“Come Ski With Me”: A New Don Burch Video

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Don Burch recently returned from his first ski trip to Colorado in almost 50 years. He titled this video summary of his time at Beaver Creek, Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail,  “Come Ski With Me.” It’s another fine example of Don’s refreshing new genre of ski video: brief, graphically interesting, and easy to watch.

Tamsin Venn

Deer Valley Resort: Great Skiing; Great Service; Great Food

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Like many of its patrons, Deer Valley is extremely well-groomed. Source: Deer Valley

Deer Valley Resort is just easier. Easier to ski, easier to get to, easier to gear up for the day (free overnight ski and boot check). As a senior skier, I’m totally on board with that.

A few minutes drive or free bus from ski town Park City, UT, the base at Snow Park Lodge (7,200 feet) is the main starting point to these well-manicured slopes and to the reliable, friendly staff in their forest-green uniforms. Some will still carry your skis from the car.

Most of the skiing (snowboarders not allowed) rises above Bald Eagle Mountain (8,400 feet), putting you at Silver Lake Lodge. From here, you have access to skiing at Bald and Flagstaff Mountains with intermediate runs. Quincy Express offers short, fun intermediate trails off Northside Express like Sidewinder, Lost Boulder, and Lucky Star. Use the singles line to lap these more quickly. Veer skiers’ right on top of Bald and ski the double blues and blacks and iconic Stein’s Run overlooking the Jordanelle Reservoir off Sultan Lift.

It’s a feast: 2,000 acres of skiing over six peaks. All have a beginner or intermediate run from the top. When we were there early March, groomed runs numbered 62 out of 103, more than half.

Deer Valley Winterscape. Source: Deer Valley

Grooming status is posted on boards at the top of lifts. For the chutes and trees, do what my daughter and her boyfriend do, use a walkie-talkie. One goes first, and the other radios back, “Don’t come down here.”

After a splendid lunch at Empire Canyon Lodge (fish tacos with grilled Scottish salmon, Deer Valley turkey chili, seasonal salads, Mac and Cheese with raclette – the resort is well known for good dining — hop on Empire Express to Empire Peak (9,570 feet, highest elevation). Here you ski bumps or powder in the steep bowls. Most cruise the intermediate groomers. More options are one lift over at Lady Morgan Express.

Deer Valley is always fun… especially on a powder day. Source: Deer Valley

The mountain ops staff clear the glades for well-spaced tree skiing. This year they thinned out three new low-angle, easily accessible, glades, giving seniors a chance to ski the trees like they used to, no tree hugging. Ask a mountain host stationed at the trail map billboards for their locations.

Deer Valley was crowded on the weekend we were there (parking lot and access road full) and was close to restricting ticket sales. The 12 high-speed chairlifts keep people moving though.

Next season, it will only offer access (seven days) on the Ikon Base Plus Pass, not the Ikon Base Pass, presumably to help keep skier numbers down.

I met several older skiers on the lifts, transplants from the East, skiing on a DV senior season pass grateful, despite a recent price hike, they could freely choose the best conditions.

DV Stats

2,026 acres

Base elevation 6,570 feet; summit 9,570 feet

103 ski runs, 6 bowls, 21 chairlifts

Longest vertical, 1,380 feet off Little Baldy

Average annual snowfall: 300 inches

27 percent beginner, 41 percent intermediate, 32 percent expert terrain

Prices:

Full day senior pass, 65 and older: $134-$187 (to April 17, conditions permitting)

Season Pass (22/23 season) 65 and older: $1,995

Crested Butte
Marc Liebman

Skiing Crested Butte

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Source: Travel Crested Butte

The first thing one notices about the terrain at Crested Butte is the jagged, arrowhead shaped mountain peak thrusting into the sky. The base of the mountain is 9,820’, and lifts take you to a notch, several hundred feet below its 12,162’ summit.

There’s lots to like about skiing Crested Butte: beaucoup, well-groomed beginner, intermediate and expert trails spread over ~3,000 feet of vertical;  121 runs in all, 23% beginner, 57% intermediate and 20% expert.

The runs off the East River and Paradise Express lifts – hallelujah, they have footrests – are an intermediate’s dream with rolling terrain coupled with some interesting pitches. Or, if you prefer greens, you can yo-yo up and down Red Lady Express. In fact, all the lifts with the word Express in the name, have footrests!

If you like it steep, groomed, or ungroomed, ride Silver Queen Express and pick International or Keystone. Both were groomed when my brother and I were there a few weeks ago. They have challenging steep pitches and are gratifying to ski. If your knees can handle moguls, Joker, Crystal, or Twister await.

Source: Travel Crested Butte

If you’re more adventurous, take Paradise Express and ski to the North Face Lift which provides access to several steep tree runs. You’ll end on the intermediate Black Eagle Trail that will take you to the bottom of the East River Express. Be advised, some hiking may be required to ski the areas served by North Face.

Good news for senior skiers: on-hill lodge restrooms tend to be on the same level as the snow. At the base, they’re downstairs but serviced by elevator!!!

Accommodations are plenty. There are condos at the base of the area in what is known as Mount Crested Butte. Crested Butte is owned by Vail Resorts, and our Epic passes got us skiing and a 20% discount off the nightly rate at a condo 500 feet from the lift and discounts at some of the stores, bars, and restaurants.

According to my iPhone, the town of Crested Butte is 2.8 miles down the road, where you’ll find plenty of restaurants and stores. Gunnison is 27 miles to the south and has its own charm. If you stay in a condo and want to bring food, Gunnison’s City Market is well stocked and reasonably priced.

We reserved gear via Black Tie Ski Rentals. They bring the equipment right to your condo.

Gunnison is the nearest air-carrier served airport with direct flights from Dallas, Houston, and Denver. From the Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex, Crested Butte is, weather permitting, about a 13-hour drive. From the  Denver area, it is 4 – 5 hours.

Would we go back? Oh yeah!!!

Randy Johnson

History Awaits Your Next Ski Trip (Part 1)

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As serious skiers gain years and experience, many become interested in the history of their sport. And a lot of us are also better positioned economically to savor that heritage by checking into some of the country’s more historic ski settings. A budget bunker motel beside the access road might be OK, but it’s surprisingly easy and affordable to set your sights higher.

No article can list all the options, but the choices are many and range from historically significant ski lodging at specific resorts (think the 1936 Sun Valley Lodge) to atmospheric hotels and lodges that represent the enduring appeal of many ski country locations.

Since 1989, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has rounded up a classic lodging collection called the Historic Hotels of America (HHA), many of which are located in ski country. Ski destinations in New England and the South make perfect examples of places where these distinguished accommodations raise the bar on a ski vacation, especially with available senior discounts.

New England

 

The Presidentials are awesome from Bretton Woods Ski Area.                           Photo courtesy Omni Hotels and Resorts

 

A one-time Appalachian Mountain Club backcountry researcher, I enjoy New Hampshire’s Presidential Range. Last time, I overdosed on Nordic and downhill on both sides of the range, with stays in Jackson, south of Pinkham Notch, and Bretton Woods, north of Crawford Notch.

I remember the area’s rambling grande dame Crawford House Hotel before it burned in 1977, so I’ve occasionally chosen the Omni Mount Washington Resort as a substitute. The original 1902 hotel is massive and immaculately restored, with spectacular views of the Presidential Range. There are even better views from Bretton Woods ski area, New Hampshire’s largest. I took my first Nordic ski instructor’s training here in the ‘80s so I lean Nordic. Bretton Woods has 100 km of great valley touring that also includes a lift-served cross country trail network near the slopes.

The historic Mount Washington Hotel makes a riveting backdrop from the resort’s cross country ski trails.            Photo courtesy Omni Hotels and Resorts

If the big historic hotel experience is a no go, nearby Bretton Arms Inn is part of the same HHA Omni resort as the Mount Washington Resort, but it’s an 1896 former private residence on a more intimate scale.

While in Bretton Woods, don’t miss the New England Ski Museum, a short drive away in nearby Franconia.

The Historic Hotel of America option in Jackson is the Eagle Mountain House, literally on the village’s intensively groomed, 150 km Jackson Ski Touring Foundation trail system. The 1879 hotel’s Eagle Landing Tavern is a cozy setting, but skiers also have Highfields at the hotel, literally steps off the track.

Randy Johnson (right) and friends pose in the early 1980s at Hall’s Ledge on the way to Jackson after skiing down from the summit of Wildcat Mountain. Mount Washington towers above.                               Photo: Randy Johnson

Many nearby options are available, and I never seem to miss a stay or meal or two at the trailside Wildcat Inn and Tavern, not far from the foundation’s center. What a relaxed, quirky, full-of-character place. No wonder my best ski buds and I still talk about the times we’d base at Wildcat Inn and telemark the Wildcat Valley Trail down to town from the summit of Wildcat Mountain. Speaking of higher up, Pinkham Notch’s Joe Dodge Lodge accommodations still appeal to me long after I used to weigh my alpine hut-bound pack on the porch. This is old-school ski lodging but I’m not too special to call this rarefied throwback experience something I still savor.

Next Week, Part 2 / The Rest of the Country

Mike Roth

Branching Out: Skiing the Trees

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For many of us, skiing through the aging process means no longer going places we once skied without thinking twice. Now, approaching my 80’s, my mantra is never to overstep my capabilities and always watch out for the other guy!

Anticipate turns when skiing the trees!                                             Illustration: Mike Roth

 

I’ve always loved skiing in the trees and still do on occasions when conditions are right, and I’m feeling up to the task. I enjoy the silence, the natural snow, and the general absence of other skiers. But I’m always on guard avoiding the trees and their branches.

My Favorite Eastern Glades

Some of my memorable tree runs have been in the East, where I do most of my skiing.

Mount Snow’s North Face tree runs are challenging. However, the tree run on the main face to the left of “One More Time“ is a delightful intermediate. Also, at Carinthia, the trees between Mineshaft and Nitro are fun.

Killington offers plenty of tree runs, for skiers of all ages and abilities. A favorite of mine is Squeeze Play, to the right of Ramshead’s Timberline trail. It is easily handled.

My favorite at Gore Mountain is Twister Glade. Like many other gladed runs, it needs a certain amount of natural snow.

Bromley’s Avalanche Glades are fun. The area’s Everglade to the Glade is a bit easier.

The south face of Okemo is where you’ll find Forrest Bump (cute name), Double Diamond, Outrage, and Loose Spruce. It’s on the latter that a snow snake twisted my leg.

A different take on Glade Skiing.                  Illustration: Mike Roth

Glade Skiing Rules

Here are rules I follow when skiing glades:

  • Never Ski Alone. It’s best to ski with 3 others. If one person is hurt, another can remain, while the third gets ski patrol.
  • Don’t Use Pole Straps. Catching a pole on a branch can damage arm and/or shoulder. The release mechanism on some Leki poles helps avoid the potential problem.
  • Wear Goggles and Helmet. They are essential protection when skiing trees
  • Carry a Loud Whistle. It’s advisable wherever you ski. If you get hurt or lost, a series of loud blasts will attract help.
  • Ski Within Your Ability

And a few pointers for tree-skiing:

  • Anticipate turns: Look to where you want to go between the trees and try to anticipate your next two turns
  • Make smooth rounded turns: In the woods, bumps tend to be soft, with plenty of places to set an edge

We skiers may be getting older, but, with the right attitude and a good dose of caution, we can still enjoy skiing in the trees.

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Harriet Wallis

Finding a Senior Ski Buddy / Part 2

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Finding out about senior ski groups is like sharing tales around a campfire. A few words whet our interest and we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for more. As we build a list of senior ski groups, we have some exciting clues that really whet our interest, and we’re on the edge of our seats. So let’s throw another log on the fire, and help us fill gaps about the groups and add new groups to the list.

Skiing alone.                Photo: Jon Weisberg

Senior ski groups are usually not an official part of the ski areas, so they’re usually not mentioned on the websites. We have to find them other ways.

We especially need: where the group meets and when they meet. And tell if there’s a way to connect with a group or identify them on the hill. Some groups wear name tags, small flags on their ski poles, or a special patch on their jackets.

If you know of a senior ski group or can add more information about these groups, please fill in the Leave a Reply message box following this story.

Here’s what we have so far.

New Hampshire

Tom Jefferson perfectly sums up the need to connect with a senior ski group. “I was in the situation of being a lone skier as my partners of years past had either moved away, passed away, or given up the sport,” he said.

“I met a gent in the gondola at Loon Mt, NH with a TOHG flag attached to his pole. He told me about the Top of the Hill Gang. It has been a perfect fit for me and many others. Members throughout New England. Inexpensive, well planned regional trips along with an annual jaunt out West. Hiking, biking, etc. at other times of the year as well.”

Also in New Hampshire, a senior group meets at Waterville during the week, said Glen Lapham.

New York

“At Greek Peak in Virgil, New York we have a group called the TOGS – Tough Old Geezer Skiers. Very informal criterion for joining the crew. Preferably you have to be over 70 but we welcome youngsters in training for geezerhood,” said Gerald Rehkugler. “Many of us have chosen to wear name tags with our first name and the phrase Tough Old Geezer Skier emblazoned on a reg tag. Until the covid crisis we have had an end of the season Tough Old Geezer Skiers luncheon in March.

Pennsylvania

“I’m the current president of the 55+ Ski Club,” said Dave Werner. “It was started at Roundtop Mountain Resort located in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1979. We used to gather in the bottom of the lodge at 9:00 on weekdays, but due to the current Covid restrictions limiting indoor access, we just meet up with each other on the slope. More information about the club can be found by checking out our website at 55plusskiclub.weebly.com.”

Nationwide

The 70+ Ski Club typically offers week-long trips to different US ski resorts and international ski destinations. Travels include everything: hotels, tickets, transportation, and of course cocktail parties and dinners together. It includes boomers, singles, and couples who like to stay active and travel.  Club members may enjoy free and discounted skiing and have developed lasting friendships. https://70plusskiclub.org/

Delaware

“We are weekdayskiers.org, a group of mostly seniors in Delaware. Yep, that’s right. In Dela-where? We ski in the Poconos in Pennsylvania every Tuesday in January and February. Come and join us,” said Idylle Patz.

Indiana

The Alpine Ski Club is in Bloomington, Indiana, said Cathy Meyer, a trip leader for the club. “You will find folks who share your interests and schedules. Clubs are happy to welcome new members!”

Utah

Alta’s Wild Old Bunch (WOB) has been going strong for 50 years and its members come from all over the US and the world. The group gathers on weekdays about 11-11:30ish at the only round table in Alf’s mid-mountain restaurant for snacks and conversation. Some days it’s a large group while other days its just a few. It all depends on who’s skiing that day, and the virus has temporarily stifled some who would gather. On the hill, look for the large WOB patch that many wear on their jackets. For information about the WOB, email Alta’s Communications Manager Andria Huskinson: andriah@alta.com

At Sundance, the Senior Ski Group meets every other week, offers a discounted day ticket on those days, and some days include coaching. For more information, click on Seniors Ski Group in previous sentence or contact Ralph Childs at 801-216-4178.

California

Charles Cheskin said, “On the Hill Gang Los Angeles is a senior ski club whose members are located primarily in the Los Angeles area. The group skis at Mammoth Mountain from Monday to Friday one week each month in January, February, March and April.  We meet each morning at 9:30 am outside the Canyon Lodge and break up into smaller groups of like skier ability.  Lunch is usually at mid mountain McCoy Station restaurant.  Apres ski is from 5:30 to 7:00pm in the breakfast room at the Sierra Lodge Hotel in Mammoth Village. We welcome new members!”

Also in California, “Snowbounders Ski Club in Orange County. Average age over 55. We ski locally midweek and have weeklong trips to Mammoth,” said Roger Phillips. Also monthly luncheons, several annual parties, hikes, etc. Costs $30 per year to join. All information is at our website snowbounders.org.

In the San Diego area, “The Don Diego Ski Club has been serving San Diego area skiers since 1959. We run three midweek bus trips to Mammoth Mountain every winter, along with hiking, biking and social outings all year. Most of our members are over 60,” said Ed Offstein.

Colorado

The Gray Wolf Ski Club  serves the Seniors of the San Juans, including those skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area, according to Jan Brunvand.

Rosie Piller says, “If you’re in the Boulder/Denver area, you can join the Flatirons Ski Club. We don’t have an age requirement, but most of us are seniors. We do day trips to Vail resorts in Summit and Eagle Counties and to nearby resorts on the Ikon Pass (Copper Mtn, Winter Park). We also have overnight trips to farther away places (Crested Butte, Steamboat, Aspen, Wolf Creek, Fraser/Winter Park, etc.).

She continues, “Copper Mountain has a wonderful seasonal program called the Over the Hill Gang. See https://www.coppercolorado.com/plan-your-trip/lessons-rentals/lessons/adult-seasonal-programs for details. As you can see on the web page, this costs extra and it is intended to be used over a period of time (Jan – Mar, up to 4x a week), not for visitors who are in town just for a vacation week. You ski in groups led by instructors who give tips, but these are not official lessons.”

In addtion, she adds, “For holders of the Vail Epic Pass (or Vail Local Epic Pass) visiting Summit County, there’s the Summit 50+ Ski with Us Meetup(https://www.meetup.com/silverthorne-skiing-and-snow-boarding-meetup-group/). They meet Tuesdays at Breckenridge and Thursdays at Keystone and break up into groups to ski at different levels. No charge. Join the meetup to learn more.

 

First of its kind

This list is the very first of its kind. Thanks for getting it going. If you can add more info about these groups or if you know of another senior ski group. Please fill in the Leave a Reply message box following this story.

 

Don Burch

Don Burch’s Fun Times (at Mount Snow, Okemo & Stratton)

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It has been decades since I’ve skied the East. Once I discovered Western skiing, I traded the long flight for the long drive, eventually moving to Utah to shorten the time to the slopes. But Don Burch is giving me second thoughts. He’s developed an appealing alternative ski video genre (shot largely at Eastern areas). His most recent, “Fun Times at Mount Snow, Okemo & Stratton,” makes me long for those long-gone New England ski days.

Click on the image to screen this 60-second gem.

Quantum Six
Karen Lorentz

Okemo Debuts New Express Lifts

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Now in its 66th winter season, Okemo is one of the most technologically advanced ski areas in the East.

The first -chair passengers of the new Quantum Six at the top terminal: (l to r) Resort Guest James Kraft, Okemo GM Bruce Schmidt, Journalist and Ski Historian Karen Lorentz, Okemo Director of Resort Operations John Neal and Director Of Skier Services Steve Clark. Photo:Bonnie MacPherson

This year’s installation of two express lifts maintains that tradition with the debut of an express replacement for the Green Ridge Triple and the new Quantum Six Express lift at Jackson Gore, providing greater and quicker access to upper Jackson Gore, home of several expert trails and Tuckered Out, a classic winding New England run.

This is great news for seniors like me who enjoy skiing from Jackson Gore to South Face and getting lots of runs in less time. It has the added bonus of comfort of quick rides on really cold days. Fifty years ago, I might have gotten eight runs all day. Now, thanks to these new, fast lifts, I can get 12 to 20 runs in four hours. The Evergreen lift will put the frosting on my exercise cake by making possible upper mountain laps on blue favorites.

Quantum Six will disperse people more quickly from Jackson Gore to Okemo’s main summit when they’re skiing to the Evergreen Summit Express. Okemo recycled its Quantum Four Express bubble lift to replace the fixed-grip Green Ridge Triple and named it Evergreen Summit Express. The renamed lift increases rider capacity, cuts ride-time in half, and adds a bubble, providing greater comfort on cold, windy days.

A new, short connector trail with snowmaking re-routes skiers from the Mountain Road trail to the Evergreen’s loading station. For those coming from Jackson Gore, the new trail and lifts not only reduce the time it takes to access the main Summit, it cuts the time to access the summit of South Face from Jackson Gore’s base from approximately 40 to 25 minutes.

Senior Director of Mountain Operations Eb Kinney noted the Evergreen lift offers a good alternative to the Sunburst Six for skiing a host of upper mountain trails — like Timberline, Sapphire, Tomahawk, and Jolly Green Giant, several tree runs, and some easy greens. Greater usage of this underutilized lift/skiing area will reduce lift waits at the popular Sunburst Six, he said.

Installations of the new lifts followed existing lift footprints and skier loading areas.

Part of Vail Resorts’ multimillion-dollar capital improvements plan for Okemo this year are upgraded snowmaking infrastructure, addition of a new grooming machine, improvements to the Clock Tower base area, and new shuttle service between Okemo’s main parking lot to the Clock Tower base.

 

Roger Lohr

Four Bucket List New England Cross Country Ski Towns

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XCSkiResorts.com recommends these classic New England towns and areas for a cross country  ski vacation:

Stowe, VT, is quintessential New England with its white steepled church and main street lined with stores.

Source: Trapp Family Lodge

  • It’s also the home of the Trapp Family Lodge of Sound of Music fame. Trapp Family Lodge has a 110 km trail network with 60 km of groomed and machine-tracked trails. Stowe has a full range of dining and shopping options. Other nearby XC resorts include Bolton Valley, Stowe Cross Country Center, and Edson Hill.

Woodstock, VT is another winter mecca with inns, restaurants, unique shops, and a national historical park.

  • The Woodstock Nordic Center operated by The Woodstock Inn & Resortoffers two trail systems right in town covering more than 45 km. The Mount Peg trails begin on the golf course at and climb to the summit overlooking the village below. On nearby Mt. Tom, the Center grooms more than 20 km of trails on old carriage roads in the midst of Vermont’s first tree farm and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

The Mt. Washington Valley in the White Mountains of New Hampshire has some of the best cross-country skiing in the East.

  • “Enchanting” is the best word to describe Jackson, the paragon of New England towns and home to Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, a non-profit organization chartered to provide and maintain XC trails on more than 80 private properties and national forest. Country inns are scattered throughout the region. The base lodge is accessed through a scenic covered bridge.

Covered bridge at Jackson Ski Touring Center, New Hampshire Photo: Roger Lohr

  • Great Glen Outdoors at the base of Mount Washington is a magnificent setting with 45 kilometers of XC skiing, snowshoeing, and an ol’ fashioned tubing hill. Great Glen’s scenic trail system offers an enjoyable combination of well-protected spruce and fir-lined trails plus wide-open areas with breathtaking views of Mt. Washington and surrounding peaks. On the trails is the classic New England Glen House Hotel, with 68 rooms, a pub and restaurant. For even more adventure, enjoy a comfortable winter tour on the 9-passenger Mt. Washington SnowCoach, which transports guests to an unforgettable journey to a sub-Artic world on Mt. Washington.

Skiing at Bretton Woods, NH Photo: Roger Lohr

  • Bretton Woods Nordic Center is a thriving cross country ski center on the grounds of the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel. It. The grand Bretton Woods hotel has 100 km of XC ski laced throughout 1,700 acres of spectacular scenery. The Mountain Road, accessed via a lift at the Bretton Woods alpine ski area, offers spectacular vistas of Mt. Washington from a 7 km groomed trail down to Route 302.

Bethel, Maine is home to the Bethel Inn and Carter’s XC Ski Center, and Sunday River Resort’s alpine ski trails. The town settled in 1774, retains its small-town lifestyle.

Bethel Inn Resort , Bethel, ME

  • The XC ski trails, which meander through forest to a picturesque, covered bridge are canine friendly. Several inns along the trails are operated by the nonprofit Bethel Inland Woods and Trails organization. The Carter’s XC Ski Center has beautiful views of the Mahoosuc and Presidential mountain ranges. Alpine skiing, dogsledding trips, and snowmobile rentals are available nearby.

Many businesses in each of these New England ski towns organize special events on winter weekends and vacation weeks to encourage people to get out and enjoy the snow.

If you’re into XC skiing and keep a bucket list, Stowe and Woodstock, VT, the Mt. Washington Valley, and Bethel, Maine are classic New England destinations not to be missed.

Jonathan Wiesel

Latigo Ranch: High-Country Nordic

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Sometimes life exceeds expectation. That’s what I’ve found with winter ranches in the Rockies.

In summer, hundreds of dude ranches draw thousands of visitors. They’re crazy-diverse: homespun and elegant; private and heavily peopled; mostly self-service or with staff at your call. You’ll find Spartan working ranches as well as places with canapés and kidney-shaped swimming pools.

The few ranches open in winter are outstanding – magnificent settings and staff, excellent facilities and food, and snow so delicate it drifts through the air like cold smoke. They’re run for cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and, increasingly, fat bikers by people who love the season and their profession.

Wecome to Latigo Ranch

A prime example is Latigo Ranch, near the town of Kremmling in north-central Colorado’s Gore Range. It’s owned and managed by Lisa and Randy George and their kids.

Latigo used to run cattle, sheep, and “dudes” before it totally converted to guest ranching in 1987. Once you turn off Highway 134, you start climbing, trading sage for pine, spruce, and aspen, interspersed with vast meadows. It feels like the top of the world.

Latigo can cater to pretty much any culinary taste, be it red meat, vegetarian, kosher, low carb, or low fat. Breakfast is my favorite meal. I have fond memories of buttermilk pancakes imprinted with the ranch brand, complemented by genuine maple syrup.

Latigo comfortably handles 22 guests, but you’ll seldom find that number except during holidays. Cabins are ski-in/ski-out, nestled in pines above the lodge with wood-burning stoves. This is a ski ranch, not a resort (no phones or TVs in the rooms).

50km of groomed trails lace through Latigo

Latigo grooms 50 kilometers of trail for track, skating, and fatbiking.

This is gorgeous, rugged country, with some of the most enjoyable skiing and diverse trails I’ve ever experienced. For example, the descent on Arena Run can be like silk in fresh snow; lightning in the spring.

High up on windswept Jumper Flats, you’ll find a broad panoramic view. You can tear down The Luge at sunset, when you may be greeted with a spectacular play of colors over the Indian Peaks Wilderness – 70 miles of mountain and valley snowscape.

If you’re altitude-sensitive, book a longer stay and take it easy for at least the first day. (Latigo’s trails range from around 8,600’ to 9,400’ above sea level.)

It’s a wonderful thing to ski back to the ranch on a crisp afternoon, saunter over to the Social Center, and finish the day with a sybaritic Jacuzzi soak!

When You Go

Latigo is 150 miles from Denver International Airport. In addition to trails, you can go sledding, tubing, and snowshoeing. Skis, snowshoes, and pulks can be rented at the ranch, but you’ll need to bring your own fat bike.

Adult rate for winter 2021-’22 is $225/day and covers lodging, meals, trails, and “100 % free views.” The season begins just before Christmas and runs into early March. Interested in learning more? Call 970-724-9008; email Randy@LatigoRanch.com, or visit www.latigoranch.com.

mikemaginn

Around Walden Pond

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There are two trips around Walden Pond near Concord, MA. The first is a ski tour through a picturesque New England landscape, with sharp and steeply wooded hillsides surrounding an ice-covered, lambchop-shaped lake.

Around the same pond is a second trip, a pilgrimage that passes the cabin site of Henry David Thoreau, “self-appointed inspector of snowstorms”, conjuring the spirit of a special place and inspiring the thoughts of the pilgrim visitor.

Henry David Thoreau in 1856. Source: Wikipedia

If you choose the first trip, you‘ll find a pleasant ski tour: maples, birch, and oaks, rubbing branches in the wind, a frozen-solid pond to ski across, varying widths of trails in and out of sunlight, all free of charge, all well-tended, all convenient to the Walden Pond State Reservation parking lot on the Concord Road.

But, if you choose the second, be prepared to confront a man who discovered himself in those very woods and hills of Walden Pond, giving us a model of independence and renewal. One thing is for sure; if you take this trip around Walden, you won’t come out the way you went in.

What is it about Thoreau that initiates such pilgrimages? Why are visitors on foot and on skis so drawn to this singular place, the site of a small cabin gone long ago?

The answer is in the subtle message Thoreau left in those winter woods. To know the message, you have to know why Thoreau went to the woods to live alone by Walden Pond and what changes the woods made to his life.

Born in Concord in 1817, Thoreau went to Harvard College where he was homesick for the fields and forests where he once had played. Upon graduation, he and his brother, John, started a school in Concord. John became ill, the school closed, and Henry went to live with Ralph Waldo Emerson, serving as the philosopher’s gardener and handyman. Shortly after moving in, John Thoreau died, and Emerson’s five-year-old son passed away; their mutual grief bonding the two.

Now, Thoreau turned his attention to the community of thinkers surrounding Emerson, splitting his time between handyman and writing philosophical essays.

He was 28, an unsuccessful writer and poet living among the most dynamic American literary and philosophical giants of the time.  Frustrated by the complexities of society, Thoreau returned to the woods, to think, write, learn and sort out his life.

Replica of Thoreau’s cabin. Source: The Walden Woods Project

On July 4, 1845, he moved into the cabin he had built on the northwest shore of Walden Pond on land owned by Emerson.

You can ski up to the site of Thoreau’s cabin by following the shoreline trail on the north side of the pond or by a ridge trail also to the north of the pond but in more rugged terrain. If conditions are right, you can ski right across the frozen surface.

All of these trails are short, about a quarter-mile from the parking lot. A circumnavigation of the pond is less than three miles. If you want more skiing,  cross Concord Road and link into the web of well-tended trails that spread around Sandy Pond and into the town of Lincoln.

But this is a pilgrimage.

Thoreau’s house site and cairn. Source: The Walden Woods Project

The cabin site is in a clearing of pine and hickories “on a pleasant hillside.” A cairn nearby has been building since the site was discovered  in 1947. Stone markers indicate a small cabin, about 11 by 15 feet, the door facing the pond.

Much has been written about Thoreau’s two-year residence in the woods as a practical experiment and a naturalist’s odyssey. However, as you stand in that clearing by the cabin site, imagine Thoreau writing  on his little desk, remembering his brother and struggling to express his thoughts about life, values, and simplicity. Surely, the time spent at Walden was a time of renewal.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn with it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived,” he wrote later.

In September 1847, Thoreau left Walden and moved back to his father’s house in Concord. He left knowing he could live the life he wanted. For the rest of his life until he died in 1862 at 43, Thoreau wrote, lectured, travelled, and continued to wander the woods.

Walden had been a turning point; the woods were a catalyst that helped him recognize who he was and where he was going, a man marching to a different drummer.

If you make this pilgrimage in winter, go early. You’ll find yourself alone in the woods next to Walden Pond. Stop skiing and stand quietly. The wind will crackle the branches, and you’ll hear your heart pounding.

Like Thoreau, let the woods give you respite. Recall what these woods have done, what any woods can do to vexed souls. Reflect on the simple beauty around you, read aloud from Walden, go back to the parking lot, different than when you went in.

Don Burch

Enjoy Don Burch’s Newest Creation

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Don Burch creates short, artistic ski videos that capture the small moments showing people of all ages and abilities having fun together on the mountain.

“Skiing The East” features scenes from Stowe, Okemo, Otis Ridge, Sunday River, Killington, Sugarbush, Mount Snow, Stratton, Wildcat, Magic, Waterville Valley and Maple Valley (long closed). Enjoy this two-minute ride.

Dave Chambers

A Down-Under Skier Reminisces About His 2019-20 Canadian Road Trip

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I was inspired by (SeniorsSkiing.com contributor) Yvette Cardozo and her excellent missives re skiing Canada and the world. Her unique turn of phrase will inspire some to write, but mostly will move others to keep skiing when they can. Those three words, ‘when they can’ are important. COVID has jolted us to the here and now, prompting many to get vaccinated. To those with a needle phobia, I would suggest that a death phobia trumps needle phobia anytime.

Which leads me to think back to the 2021-20 season and this Aussie’s Canadian skiing road trip with three good senior skiing mates brimming with optimistic youthful exuberance.

We set out to tour the snow resorts of central British Columbia…just as reports of the mysterious virus were beginning.

Source: Lake Louise Ski Resort. Image by Philip Forsey

First we skied Nakiska, a family, friendly resort, steep in places and well-resourced with lifts in all the right places (season pass for those 75+ is less than $100).  Then we drove to Sunshine and Lake Louise (season pass for 80+ is $20), two of the planet’s most scenic places. In Lake Louise, large ice sculptures adorned the area between the Lake Louise Chateau Fairmont Hotel and the lake. They’re magnificent (hotel and sculptures)!

Skiers are among the many ice sculptures. Source: Lake Louise Tourism

Next, we drove the mighty Trans Canada No.1 to Golden to ski legendary Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (season pass for 75+ is less than $100). It features views that take your breath away and fall lines steep and deep enough to keep it that way. If you go, don’t fail to lunch at Eagle Eye Restaurant for great views and food. If wallet permits, you can arrange for a helicopter to transport you to the super deluxe Eagle Eye Suites, each assigned with a personal butler and the highest accomodations in Canada.

A few days later, we plunged into the unpopulated wilderness of the Western side of the massive Canadian Rockies. Our large rented SUV delivered us to Panorama  (season pass for 75+ is $39) our next ski in-ski out accommodation. The resort has plenty of back country double blacks.

Fernie is big!

Following Panorama we drove to Fernie (season pass for 75+ is less than $100), where out friend Pat shared with us his years of skiing advice and his knowledge of Fernie’s more famous watering holes. Fernie is a destination which receives prodigious dumps of dry powder all season. If visiting, be sure to partake of a lager or three, upstairs in the Griz Hotel.

Navigating the pass at Crows Nest, on the border of BC, we were soon back in Alberta on our way to Castle Mountain Ski Resort (season pass for 75+ is $19), a great hill driven by ski enthusiasts; not accountants. My kind of place. Unfortunately, a flu virus prevented me from experiencing what my friends Ray and Allen pegged to be one of the best places skied of the entire trip.

Ski buddies at the start of their journey. Source: Dave Chambers

On this journey, we were mostly constrained to groomed runs because of a lack of fresh snow. Whenever you go, I recommend driving. It’s the best way to indulge in the culture and to experience the human kindness displayed by the Canadian people.