Do You Have Skiing Buddies From Way-Back When? SeniorsSkiing.com polls show that most seniors like to ski with their friends. Our ski group of seniors has banded together for decades, getting together in March each year for epic skiing in Tahoe or Utah depending on the conditions. The common denominator in our group is our fearless leader Eric Durfee, Incline[Read More…]
A few miles north of Beijing, there’s a town that is named Jackson Hole. No skiing, but…seriously? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRSenQu2GWw&feature=youtu.be
Winter wonderland in one of the largest ski areas in the world. Although I was born and raised in Italy, I did not do much skiing until I moved to Colorado for college. So I jumped at the occasion to join some old friends for a week of skiing in the Dolomites—a portion of the Italian Alps characterized by their[Read More…]
Kudos To Senior-Friendly Ski Resort Three Hours From Seattle. As I got ready for a day of skiing at White Pass, I ran into a gregarious septuagenarian with a big smile on his face. “It should be a great day,” he said to me happily as we crossed paths. Fresh snow had fallen on the empty weekday slopes. And if[Read More…]
Close to Denver, This Venerable and Varied Ski Resort Can Get Crowded On Weekends. One of the oldest ski areas in Colorado, Winter Park is only 67 miles from Denver (about a 90 minute drive). It has excellent terrain for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. I was there with my daughter and her 12 year old twins who couldn’t[Read More…]
Big, Big Four-Season Resort In Maine Has Activity-Filled Social Scene For Seniors. For seniors on a fixed income and liberated schedule, a top place to ski in the East is Sunday River, ME. That is for three main reasons. First, it is huge. When you look up from the South Ridge base lodge, you see wide slopes slung over rolling[Read More…]
Great Skiing. Terrific Views. America’s Fanciest Loos. SnowBasin is the expansive, exceptionally beautiful Utah area that most out-of-staters never get to ski. They’re attracted to the bigger name resorts just 45 minutes east of the airport. Head north, add 10 minutes, and you’re at MAGNIFICENT, SnowBasin—site of the 2002 Olympic Downhill events. At the top, looking over its 3,300 acres,[Read More…]
The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Senior Skiers. In 1968 Johannes von Trapp opened the first commercial Nordic Center in the U.S. on his family’s farm overlooking the Worcester Range in Stowe, Vt. The Trapp Family Lodge continues as a diamond of Nordic skiing with 100 kilometers of trails on more than 2,500 acres in one of the most[Read More…]
Legendary Ski Trails As Well As Amazing Blue Runs. Visibility was poor as I slid onto the Forerunner Quad to reach the summit of Stowe Mountain Resort, braced by Mt. Mansfield, highest peak in Vermont at 4,395 feet. Somewhere below in the gray swirl were the legendary front four—the Goat, Starr, National, Liftline—the gnarliest and most iconic ski trails in the[Read More…]
Day Trip-able Area From Seattle Offers Senior Bargains and “Uncrowds.” “My wife and I are retiring and moving here this year,” the skier from the Seattle area said as we rode the chairlift at Mission Ridge. “We love it here.” I could see the attraction of this gem on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. Mission has bargain pricing,[Read More…]
Vail, Are You Paying Attention? Remember Borat, the hilarious Kazakhstanian character created by British comic, Sasha Baron Cohen? His spoof helped define Kazakhstan in a way that has it trying to get respect ever since. The country has five ski resorts, at least one reaching higher than 10,000-feet. Now a proposed apartment building for Astana, the nation’s capital, would add[Read More…]
Hey Seniors, Low Ticket Prices In The Northwest! Mt. Baker is a storm factory. This North Cascades ski area holds the world record for snowfall in a season—an incredible 95 feet dumped here in 1998-99! I arrived in mid-January to a modest three inches new, but that was on top of a foot that had fallen the previous day. The[Read More…]
Pacific Northwest Resort Is Largest Plus Reasonably Priced For 70+ Seniors. When I stepped off the resort’s gondola, I was treated to a stunning view of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier just 12 miles to the south. Not a bad way to begin a spring-like February day at Washington’s largest ski area. I clicked in and started with some of Crystal’s cruisers. Many of[Read More…]
Boston’s North Shore Has A Peaceful Place For Senior Nordic Skiing Or Snowshoeing. We cross the road and climb over the stone wall into a grove of trees, walking a few yards to a trail. Stepping into our skis, we take a look around; we are in the woods, frosty air, untracked trail ahead. No one around but us. Off we go[Read More…]
The Secret To Breaking Decades-old Bad Habits: Attending A Master’s Clinic At Dodge Ridge. I hadn’t skied at Dodge Ridge, the closest ski area to the San Francisco Bay Area, in years. But as soon as I arrived at the base area a couple of Thursdays ago for one of its Master’s Clinics, a four-hour-long freeski instructional program designed for intermediate[Read More…]
Senior Romance Can Be Found At XC Resorts. Cross country (XC) skiing and snowshoeing are some of the most romantic forms of recreation, and Valentine’s Day is coming. So get away with your loved one to a winter wonderland of memories for some outdoor recreation and pampering that you deserve. The XCSkiResorts.com Top 10 features favorite romantic XC ski resorts[Read More…]
Too Soon, The Groundhog Is Seeing Spring In New England. While our friends in the west are dealing with blizzard conditions, those of us in the east are practicing patience. Why? The winter is an on-again, off-again affair around here. This week, it’s off. Mad River Glen and Bromley are temporarily shutting their lifts until this weekend. An inch of[Read More…]
It’s the Deer Valley Difference. When Deer Valley opened 35 years ago, it was a novel concept to commit to top notch service in skiing, dining and lodging. Today it’s the gold standard. The resort is known for its impeccable grooming, incredible dining and attention to every detail. Senior skiers really like that. How to start your day right. Uniformed[Read More…]
[Editor Note: Contributing Photographer Patrick Kearney has been working in outdoor education through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) for over a decade. Most recently he’s been working in education at the elementary, middle school and college level and will soon transition to helping to protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. When he’s not teaching or working in conservation he goes backcountry skiing in[Read More…]
This Venerable Mountain Is Super Senior Friendly. Returning to Cranmore Mountain in North Conway, NH, is like coming back to the basics. You will not find flash, large verticals, or multiple-piste skiing. No heart-stopping double diamonds. You will find like-minded senior regulars gathering in the little lodge, classic New England narrow trail skiing as well as broad, open blue cruisers. Low key[Read More…]
Now It Is Easier To Get To A Montana Destination Resort. American Airlines now has direct service between Dallas/Ft Worth and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), 40 miles from Big Sky Ski Resort. The once a day flights are scheduled through April. Big Sky is one of America’s most spectacular resorts. It has 5800 acres spread over four peaks and sports[Read More…]
Started at Copper in ’76, OHG Now Around the Globe. [Editor Note: This report on the Over The Hill Gang was written by Steve Lipsher and originally posted on the Copper Mountain Blog. Here is a link to the original article.] It’s easy to spot members of Copper Mountain’s Over the Hill Gang: sexagenarians, septuagenarians and octogenarians blasting down the[Read More…]
It’s Vast Open Space And Powder. Alta is the granddaddy of powder skiing. It averages 500 inches of snow a year which earns it the nickname: Skiers’ Paradise. It has wide, wide open bowls with groomed trails, but everywhere you look slopes are left au natural and full of powder. That’s ample for most senior skiers. But it also has[Read More…]
What’s It Like To Ski At A Private Club? History and Programs In 1932, William Merk observed the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid and vowed to start a ski area in his home in Western New York. His years of skiing with the Ellicottville Ski Club on Fish Hill and the Greer and Holiday Valley peaks inspired him to start[Read More…]
Locally Sourced Foods Are Catching On. At Snowbasin, Utah, chefs have embraced locally sourced meats including beef, lamb and elk, vegetables, cheeses and honey. Their dinner creations get rave reviews. Every bite comes from less than 50 miles away. Other resorts also find that local fare makes sense. Ask around in your area to learn which resort restaurants are going[Read More…]
