Roger Lohr

New Gear For XC: Skin Skis

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An Old Idea Updated With High Tech.

Author Roger Lohr on Fischer Twin Skin Skis

The cross country ski waxless “skin” bases, use inserted mohair strips on the ski bottom, which are extremely effective for all temperatures and snow conditions. It is high performance waxless base technology for the classic skier, who prefers to use a waxless ski. The ski strips are like small climbing skins and they are resistant to icing because they have a Teflon-like coating. There are conditions where a de-icer should be applied to the skins. There are anti-icing solvents that do not degrade the glue (which holds the skin to the ski) but it is best to get an anti-icer made by a ski manufacturer to avoid damage to the skin and the glue.

Specific cross country ski models that have a flex that are created in conjunction with the skin material, which rides above the snow in the glide phase, are easy to press down for excellent grip during the kick phase.

At Fischer, there are skin skis up and down the product line. The Twin Skin skis have two separate skin strips arranged in offset positions and with variable base-depth integration result in smooth and balanced gliding. These mohair skins ensure you can rely on the kick action, especially in hard or icy conditions and thanks to the unique Teflon coating of the skins, moisture absorption and subsequent icing is completely minimized.

Rottefella Move binding allows easy adjustment on the trail
Rottefella Move binding allows easy adjustment on the trail

Technique, temperature and snow composition all have an influence on ski performance but with all TURNAMIC® binding models, which provides tool free adjustment skiers can better match their individual needs. Sliding the system forward provides more grip, while sliding it back will noticeably improve glide. With the optimized setup of the boot-binding-plate-ski components, TURNAMIC® gives you dynamic skiing performance like never before. FLOWFLEX® technology enables the ski to flex freely. I own a pair of Twin Skin skis and I’ve found that these skis glide better than other skis that I’ve owned in the past. At the same time, the skis have not lost the ability to climb up hills.

The TURNAMIC® binding has a user-friendly entry mechanism providing individual adjustment possible in seconds and tool-free. The bindings quickly slide onto the plate without the use of tools. When it’s time to ski, the Turn Lock mechanism can be operated even with a gloved hand, making entry and exit easier than ever before. The Rottefella Move binding when it arrives in the USA, will provide even easier dial-oriented adjustments.The Fischer Twin Skin Superlite EF provides a lightweight all-around ski featuring Efficient Forward, which gives the skier an easier, more forgiving kick action and smooth gliding. The lightweight fitness sport skis come in traditional length to glide easily on the trail.

Rossignol R-Skin Ultra
Rossignol R-Skin Ultra

The Rossignol R-Skin Ultra features a replaceable mohair insert, and the waxless R-SKIN base structures offer an easy, consistent kick and maximum glide with no additional prep work necessary. The Rossignol ski is built with a Nomex Honeycomb construction for an accessible mohair skin classic ski for fitness-oriented skiers. The R-Skin Ultra not only offers a bit more width than a traditional race-oriented classic ski giving a more stable platform, but it also has the same high quality base as Rossignol’s top end race skis, and a great new graphic. Compatible with the Turnamic® binding system, the new Integrated Fixation Plate (IFP) allows the most natural ski flex for unparalleled snow feel, precision, and glide. Replaceable mohair inserts reportedly provide 100-150 days on the snow before they might be replaced.

 With the Atomic Pro C2 Skintec, prepping and handling couldn’t be easier thanks to its Skintec technology. There’s no need for kick-waxing – instead mohair grip zones produce excellent kick and glide in all snow conditions and temperatures. And you can replace the grip zone after heavy wear. Atomic has added a high-quality base, race grinding, a sportive sidecut and a flexible tip for an easy slide-in and glide. This year they’ve also given the series a facelift with a cool new design for the track.

 A suggestion is to find a cross country ski area or ski retailer that has a demo fleet of skin type skis from any product company and give them a try. Play with the binding settings on the ski binding to see the effect from adjustments on grip and glide. Expect the ski to perform better than you have ever experienced.

Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com

Jonathan Wiesel

Keeping Your Ski (And Other) Pants On

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OK, That Sounds Salacious But It’s Not.

Who knew a belt could be so important? Credit: Jeltbelt.com

I kind of collect belts, from the 50-year-old hand-stitched inches-wide leather style with ornate Mexican silver buckle; to a contemporary pseudo-leather critter with multiple off-set holes; to a futuristic version (my favorite!) that grips, flatters, goes through airport security without setting off alarms, comes in colors – and keeps my pants up in all circumstances thus-far encountered. Now, that’s versatile!

Back in July, 2017, after moving to Montana (still gotta get the dog, battered pickup, and rifle rack to feel like a native), I started exercising and leafing through local magazines, simultaneously. The exercise dropped my shorts a size; the editorial introduced me to the Jelt Belt (https://jeltbelt.com/), an ingenious product that’s fun, socially and environmentally responsible, yet totally practical – so many positive qualities that it gives renewed faith in the entrepreneurial mindset. And it fits my new almost-size-34s as well as the previous 36s.

I’ve always liked leather belts. They’re handsome, can slide reasonably easily through loops, even smell rich when they’re new – and you can commission designer buckles. But it can be tough to punch extra holes as time goes by and waistlines expand or contract; and if you don’t have belt loops, they’re slick enough to slide up and down, with consequent droopy pants.

With fabric belts, you can often pierce the material with the buckle prong, but again they’re often on the thick and wide side. Like leather, they generally have metal buckles, so you may need to remove the belt (and put it on again) while going through airport security – not fun if you’re literally running to make a flight.

Enter the all-synthetic Jelt Belt: tough, adjustable, stretchy, with a grippy inner-surface gel. Endearing from an environmental perspective, they’re made of yarn from recycled plastic water bottles; while part of sales goes to organizations supporting veterans wounded in combat, environmental causes, and kids. New belt lines are being manufactured in Montana rather than China.

Jelt Belts are slender rather than thick or wide (4 sizes plus an adjustable version), but they hold very snugly. You can order for adult jean sizes 22-40. They come in different colors (I’m partial to the River Turquoise and Denim Navy Blue; kids get fun shades too).

Maybe more importantly than aesthetics, buckles in four sizes are quick-release. I’ve even learned to release and re-buckle one-handed (let your imagination run wild, but so far they’ve been very mundane uses). Buckles are low profile – flat, actually – so there’s no bulge under your shirt or sweater. Skiing, golf, running, walking, climbing, socializing, they seem right for every occasion.

Okay, you want to know about the name. The belt was founded by Jennifer Perry, thus it’s Jen’s Belt, which evolved into “Jelt Belt.”

Why a belt for skiing? Whether you take a fall or are skiing in a storm, the Jelt keeps snow out of your pants. (I once entirely lost my pants sliding downhill after a fall, face first, on my belly – wouldn’t have happened with a Jelt Belt.)

I plan to become a collector of the Jelt Belt subset of belts, perhaps display them in chronological order of acquisition. And the price? Figure from $32 for adult belts, less for kids’.

Roger Lohr

The Meccas Of Cross-Country Skiing

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What Are The Vails and Aspens of XC?

Ask the general public to name an alpine skiing “Mecca” — described as a location where people, who share a common interest, yearn to go — even those who don’t ski can come up with at least Aspen or Vail, if not Killington and Sun Valley. But mention the Gunflint Trail or the Methow Valley to cross country (xc) skiers and more often than not, you’ll elicit a blank stare. Yet these are just two of several xc skiing destination resorts that devout xc skiers revere. In fact, each of the following five regions is definitely an “xc skiing Mecca” — each one, a destination that all traveling xc skiers have put on their “must visit” list.

Comprising the small, picturesque towns of Conway, Sugar Hill, Bartlett and Jackson in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Mount Washington Valley has a half-dozen xc ski areas, all at the base of the most majestic mountain in the eastern U.S., the 6,288-foot Mt. Washington. Here, the spectacular scenery is enhanced by hundreds of inns, lodges and restaurants, plus unsurpassed outlet shopping. Ski past mountain streams, a white steepled church, or over a wooden covered bridge on the network of 150 kilometers (km) of trails that glide past numerous inns and stores and through the woods in Jackson Village.

Up in Pinkham Notch, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center features 40 km of trails for cross country or snowshoeing and the more adventurous can take a snowcoach up the Mt. Washington Toll Road to unparalleled views and then make the choice to ski, snowshoe or ride the coach down. On the other side of Mt. Washington, Bretton Woods Nordic Center has its Mountain Road Trail, a 7-km downhill thrill that might be the most fun to be had on xc skis in all of New England. Franconia Inn is tucked away but is known for great cuisine in the evening and more than 50 km of trails. The region also has dog sledding, snowmobiling, zip lines, and 7 alpine ski areas to round out the snow sports offerings.

The Hills are Alive

Trapp Family Lodge. Looking for Edelweiss.

The “Sound of Music” is more than 50 years old and another production by the Von Trapp family, America’s first xc ski center at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont is just two years younger. Nestled beside Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, the lodge is among the most famous and diverse xc ski trail networks in the country. Three Stowe xc ski areas interconnect to provide roughly 150 kilometers of groomed trails, and there’s a link to backcountry ski 14 km to Bolton Valley Nordic Center via the Catamount Trail. Plus, with the variety of trails for snowshoeing around Stowe, it’s no surprise that the quintessential New England village is the original home of Tubbs Snowshoes, the largest snowshoe manufacturer in the world. Stowe’s Recreation Path, which runs 5.3 miles along the river (and over 11 wooden bridges) and Route 108 is perfect for an easy snowshoe jaunt. Don’t miss the Vermont Ski Museum in downtown Stowe or the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream headquarters (most popular attraction in the state) in nearby Waterbury, Vt.

Scandinavians settled by the thousands in Minnesota so it stands to reason that their national sport, cross country skiing, would abound in the state. The trails in northeastern Minnesota near Grand Marais offers more than 200 kilometers of groomed trails in the Laurentian Highlands adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Here, xc skiers enjoy moose yards, overlook ridges, old trapper trails and railroad beds. The Gunflint attractions include extensive stands of white birch, spruce, and aspen and spectacular cliffs.

Of course, in the land of 10,000 lakes there’s a multitude of frozen lakes and there is also a great chance that visitors in northern Minnesota will see the oscillating luminary curtains in the evening sky known as the Northern Lights. Perfect for those wanting to get away from it all, this area is less populated than other xc Meccas and the region is sprinkled with many isolated lodges, bed and breakfast inns, lakefront cabins, and yurts (large circular heated tents with hard floors, bunk beds and room for 6-8 people). And count on hearing the distant howls of timber wolves.

Northwest Delights

More than 70 years as a winter sports destination, the Sun Valley/Ketchum, Idaho, area was developed by railroad mogul, W. Averell Harriman to attract train travelers. Known for its alpine skiing, the area features more than 160 kilometers of trails and now it touts itself as “Nordic Town USA.” The Sun Valley Resort includes the Sun Valley alpine ski area, a Nordic ski area on the golf course, and a selection of accommodations. The North Valley Trails run from the Galena Lodge back to town along the river. Expect to see colorful performance striders and skaters alongside snowshoers out walking the dog on this popular avenue.

For superb backcountry skiing amidst forests of pine and aspen, head to the Sawtooth Mountains and its high mountain reaches laced with granite spires and inviting cirques. Here xc skiers can enjoy trekking and guide services, even overnight accommodations in backcountry huts and Mongolian-style yurts.

Methow Trails on a bluebird day.

The Methow Valley in northwest Washington on the eastern slope of the North Cascade Mountains is one of the best kept secrets among xc skiers. A network of 200 kilometers of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing combines at Methow Trails with lodges like Sun Mountain Lodge and warming huts along the trails, which are surrounded by more than a million acres of national wilderness and forest lands.

Snowfall here is not only plentiful, it is also dry thanks to the moisture traveling across 100 miles of mountains from the Pacific Ocean to get to Methow. And after the snow arrives, a crystal blue sky almost always follows revealing the incredible scenic mountain panoramas. Located only 2,000 feet above sea level, this 40-mile-long xc skiing valley requires no altitude acclimation.

Cross-Country Ski HQ in Michigan

Many other North American regions could make the list of xc skiing Meccas, including Michigan’s Grayling region and the statewide GoMichigan, California’s Lake Tahoe, Colorado, Lake Placid in New York, and Canada’s Quebec and British Columbia areas. Start your own list of “must visit” xc ski destinations, and use XCSkiResorts.com to explore the many choices and then make some reservations to explore different regions in your next winter adventure.

 

Roger Lohr

The Skinny On Recreational Nordic Ski Gear

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Move Up To New High Tech Equipment.

As a part of the cross country ski industry for more than three decades, I had to qualify my response when SeniorsSkiing asked me about new cross country (XC) ski equipment. There was an unknown research source in the 1990’s that proclaimed, in general, owners of XC ski equipment had their gear for about 17 years. With a view of the meager statistics of annual XC ski sales, the age of the average XC skier’s equipment is now probably a couple of decades older than 17 years.

The key element is to know how you intend to use your equipment – classic or skate skiing on groomed trails; skiing on ungroomed park trails; backcountry in deep snow; serious mountain excursions; or if you are hoping to find equipment to deliver some type of hybrid performance in a variety of uses. XC skis provide varied width, flex, waxless base designs, and edges, all designed to perform optimally in different XC skiing situations and conditions. The recreational skier may be one that wants to get out in nature a few times per winter or a serious fitness-oriented person who is into skate skiing after work three times per week.

Ski magazines and websites deliver gear reviews with a focus on what’s new for the XC ski expert or racer. It is thought that the technology used in these products geared to advanced skiers will “trickle down” to be incorporated and become beneficial to recreational skiers in the future…well, the challenge is to provide a view specifically for recreational interests and to look at select products that offer a great experience XC skiing.

At the outset, it is uncertain why a recreational skier would want to wax their skis these days. If you possess an encyclopedia of knowledge on the matter of snow texture, humidity and temperature, there could still be changing conditions that will make your decision on the proper wax a big mistake. They’ve simplified waxing and at the same time have also have increased the options – but, recreational skiers are mostly on waxless skis. Of course there are many different types of bases that provide the grip when needed to go up the hill but also allow the best glide on the flats and down hills. Enough said to acknowledge that the most significant aspect of ski fitting has to do with the weight of the skier, and the length and stiffness of the ski and the different waxless bases are subservient to these qualifications. The other issue is the width of the ski where a narrower ski is faster and usually does not control as well as a wider ski, but again the stiffness of the ski is relevant. If you are skiing in groomed tracks, the narrow lightweight waxless ski can provide excellent glides and it can still grip when needed, if the match is done well for skier weight, and ski stiffness and length. On another matter, many people glide and may provide better stopping capability, but depending on the skier, even edges may be of no consequence when in an emergency situation.

XC Skin Skis

Author Roger Lohr on Fischer Twin Skin Skis

The cross country ski waxless “skin” bases, use inserted mohair strips on the ski bottom, which are extremely effective for all temperatures and snow conditions. It is high performance waxless base technology for the classic skier, who prefers to use a waxless ski. The ski strips are like small climbing skins which are embedded in the base and they are resistant to icing because they have a Teflon-like coating. I’ve found that there are certain conditions where the performance of the skin skis are less than desirable such as when there are dirt and leaves on the trail.

XC Ski Bindings

Today people want the convenience of stepping down and snapping into the ski binding. One new concept is the adjustable binding. Technique, temperature and snow composition all have an influence on ski performance but the TURNAMIC® binding models provide tool-free adjustment for skiers to match their individual needs. Sliding the system forward provides more grip, while sliding it back will noticeably improve glide. With the optimized setup of the boot-binding-plate-ski components, TURNAMIC® gives you dynamic skiing performance like never before.

A suggestion is to find a cross country ski area or ski retailer that has a demo fleet of skin type skis from any product company and give them a try. Play with the binding settings on the ski binding to see the effect from adjustments on grip and glide. Expect the ski to perform better than you have ever experienced.

Of course you want some brand information and that is mostly beyond the scope of this content but with the Rossignol EVO skis, it’s easy for skiers to choose their model from the line of skis determined by the level of use or performance to suit the skier’s needs. The ski width would be based on where they’ll be skied and how much floatation is desired

The Spider 62 Crown is Fischer Nordic’s popular versatile ski for a variety of uses including machine-groomed tracks at the ski area, in man-made tracks, or on unmaintained terrain. This ski will not glide well compared to the lighter, narrower, stiffer line of XC skis. The Spider is available in three sizes, has a steel edge for control, and a base pattern that holds going uphill.

XC Ski Boots

Modern XC boots from the big brands.

The biggest change in XC skiing is that the ski boots are built for support, comfort, and warmth. XC boots should be easy to get on, well insulated, lightweight, stiff soled, keep you dry and most of all, feel like bedroom slippers. The plastic cuffs and straps around the shin will provide more support, but some higher-cut boots just keep the snow out and do not provide support. Molded footbeds are recommended (acquire them separately) and make sure that the fitting occurs with the socks that will be worn when skiing. Be aware of whether the XC ski boot is specifically for skating, backcountry, or general use. Make sure that the boot matches the binding. Salomon and Rottefella bindings need boots that go complement them; BC models have wider connections to a wider boot, etc.

It is recommended that XC ski equipment is tried prior to purchase and you can do that at an XC ski area or a demo held at an XC ski area. Again, it is likely that most of the demo gear is set up for advanced skiers rather than recreational. The XC ski area rental operations may very well have different recreational rental products for you to try. When in the retail store be mindful that retail salespeople should be cognizant of your needs (where you’ll mostly ski, how much performance you desire from glide or control, etc.) and that the products that you purchase fit your specific needs.

The issue of price is basic – you get what you pay for. If you save substantial money, you’ll likely be foregoing quality, performance, or fit. Expect a discount if you purchase a package of XC skis, bindings, boots and poles.

Happy hunting for the right gear.

This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com

Roger Lohr

Tips On Starting Nordic Skiing

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It’s Different, It’s Fun, It’s Accessible.

So you’ve decided to try cross country skiing, You can call it cross country skiing, Nordic skiing, XC skiing, or ski touring – when trying cross country skiing the first few times it may be a totally new experience for you and it may take time for you to become confident. Experienced cross country skiers might call you a first timer, beginner, novice skier, and even a “never-ever” but as with any recreational activity, if you do it a few times, it will become easier and more familiar. Cross country skiing can take a while to master, but it is outdoor fun even on the first time on skis.

Downhill Skiing Is Not The Same As Cross Country Skiing

Most people believe that if you are an alpine skier and have mastered the lift-served form of snowsports, that you can easily master cross country skiing. But alpine ski equipment is much heavier than cross country ski gear – the big plastic ski boots and wide skis provide substantially more support compared to cross country ski equipment. Snowplowing on cross country skis takes more technique to roll your ankles and hold/push the ski edge of the skis against the snow while you are moving. Even though both sports are on skis and on the snow, there are many differences between downhill skiing and cross country skiing.

Wobbly Feeling

Putting on the comfortable cross country ski boots, stepping on the bindings and attaching to the narrow skis, you may feel a bit wobbly at first. You’ll be gliding down the smallest incline and you may feel unsure, but bend your knees and try to relax. Don’t lean backwards – bend your knees and feel your weight on your heels and you’ll have more control.

You Will Fall Down

Accept that you will likely fall while cross country skiing. Everyone falls while cross country skiing sooner or later and the snow provides a soft landing. Getting up after a fall is sometimes complicated to orchestrate, but take your time to untangle and get to your knees. Once on your knees it should be easy to stand up.

Groomed Trails

Many people dream about cross country skiing as an adventure in the forest and down hills in the wild. The truth is that this form of recreation is much easier on groomed trails…that is, trails that have been packed and tracked by a machine. On groomed trails, it is easier to glide, easier to go up hills, and easier to control the speed going downhill with a snowplow technique. Cross country ski areas provide trail grooming and charge a fee to use the trails. The trail grooming, signage, maps, lodge facilities, and other services are definitely worth the fee. Most cross country ski areas do not allow dogs to use the trails, but some areas offer dog-friendly trails.

To find a cross country ski area, use the Internet or websites such as www.XCSkiResorts.com or the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (www.xcski.org). These areas often require a reservation to get a lesson, as they do not always have instructors on site, so visit an area’s website in advance to get their information.

Be Prepared

The typical safety concerns are prevalent with cross country skiing. Go out with someone else, take water and food, and have some additional clothing (dry gloves, hat, neck gaiter, etc.) in case it gets colder or snows. These concerns can arise if you take a wrong turn where you end up on a longer trail that you expected.

Hills

If the terrain that you are skiing on is perfectly flat, you should not have much problem on cross country skis but when there are hills, you’ll encounter the sport’s ups and downs. The first time going down a hill could be a bit frightening but as in any sport, with practice you will become more accustomed to the feeling…hopefully. It is best to get tips or a complete lesson. The various cross country ski techniques are taught by experienced or certified instructors at cross country ski areas. Most likely you have friends who try their best to provide insight on ways to master the skis. The former idea (with a certified ski instructor) is the better choice.

Get Out There

Cross country skiing provides one of the greatest full body workouts available as it uses all parts of the body’s muscle groups. You may not feel exhaustion while you are out on the trails, but your body is working hard and using unfamiliar muscles, so take it easy. It’s best to go on a short outing at first and build up the distance or time on the skis over multiple outings.

Getting information about equipment and the different forms of cross country skiing (on track, off track, skating, backcountry, etc.) can be found on the Internet and/or at a cross country ski area. It makes sense to rent your equipment the first couple of times to see if you like cross country skiing. Most ski areas have rental gear for first timers (skis are softer and wider) and for more athletic people (skis are narrower and more lively). The narrower skis will glide better and go faster, while the wider skis will allow more control but feel like they drag a bit on the flat terrain.

When you get ready to purchase equipment, talk with professionals at a cross country ski area or retail shop to make a decision about what to purchase, which will depend on your interests (on track, off track, control, performance, etc.). Once you become a cross country skier, you’ll look forward to when it snows and it will become a magical experience to enjoy every winter. Top photos, Fischer Skis, Bottom photo, Great Glen, NH

Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 26)

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Is Fitness On Your Mind These Days?, Harriet’s Hip Advice, Exercise Hacks Book Review, Questions For You.

Ski Tuck in June? Sure, say three Vermonters. See below for link to story in Powder Magazine. Credit: Connor Nash from Powder Magazine

The summer solstice has come and gone.  On solstice day, a northeastern Siberian town located above the Arctic Circle, recorded 100.4 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic since records have been kept.

In the East, an early summer heat wave continues, putting a damper on vigorous outdoor activities for seniors.

Or not.

Around our rural neighborhood, we’ve noticed several senior road cyclists riding solo in the heat of the day, temperature in the mid-90s, humidity up there, their gray hairs sticking out of their helmets giving them away.  Senior runners are out there, too. Wise to keep pumping? Witless for pushing the limit?

At our age, most readers engage as best they can in vigorous physical activity, snow sports in winter, other activities in non-snow months. The virus, however, is cramping our habits. Gyms are closed or opening under major constrictions; team sports are out, bike clubs are social-distancing and mask-wearing, and pools are off limits.

As a result, we know for a fact that some seniors are exercising with new behaviors perhaps unwisely, too much, in the heat, perhaps with existing injuries. We know because we are one. Too much aggressive yoga led to pulled muscles, shutting down our physical activities for weeks now.

It’s hard to ignore that our lives have changed in these times of the virus. What we need to understand is that new fitness habits have to be thought through so that our enthusiasm for that endorphin rush doesn’t compromise our bodies.

This Week.

In this week’s edition, we have a series of articles on fitness.  SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Harriet Wallis offers her advice on critical decisions prior to having a hip replacement.  Harriet should know; she has two new hips and two new knees.

We have also been sent a cool book on fitness for seniors.  K. Aleisha Fetters’ Fitness Hacks For Over 50 offers 300 ways to build easy fitness moves into everyday activities. It’s a very clever idea to get us to think of different ways to keep our bodies in motion.

The results of our Next Season Survey are in. Click here to review the highlights. Thanks so much for your participation. We had a 21% response rate which is very high for a publication like ours and evidence of the engagement of our readers.

We have some additional Questions For You this month, focusing on cross-country skiing and how frequently SeniorsSkiing.com should publish next season.  Please offer your thoughts.

And despite the oncoming of summer, three Vermonters found a way to ski left-over snow at Tuckerman Ravine in the White Mountains.  Click here for a link to this story from Powder Magazine about three lucky skiers who saw an opportunity ski the Ravine in late June.

Be safe, stay well. Remember there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

 

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Planning on Skiing Next Season? 92% of You Say YES!

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Based on the just completed SeniorsSkiing.com Reader Survey, 92% of you plan to go skiing next season. This, despite growing coronavirus concerns, especially within our age cohort.

You also weighed in on the importance of preventive measures ski areas can take to control the virus:

  • 86% of you consider continuous sanitizing in all public areas (e.g. dining, lodge, restrooms) to be extremely or very important
  • 74% say social distancing in dining areas, lift lines and other public spaces is extremely or very important.
  • 59% report use of face masks on lifts and in public spaces is extremely or very important.
  • 50% indicate daily limits on numbers of skiers and boarders are extremely or very important.

Almost 3,500 of 16,500 readers responded. That’s 21% of our growing subscriber base. Past survey response rates rage from 17.5% to 27.5%.

As to where you plan to ski, 40% will stay local; 56% will take one or more long distance ski trips and ski locally, and 25% will take one or more long distance trips.

Of those taking long distance trips, 42% will ski the US Rockies, 26% will ski the US West, 14%, each, will ski the Canadian Rockies and the US East, and 10% will ski in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or South America.

We also asked with whom you usually ski. The question listed “solo,”  “spouse,” “spouse and friends,” “friends,” “adult children,” “grandchildren,” etc. and gave you the opportunity to check “all the time,” “quite frequently,” or “somewhat frequently,” “rarely,” and “never.” Your responses, while not absolute, present a proportional picture:

  • 48% ski with friends all the time or quite frequently
  • 44% ski solo
  • 43% with spouse
  • 34% with spouse and friends
  • 25% with adult children
  • 16% with adult children and grandchildren
  • 10% with grandchildren

We’ll report on other findings in future issues, but one we thought you’d be interested in learning is the amounts you reported spending last season on all aspects of skiing (e.g. equipment, clothing, accessories, travel, lodging, food, lifts, etc.) for yourselves and others.

  • 51% less than $2500
  • 29% between $2500 and $5000
  • 19% more than $5000

The average respondent’s age is 69.8. Seventy-three percent are male; 27% female.

Thank you for taking the time to provide your points of view. We expect that your input, especially on next season’s plans, will help inform resort management decision-making.

The survey was conducted in early June using Survey Monkey. 

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Question For You 8: The XC Option

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What About Cross-Country?

Let’s imagine that the recovery from the Corona virus doesn’t go as we all hope it will.  And that by the time snow flies again in the mountains, the second wave has landed.  Ski resorts are either closed or postponing opening dates until later in the winter. Or ski resorts are limiting access through a lottery or other ways of restricting access. In other words, no or limited opportunities for Alpine skiing.

And backcountry may be discouraged for senior skiers because of the potential for deploying essential search and rescue personnel when they are needed elsewhere.

Got it?  So here’s the question:

Please write your response in the Reply Box below.

Given your attraction to snow sports and physical activity, if Alpine skiing is cancelled, delayed, or restricted, will you find opportunities to go cross-country skiing in parks, golf courses, open farm fields, even XC resorts?

old fashioned skier
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Question For You 9: SeniorsSkiing’s Publishing Schedule

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Is Once A Week Too Much?

The co-publishers are curious about how our readership feels about our publishing schedule.  Currently, SeniorsSkiing.com publishes a weekly edition from around the beginning of October to the end of April. We’ve heard from some readers that might be overkill. Others say, keep on keeping on. We have been struggling with the decisions.  Perhaps you can help.

How say you?

Please write your response in the Reply Box below.

Should SeniorsSkiing.com consider shifting its publishing schedule to twice a month versus once a week during the snow season?

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 22)

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Green Shoots On The Horizon (?), Yellowstone Opens, Season Ticket Puzzle, Bike Fit, Questions For You.

Superstar Killington, VT,  May 19, 2020 Credit: Killington/NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com

According to New England Ski Industry, early-open, late-close Killington resort has decided to pivot to golf on May 19th despite skiable conditions on one popular trail.  Indeed, as the photo shows, Superstar looks ready to go, top to bottom.  The resort closed on March 14, holding open a tendril of possibility of re-opening for some late season skiing. That’s not going to happen. Killington president Mike Solimano said that even if the resort opened with just one trail, a thousand visitors would show up, confounding any attempts at social-distancing.  For the first time in a long time, Killington has lost its “last-to-close” honor because four New Hampshire resorts closed four days later on March 18.

And so the chapter officially closes on the 2019-2020 season, one which currently finds snow falling in the Sierra and the White Mountains in May. It “coulda been a contenda” for a great season, but…

On the other hand, there are green shoots signaling a turning towards the direction of normal. For example, Yellowstone National Park is opening up this week in a series of cautious phases. Come to think of it, what a perfect place to be outdoors and stay isolated. Pitch your pup tent in one of the National Parks’ halycon camp sites, and you’re in lock-down in paradise. If you can get on the road, why not travel to a National Park near you?

Active Travel For Seniors

Which brings up a new feature series for SeniorsSkiing.com.  We’ve realized for a while that our readers are interested in active vacation travel.  Snow sports is just one part of the wide interests of our audience. So are many non-snow destinations and activities.  We’re going to be publishing stories about interesting places to go where you can be active, engage with nature, learn something new, and stay fit. We’re calling the series, “Active Travel For Seniors”.

Coincidentally, our first article is about Yellowstone opening up. Thanks to our new correspondent, Chicago-based Mira Temkin, you can read about its astonishing features and perhaps contemplate a camping/holiday trip into one of its isolated corners. That is, when you’re comfortable with traveling away from your confinement.

Our Looking Ahead Survey

One of our trademark practices at SeniorsSkiing.com is to keep in touch with our readers through online surveys. This spring, we’re going to ask you about how you see your snow sports activity unfolding in the fall. Realizing full-well that everything changes in one news cycle, we’d like to capture a snapshot of how you view the upcoming season as of late May, early June.  So look for the survey coming soon to your email box. And please respond. We will share that information with you when we sift through the data.

This Week

Harriet gets fit in a bike shop studio with an Oriental rug on the floor. Credit: Harriet Wallis

In addition to our inaugural Active Senior Travel story about Yellowstone, you can learn how to get your bike fit to your own peculiar metrics. Correspondent Harriet Wallis visits a pro bike fitter who explains the process.

We are also asking two Questions For You this week.  Questions For You is a new feature which provides you with an opportunity to sound off on a topic. From these collected comments come some themes and and ideas that we can use for future editorials as well as interesting connections between readers.  The Questions For You this week involve what you’re doing for fitness in these virus times and what ski resorts need to do to make you feel comfortable returning to the lifts.

We have also included a nostalgic tribute video story from Outdoor TV about the incomparably stylish Stein Eriksen. Check out his moves and those sweaters right here. 

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  We will get through these difficult times together. We plan to publish monthly through the summer until the snow starts to fly, as we know it will.  It always does.  And remember there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Yellowstone sits on top a thin part of the earth’s mantel, so hot springs are everywhere, heated by the planet’s core.

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Question For You 6: Next Season

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How Is This Going To Work?

Everyone in the ski business has been puzzling about next season and how it will unfold. Uncertainty brings with it lots of speculation about if, when, and how the ski industry will re-open. Even if it does re-open, whatever that means, will people show up? So our first Question For You this month is asking for specifics from your point of view.

Please write your response in the Reply Box below.

What will you need to see ski resorts do to make you feel comfortable about coming back next season?

 

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Question For You 7: Keeping Fit

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What’s Your Routine?

From our reader surveys, we know that our audience is interested in fitness and a variety of outdoor activities as a regular element of their lifestyles. Tennis, hiking, cycling, golf, kayaking, running are some of the top choices, however, we do have some equestrians, sailors, fishers, and weightlifters out there, among a bunch of other miscellaneous sports and exercises.

During these unprecedented times, we’re wondering how COVD-19 has affected your fitness regime. What have you stopped doing because of the virus threat? What have you started? What has helped you get moving (apps, online communities, family, Zoom, etc.)?

So here’s our Question For You:

How has the virus changed your usual fitness habits over the past two and a half months?

Please make a comment in the Reply Box below.

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 10)

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Season Wrap: It Was A Very Good Season Until It Wasn’t.

[Editor note: We’re including a few notable pics from the year to accompany this article.]

Credit: Taos

And so ends the sixth publishing year of SeniorsSkiing.com.  A little earlier than planned.  We had some spring skiing in mind around mid-March; we bet you did, too. Nothing is constant but change.

As we move into the blooming part of Spring 2020—the weather breaking, nature waking up—we have to be grateful for what we did have this year. So, in this last This Week of the publishing year, we are going to look back.

The Women’s World Cup on Thanksgiving Weekend at Killington was, luckily, an act of kindness from the snow gods. Thanks to an early snowstorm, there was snow for racing. And the East was poised to have another fantastic year. California also had a early snow. Hopes were up.  Little did we know the season would be U-shaped, snow-wise, when all was said and done. Rockies, BC, Northwest, mostly great to fantastic. The report card for 2019-20: All good West (not California), Meh, East. Maybe next year.

SeniorsSkiing.com continued to publish its directory of 157 ski resorts where seniors could ski for free or almost free. We defined almost free as deeply discounted lift tickets and season passes.  We keep uncovering more of these bargain spots, thanks, in part, to referrals from our readers. We can still download that directory. Note: You will have to re-enter your name and email to access subscriber-only content.

We also published our yearly list of skis for seniors, thanks to our partnership with Realskiers.com. That is still available, too, as a download. Note: You will have to re-enter your name and email to access subscriber-only content.

This season, we had technique tips from Bob Trueman, Pat McCloskey, and Marc Liebman, as well as a new Ask The Expert series, where reader questions were fielded by industry savants. We published personal memoirs about last turns of the season and Moriarty hats, profiles and obits of ski personalities, and fitness routines, personal stories of knee replacements, and health tips especially for seniors. We had a series of pre-season puzzles to keep readers’ interests engaged while we waited for the weather to turn colder.

We also published resort reviews, based on visits by our correspondents, and a collection of cross-country skiing articles, about places, technique, and news.

Correspondent Jan Brunvand captured an incident in action.

We were happy to publish the Skiing Weatherman’s weekly predictions all season long.  Thanks to Herb Stevens for delivering interesting analyses of how the weather works.  We actually learned a lot about troughs and ridges in the process.

We published over 20 Mystery Glimpse pictures contributed by the many fabulous ski museums around North America. In looking at your guesses, we realized there are many astute observers of ski history out there.  Thanks for playing the game.

This February, we had our second fundraiser. We were humbled and grateful for the wonderful contributions from our readers that will keep this enterprise going. 

Finally, this year’s Incidents And Accidents series has led to important recommendations, shaped by our readers, to make the on-slope experience safer for everyone.  We are currently bringing our findings to the ski industry for their reaction and action. We will report how that project is processing over the next few months.  Bear in mind, the ski business is pre-occupied with virus management, so we are treading carefully and patiently.

Our Magnificent Correspondents

SeniorsSkiing.com could not exist without the contributions of our correspondents, most of whom are professional journalists. Most of these writers have been with SeniorsSkiing.com since we started six years ago. We hope you appreciate their work; we can’t thank them enough.

This year’s regular contributors are:

  • Harriet Wallis, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Roger Lohr, Lebanon, NH
  • Tamsin Venn, Ipswich, MA
  • Pat McCloskey, Sewickley, PA
  • Marc Liebman, Savannah, TX
  • Don Burch, South Windsor, CT
  • Joan Wallen, Andover, NH
  • Bob Trueman, Welshpool, Wales
  • Herb “Skiing Weatherman” Stevens, Wakefield, RI
  • Mike Roth, Albany, NY
  • Rose Marie Cleese, San Francisco, CA
  • Yvette Cardozo, Issaquah, WA
  • Mary Jo Tarallo, Rehoboth Beach, DE

And thanks to the one-time contributors who made it to our pages.

This Week

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg reviews Roam Robotics Elevate, a computer-assisted exo skeleton, that supplies subtle support and a completely different approach to assistive ski devices.

We reveal last week’s Mystery Glimpse picture from the Tread Of Pioneers Museum, Steamboat Springs, CO.  One reader did a Sherlock-like job connecting the dots, deducting the right answer by reading the clues in the article and pic. Nice work.

We reprise a verse from Two Tramps In Mud Time, by Robert Frost, which fits the temperament of April. We have also included a link to Frost reading the poem himself. The Snow In Literature series has been fun for us to curate, and we’re glad we’ve reached a number of readers. Just shows you there’s another part of winter besides resorts, skis, gear, etc.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Take good care in these disruptive days. We will publish monthly over the non-snow months. 

Remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Sunday River, ME

 

 

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Snow In Literature: Two Tramps In Mud Time (Excerpt)

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[Editor Note: This time of the year, we like to re-publish this verse from Frost’s Two Tramps In Mud Time. We also note that we’ve published a number of Frost’s poems in our Snow In Literature this publishing year. Unintended.  But his words reflect the world of people who know winter and all it brings. You can listen to Frost himself reading the whole poem by clicking on the YouTube link at the bottom.]

By Robert Frost

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 3)

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Biding Time With Classic Books, Incidents And Accidents Editorial, Question For You, Mystery Racer, Nordic Walking, Transition To Cycling.

Like you, we are grounded. Yard work, walking, Zoom with old friends, carefully going to the Post Office, watching Netflix, reading, practicing new music, all the activities you are probably doing.

One rainy afternoon found us sorting through the books at the bottom of one of our many book shelves. Among old titles (Moulton “Monk” H. Farnham’s Sailing For Beginners [1967] and James F. Fixx’s Complete Book Of Running[1977]), we found two classics. Skiing With Pfeiffer (1958) was an early instruction book by the venerable Doug Pfeiffer, a natural teacher whose careful and precise dissection of turns and techniques and easy writing style set the standard for all that would follow. Doug gave me a copy of his book back in 1971 when I was at SKIING magazine, and he was the Editor-In-Chief.  His inscription: “A collector’s item for Mike Maginn. Doug Pfeiffer.” That item is still in the collection, Doug.

Here’s the front cover.

And the back cover. Note the comments from “Pleasure-Loving Weekend Skiers”.

Perhaps the greatest adventure we had at SKIING back in those days was participating in the Great Washington’s Birthday Cross-Country Ski Race in Putney, VT. This race was modeled after the people’s races in Scandinavian countries, not quite the Vasaloppet, but still a large group of both racers and fun skiers all dashing across snow-covered farm fields and into the woods.  We looked forward to participating along with Associate Editor John Henry Auran and some other staff members. The problem was I had never cross-country skied.  In fact, I had never heard of it. After all, XC was the “newest” sport in the snow world and a little esoteric.

So, Executive Editor Al Greenberg gave me a lesson in his office, showing me how to shuffle, “like you’re wearing bedroom slippers”, and how to swing arms.  Then, I bought the book below by Johnny Caldwell, Olympic skier and coach, at the Scandinavian Ski Shop on East 57th Street when I picked up my wooden skis, wax kit, and kangaroo skin boots.  It is truly a classic. Note the back cover comment about how the Cross Country “contagion is spreading”.  Not a great metaphor these days.

Do you still have classics like these sleeping on your library shelves? If you do, tell us about them. What surprises can you find between those covers? Why are you keeping them?  Let us know in the Reply box below. We’d like to know.

This Week

Correspondent Jan Brunvand captured an incident in action.

SeniorsSkiing.com is publishing an editorial calling for action from the ski industry and resort management to address the conditions that our readers have reported all season long in our Incidents And Accidents series. We plan to promote the action item called for in the editorial and get some discussion going in industry circles. Please let us know what you think about our approach.

We are continuing our Question For You series, this time asking what changes you would like to see in the Responsibility Code that might help mitigate some of the issues readers have reported in our Incidents And Accidents series. Our readers input was instrumental in framing the problem of out-of-control skiers/boarders. Now, you can help us develop at least part of a solution.

Correspondent Pat McCloskey offers his advice for transitioning to cycling. His comments make sense, especially for those who haven’t been cycling for a while.

Add Nordic walking to your virus-beating activities to stay in shape.

XCSkiResorts publisher Roger Lohr gives tips on how to do Nordic walking, basically walking with poles that reportedly burns a lot more calories than regular walking. There are right and wrong ways to do this; watch the short video in his story to learn the technique.

Finally, our Mystery Glimpse picture from Tread Of Pioneers Museum is a racer who was in a movie. Check it out here. Last week’s picture from the Journal of the New England Ski Museum was Pete Seibert in the years just before he started thinking about where to build a resort in the Vail Pass. There’s a short video included about Pete’s famous hike into Vail’s back country where he first spotted the landscape that would become the resort.

Thanks to our Skiing Weatherman Herb Stevens who as supplied interesting, informative, and instructional weekly snow forecasts all season long. We appreciate his professional approach and look forward to seeing his column again next season.

Thank you, dear readers, for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Please take care of yourself and be diligent about following CDC guidelines. And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Remember those blue bird days.

 

Editorial: Too Many Incidents And Accidents

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It’s Time To Update The Responsibility Code.

Whoops.

Many senior snow sports enthusiasts have been participating in the sport for decades, in some cases, starting as children or high school or college students. Each year, they return to the ski hills, older, less strong, less stamina, but still dedicated to the sport they love.

They come back despite the concern that most senior skiers share: Getting hit and injured by another skier/boarder.

In late spring 2019, SeniorsSkiing.com conducted its annual survey of readers. Among other topics, we asked what most aggravated them about their on-slope experience.

About half reported they experienced a variety of near-misses, injuries, or dangerous behavior of others. A subsequent SeniorsSkiing.com article reported on the writer being blind-sided by another skier who left the scene. This prompted additional comments from other readers expressing dismay and anger about being involved in similar incidents.

Sensing a need for our readers to express their views about these on-hill collisions and near-misses, we launched “Incidents And Accidents”, a series of personal reports from readers in an attempt to further understand and communicate what was happening. We asked readers to report what occurred and what lessons they learned from the experience.

The combination of comments to Incidents And Accidents and the open-ended responses to the survey formed a clear picture of what seniors saw happening on ski slopes that made them cautious, apprehensive, angry, and even frightened about the sport they’ve been engaged in for so many years.

Their observations can be grouped into three categories:

1) Skiers/boarders skiing out of control or too fast for conditions or their skill level,

2) Reckless and rude skiers/boarders distracted, stoned, intoxicated, or not paying attention, and

3) Skiers/boarders not following proper rules of conduct, ignoring trail etiquette, violating right-of-way protocols, and/or not warning about passing.

Too much speed, lack of attention, and non-compliance with standard on-slope protocols are the dangers. These behaviors result in actual or potential accidents and collisions, leaving senior skiers annoyed and disappointed in how their sport is conducted.

Readers report a) being hit from behind sometimes with serious, long-term injuries; b) being passed too close by a speeding skiers/boarders; c) reckless emergence from side trails or trail junctions, and, perhaps most unsettling, d) being knocked down and the other party not remaining at the scene.

As a result, senior skiers devised their own self-protection tactics, adapting their on-snow experience to better deal with potential injury.

Our readers report adopting a number of self-protection tactics. These include a) avoiding crowds or crowded days; b) staying away from beginner areas; c) maintaining a predictable rhythm of turns; d) vigilantly monitoring surroundings and uphill activity, and e) remaining with friends. Basically, they are skiing defensively at all times, some to the point of being ultra, self-consciously cautious on the slopes.

They have also prescribed actions to take if there is a collision, namely, get an ID from the other party, taking a picture of both the ID and the other’s face with a Smartphone, and report the incident to ski patrol and the resort. If circumstances warrant, call 911 or the police, especially if there are serious injuries involved.

That our senior readers—long time veterans of the sport—have generated their own rules and guidelines for dealing with out-of-control skiers/boarders is telling. While they have learned to adapt, they have done so in the absence of more proactive efforts by ski resorts to curb out of control behaviors.

Skiing/boarding without fear of getting hit wouldn’t be such an issue if resorts stepped up to their responsibility to keep all customers safe.

When we asked our readers for advice on what ski resorts can do to better control danger on the slopes, their solutions were insightful. Rather than put the task of enforcing rules squarely on Ski Patrol whose primary function is rescue and trail management, readers recommend ski resorts create a new role of “Safety Guard” who can be visibly monitoring critical hot spots. Safety Guards can pull tickets, track violators, and bring offenders into “time out”. The resort can establish a system where repeat offenders are barred. Resorts can also visually post the number of tickets pulled in a day. Some resorts already use these tactics. For example, Vail is a pioneer in posting and enforcing ski safe rules.

While enforcement and monitoring is critical to making a safe skiing/boarding policy stick, there is an important role for greater awareness and education. Our readers state that resorts should invest in posting the Responsibility Code more prominently. They also recommend displaying the Code and the ski patrol’s hot line number on lifts, in restaurants, and on runs.

Where do new skiers/boarders learn the Responsibility Code? In lessons where instructors can explain the Code and interpret situations in real time so students can learn to identify what to do.

Finally, to make all these provisions work, ski resorts need to design and implement a safety process. To take the role of monitoring and enforcement seriously, the resort needs to collect incident reports in a consistent and timely manner, analyze the data collected, report it to customers, and use that data to inform policy and decisions.

Recommendations To Ski Area Operators and The Ski Industry: Update The Responsibility Code

At this writing, Vail Ski Resort, CO, has a model program that other resorts can learn from. Its Mountain Safety Program includes a comprehensive list of activities. Education, enforcement, monitoring are keystones. Slow zones and high traffic areas get special attention. Tickets are lifted and daily enforcement results are posted for all to see. At Vail, on-hill safety is a managed priority.

It would be ideal if other resorts copied or adopted a Vail-like program. It wouldn’t take much for resort management to create a new role of Safety Manager who can implement new monitoring and enforcement procedures, perhaps adding responsibilities to an existing position. Also, the national snow sport organizations can help with a set of suggested ideas for the position of Safety Manager with a job description and on-snow deployment techniques and interactions with staff and guests

Right now, resorts have a wide-ranging and inconsistent set of initiatives—and attitudes—when it comes to programs like this. Industry guidance would be helpful in creating consistency and momentum, but that’s not going to happen next season.

So we ask ski resort management and the ski industry to take a small, simple step that will bring attention to on-slope safety and may actually help invigorate awareness of the problem.

Our readers have told us they see an opportunity to update the Responsibility Code, the ski industry’s only guidelines for on-snow safety that hasn’t substantively changed since it was created in the mid-1970s.

SeniorsSkiing.com believes there should be a new provision to “Stay On The Scene” in case of an accident as well as “Provide or Call Help For A Downed Skier/Boarder”. While we’re at it, why not review the other rules and bring them up to date.

These are common sense additions that can help prevent bad situations from becoming worse. Adding these to an updated Code is doable, reasonable, and non-controversial.

It’s up to the ski industry and resort management to decide how to address the on-slope safety issue for everyone, not just seniors. Resorts can consider naming a Safety Manager, enlisting Safety Guard volunteers, and creating awareness with signage and messaging.  Those steps require leadership, commitment, and investment. They are also low cost, high impact.

And, right now, the ski industry can update the Responsibility Code, one simple step that can be done easily, signaling a broad-based effort to curtail unsafe behavior on the hill.

Let’s start there.

 

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Question For You: 5

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We Need Your Ideas.

Correspondent Jan Brunvand captured an incident in action.

Our editorial this week calls for the ski industry to re-consider the Responsibility Code with the goal of reducing on-slope collisions, near misses, and even hit-and-runs. This is a serious problem that we’ve explored all season in our Incidents And Accidents series. While a comprehensive solution requires leadership, commitment, and investment by resort management, SeniorsSkiing.com believes a simple, realistic, feasible, and achievable first step is for the industry to update the Responsibility Code.

What do you think? How would you update or amend the Responsibility Code to reflect today’s reality?

Please respond in the Reply Box below.

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Mar. 27)

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Onwards, Reporting On Your Comments, New Question For You, Skiing Weatherman, Cool Sun Glasses, Poetry For These Times, XC Skiing Still Viable, Sugarloaf Resort Review, Stow Your Gear.

Postmasters Andrea and Brenda at our little country post office were so helpful in mailing fund raiser tote bags. Thanks so much.

Winding down, changing pace, and adapting to new circumstances has become the order of the day. At SeniorsSkiing.com, we are still publishing relevant articles for our readership that will in some small way briefly divert attention away from the pandemic and, at the same time, provide stories that deliver some insight about how to deal with it.

Last week, we offered our readers an opportunity to respond to three questions revolving around the resort shut down, alternative activities, and advice. The response has been overwhelming.  We received more comments on those questions than any article in our six year history.  So, we decided to summarize those replies and offer you the highlights of what your fellow senior snow sports enthusiasts are thinking and feeling these days.

Your comments reflect a thoughtful attitude, kind and understanding, and creative, even resolute, in adjusting to the world of social distancing. Thank you for your contributions.

We decided to add another question in this week’s addition.  A little prosaic, perhaps, but timely. Let’s see what you think about buying lift passes this spring.

Finally, we’re happy to report that all our fundraiser premiums—stickers, patches, tote bags— have been mailed. You should have received your packages or envelopes by now.  Many thanks to the tireless postmasters at our little country post office who handled the load.  Brenda and Andrea, you rock.  We gave them some SeniorsSkiing.com tote bags as thank you gifts.

This Week

As we mentioned, we’re feeding back your comments on our open ended questions from last week, and asking a new question for you. Click here and here for summaries. Please comment in the Reply Box at the bottom of article.

Spring storms have brought snow to many areas. Get your outdoor fix by enjoying the outdoors with XC.

Irony reigns as Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, reports late season snow is on the way. So there will be Nordic skiing opportunities at the beginning of April. If you’re in snow country, it’s not over yet.

XCSkiResort.com’s publisher Roger Lohr reminds us that Nordic skiing is still available to many and brings lots of benefits in fighting COVID-19.  Read his report here.

That young racer from last week’s Mystery Glimpse was Nancy Greene-Raine, Canada’s sweetheart and an active player in the snow sports industry in North America. Nancy spent about a decade serving in the Canadian legislature as senator from British Columbia. One of our readers actually skied with her a couple of weeks ago at Sun Peaks! We have included a video news interview with her that was recorded just before she retired where she describes her gold medal win in the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. Our new Mystery Glimpse shows a dude in some cool sunglasses.  Guess who.

We are reprising a story from last year on how to stow away your skis and gear. Correspondent Don Burch has some good advice, and since you probably have some time on your hands, it might be useful to be vigilant about taking care of your equipment.

Sugarloaf from the air on a beauty of a bluebird day.

We have one final Resort Review this season from correspondent Tamsin Venn who reports on Sugarloaf, the beautiful, big resort in western Maine that straddles the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. She managed to get a weekend of skiing in before the big shut down.  Perhaps her story will stir some memories of your season ending runs.

Finally, we include a special poem in our Snow In Literature series.  This one, Wendell Berry’s The Peace Of Wild Things, offers nature and the natural world as a potion for these uncertain times.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

 

 

bird
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Snow In Literature: The Peace Of Wild Things

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[Editor Note: While this poem doesn’t mention snow, it does reflect our readers’ affinity to the outdoors and the balm of the natural world. We offer it for your reflection in these unusual times.]

By Wendell Barry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

 

Jon Weisberg

Resort Management Made the Right Call

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Resort management made the right call when they decided to close. That’s the opinion of more than 25% of the SeniorsSkiing.com readers responding last week to the question asking how you felt about the season’s early end, whether you were done, and if you had more turns to make?

It was one of three questions we posed to get a general sense of how you felt about the impact of early closures due to COVID-19. 

I’m reporting on your responses to Question #1, the one in italics in the first paragraph above. See Mike’s separate report on your responses to Questions #2 and #3.

None of this is scientific, but it does reveal your overall concern for the well being of resort employees and the businesses relying on skiers as customers.

Many of you also commented that your ski plans were interrupted mid-trip. 

  • Monique and her husband landed in France for a Club Med ski vacation at Les Arcs, just as the European travel ban started. They caught an early flight home. Two days later all French resorts ceased operations. 
  • Ski club trip leader Cathy Meyer had 39 people signed up for a visit to Winter Park. Nine cancelled when they learned about COVID-19. The rest flew out only to learn the resort was closing. They all flew back home.
  • Ulf in Sweden wrote, “In Sweden the ski areas are still open and we have plenty of snow in the north, but in Norway the ski areas are shut down.” I just checked to see if that’s still the situation. It is.

Putting it all in perspective is this comment from Vail skier, David Orlinsky: “First year since retirement I didn’t ski my age. Definitively didn’t get enough but ‘life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.’ “

In summary, most respondents understand why resorts chose to close and, despite the disappointment of a truncated season, are supportive,. 

mikemaginn

What You’re Saying: Wisdom And Kindness

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Activities and Advice

Appleton Farms, Hamilton, MA

Our editorial intuition proved to be correct when we decided to ask you, our dear readers, about your reactions to the current situation we are all facing and the premature shuttering of ski resorts and snow-sports related activities. In fact, we had more responses to the three questions we posed last week than any other article we’ve published in the six years SeniorsSkiing.com has been around.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.  Here are some take-aways from taking a close look at your responses to a couple of questions.

When you look at Question 2: What outdoor activities are you doing these days?  we find some clear themes.

  • The top two activities you are engaging in are walking/hiking and biking.  Clearly our active senior group is selecting heart-rate-raising activities that keep you in shape. Those two activities combined represented 50 percent of responses. 
  • Yard work, house projects, and gardening followed. According to Tom K., “Hiking, yard cleanup and I may start a garden. I tried a garden 15 years ago and gave up because I never realized how much physical labor goes into a garden.”  Work it out, Tom. Tell us about those tomatoes when they come up.
  • There is a smaller group of readers who are also doing quiet things: reading, watching television, and researching.  Reader Larry McDonald has been looking back into the history of the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic.  Here’s his comment: “Historical research here in one of Colorado’s virus hotbeds, Gunnison. Must not have learned much from 1918, as Gunnison was an “escape community” back then with 0 deaths during the first two waves, and just a few during the 3rd deadly wave. Just google Gunnison flu 1918. Plenty of historic cemeteries and ghost towns around here to see the impact it had back then.” We did google that, Larry, and found that Gunnison escaped the worst of the flu through strict precautions. 
  • The remainder of activities you’re engaging in range from riding motorcycles and horses, to golfing, tennis, kayaking, playing music, fishing, prepping boats, and, yes, skiing.  There are a couple of folks who plan to continue to ski either by skinning up mountains or cross-country.
  • And just a few of you report you will be “working“. 

What About Advice?

As far as Question 3: What advice would you give seniors facing indefinite isolation?, your words of wisdom revolve around getting outside, staying in shape, staying connected and staying busy with a variety of tasks.

Some  comments were funny (“Binge eat”), therapeutic (“Gargle with saline solution”), or practical (“Make sure you have enough provisions”). 

Others reflected a sense of community. “Do what you can for others” came up often, including offering food, money, or just contact to others. 

One comment really struck us in its inherent kindness.

Reader Bob Ohrt said, “We are some of the most fortunate people in the world, share the blessings a bit more. There are those all around us, and there are about to be a lot more, living on the edge of making it by. Give what you can for others; give money, food, even just a smile. We have all been in tough places and somebody helped, pass it forward. It is our time, that is how a younger generation will learn to do the same.”

Indeed, it’s our time.  Thanks, readers,  for sharing your wisdom and kindness.

Sunday River, aerial view.

question for you 4
seniorsskiing

Question For You: 4

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Seeking Your Insights Again.

Last week, we experimented with asking questions about how you are coping with the pandemic. Your response was overwhelming.  This week, we’re going to ask again.  This time, we seek your advice about a more practical matter. Let’s try connecting again.

If you’re buying a pass for next season, which one are you buying? Why? If not buying, why not?

Please respond in the Reply Box below.

make more tracks 01
Roger Lohr

If Snow, Then XC

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XC Offers Outdoors, Social Distancing, Exercise, Relaxation.  Go If You Have Snow.

Editor Note: This article was first published in XCSkiResorts.com.  Thanks to publisher Roger Lohr for allowing us to reprint it.

Spring storms have brought snow to many areas. Get your outdoor fix by enjoying the outdoors with XC.

There have been plenty of COVID-19 perspectives and statements from alpine skiing-oriented associates such as ski area operators, marketers and media, product suppliers, and retailers. Rather than recommending people consider go XC skiing, most of them are overlooking it as a great alternative to their now off-limits alpine ski on-snow activities.

 Let’s check the boxes related to XC skiing in relation to the COVID-19 situation:

 Social Distancing – CHECK

There should be no worries about skiing too close to anyone when you are on the XC ski trails, whether those trails are groomed or ungroomed.  It is easy to keep six feet distance from others while skiing. You can ski and socialize with others on the XC ski trails while being far enough apart to prevent transmission of the virus.

Commercial XC ski areas closed down lodging, food & beverage service, rental and lesson services, etc. But some are still grooming the ski trails for skiers to use. According to Jackson Ski Touring, they spend $600-1,000 per night to groom about 15 km of trails, so they are asking skiers to make an on-line donation. Some XC ski areas are offering free access to their trails and at some point very soon, all trail grooming will cease, but XC skiers can go on ungroomed trails depending on the snow conditions and the equipment that they use. Skiers should be aware of the snow conditions as the trails could be dangerously icy.

 Physical Fitness – CHECK

The sport of XC skiing requires the use of both lower and upper body and these muscle groups work together for a true total body workout, which turns up the metabolism. XC skiing is one of the best aerobic exercises and with all of the body’s muscles working together, no single muscle is overstressed. This allows participants to keep up the pace without stopping and it helps maintain an elevated heart rate to build cardiovascular strength, which will improve blood flow and oxygen levels.

 As a low-impact exercise, XC skiing keeps you properly balanced and you’re not over-stressing any part of the body. It is a great exercise for those who have difficulty doing other types of workouts that are harder on the joints and muscles.

 XC skiers move across different types of uphill and downhill terrain and many different muscles are used in the process. This makes XC skiing one of the best exercises burning up to 1,112 calories per hour!

 Psychological & Spiritual Fitness – CHECK

There is evidence for the effectiveness of exercise in patients with panic disorder who can benefit by a number of psychological factors such as increased self efficacy, a sense of mastery, distraction, and changes of self-concept. XC skiing can instill a sense of pride and confidence and allow the mind a pathway to escape from everyday stress. Exercise is said to cause the brain to release beta endorphins, which are essential in relieving pain and creating a sort of euphoric or light happy feeling. For more info, click the article A Remedy for Anxiety and Depression.

 Among the benefits of XC skiing, the clean air and scenic views associated with XC skiing outdoors on the snow in the winter will help reduce stress and help you relax. There is something truly special about being in the mountains surrounded by trees and animals.

 According to the book, The Nature Fix, there is an increasing amount of biological, psychological, and medicinal scientific evidence regarding spending more time outdoors in nature. Over the years, efforts have been made to quantify nature’s impact on mood, well being, ability to think (remember, plan, create) and sociability. The hypothesis involves lowering human stress, boosting mental health, restoring attention, empathy, and cognitive clarity. Nature also affects a social component like the feeling that is shared among people who spend time together outdoors or people who perform exceeding acts of kindness in the aftermath of a severe environmental event such as a tornado, earthquake, firestorm, and such.

Free Benefits

XC skiing may not be a cure-all for COVID-19, but it definitely is something that the doctor might order if he or she were aware of the FREE physical, mental and spiritual health benefits provided by this outdoor recreation on the snow. XC skiing outdoors can be a great panacea for tough times and Erin Zell of Galena Lodge in Idaho commented, “I think a lot of people are feeling like being in the outdoors is a safe route to go.”

 We should get outdoors and be hopeful that similar to other devastating events in the past, the world will move on and get back to normal as soon as possible.

Herb Stevens

Skiing Weatherman: More Snow Coming. No Kidding.

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Late Season Snow Opens Nordic Opportunities.

As the coronavirus situation has continued to unfold and expand, the curtain has all but come down on the alpine season across North America. Nevertheless, lovers of the great outdoors continue to find ways to ingest their fair share of fresh air by a variety of different means, including cross country skiing aficionados. At last count, 17 Nordic centers around the country remain open.  For those of you who will continue to rack up the kilometers as we move through early spring, here’s this week’s weather outlook.

This season now has all the earmarks of ending up with bookends in terms of jet stream patterns. You may recall that November got us off to a quick start as the jet stream aligned itself in a fashion favorable for the delivery of early season cold to the lower 48 states. Here in the East, as the calendar turned from October to November, the folks at Killington were very nervous about the prospect for the Women’s World Cup event scheduled for late that month. However, when the Women’s White Circus showed up three weeks later, the reversal of weather fortunes made for another hugely successful weekend of racing.

And then came the rest of the winter. As I discussed a couple of weeks ago, the Midwest and East got locked into a highly unfavorable jet steam setup that, unfortunately, made it very difficult for cold air masses to stick around for a while. Well, that appears to be about to change, which should help to extend the Nordic season.

In a nutshell, an upper level trough is going to set up shop over the eastern half of North America later next week. At the same time, a blocking ridge will be in place over Greenland. It was the LACK of a blocking ridge in that position that allowed cold air masses to slide right off the continent when they did manage to make a push into the Midwest and East. Cold air is not as abundant as it was one or two months ago, but there is enough available to flow into a trough and lead to late season snow. That scenario is on the table around April 3-5 in the Northeast. Here is a look at the expected pattern on the morning of the April 3:

A deep trough centered over eastern New York will provide the focus for the cold air. The trough may want to progress eastward into the north Atlantic, but the ridge that extends from Labrador to Greenland will resist and force the trough to only slowly move toward the ocean. It is important to also know that near the center of circulation of troughs, the air is rising and cooling to a greater extent than at points further away from the center. This further suggests that eastern New York and northern New England could very well pick up a substantial late season snowfall next weekend. That’s great news for Nordic touring centers from the Adirondacks to the mountains of Maine. As long as the ridge remains over Greenland, the colder air will stick around, just like in November.

Here Are The Regional Details.

Northwest U.S./western Canada: A season of abundant snowfall shows no signs of quitting. The hits will keep on coming in this part of the world for the next couple of weeks at least.

Sierra: While the amounts won’t be as prodigious as further north, the proximity of a trough not far offshore should produce several meaningful snowfalls in the next two weeks.

Northern Rockies: The storms that continue to bury the coastal ranges will move inland and keep this part of the U.S. and adjacent Canada in the crosshairs for solid snowfalls for the foreseeable future.

Central and southern Rockies: In the absence of an El Nino, it is tough to grind much snow out of the southern branch of the jet stream late in the season. Northern stream systems will graze these areas from time to time and provide several lighter snowfalls.

Midwest: Other than across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, snowfall is a long shot the rest of the way in the middle of the country.

Northeast/Quebec: Next weekend looks like the best opportunity for late snow. Based on what has happened the past few weeks, northern Maine and adjacent Quebec won’t see bare ground for many weeks to come.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your sliding and your summer.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Mar. 20)

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Hold Fast, James Niehues Paints Mountains, Emily’s Poem To Spring, Ski Diva Perspective, Senior Group At Powder Mountain, Weatherman Says More Snow, Mystery Racer.

Spring Arrives Tonight.

The irony is sardonic. The snow-starved Sierra is finally getting yards of snow, Easter will most likely have another coating in New England at higher elevations. And no lifts are turning.  Normal is upside down.

Ski towns are discouraging second-home owners from taking shelter in rural areas, some resorts are giving out food to employees. Waterville Valley, NH, the last remaining operator in the Northeast, is finally closing down, despite their elaborate precautions. “Our continuing operations have been met with outcry by many who choose to misrepresent our efforts and have created an environment that has incited people to act irresponsibly to the point of becoming abusive and threatening to our staff,” says this week’s press release.  What used to be a mecca for cheerfulness, easy-going-ness, and fun has turned rough with people rubbing each other the wrong way. Irony.

We know this period of time is unsettling, uncertain, ambiguous, and, to some, quite frightening. During this disruption, we feel it is critical to remember what is still important and always will be. For example, pay attention to your fitness. You might be doing some backcountry skiing, or skinning at closed ski areas. Please be careful and make sure you know what you are doing.  First responders are pre-occupied these days. We’re taking long walks and doing yoga at home guided by a wonderful app called Down Dog, which will be offered free until April 1.

Another priority is to connect. We’re going to be isolated, dear readers. That is not a good thing for seniors in normal times, and even more stressful now. So, here’s what we propose. We are going to offer our readers a chance to connect with like-minded folks through a simple idea.  We’re going to pose some questions you can respond to in the Reply Box for each question. Respond to the questions, to each other’s comments, start a dialogue, connect. What we’re trying to do is create a place for exchanging ideas, offering support, referring to resources, or whatever falls out.  Please give it a go.  We have no idea how this experiment will turn out, but it is worth a try.  We already know our readers have lots to say.  So, let’s hear from you.

Finally, folks, it’s Spring. Yes, it is snowing in places. But here we are, on the other side of winter. We saw our first robin on our walk yesterday.  Look for yours.

Check out Jon’s comments in Short Swings this week for his perspective on dealing with the current crisis.

Hold Fast.

This Week

A poem from Emily Dickinson helps put spring in perspective. Welcome Spring and notice the crocuses coming up in your walks.

Our friend and colleague the Ski Diva has published an important summary of what’s going on in the ski industry since the advent of the virus. An important read.

Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, reports on snow coming for Easter. Oh well.  You can probably go x-c skiing or snow shoeing if you’re living in the right places.

Niehues’ trail map of Vail. Complex, broad, beautiful.

We feature James Niehues’ work, the Man Who Paints Mountains.  Actually, he is an artist who has created ski maps for hundreds of ski resorts across the globe.  He’s published a book of his work which, as you know if you’ve ever really looked closely at a trail map, is incredible.

Salt Lake City correspondent Harriet Wallis tells us about a special senior week in small groups run by a couple at Powder Mountain, UT. It is an interesting idea: great food, mountain-side lodging, kindred spirits.

Our Mystery Glimpse this week features a young woman who should be familiar to many readers. And those colorful gondolas? Crested Butte.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Tell your friends about us, and, remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.