Jon Weisberg

SeniorsSkiing Guide: SnowBasin

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Great Skiing. Terrific Views. America’s Fanciest Loos.

The Needles Lodge and Gondola at SnowBasin on a bluebird day. Credit: Jon Weisberg

The Needles Lodge and Gondola at SnowBasin on a bluebird day.
Credit: Jon Weisberg

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, the cliffs and outcroppings suggest Europe. The vertical is 2,950 feet.

From this reviewer’s perspective, it ranks high for older skiers.

Snow and Terrain

  • There is much here for every ability: trails, bowls, glades. On powder or post-powder days, freshies await.
  • Lifts are fast and modern, including two gondolas and a short tram serving a vast black diamond area.
  • Ample snowmaking assures good coverage while nature sleeps. Elevation can be an issue. Its base is 6400 feet. Alta’s is 8530 feet, meaning more snow. But when conditions are good, Snow Basin is great.
  • Visibility is another issue. When it’s not bright and bluebird, its vast, treeless spaces produce unusually flat light; disorienting to anyone with compromised visual acuity.

Lot-to-Lift

  • Easy to reach lodge and lifts: The resort runs a frequent shuttle service delivering skiers a short distance from base lodge and lifts.
  • Parking is well organized: lots of personnel guiding you to your spot.
  • A fleet of large plastic garden carts is available to transport equipment and grandkids.

Day Lodges

Taking a break at Snow Basin

Taking a break at SnowBasin

These are not your typical lodges. They’re every bit as luxurious as Four Seasons hotels. Finishings. Furnishings. Flooring. You name it. No expense was spared, either at the base (Earl’s Lodge) or on the mountain (John Paul Lodge and Needles Lodge), where the luxe interiors and glass enclosed patios have spectacular views.

Food is several steps up from most resorts. House-made soups can stand up to most big city eateries. Look for Snow Basin’s Dining Discovery Series with sustainable farm-to-table selections. More on that on the resort website under “Events”.

Loo Review

Clean, classy luxury in every lodge! Men’s Rooms have a foyer with upholstered furniture, a washroom with gold-plated fixtures, and fully-enclosed commodes. Every place you go has shelving and hooks for gloves, helmets, and parkas.

Culture and Practicalities

From parking attendant to ticket window to liftee, there’s a culture of friendliness and helpfulness. Some areas don’t seem to care or have personnel who don’t even bother to sweep snow from chair. Snow Basin has trained its people to make the interaction truly enjoyable.

Unfortunately, there’s no onsite lodging. Condo rentals are available at nearby Pineview Reservoir. Many hotel/motel/other options are available in the city of Ogden, 20 – 25 minutes away.

Best to get there by auto although inexpensive public busses run three times a day between Ogden and the resort.

Bottom Line

Click here for more SnowBasin information

Trail Map Click Here 

Webcams

Tamsin Venn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Trapp Family Lodge Nordic Skiing Has Trails for Seniors

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The Trapp Family Lodge is a one of a few of our favorite things. Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

The Trapp Family Lodge, near Stowe, VT,  is a one of a few of our favorite things.
Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

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 scenic spots in Vermont.

Snow and Terrain

Grooming and trail maintenance are impeccable, and it is wonderful to see beginners shuffling around wearing parkas and goggles versus lightly-fleeced skaters zooming by. Snowshoers are welcome off track.

The center’s high elevation captures snow, and it has recently added snowmaking in the stadium area to redistribute as needed. Good for seniors, the center has a lot of variety. Many like to visit the Slayton Pasture Cabin, a gradual three-mile climb, warm up by the open fire with hot chocolate, then shoot back down, about three hours round trip. A nice close-in loop is Sugar Road to the Telemark Trail, but the Haul Road, Slayton Pasture Trail, and Skater’s Waltz all provide varied journeys over rolling terrain, allowing the mind and skis to wander in equal measure.

You can get those four-pin bindings and leather boots out and wax up your wooden skis for the TFL's antique ski race. Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

You can get those four-pin bindings and leather boots out and wax up your wooden skis for the TFL’s antique ski race.
Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

The best backcountry skiing is accessed by climbing to the Slayton Pasture Cabin, then climbing the trail to “Round Top,” says Ryan Kukar of Trapp Family Lodge. “Bear right at the top and then drop in off the ridge towards Hare Line trail. Skiing through the woods this way is great and allows skiers to bisect some of the other Nordic ski trails.” Several backcountry zones have been trimmed to open up the lines for us seniors whose reactions may be slower. Rental backcountry gear available at the Nordic Shop include the Rossignol Soul 7 skis, with Dynafit boots and bindings, skins required.

Dining, Lodge and Culture

For many, the draw to the Trapp Family Lodge is the von Trapps’ compelling family history, brought to life in The Sound of Music. Pilgrimage would not be too strong a word.

The lodge has 96 rooms, guest houses, and villas. The food is outstanding. The lodge’s gardens, greenhouses, laying hens, and livestock, have long been providing fresh and tasty fare to guests (marked by a crown on the menu).

Pour syrup from the majestic sugar maples onto your breakfast French Toast. Add to the tasting list an Austrian style Trapp Lager made right on the premises and the new von Trapp Weiss Beer (a white beer made with coriander). The wine cellar isn’t bad either and available for regular wine tasting sessions.

The lodge is cozy; get a good night’s sleep under Tyrolean eaves and feather pillows, comforters, with a window view over the mountains. Classical music wafts out of the lobby.

As an overnight guest, you have access to the ski trails, the Fitness Center with indoor pool, massage therapy, sauna, and hot tub. Grandchildren will appreciate the daily Mountain Kids Club.

After a day on the trails, there’s nothing better than to head to the Lounge in the lodge, order a von Trapp ale and maybe a house-made Bratwurst and Tagessuppe, and watch the winter twilight set in.

Bottom Line

For seniors: Day pass, 65 and over: $20.

Trail Map Click Here

Edelweiss, edelweiss must be along here somewhere. Tracking along on groomed trails is another one of our favorite things. Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

Edelweiss, edelweiss must be along here somewhere.
Tracking along on groomed trails is another one of our favorite things.
Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

 

Tamsin Venn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Stowe Mountain Resort—Easy Ways Down

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Legendary Ski Trails As Well As Amazing Blue Runs.

Stowe in the morning. Skiing starts at 7:30 am. Credit: Stowe Mountain Resorts

Stowe in the morning. Skiing starts at 7:30 am.
Credit: Stowe Mountain Resorts

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 East, double black diamonds all.

But apprehension vanished after the first few turns on the Lord.

Lifts and Terrain

Easy intermediate cruisers like the Lord and Ridgeview provide smooth sailing down from the top of the quad (elevation 3,615 feet), new in 2012. Even the seven-turn Nose Dive (nee Barnes, circa 1930s) is sheer joy on a good day. The average 2,200 vertical feet of those top-to-bottom cruisers allows you to slide into the rhythm.

Volunteer Stowe Host Peter Lawler has been skiing at the mountain for 70 years. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Volunteer Stowe Host Peter Lawlor has been skiing at the mountain for 70 years.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

The management has gotten much better at taking care of trails and making snow, says Peter Lawlor, 83, a volunteer Stowe Host from Shelburne, Vt., skiing Stowe for 70 years. Lawlor very kindly took a few runs with me, providing company and hair-raising tales of the brave young racers on ice-slicked courses he had witnessed in decades past, including a youthful Andrea Meade Lawrence.

Hop over to the eight-person Gondola, and you’ve got more senior-friendly cruisers on the meandering Perry Merrill and the Gondolier, plus swank dining at the summit in the Cliff House Restaurant. After lunch, move over to the sunny slopes at Spruce Peak. The Sensation Quad lands you at the top of Spruce Peak for a fast cruise down Sterling or Main Street.

Lodges and Dining

Anchoring the trails here is the self contained pedestrian Spruce Peak Village, a game changer for the resort, full of senior-friendly amenities.

The Spruce Camp Base Lodge has vast amounts of space; the soaring Great Room Grill means never having to say, “Are you leaving? Can we have your table?” Heated snow free walkways, spacious ski racks, the Easy Over gondola that takes you from the Mansfield parking area over to Spruce Peak all mean minimal schlepping.

The Stowe Mountain Lodge, the slope-side condo hotel straight out of Architectural Digest, rolls out your skis on trolleys and heats your boots.

Need a lift blanket? Chairs heading up on a frosty day at Stowe. Credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

Need a lift blanket? Chairs heading up on a frosty day at Stowe.
Credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

The pedestrian village also has an ice skating rink, performing arts center, Stowe Mountain Club with special privileges, and kids Adventure Center (soon to open).

The Evolution Stowe Card provides hands free lift access and lets you reload your daily lift ticket online for savings.

Use the newly installed GPS Ride Systems app on the free shuttle bus that runs from the village to the mountain —stay inside until the bus comes.

For Seniors: Lifts open at 7:30 am weekends and holidays. Ski when slopes are uncrowded, freshly groomed, and the light is good.

Free Stowe Host-guided mountain tours meet at 10:30 on weekends and holidays in Spruce Plaza outside Spruce Camp Base Lodge.

WoW, Women of Winter, meet regularly to ski together to ski off the Forerunner Quad.

Bottom Line

Senior pricing: Senior Daily Lift Pass, 65 and older: $82 (Online)

Super Senior Daily Lift Pass, 70 and older: With purchase of Super Senior ByPass, online direct-to-lift ticket, $42 per day.

Stowe Statistics

Vertical: 2,360 feet, Trails: 116, Trail Acreage: 468, Lifts: 13, Snowmaking coverage: 83 percent, Beginner: 16 percent, Intermediate: 55 percent, Expert: 29 percent

Trail Map click here

Web Cam click here

Stowe's Mt. Mansfield has some legendary trails in front: Goat, Starr, National. Credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

Stowe’s Mt. Mansfield has some legendary trails in front: Goat, Starr, National.
Credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

John Nelson

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Mission Ridge On A Snowy Day

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Day Trip-able Area From Seattle Offers Senior Bargains and “Uncrowds.”

Skiers enjoy the soft snow on Chair 3 at Mission Ridge on a snowy day. Credit: John Nelson

Skiers enjoy the soft snow on Chair 3 at Mission Ridge on a snowy day.
Credit: John Nelson

“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, and beautiful, uncrowded terrain far from the busy ski areas nearer to Seattle.

During my visit, a major blizzard dumped all day, turning the open slopes of Mission into a playground of powder. With a sparse midweek crowd, I skied untracked lines all day in what felt like my own, private ski area.

The best of the best was Bomber Bowl, where swirling storm winds dumped more soft powder amid the gladed slopes.

Snow, terrain and more

  • Location: Mission is located just 12 miles from Wenatchee, Wash., an agricultural hub on the Columbia River known as the apple capital of Washington state. The bustling town also has a growing number of wineries to attract visitors, along with ample dining and lodging options. It takes about three hours to drive to Mission from Seattle.
  • Snowfall: This is the “dry” side of the Cascades, so less snow falls here than on the western slopes of the mountains. It also means more sunny skies. Ample snowmaking keeps the mountain slopes covered during early season and lean snow years.
  • Terrain: About 2,000 acres of rolling terrain drops off the top of the ridge, with a great deal more of easily accessed side country. About 30 percent of the terrain is rated advanced; 70 percent is beginner and intermediate. Gladed tree skiing and bowls are situated off a high ridge with dramatic cliffs, giving the area an appealing, open feeling.
  • Vertical: 2,250 feet from base (4,570) to ridge-top (6,820).
  • Lifts: Four chairlifts serve the basin; one is a high-speed quad taking skiers from mid-mountain to the top of Mission Ridge.
  • Views: 14,410-foot Mount Rainier and the Cascade Range are visible from the top. The ski area faces the Columbia Plateau to the east.
  • History and legend: In 1944, a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber crashed on the ridge during a training flight. A piece of the wing is on display at Bomber Bowl, one of the signature runs at Mission Ridge. Legend has it that if you touch the wing, you’ll bring fresh powder to the ski area; consequently, riders stop by often to work the mountain mojo.
Touch the bomber wing at Mission Ridge and legend has it you'll bring a new storm. Credit: John Nelson

Touch the bomber wing at Mission Ridge and legend has it you’ll bring a new storm.
Credit: John Nelson

Lot to lift access

  • Mission has two main parking lots. Drivers may drop-off passengers and gear near the lodge and ticket kiosk. On weekends during the height of the season, the lots can fill up early.
  • An inexpensive bus service operates from Wenatchee. A regional airport serves the town, as does Amtrak.
  • Accommodations are plentiful in Wenatchee. A little farther away (about a one-hour drive) is the tourist hub of Leavenworth, Wash., with many more hotels and restaurants.

Culture

  • The vibe: Small-town friendly. Locals will talk with pride about their ski area, but you’re also likely to run into refugees from Seattle who come here to escape the west-side crowds.
  • Dining: The Hampton Lodge at the base of the mountain offers a cafeteria and restaurant/pub. On the mountain is Midway Lodge, a cozy dining and drinking hut.

Bottom line

  • Adult tickets are $55; seniors 70 and older pay just $15. Season passes for 70+ seniors are just $125.
  • Lots of uncrowded, gladed skiing in an area that averages more than 300 sunny days a year. Touch the bomber wing for luck (and you might bring a new storm).
  • Parking is limited on weekends in high season; midweek is empty.

Trail Map click here

Mission Ridge Webcam click here

Skiers drop under the cliffs on Bomber Bowl, one of Mission Ridge's signature runs. Credit: John Nelson

Skiers drop under the cliffs on Bomber Bowl, one of Mission Ridge’s signature runs.
Credit: John Nelson

 

Jon Weisberg

Ski At Home: Faux Mountain Condos In The City

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Vail, Are You Paying Attention?

Design by Shokhan Mataibekov Architects is a finalist in World Architect Festival Awards.

Design by Shokhan Mataibekov Architects is a finalist in World Architect Festival Awards.

That's what Borat says.

That’s what Borat says.

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 another skiing option. Slalom House is designed as a 21 story building with a 1000-foot slope wrapping the exterior. It would be the world’s first residential building with a built-in ski slope.

If built, it would not lack for decent snow-making conditions. Astana, the second coldest capital city in the world, has winter temperatures reaching as low as -31°F. Summer temps climb as high as 95°F.

Here’s a virtual video tour.  We suggest turning off your sound to avoid Borat-like soundtrack.

 

John Nelson

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Mt. Baker, Snow Catcher

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Hey Seniors, Low Ticket Prices In The Northwest!

With Mount Shuksan looming behind, a snowboarder shreds soft snow at Mt. Baker Ski Area. Credit: John Nelson

With Mount Shuksan looming behind, a snowboarder shreds soft snow at Mt. Baker Ski Area.

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 snow was soft; the scenery stunning.

The Canyon, one of Mt. Baker's signature runs, takes skiers and boarders into a narrow drop between mountain walls. Credit: John Nelson

The Canyon, one of Mt. Baker’s signature runs, takes skiers and boarders into a narrow drop between mountain walls.

I immediately took a few runs down The Canyon, one of Baker’s signature drops. Skiing between these towering mountain walls is a rush.

But best of all was Pan Face, a wide-open powder shot into a lovely mountain basin. Empty slopes meant fresh lines all day.

To top it all off, Mt. Baker is an incredible bargain for senior skiers, with some of the lowest ticket prices in the Northwest.

Snow, terrain, and more

  • Location: Baker is 52 miles from Bellingham, Wash., on State Route 542. It is the northernmost ski area in Washington and is closer to the Vancouver, British Columbia, metropolitan area (about a two-hour drive) than it is to Seattle (two and a half hours).
  • Snowfall: Pacific winter storms seem converge on Mt. Baker; it averages 640 inches annually, far more than any ski area in the state.
  • Terrain: About 1,000 acres are lift-served with 31 percent rated as advanced and 69 percent rated as beginner and intermediate. The Mt. Baker backcountry is enormous with huge, avalanche-prone big-mountain drops. You’ll need a partner, transceiver, shovel and probe to go out of bounds.
  • Vertical: 1,589 feet (the base is 3,500 feet; chairlift access to 5,089 feet).
  • Lifts: Eight chairlifts (none high-speed) operate out of two base areas: White Salmon (open every day) and Heather Meadows (open weekends and holidays only).
  • Views: If you’re lucky enough to visit between storms, you’ll have a commanding view of 9,131-foot Mount Shuksan to the north, a stunning, glaciated wall of rock and ice. Mount Baker (the volcano) stands at 10,781 feet to the south and is visible from certain locations of the ski area.

Lot to lift access

  • Parking on a weekday at Mt. Baker is a breeze; I arrived 10 minutes before opening and parked in the front row next to the ticket window at White Salmon Lodge. Weekend parking is busier and skiers might find closer lift access at the Heather Meadows base.
  • Bus service operates daily out of Bellingham.
  • Closest lodging options (motels and condominiums) are in Glacier, Wash., a foothills town about a half-hour from Mt. Baker. Bellingham (population 82,000 and counting) is a lovely port city about 75 minutes away with top-notch dining and accommodation options.

Culture

  • The Vibe: Old-school friendly. Everywhere I went, I was talked up by locals who were happy to share their knowledge and pride in Mt. Baker.
  • Dining: Lodges operate out of the two base areas, but the best option is the cozy Raven Hut, a mid-mountain lodge at the base of Chairs 4, 5 and 6.

Bottom line

  • Baker is a true bargain. Weekend and holiday tickets are $58 for adults; seniors 60-69 pay $50, and those 70 and older pay $39. Weekdays are even cheaper: $53 for adults; seniors 60-69 pay $41.
  • Big powder dumps are common, and locals are happy to share their advice.
  • Snowboarders love Mt. Baker for its rough features and natural half-pipe; out-of-bounds, big-mountain terrain attracts hard-cores.

Trail Map Click Here

The open, powdery slopes of Pan Face drop into the Heather Meadows side of Mt. Baker Ski Area. Credit: John Nelson

The open, powdery slopes of Pan Face drop into the Heather Meadows side of Mt. Baker Ski Area.
Credit: John Nelson

John Nelson

SeniorsSkiing Guide: It’s Hard To Beat Crystal Mountain On A Sunny Day

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Pacific Northwest Resort Is Largest Plus Reasonably Priced For 70+ Seniors.

ASunnyRainier__

Pausing to take in a stunning view of Mt. Rainier from trailside at Crystal Mt. WA. Credit: John Nelson

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 these intermediate runs funnel into a high basin known as Green Valley, served by its own high-speed quad. The skiing was fast and fun.

Besides cruisers, Crystal has some truly thrilling drops on Northway and Chair 6 in the Campbell Basin. These two double chairs deliver skiers into the best of Crystal Mountain’s cliff-strewn double-diamond runs.

Skiers cruise down the intermediate run Lucky Shot at Crystal Mountain. Credit: John Nelson

Skiers cruise down the intermediate run Lucky Shot at Crystal Mountain.
Credit: John Nelson

Snow, terrain and more

  • Location: Crystal is situated off of State Highway 410, 39 miles from Enumclaw, Wash., a small town at the base of the Cascade foothills. The ski area is about a two-hour drive from downtown Seattle.
  • Snowfall: Nearly 500 inches a year fall here annually. Snowmaking was upgraded on the lower mountain following the drought year of 2015, and additional snowmaking improvements are planned for the mid-mountain.
  • Terrain: About 2,600 acres are spread over several lift-served basins. About 35 percent of the terrain is rated advanced; 65 percent is beginner and intermediate.
  • Vertical: Lift-served vertical is 2,602 feet (the base is 4,400 feet; chairlift access goes to 7,002 feet) but those willing to do a little hiking can stretch the vertical to more than 3,000 feet.
  • Lifts: One eight-passenger gondola, two high-speed detachable six-passenger lifts, two high speed quads, one fixed-grip quad, two triples, two doubles and one children’s surface lift.
  • Views: On clear days, Mount Rainier dominates the skyline, but you’ll see much more. The Olympic Mountains are visible to the west, as are most major peaks in the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to Oregon.

Lot to lift access

  • Crystal has five parking lots. The lower lots are served by free shuttles to ferry skiers to the base area. In addition, drivers can drop off equipment and passengers next to the ticket kiosk before parking.
  • Private bus and van services operate from Bellevue, Seattle and Tacoma bringing skiers to the mountain. Information is here.
  • Several private lodging options are available on the mountain. Three lodges and two condominiums operate at the base area; another lodge is about 15 minutes away on Highway 410.

Culture

  • Apres Ski: Washington’s best après ski bar, the cozy Snorting Elk, is located in the old-school Alpine Lodge just across a wooden bridge next to the top parking lot. You’ll find a well-oiled group of hard-core skiers swapping tall tales here at all hours.
  • Dining: On the mountain, there are two day lodges, one in base area, the other in Campbell Basin. The upscale Summit House restaurant at the top of the gondola offers sit-down dining with views of Mount Rainier.
  • Vibe: Because it’s Washington’s largest ski area, Crystal has a “resort-y” feel. While a great many hard-core skiers of all income levels come here, you’ll also run into some very rich folks.

Bottom line

  • Tickets are $72 for an adult all-day pass; $48 for 70 and older. When available, seniors 70-plus can get Five-Pack lift tickets for $215. Mid-week season passes for 70-plus are from $450 to $700, depending on dates.
  • Highest-elevation, biggest ski area in Washington.
  • Can be crowded on weekends; weekdays are empty.

Trail Map

Webcam

Skiers take in the view of Mount Rainier from the Summit House area of Crystal Mountain. Credit: John Nelson

Skiers take in the view of Mount Rainier from the Summit House area of Crystal Mountain.
Credit: John Nelson

 

 

 

mikemaginn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: History All Around At Appleton Farms

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Boston’s North Shore Has A Peaceful Place For Senior Nordic Skiing Or Snowshoeing.

Skiing in open fields under a bluebird sky at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA is about as good as it gets. Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Skiing in open fields under a bluebird sky at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA is about as good as it gets.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing

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 to our favorite loop around The Farms, a very special place to ski, snowshoe or walk.

History and Setting

In 1638, Charles I gave Samuel Appleton a grant of land on Boston’s North Shore. Since then, Appleton Farms has continuously been a bona fide, 1,000-acre farm, first run by the Appleton family and now under the care of the Trustees of Reservations, a land conservancy in Massachusetts. Appleton straddles the border between Ipswich and Hamilton, MA., in the heart of equestrian estate country. When it snows, the open fields and pastures and windy trails welcome snow sports enthusiasts. For cross-country skiers and snowshoers, Appleton is a trip through beautiful vistas and historical artifacts of a 377-year-old property what has remained more or less intact since colonial days.

Terrain

A pinnacle from Gore Hall, former library at Harvard. The Appleton family had close ties. Credit: SeniorsSkiing

A pinnacle from Gore Hall, former library at Harvard. The Appleton family had close ties.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing

There are two sections to the farms: The working farm itself with big fields and tractor roads, and the Grass Rides, a spoke-and-hub networks of trails arranged around one of the four pinnacles from Gore Hall, the former library at Harvard University.  The three others are scattered in strategic points around the property. It’s fun finding them.

Generations of Appletons created a country estate with long allées—parallel rows of linden trees—that were used for carriage and horse riding. They make perfect ski trails. On the farm side is the Great Pasture, a 133-acre field that is reportedly the largest piece of open land left in Massachusetts, historic farm buildings and the restored main house, plus a dairy that sells milk and cheese from the farm’s herd and much more. Skiing through these big, open fields on a bluebird day is what keeps bringing people back to the sport; it’s quite a restorative experience. The Grass Rides network wanders through marsh and hillside settings where birds and wildlife abound.

This year, North Shore Nordic Association, a new community group, is using a snowmobile groomer to create trail loops around the property. A groomed track really helps with traction and glide, taking away need to break trail.

Why Seniors?

Seniors will find the relatively flat terrain at the Farms easy to ski or snowshoe. On a weekday, you will find the trails to yourself. Indulge your photography hobby or bring a lunch in your backpack and enjoy the quiet. If you’d like slightly more challenging terrain, the Grass Rides has some ups and downs, but nothing that is too aggressive. The Farms restricts visits to humans only, while the Grass Rides is a popular place for dog walking, even in the winter. Doggies tend to disrupt ski tracks, so get to the Grass Rides early if you go. Access to the trails is easy. Just park and put on your skis, no walking. Visit if you’re passing through, in town for a wedding, heading to or from ski areas in New Hampshire or Maine or just looking for something different.

Appleton's famous Allees, formerly carriage paths, make perfect ski trails. Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Appleton’s famous Allees, formerly carriage paths, make perfect ski trails.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Bottom Line:

If you are member of the Trustees of Reservations, access to Appleton’s is free. Non-members pay $5 per car at the solar powered kiosks in the parking areas.

If you are coming from away, you can find lodging in Ipswich and Hamilton where there are archetypical country inns. The Trustees also maintain an inn at the Crane Estate, down by the beach. Skiing on the beach in the winter is another story for another time.

Trail Map

 

Rose Marie Cleese

Master’s Clinic: Fabulous Idea For Senior Skiers

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The Secret To Breaking Decades-old Bad Habits: Attending A Master’s Clinic At Dodge Ridge.

Jon Mahanna, creator of the Master’s Clinics, has class members follow his every move down the slopes. Credit: Dodge Ridge

Jon Mahanna, creator of the Master’s Clinics, has class members follow his every move down the slopes.
Credit: 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 and advanced skiers over 50 years of age, the memories flooded back. It was the first place I had ever put skis to slopes back in the ’50s, unwittingly grabbing on to a rope tow and finding my 12-year-old self being flung into the nearest snowbank. In the ’60s, it was the area my friends and I headed to when classes were over for the day at San Jose State College, taking a hit of blackberry brandy from our bota bags each time we headed down the rudimentarily “groomed” slopes on our brakeless wooden skis with bear-trap bindings and with long leather straps bound around our leather boots.

Now a saner, much older me was back to do things right! My friends and I were going to get this ski season headed in the right direction: by letting a seniors-certified PSIA instructor spend a few hours with us, helping us to break bad habits we’d acquired over the years and showing us how to adapt our skiing styles to today’s more-efficient shaped skis.

We met up with our group of nine other fellow seniors, ranging in age from 58 to 79, at the base promptly at 10 AM and headed up the mountain to do a ski-off for our two instructors: Bryan Jarratt, 61, an Aussie who’s been with the resort for 15 years, and Jenny Matkin, 64, who has deep roots in the region and has been teaching for decades. As we all did our “exhibition” run down the hill, I could instantly tell when my fellow participants had learned to ski. Yep, those two guys standing tall and stately over their skis with their ankles seemingly tied together were from the Arlberg “reverse-shoulder” method days. And that guy making the quick turns probably learned during the “short skis” phase. Our instructors split us into two groups, those itching for some “black diamond, off-piste” skiing and we more-timid ones who still had some cobwebs to dust off our skis before going full-out.

After three-and-a-half hours of skiing with frequent instructional breaks, we learned at least four or five specific things from Jenny that we could take away and work on the rest of the season in order to ski with much more ease and efficiency and not be exhausted after a full day of skiing.

DodgeRidge3A

Dodge Ridge’s Jon Mahanna saw the need to help senior skiers adapt to the new, shaped skis. “Let the skis do the work,” he says. Courtesy of Jon Mahanna

Jon Mahanna, 68, explains the strategy behind the Master’s Clinics best. He, along with Dodge Ridge’s current owners, Frank and Sally Helm, came up with the concept three years ago. Jon had been Dodge Ridge’s ski school director for 15 years in the ’80s and ’90s, and after serving in various capacities at ski areas in Colorado, New Mexico, and back in California, the “retired” Mahanna saw a need for older skiers, Level 5 and higher, to improve their skiing technique, especially with the advent of all the new equipment. Says Mahanna, “I saw that a lot of older skiers, especially those returning to the sport, needed to work on creating a balanced, ‘stacked’ stance so that there’s the least amount of resistance on their skeletal frame and muscle groups. This open, athletic stance gives them better lateral stability and is easier on their knees and backs. Balance is the key to everything.”

The instruction focuses on medium-radius turns on groomed slopes. “The modern equipment out there lets you stand there and go for the ride while you let the skis do the work,” avows Mahanna. “The idea is to have fun and to be able to ski all day, where your knees and muscles don’t give out on you.”

When we all met up at the lodge afterwards for lunch (which is included in the clinic package), the participants, to a person, were Master’s Clinic converts, and most were planning to sign up for more. One of them, Ralph Purdy, 75, happened to be the son of Dodge Ridge founder Earl Purdy, who opened the resort back in 1950. Said Purdy, “This is the first lesson I’ve had in many years. I thought that there’s gotta be something I’m missing. I saw this as a drill, and today I learned about unweighting and keeping my legs apart a little.” Another clinic attendee, Mark Sahines, 58, skied a lot in his 20s and 30s, then kids and work put skiing on a back burner. “I want to get to an advanced level, and my goal is to be skiing at 75 or 80. A lot of the guys older than me in today’s class ski a lot better than I do. Today I learned to do a hockey stop, something I could never do before.” My friends, Jim, 65, and Kathy, 70, Clarke, have a cabin near Dodge and are season ticket holders. They’ll definitely be back for more Master’s Clinics. Kathy called her teacher “one of the best” and appreciated Jenny’s focus on older skiers and the different techniques required with the new equipment. Jim shared that “every year I fret about being ‘ready’ to hit the slopes. Will my legs hold up? Will my funky right knee start giving me problems? Jenny, our wonderful instructor, brought my focus back to the skills and techniques needed to get the most out of my fancy, red shaped skis. By the end of our class, I was able to remember and use several of Jenny’s methods for getting the most out of my skis. In the end, there’s no reason I can’t learn this stuff if I keep a positive attitude, pay attention, and practice, practice, practice.”

To learn more about Dodge Ridge’s Master’s Clinic program or sign up for one of its Thursday or Sunday clinics, click here.  Tell them Rose Marie sent you! And if you love uncrowded slopes, sign up for a Thursday clinic.

[Editor Note:  SeniorsSkiing.com salutes Dodge Ridge and Jon Mahanna for creating a program focused on helping seniors optimize their technique and continuing to enjoy skiing.  If you, our readers, think this is a good idea, please forward a link with this story to your local ski area to show them how easy it is to support seniors skiing.  Or, if you’re in the Bay Area, enroll in Dodge Ridge’s Masters’s Clinic. We hope to see the idea of focused events for seniors—especially mid-week— growing in the ski resort industry.]

Roger Lohr

Top 10 XC Resorts For A Valentine Rendezvous

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Senior Romance Can Be Found At XC Resorts.

Valentines and Cross-Country skiing. What could be more romantic? Credit: X-CSkiResorts

Valentines and Cross-Country skiing. What could be more romantic?
Credit: X-CSkiResorts

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 across North America.

WEST

The Chateau Fairmont in Lake Louise, Alta., Canada is a grand old resort with all the trimmings and places for romantics to enjoy each other and an outstanding rear window panorama of the Victoria Glacier.

The Nipika Mountain Resort in Kootenay, B.C. is a secluded lodge and cabins. Couples are transported to the site, which is situated in 8,000 acres of wilderness with 36 feet of guaranteed snow. The resort is the ultimate eco-resort without high altitude problems.

At the Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Wash. there is a 360-degree view of tranquility with guest rooms and lakeside cabins, an extensive wine cellar, and spa services.

Vista Verde Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colo. limits the number of guests to 45 so the staff can insure personalized attention. The resort has received the Four Diamond Award. Couples get luxurious accommodations and can be accompanied by a guide in the backcountry.

Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Mont. is near Yellowstone National Park. The ranch has cozy cabins, a lodge with great cuisine, massage services and a staff that treats all of its guests warmly.

 Galena Lodge in Ketchum, Idaho has the Honeymoon Yurt, which is a love nest that’s only 20 minutes out on the trail. Couples can enjoy the backcountry accommodations in comfort themselves at the yurt, get dinner delivered, and maybe even a massage for two.

CENTRAL

Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior in Lutsen, Minn has the Romantic Getaway including a bottle of champagne, candlelit dinner, whirlpool and fireplace in your room, and breakfast with optional massage for couples.

At Cross Country Ski Headquarters in Roscommon, MI there’s a Valentine’s weekend of activities planned with a Full Moon Tour on Friday night by torchlight to Trapper’s Cabin for a bonfire and hot cocoa and on Sunday enjoy live acoustic music in the Stone Turtle Day Lodge.

EAST

Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. is a Victorian castle within an hour of New York City with free use of XC skis, snowshoes, or ice skates for overnight guests. Climb the Sky Top Tower for a 360-degree vista. The spa has instruction for couples massage. Free

The Mountain Top Inn is buried in the Green Mountains in Chittenden, Vt. where you can sit fireside in the restaurant with a wonderful menu or in the pub with live entertainment. Sled on the hill behind the inn, enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride, or enjoy extensive trail network.

 Franconia Inn is a charming country inn located in Franconia, N.H. with breathtaking views of the nearby mountains and intimate trails. The inn offers the Romantic Interlude, which includes a bottle of champagne, 4-course gourmet dinner and a full country inn breakfast.

seniorsskiing

Mad River and Bromley Snow Report: Ain’t Pretty

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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 rain is coming, and there wasn’t much of a base to begin with.

But optimism is a key characteristic of snow people.  In a statement from Bromley, the message is “I will not let pessimism take over, right?”  The snowmaking pond is being refilled (Good News) and there is cold weather coming (Good News).  Spring skiing is going to be awesome.

Here’s the story from Unofficial Networks.

abrom

 

Feb 1 Snow Report from Mad River Glen. Honest and Painful.

Credit: Mad River Glen

Harriet Wallis

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Deer Valley Sets The Gold Standard

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It’s the Deer Valley Difference.

Deer Valley at the top with a view of Jordanelle Reservoir. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Deer Valley at the top with a view of Jordanelle Reservoir.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

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 valets will unload your equipment at slope side. No need to schlep it.

Ride the open air shuttle to the day lodge. Save your energy for the slopes.

Enjoy secure basket checking with unlimited access so you can change layers throughout the day.

You’ve been pampered, and you haven’t even reached the slopes yet. Little things really do mean a lot.

“We’re committed to excellence in everything we do,” says Bob Wheaton, resort president and general manager.

Where should I start? It’s a big resort with four peaks and 101 trails. If you’re an intermediate or advanced skier, you can take a complimentary ski tour with a Mountain Host and find new runs and learn about the resort’s history. You’ll discover powder stashes that you’d never find on your own.

Outdoor patio dining in high altitude sunshine at one of 12 DR restaurants. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Outdoor patio dining in high altitude sunshine at one of 12 DR restaurants.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Lunch time. Deer Valley has 12 restaurants, including outdoor dining patios, plus five evening restaurants right at the resort. A lunch favorite is the signature Deer Valley turkey chili. I especially love the Natural Buffet with its exotic salads and hearty breads.

Terrain. Deer Valley’s manicures more than 60 trails nightly from gentle slopes to its long steep runs. But it also has gnarly mogul fields, glades and ungroomed powder. Take your pick.

When your legs fall off, check your skis at a complimentary ski check station. Then relax in a beach chair on McHenry’s sunny “beach”.

Don’t miss this. When you’re ready to wind down the day, take the Last Chance beginner trail to the base and enjoy the trailside sculptures at homes along the way. They’re absolute must-sees.

One of the many raccoon sculptures along the trail side houses near the base run out. Credit: Harriet Wallis

One of the many raccoon sculptures along the trail side houses near the base run out.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

One home is plagued by mischievous raccoons. They ski off the roof, snooze on the railing and look uphill through binoculars. My favorite skiing raccoon is the one that went splat when he hit the house.

A family of life-size bronze elk stand trailside at another home. There’s also a bear house, a totem pole house and a mountain goat house. The charming critters add a bonus to a great day on Deer Valley’s slopes.

Just the facts

  1. Easy access. Just 40 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport.
  2. Skiers only. Deer Valley is for skiers only. It does not allow snowboards.
  3. Dining: 12 restaurants including five evening restaurants right at the resort. My favorite is the Seafood Buffet.
  4. Limited lift tickets. To enhance your experience, Deer Valley caps lift ticket sales to limit lift lines and lodge lunch lines ,and it opens up lunch seating.
  5. Grooming. The resort has 101 runs from four mountain peaks. Over 60 runs are groomed nightly.

2015-16 Bottom Line

A day ticket is $85 for those 65+, but on holidays it’s $92. A season pass is $1,195 for those 65-71, and it’s $1,085 for those 72+. However, mid week season passes are $1,085 for all who are 65+. There’s a pre-season discount for those who buy season passes early. And locals are eligible for reduced prices. Click here for more Deer Valley information.

Trail Map

Web Cam

McHenry's sunny "beach", absorbing the bennies and waiting for the surf to come up. Credit: Harriet Wallis

McHenry’s sunny “beach”, absorbing the bennies and waiting for the surf to come up.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

seniorsskiing

First Run: From The Top Of Jackson Hole At Dawn

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From the top of Snow King, looking at the Grand Teton and Jackson Hole. Credit: Patrick Kearney

Snow King at 6:30 am, looking at Grand Teton and Jackson.
Credit: Patrick Kearney

[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 the Tetons, mountain bike, kayak and adventure with my girlfriend and her dog “Peter.”]

 

mikemaginn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Cranmore A Classic Senior Ski Hill

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This Venerable Mountain Is Super Senior Friendly.

Cranmore's view of Mt. Washington. Since 1937, Cranmore has been one of the classic New England resorts. Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Cranmore’s view of Mt. Washington. Since 1937, Cranmore has been one of the classic New England resorts.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing

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 skiing comes to mind.  We like that.  There’s lots of room for skiing mid-week, and the prices are definitely right, if you know how to look for discounts.  We like the snowmaking.  Even in this season of eastern snow drought, there was decent coverage and highly carvable snow.  And we like the community feeling among the other folks, even in the ski shop, rental desk and cafeteria.

History

The Skimobile ran straight up the middle of the mountain. It was still running in 1988. Credit: Cranmore

The Skimobile ran straight up the middle of the mountain. It was still running in 1988.
Credit: Cranmore

If you’ve never been there, skiing at Cranmore in the Mount Washington Valley is something of a pilgrimage into skiing history.  In 1937, local businessman Harvey Gibson founded the ski hill, put in a rope tow and so it began.  In the next two years, two big innovations came to Cranmore. First was the Skimobile, built straight up the middle of the mountain.  The Skimobile consisted of little cars traveling uphill on a wooden rail. It was a practical, New England-simple alternative to the lift system, contemporaneously making its first North American  appearance at Sun Valley. It’s hard to believe that the Skimobile lasted till 1988.  The other innovation was the

Hannes Schneider is called the Father of Modern Skiing at Cranmore. He established ski instruction that opened the sport beyond college athletes. Credit: SeniorSkiing

Hannes Schneider is called the Father of Modern Skiing at Cranmore. He established ski instruction that opened the sport beyond college athletes.
Credit: SeniorSkiing

arrival of Hannes Schneider from Austria.  Schneider expanded the nascent ski school, extended the Skimobile and carved trails that you can ski to this day. Hannes Schneider had an enormous impact on ski instruction and, in many circles, is considered as the person who opened up the sport to the masses back in its early days.

Snow And Terrain

Snowmaking is an art at Cranmore.  The snowmaking team publishes its own blog and methodically covers the entire mountain when nature is not forthcoming. As for trails, there are 54 spreading out from the summit served by nine lifts of different sizes.  On the left side of the mountain, you find the archetypal narrow, twisty, old-style New England specials like Kandahar, Rattlesnake, Arlberg. These narrow trails get slightly U-shaped in cross section as the season goes on, so it’s almost like skiing down a tube.  On the other side of the mountain,  you get those beautiful wide blues that we love.  Artists Falls, East Slope, and Schneider are great blues, Easy Street is a greenie that runs from the top and one that we like to take as a first run to shake off the dust from the ride up from Boston. And yes, there are terrain parks and glades for those who indulge in those kinds of activities.

Cranmore is a super mountain for seniors: friendly, accessible, reasonable cost. Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Cranmore is a super mountain for seniors: friendly, accessible, reasonable cost.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing

Lot To Lodge To Lift

Cranmore’s base is small and compact.  You can drive up to the lodge, drop off your stuff, park and walk the 100 yards or so back to your car.  It’s easy.  The lodge is small, but it is on a couple of levels.  That’s the only criticism I can think of.  Bottom level: lockers, changing area and rest rooms, next level cafeteria and lodge.  Many seniors just park their gear around the lunch room area and change there, walking out to the lifts which are an easy skate away.

Culture

It may be a slight exaggeration, but I think that during the week seniors own the mountain.  Lots of seniors show up in the morning, take some runs and many are gone by 1:00.  Obviously, they are season pass holders who come in groups, singly, in pairs and who schmooze over coffee and packed lunches before heading home.  Everyone we met was  cheerful, chatty, and friendly.  At about 2:30 or so on the several Thursdays we visited, school buses descended and lots of kids poured out to take lessons.  North Conway clearly has an enlightened Physical Education program at the local district.  There is a bar and separate restaurant at the base.  We imagine those are weekend magnets that weren’t busy on Thursday afternoon.

The Future

A group of Boston entrepreneurs purchased the resort in 2010 and have plans to rebuild the whole base area around a new condo village.  Right now, the condos are on sale , and whenever construction starts you can bet the culture is going change.  The good news is that there will be a future for this historic and important ski area. The other news is that the quirky little lodge will be gone. Cranmore will eventually become more of a year-round residence-resort. Regardless, the mountain will still have those classic trails.

Bottom Line

Seniors are treated nicely at Cranmore.  We bought a $29 weekday senior (65-79) lift ticket online. Weekend tickets bought online are $40 for seniors.  Weekday passes are $48 for seniors if you don’t buy online.  When you look online for passes, you will notice that prices vary by week and what’s going on, i.e., Washington Birthday Week, school vacation week, etc. Seniors can buy a season pass before the end of November for $369 for limited skiing and $429 for unlimited.  Check the website for more details.

Cranmore Trail Map

Cranmore Web Cam

The future of Cranmore includes a condo development and lodge area. Credit: Cranmore

The future of Cranmore includes a condo development and lodge area. Here’s a rendering of what the future will look like.
Credit: Cranmore

 

seniorsskiing

American Airlines Introduces Direct Flights to Big Sky

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Now It Is Easier To Get To A Montana Destination Resort.

Now you can get a direct flight from Dallas to Bozeman. Welcome to Big Sky Country. Credit:Michel Tallichet

Now you can get a direct flight from Dallas to Bozeman. Welcome to Big Sky Country.
Credit:Michel Tallichet

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 a vertical of 4,350′, making it the longest drop in the lower 48.

It is a snow magnet, attracting on average 400″. Best of all, it’s vacant. If a few people are ahead of you in line, you’ll be talking about it that evening at one of Big Sky’s terrific lodging options.

Karst Stage provides shuttle service to the resort. Multiple car rental options are available.

seniorsskiing

Legendary Over-The-Hill-Gang A Model For Seniors

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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.]

Over The Hill Gang poses on Copper Mountain. Not exactly a club, OHG is open to anyone 50+ and has spread around the globe. Credit: Copper Mt.

Over The Hill Gang poses on Copper Mountain. Not exactly a club, OHG is open to anyone 50+ and has spread around the globe.
Credit: Copper Mt.

It’s easy to spot members of Copper Mountain’s Over the Hill Gang: sexagenarians, septuagenarians and octogenarians blasting down the slopes – often hooting and hollering – decidedly not acting their age.

The Over the Hill Gang was created at Copper Mountain in 1976 by part time instructors Moe Mosley, Bill Magill and Tom Stein. Their vision was simple; encourage skiing as a lifelong sport for skiers over the age of 50 and share their passion of the sport.

“If it wasn’t for the OHG, I probably wouldn’t be skiing,” said Dyann Gray, explaining that for lack of companionship on the slopes many seniors simply give up skiing when spouses lose interest or physical abilities.

OHG member Norman Crawford said he probably was lucky to get in four to six days of skiing a season before joining the group. Last year he skied 50+.

Each group of eight to 10 skiers is accompanied by a certified Copper Mountain ski instructor, who serves as guide, cheerleader and low-key instructor.

“They help members improve, either when asked or when they see something that needs a little tweaking,” said Jennifer Walker, who coordinates the classes and instructors on behalf of the Copper Mountain ski school.

On a recent day with the “Club Decline” group – skiers who could ski anywhere on the mountain but who are deliberately toning it down – OHG guide Steve Hultquist offered general group guidance about technique and specific tips to individuals.

Given the suggestion to look at the spaces between the pointy moguls, for example, Gray bragged that she had “slithered” down a slope that previously had given her nightmares.

OHG member Mary Goodwin said the pro advice and gentle peer pressure/examples set by fellow skiers have produced positive results for her.

“I ski better now than I did 20 years ago because of these guys,” she said.

Many participants take delight in discussing pacemakers and replacement joints. “If you took a metal detector around here, it’d go ‘ding, ding, ding,’” Swain laughed.

The group gathers 52 days a season – Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays – and members can take advantage of special instruction, such as a two-day bump clinic, women’s workshops, and ski-school lift-line privileges.

Part ski club, part social group and all fun, the club has spawned chapters and associated groups at ski resorts around the world over its 39 years of existence. Last year OHG received the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s “Top of the Hill” award.

OHG is open to anyone 50 or older. Membership is $400 for the season ($200 for those 80+). Four-day mini-memberships and a one-day trial are available with cost applied to full membership to those who inevitably are hooked.

To learn more about the Over the Hill Gang, e-mail ohg@coppercolorado.com or call (970) 968-3059.

 

Harriet Wallis

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Alta, Skiers’ Paradise

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Alta is all about open slopes and big vistas. Here is Big Dipper, a beautiful "blue" level run. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Alta is all about open slopes and big vistas. Here is Big Dipper, a beautiful “blue” level run.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

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 tough, gnarly in-bounds chutes and cols that can only be reached by serious hikes.

As the day begins. Come early and park at the Albion Grill day lodge that’s just steps from your car. The sun pours in making it a cheery gathering place, and it’s the first place where seniors meet. They enjoy conversation as they boot up and fuel up with a hearty breakfast. Introduce yourself, and you’ll have instant ski friends.

Why does Alta have such wide open skiing? Ancient glaciers carved Alta. Fast forward to the days of pioneers and silver miners. They cut down the trees and hauled off the timber to shore up the mines and to build early Salt Lake City. The only thing left was stubble, and hungry sheep overgrazed it right down to the ground. Alta was a wasteland.

The U.S. Forest Service had domain over the vast area but had no clue what to do with it. That’s when it hired iconic ski jumper and legendary ski pioneer Alf Engen to check it out and see if the area had any value. Engen envisioned it as perfect for skiing – and Alta was born

Alta skiers, and especially senior skiers, are avid about the uniquely vast terrain with its wide open slopes. Watch this 95 year old senior ski Alta.

Lunch time. After a few laps on Supreme and Sugarloaf lifts, drop into Alf’s mid-mountain restaurant about 11 a.m. That’s when members of Alta’s Wild Old Bunch gather at the restaurant’s only round table. They’ll be having coffee or lunch and exchanging notes on their morning of skiing. It’s the second place where you can make more senior friends.

Buy a hot beverage at Alf’s and enjoy a free refill. My personal favorite is hot chocolate topped with a mound of whipped cream.

While at Alf’s, go to the farthest corner,  and you’ll find fascinating photos of Alta’s past.

What else can I do?  Alta has extensive rentals and demos, so check out some of the latest gear, especially if it’s a powder day.

On weekends and holidays meet trained naturalists at 1:30 p.m. at the top of the Sunnyside lift and take a tour to learn about the area’s environment, animals, and history. A Tour With a Ranger will not disappoint.

SeniorsSkiing.com's correspondent Harriet Wallis and friend have a cuppa java at the end of the day. Credit: Harriet Wallis

SeniorsSkiing.com’s correspondent Harriet Wallis and friend have a cuppa java at the end of the day.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Wrap up the day with a specialty brew at Alta Java, an outdoor coffee bar at snow level just beneath the Albion Grill where you started.

I want to stay. Alta is within a national forest, so there are no shopping centers or high rise hotels. There are several lovely slopeside hotels that blend into the landscape and are scarcely noticeable. But book early if you want to stay there because they’re very popular.

Evening activities include fireside history talks and other local events. Alta is eat, sleep, ski. Repeat.

Bare bones facts.

1) Skiers only. Alta does not allow snowboards. 

2) Convenient. Alta is just 45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport. If you stay in the city you can take a frequent UTA ski bus to the mountain.

3) Stats. 2,200 acres, 116 named runs, 7 chair lifts, and a surface rope tow that’s a hoot. You can ride both directions across the flat base area. Of course you don’t need to use it because you can ski all around the mountain. But it’s a novelty that you’ll find only at Alta.

4) Eat. Mid-mountain and base area restaurants.

5) Orion and the dippers. Enjoy the stars in the night sky because there are no interfering lights.

6) The Wild Old Bunch. If you missed Alta’s senior skiers at lunch, join them at Sweet Tomatoes, a soup and salad buffet restaurant on Union Park Avenue in Midvale. They gather every Wednesday night year round for dinner and conversation.

Bottom Line:

Alta has a $699 season pass for 65 to 79.  It’s $50 for 80 plus.  During the season, there are no senior discounts, but you can get reduced prices online, especially if you buy four days ahead of your visit.  Weekdays passes can be bought for about $73 online if you plan ahead, otherwise it’s about $89.  Multi-day discounts are also offered, the more days you buy, the lower the per day rate.  See the Alta website for details.

Alta Trail Map

Another view of Big Dipper. Alta is known as "Skier's Paradise". Credit: Harriet Wallis

Another view of Big Dipper. Alta is known as “Skiers’ Paradise”.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Pat McCloskey

SeniorsSkiing Guide: HoliMont Ski Club, Ellicottville, NY

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What’s It Like To Ski At A Private Club?

History and Programs

HoliMont stages a host of racing programs. The resort is located in the western tier of New York state. Credit: HoliMont

HoliMont stages a host of racing programs. The resort is located in the western tier of New York state.
Credit: HoliMont

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 a private ski club in 1961.  The first trail was built in that year and seven more were cut the following year.  As chairlifts were installed in subsequent years, the membership grew to include not only local skiers, but a robust contingent of Canadians who loved the area and joined the membership.

Today, HoliMont is a vibrant private ski club—the largest one in North America— which has programs that include intra club racing, junior racing, junior alpine travel teams, snowboard and freestyle teams along with adaptive programs and a Christmas Ski Camp. They have a wonderful ski school that is affiliated with PSIA and several PSIA examiners and board members on staff.

Terrain 

HoliMont has eight lifts serving over 50 trails.  See the Trail Map for details.  The elevation is modest but with all those trails and lifts, you’ll be making lots of runs per day.  Key benefit of a private ski club:  No lift lines and great restaurants.

Culture

With eight lifts and over 50 trials, HoliMont is the largest private ski club in North America. Credit: Paul McCloskey

With eight lifts and over 50 trials, HoliMont is the largest private ski club in North America.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

With over 200 inches of natural snowfall coming off the Great Lakes, along with a state of the art snowmaking system, HoliMont has a lot to offer the membership.  But what about a guy like me who wants to ski there but is not a member?  Fear not, for HoliMont is open to the public during the week,  and you have the place virtually to yourself.  The atmosphere is pleasant as the area is very well run.  Families do come during the week, and you can see different generations of skiers eating lunch at a beautifully set table with crock pots simmering on the shelves in the lodge. The aromas are intoxicating. HoliMont is a family area whether you have a membership or you choose to come during the week.

Bottom Line

The trip to Ellicottville, NY, located about an hour south of Buffalo,  is noteworthy in that it is quite rural and beautiful with the snow covered farms and hillsides that line the way to the entrance to the town.  EVL, as it is called, is home to quaint establishments, ski and mountain bike shops, and great restaurants including the Ellicottville Brewery which is not to be missed.

For more information on membership, go to the HoliMont Ski Area website or call 716-699- 2320 for more information. Weekday rates for non-members are $56 for adults and $50 for 70+.  You can go on a weekend if your reservation is made by a member.  There is a limit to how many times you can ski on weekends, by the way.  Members can only invite the same guest a designated number of times. The weekend rates are adults $70.  There don’t appear to be weekend senior discounts.   If you go during the week, chances are you might see my wife and me.  We are the ones already enjoying the Lake Erie fluff.

Trail Map

Here’s the promo video from HoliMont.

 

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Dine On A Local Cow—Or Lamb—Or Carrot

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Locally Sourced Foods Are Catching On.

Snowbasin Executive Chef Scott Sniggs (l) with Executive Sous Chef Aric Glanville. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Snowbasin Executive Chef Scott Sniggs (l) with Executive Sous Chef Aric Glanville.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

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 local. It’s a win-win for all: the farmer, rancher, restaurant, and you ,the diner.

For Snowbasin, it’s an environmental decision. The resort concentrates on working hand in hand with local suppliers throughout the year. “If I can find it locally, I source it there,” said Executive Chef Scott Sniggs.  ” I want to support and showcase what’s around us.”

Local resident John Borski is a Julliard-trained ballet dancer turned organic farmer who supplies the resort with garden fresh vegetables.

“When I lived in New York City, I paid a fortune for fresh produce. But apples fell off my grandmother’s tree here in Utah, and she threw them away,” he said. “I was looking for something that wouldn’t require an entire ballet company!” He’s passionate about working his four-acre organic farm. “I’m out before daylight digging up potatoes by flashlight to deliver them fresh,”  he said.

Dinner with a view at Snowbasin's mid-mountain restaurant. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Dinner with a view at Snowbasin’s mid-mountain restaurant.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Likewise, Wes Crandall, a young rancher in a plaid shirt and cowboy hat, raises the locally famous Morgan Valley lambs. They’re also organic—open range, grass fed with no steroids, no hormones, and no antibiotics.

Restaurants that use locally sourced foods might offer you a new experience for your dining pleasure. Bon appetite.

Snowbasin, located near Ogden, was the 2002 Winter Olympics venue for the men’s and women’s downhill, super G and combined ski races. It offers specialty dining events throughout the year.

 

Organic spinach, carrots and lamb topped with a wildflower. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Organic spinach, carrots and lamb topped with a wildflower.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Rose Marie Cleese

It’s Snow Sport Heaven This Season In The Sierra Nevada!

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All Systems Go As The Snow Keeps Falling On Sierra Resorts.

"There's no comparison to last season" at Dodge Ridge. Everyone is happy! Credit: Dodge Ridge

“There’s no comparison to last season” at Dodge Ridge. Everyone is happy! Almost 180 inches so far this year.  Check the mounds of “cold gold” on the trees.
Credit: Dodge Ridge

As the East Coast got a taste the last couple of months of what’s it like when the inclement winter weather fails to show up, the situation has been quite different on the West Coast. After four years of a crippling drought, the rains have returned to the flatlands and the snow to the Sierra Nevada mountains. Although California is not home-free yet drought-wise, things were looking good when the California Department of Water Resources did its December 30th water content survey off Highway 50 near Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort. The snow depth this year was 54.7” or 136 percent of the January 1st average. A year ago, the snowpack state-wide was at just 50 percent of normal.

After barely being able to open the last two ski seasons, Homewood Mountain Resort is no longer suffering from its location right above the shores of Lake Tahoe, finally enjoying a bumper crop of snow and a five-foot-deep base. Credit: Homewood

After barely being able to open the last two ski seasons, Homewood Mountain Resort is no longer suffering from its location right above the shores of Lake Tahoe, finally enjoying a bumper crop of snow and a five-foot-deep base.
Credit: Homewood

Although there haven’t yet been any of the legendary Sierra storms that can dump up to eight feet of snow in a couple of days, the small yet persistent stream of snowfalls thus far this winter has resulted in a gangbuster season. Every single ski resort in the Sierra is open (some opened as early as Thanksgiving), with all or most lifts operating. And the base and peak numbers for the high-altitude resorts are impressive (as of January 13): Mammoth, 75”–115”; Kirkwood, 76”–80”; Sugar Bowl, 57”–96”; Mt. Rose, 63”–92”, as are the stats at resorts that struggled mightily to open last year: Homewood, 60”–76”; Dodge Ridge, 50”–72”; Badger Pass (Yosemite), 60”–72”.

“There’s no comparison to last season; it’s been night and day,” says Jeff Hauff, marketing and sales director at Dodge Ridge. “It’s phenomenal. Everybody’s happy! We’ve had a total of 179” of snowfall so far this winter, with 38” in just this last week. It’s been staying really cold, in the teens and 20s.” That would be “California cold” to our Midwest and East Coast readers!

Those cold temperatures are giving Sierra Nevada skiers an experience they don’t often have: day after day of FLUFFY white stuff to fly through rather than having to deal with “Sierra cement.” Plus the combination of smaller storms with spaces in between them has made the trip “up to the mountains” much less of an ordeal than it often is.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s outdoors writer, Tom Stienstra, headed to the Sierra recently and observed in his latest column that he had run into “dozens of people who said they had not skied in years, and some said they had been away for more than 10 years.” Nothing like a four-year drought to make people long for those idyllic days on the slopes! If  El Niño continues to deliver like it has been for the first two weeks of January, Californians will have ample opportunities to get their ski and board on this season…and on powder if temperatures continue to stay low!

Editor Note:  Here’s a cool video from Sugar Bowl about the El Ninuary experience in the Sierra.

Pat McCloskey

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Mt. Rose and The Chutes

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Tahoe Area Has A Big Surprise For An Eastern Newbie.

Gate to a chute on Mt. Rose, double-black, steep, and fun. Credit: Pat McCloskey

Gate to a chute on Mt. Rose, double-black, steep, and fun.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

For many years, I drove up the Mt. Rose Highway out of Reno and passed the Mt. Rose Ski Area on my way to Incline Village, Nevada. It seems like Mt. Rose has been a favorite of the Reno locals for years and when I finally skied it a couple of years ago for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised. It has become a regular stop on my ski trips to the Tahoe region in Nevada.

Lift To Lot Access 

Personally, I like areas where you can drive into the parking lot, put on your boots, walk a couple of hundred feet and get on the lift. You can do that at Rose.

Snow and Terrain

The area has a nice family feel to it. Great groomers to warm up with and then you can make your way to a series of lift-serviced chutes aptly named, “The Chutes”. This skiing is not for the faint of heart and if you can’t make quick turns on some pretty steep vertical, you really should not pass through the gates. Every year I go there, it is the first wake up call for me that I am once again out West on non- groomed steep terrain where you better be paying attention. If we are fortunate enough to have powder conditions, The Chutes are wonderful. They are steep enough that you have to view the snow report and make sure that the avalanche conditions are in check. Not often do you get steep terrain like this inside the boundaries of a ski area.

Culture

The Mt. Rose chutes from a distance. Credit: Pat McCloskey

The Mt. Rose chutes from a distance.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

One day, a few years back, we saw a group of guys with baggy clothes and full-face helmets blasting down the Chutes howling and laughing and having a great time. We saw them at lunch in the lodge and when they took off their helmets, there were gray beards and gray hairs everywhere. I introduced myself and remarked that we thought they were a bunch of kids with their garb and how well they skied. They appreciated the comments and said that they have been skiing together since they were 16 years old. These guys were all in their 60s. They motocross together all summer. Great bunch of guys who have called Rose their winter home for close to 50 years. Similar groups like these are common at Rose especially the retired set from Reno who only travel 25 minutes to the ski area.

Bottom Line

Mt. Rose has special Silver Ski Clinics designed for wiser, more experienced skiers ages 50 and older who are at skill level of lower intermediate to advanced, interested in the newer movement patterns used with shaped skis and/or improving their skiing technique. That’s on Fridays and Mondays in the morning for $25 plus the price of a lift ticket.

Mt Rose also has other specials if you look for them. The standard $104.00 day ticket ($94 if you buy online) is not the only option. Midweek specials include Two Fer Tuesdays ($104.00 for two adult tickets), and Ladies Day Thursdays ($29.00 per adult ticket), great pre-season pass rates and a $20 shuttle from Reno. Check the web site for specials and more information.

 

Jan Brunvand

Have You Tried Learn-And-Ski Trips With Other Seniors?

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Before Road Scholar, there was Elderhostel.

My wife and I did 11 downhill learn-and-ski trips with Elderhostels from 1999 through 2009 when the programs were listed in a paper catalog, and registration was mailed in. We drove to most of the Western resorts from our home in Salt Lake City. For Tahoe and Winter Park, we took Amtrak, which was convenient, scenic, and relaxing. The skiing always top notch, and we were always lucky with snow conditions.

This is the average size of a Roads Scholar group. Taken at Crested Butte. Credit: Jan Brunvand

This is the average size of a Roads Scholar group. Taken at Crested Butte.
Credit: Jan Brunvand

Every program was first rate. I assume the Road Scholar downhill skiing programs are similar. [Editor note: Road Scholar ski trips include Alpine and Nordic destinations.] We’re signed up for the one at Telluride in February.

Each program started Sunday with a get-acquainted dinner. Most participants meet then for the first time, although sometimes a ski club or group of family or friends had signed up together. We skied four or five days with guides or instructors available.

As with all Elderhostel/Road Scholar programs, the price covered everything, and participation was flexible. For example, I was not interested in early morning stretching or warm ups (OK, maybe I should have been) so, with other fanatics, I would ski first tracks on the mountain while the prudent others were tuning up. If someone, after a day of skiing, was too bushed to show up for an evening lecture, nobody criticized.

On a couple of occasions when it had snowed hard the night before our guide would suggest that we simply hit the fresh powder on his favorite runs instead of taking our scheduled guided tour. Nobody argued with that.

Lodging was usually a motel or hotel in town, but at Schweitzer Mountain and Grand Targhee we were housed right at the resort—ski-in, ski-out. The most impressive housing we experienced was Buck’s T-4 Lodge near Big Sky resort. The simplest was the Red Fox Alpine Lodge in Vermont where we had bunk beds, and the facilities were down the hall. All places we stayed were clean, comfortable, and cozy.

Here's a portion of a Roads Scholar group at Craftsbury Outdoor, VT. Credit: Road Scholars

Here’s a portion of a Roads Scholar group at Craftsbury Outdoor, VT., enjoying the XC trails.
Credit: Road Scholars

Breakfasts were in the lodging; lunches were usually vouchers for on-hill restaurants or in a sack. Dinners were either at the ski area or in town. Our favorite experience was at Crested Butte where we stayed in a remodeled miners’ boarding house with a self-service cash bar. Dinners were at a different place each evening.

Educational components varied, ranging from avalanche awareness, winter ecology, and local history, to Shakespeare’s sonnets, jazz history, and Western films and art. At Tahoe’s Cal-Neva hotel, we learned about casino gambling from a blackjack dealer. At Grand Targhee, high school students illustrated their research on capturing and tagging Wolverines.

I’m not sure why Judy and I drifted away from Elderhostel ski trips after 2009. Possibly, it was influenced by the weak pun of changing the name to Road Scholar (just kidding) or the necessity of looking up programs on the Internet instead of browsing paper catalogs.

We are looking forward to our February trip to Telluride, a place we skied just one day long ago. Here’s our chance to get to know the area better. Road Scholars on skis, here we come!

 

Jan Brunvand

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Powder Mountain—Second Biggest Resort

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Mega But Low Key Resort Close To Salt Lake City Has True Bargains For Seniors.

SeniorsSkiing.com Resort Reviewer Jan Brunvand has found lots of value at Powder Mountain. Credit: Jan Brunvard

SeniorsSkiing.com Resort Reviewer Jan Brunvand has found lots of value at Powder Mountain.
Credit: Jan Brunvard

Until this season Powder Mountain ski resort advertised, “More than 7,000 acres. The largest resort in the United States. A hidden gem.” Now that Vail Corp. combined Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort into 7,300 skiable acres, the claim of largest no longer stands. But Powder Mountain—PowMow to locals—is still the hidden gem of Utah’s fourteen ski resorts. For seniors, it’s a bargain. An adult day pass is $73, and a Senior pass (age 62-74) is $55. Seventy-five on up, everyone skis free. For the convenience of not going to the ticket window, a super senior season pass is available for $20.

Regardless of age and ticket price, PowMow offers 144 named runs, four chairlifts, two surface lifts, countless acres of back country powder, a “Mountain Adventures” program to access the powder, and three lodges that may charitably be described as “rustic.”

PowMow is 55 miles from the Salt Lake City Airport. The easy way to get there is to drive north on I-15, exit

Distance from parking lot to lodge: short and convenient. Credit: Jan Brunvand

Distance from parking lot to lodge: short and convenient.
Credit: Jan Brunvand

at Ogden’s 12th Street, and follow the signs up Ogden Canyon through the small town of Eden to the steep winding access road. A more scenic way follows I-84 East to the Huntsville/Mountain Green exit, then along Trapper’s Loop past Snowbasin ski resort, across the dam at Pineview Reservoir, on to Eden, etc. This route runs 61 miles from my driveway to the upper parking lot of PowMow. UTA bus service costs just $2.25 for seniors (exact change only), one way, and can be picked up at various places in Ogden or along the way. See the Powder Mountain website for schedules and details.

On the final Wednesday in 2015, I compiled my top four reasons for sometimes driving to PowMow rather than to Alta, the nearer senior skiing hotspot. (1. Extensive terrain, 2. Elegant lodges (just kidding), 3. Close up parking, 4. $20 pass for Super Seniors.) I stopped at four only because I was having too much fun skiing PowMow’s long, scenic, uncrowded runs.

Powder Mountain Trail Map

Reviewer Jan gleefully shows off his $20 season pass for 75+ skiers. Credit; Jan Brunvand

Reviewer Jan gleefully shows off his $20 season pass for 75+ skiers.
Credit; Jan Brunvand

 

 

 

 

Roger Lohr

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Bretton Woods—A Triple Play Resort

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Roger Lohr, Publisher of XCSkiResorts.Com, Reports On Bretton Woods’ Snow Assets: Alpine, Nordic, Historic Hotels.

The magnificent Omni Mt. Washington Hotel lies at the base of Bretton Woods' Mt. Rosebrook. Credit: Bretton Woods

The magnificent Omni Mt. Washington Hotel lies at the base of Bretton Woods’ Mt. Rosebrook.
Credit: Bretton Woods

Bretton Woods is part of the Omni Mount Washington Resort at the southern base of the mighty Mt. Washington in New Hampshire on Route 302. The resort includes three significant snow resort assets: hotels/inns (the historic Omni Mount Washington Hotel, the Bretton Arms Inn), the Bretton Woods alpine ski area and the Nordic Center. Spectacular scenery and many photo opportunities abound!

Alpine Skiing at Bretton Woods

The alpine ski area has 464 acres of skiing and snowboarding on 62 trails and 35 glades and three terrain parks. There are 10 lifts including four high-speed quads, food outlets at the main lodge and, up on the slopes, there is a restaurant at the top of the Bethlehem Express lift. There’s also a cabin destination for snacks and libations accessible by T-bar near the top of Mt. Stickney, and a unique candy store (!) at the top of the Zephyr Express lift.

Snow and Terrain

Sunrise run at Bretton Woods. Notice the corduroy. Credit: Roger Lohr

Sunrise run at Bretton Woods. Notice the corduroy.
Credit: Roger Lohr

Bretton Woods is known for consistent snow conditions, and it’s rarely ever windy. They’ve got snowmaking on 92 precent of the trails. Over the years, Bretton Woods was known as an easy mountain with few steep slopes and that, in fact, is one of the best reasons for older skiers to become aficionados of the area. The runs are short and the lifts are fast, and this allows older skiers and riders to turn on the jets and avoid getting tired from runs that are too long.

The ski area has now become recognized for its grooming by earning first place mention in a skiers poll.  It also has excellent accessible glade skiing that can be enjoyed by intermediate skiers and boarders and has the longest lasting powder. Bretton Woods has an excellent layout with the four high speed chairlifts helping to spread skiers out on the mountain, which keep lift lines reasonable and often nonexistent. The West Mountain and Rosebrook areas on the mountain are separated from the main mountain, and they provide plenty to explore both on the slopes and in the glades.

Bretton Woods is host to many multigenerational families, and you rarely see out-of-control skiers who are skiing or riding too fast. I’ve always enjoyed the slope edges at Bretton because they provide terrain that is accessible and ungroomed and most Bretton skiers avoid these parts of the slopes. Untracked powder can remain on the slope edges and in glades for days following storms.

Suggested Alpine Skiing Itinerary For Seniors

My recommendation for Bretton Woods is to take the Bethlehem lift and then ski to the Rosebrook lift. Take a few runs in the Rosebrook area in some easy glades, but don’t go too far to the east, or you’ll end up back down at the base. From the top of the Rosebrook lift, go west and keep your speed up to reach the West Mountain for runs in the glades on that side of the mountain. Enjoy plenty of narrow runs in the West Mountain trees. There’s a restroom at the base of the West Mountain quad, if you need it.

The lodge has plenty of free storage bins and services in the basement, a cafeteria on the first floor, a bar, restaurant, and a climbing wall on the third floor. The food at Bretton Woods is standard ski area fare.

Special offers for seniors include a $25 midweek/non-holiday lift ticket for ages 65+, and those 80+ ski free everyday. The popular Wiser Woods weekly program (offered Tuesdays January 5-March 15, cost $125 for the season plus lift ticket) lets skiers and riders age 50+ with similar interests and ability ski with one of Bretton Woods’ instructors and enjoy the camaraderie of others during morning coffee socials and end of season get together.

Nordic Center: Lift To Mountain Trails

Nordic trails offer views of Mt. Washington at Bretton Woods. Credit: Bretton Woods

Nordic trails offer views of Mt. Washington at Bretton Woods.
Credit: Bretton Woods

The Nordic Center is adjacent to the grand hotel, and it has 100 km of XC ski and snowshoe trails. Take trails to the yurt for a popular destination about 5 km from the Nordic Center, and you’ll enjoy some thrilling downhill on the return trip. There are various locations to stop and rest along the way including a river bridge, which is a great place to take photos.

The lift-served Mountain Road trail may be the most fun to be had on XC skis in New England. I’ve taken many friends on the Mountain Road because it is much easier to take the lift up and then ski downhill on the trail, and it has incredible scenery and views. This 7 km trail is accessible from the top of the Bethlehem Express quad at the Bretton Woods alpine ski area (five minutes from the Nordic Center via complimentary resort shuttle). Along the way, take a side trip on a T-bar lift to the Stickney Cabin for snacks and libations and to ski additional trails on the way back to the Mountain Road. For senior or novice XC skiers, the Mountain Road is sure to be a lifetime highlight!

Correspondent Roger Lohr, on the Mountain Road, is publisher of XCSkiResorts.com Credit: Roger Lohr

Correspondent Roger Lohr, on the Mountain Road, is publisher of XCSkiResorts.com
Credit: Roger Lohr

While you’re at the area take the free shuttle and go check out the historic Omni Mt. Washington Hotel for some drinks or dinner. It harkens back to the time of the grand hotels (bell boys, ski concierge, etc.) and it has been renovated with a new spa, wonderful restaurants and bars, and even a dance club in the basement for late night action.

Bottom Line

A full day of alpine skiing for skiers older than 64 on weekends or holidays is $73; midweek is $63, and skiers older than 79 are complimentary for alpine or Nordic skiing. The Nordic Center is $14 for skiers aged 65-79 and only $7 if you are a lodge guest at the resort. The Nordic High Country pass is $31 (or a $10 add on to a ski ticket) for one ride on the Bethlehem Express lift with unlimited use of the T-bar at Mt. Stickney.

Bretton Woods Resort Alpine Trail Map

Bretton Woods Resort Nordic Trail Map

 

Jon Weisberg

Huff Post: Older Skier’s Guide To America’s Biggest Ski Resort

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SeniorsSkiing.com’s Co-Publisher Reviews The Newly-Combined Park City-Canyons Resort.

Salt Lake City-based Jon Weisberg has been waiting all summer to explore the biggest ski resort in America. With this season’s huge—and apparently ongoing—dump of snow on the Wasatch Mountains, he makes his first visit and has some senior-focused suggestions for getting the most out of your visit.  Here’s his report from the powder fields of Park City, recently published in Huffington Post’s Huff 50. If you’ve been to the new mega-resort, what’s your advice? Is bigger better?

ParkCity2_