Yvette Cardozo

Something New: A Limo To The Snow

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Other Things To Do In Winter (Part 3): Ride The Snow In Style.

Snow Limo takes a non-skier not only up the mountain but also down a ski trail. Credit: Sun Peaks Snow Limo Tours.

There IS a way to experience skiing, even if you don’t ski. Or close to it, since you will be coming down an actual ski slope, keeping up with skiers.

Only thing is you will be sitting down.

The device that enables this experience is called a Snow Limo. It looks kind of like a dog sled basket, complete with guide behind. The guide, who is on skis, controls the sled’s speed and direction. You just sit there and enjoy the ride.

It’s really popular with parents (think non-skiing moms) who want to watch their kids actually ski, not just skid to a stop at the village.

Various folks have estimated that perhaps as many as 15 percent of ski resort visitors don’t ski. Perhaps they never learned, they think they’re now too old, or have injuries that have prevented them from getting on-slope.

Riding down the ski slopes of Sun Peaks Resort in a Snow Limo is especially popular with parents who want to see their kids skiing. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort

The original sled, then called “Sno-Limo,” was created more than a decade ago by Paul Auger, of Whistler, and his brother Guy. They wanted to get their 83-year-old mother onto the ski trails to see her grandkids ski. The two, with their father, Bill, designed basically a cross between a dog sled basket and an adaptive ski sled with a way to tether a skiing “chauffeur” behind to guide the sled.

It took them four years of tinkering, but they eventually designed something that is easy to steer, easy to stop and easy to load onto a chair lift. Not unlike a dog sled, there is an emergency brake and the guides each carry a cell phone for emergencies.

Thanks to a broken ankle, I wasn’t skiing this trip, so it seemed like the perfect time to try this out.

So, what is it like?

I climbed in and company owner Mike Pfeil guided me to the lift. As the chair came around, he lifted the back end of the sled, and we slid onto the chair. At the other end, we simply glided down the ramp.

And then we were off, wind in my face.

It was exciting as we leaned into curves and sped alongside the skiers. It seems even faster than you expect since you are so close to the ground. My biggest problem was trying not to lean into turns. You are supposed to let the guide do all the leaning and steering.

Mike has three flavors of ride: a gentle 30 minute ride down the green Five Mile run, more adventurous blue intermediate runs for an hour and a special two-hour package for the even more adventurous where the guide will take the passenger down more narrow runs. His guides don’t go on black expert runs, though.

The ride is also a good way for a non-skier to do the mid-week resort fondue dinner at the Sunburst Bar & Eatery. You take the chair lift up at twilight and enjoy a three course fondue meal, complete with Swiss music. Then you ride down in the snow limo, equipped with lights for night. And if the night is clear, you’ve got starlight to accompany you.

Just about any age can do this. Mike says the oldest person was a woman who was 97. The youngest he will take is five.

For more on Snow Limo At Sun Peaks Resort, click here. 

A guide controls the speed and direction and the sled loads onto the ski lift for the ride up. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort

BowlerSkier_489
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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 2)

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ReaderReport, Free Senior Ski Listing, Mystery Glimpse Returns, Sample Song From Ray Conrad, Fifth Anniversary Bash Coming Up.

Last week, we put out a call to our readers to submit stories, photos, and videos about their own snow sport experiences.  Memories, history, adventures, recommendations, you name it. In response, reader Alyce Perez sent in pictures of her skiing at Mt. Snow in October, the first time in her 41 years of skiing that she skied before Halloween.  Thanks, Alyce. Check out her smiling after a run here.

Now for the rest of you, let’s hear your tales. Just drop us a note or pictures to info@seniorsskiing.com, and we’ll follow up. Friends and family will be impressed.

Free Skiing For Seniors 2018-19

After weeks of checking and re-checking our listing of resorts where seniors can ski for free (or almost free) is ready for publication.  This year, we have identified 138 resorts in the US and Canada which offer free or very small fee tickets and passes to seniors.

We believe we are the only snow sports publication with this list which we have developed with the National Ski Areas Association and have been compiling for our readers for the past four years.

If you are a subscriber, you can access our 2018-19 list of where to ski for free (or almost free) by clicking the Subscriber-Only Content box in the menu bar or click on COMMUNITY in the blue menu and then clicking on Subscriber-Only Content.

Or by clicking here.  Note that you may be asked to re-enter your name and email address again to confirm your free subscription.

If you know of any resorts we left out or included in error, please let us know at info@seniorsskiing.com.

The Mystery Glimpse Feature Returns

A popular new feature, Mystery Glimpse presents a photo from skiing’s past and asks

readers to identify what, who, or where the picture was taken.

This week, our Mystery Glimpse is from the Colorado SnowSports Museum and Hall of Fame in Vail. Take a look and see if you can identify what is happening.

 

Ski Songs From The Sixties From Ray Conrad Available

Ski Songs From Ray Conrad.

Last year, we had some fun republishing Ray Conrad’s album, The Cotton-Pickin’ Lift Tower and Other Ski Songs, a collection of his classics from the golden age of folk music and singing skiers.

You can check out the album which is for sale on CDBaby and listen to some samples by clicking here. SeniorsSkiing.com splits the proceeds with 91 year old Ray who is thrilled that new people are listening to his funny and sometime sentimental music about the world of skiing.

Depending on the device you are using, you may be able to listen to “A Skier’s Daydream” from the album here. Click on the arrow and turn your sound up.

Party Time Approaches

We’re getting ready for our Fifth Anniversary Bash in NY coming up soon. Here are the details.

And remember, dear readers, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

available now
Jon Weisberg

AVAILABLE NOW! First-Ever List of 145 US/Canadian Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free

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Free skiing is available for older skiers at 145 resorts in 26 states and five Canadian provinces this season.

 

Each resort requires a specific age for free skiing. The youngest is 55; the oldest, 90. Those 70 years and older have a choice of 69 ski areas.

This is the first time Canadian resorts are included in the directory.

Some areas, like Telluride (CO; age 80), Whitefish (MT; age 70), Snowbasin Resort (UT; age 75), and Beech Mountain (NC; age 70) are well-known skier destinations. Many are served by large airports and near communities with many attractions.

Ski areas offering free skiing to seniors tend to be independently-owned. As many ski areas become holdings of large organizations, free or deeply discounted skiing is no longer being offered. Even with advance purchase and other ways to save, a day of skiing for seniors costs $151.00 at Vail; $106.00, at Aspen, and $117 at Whistler Blackcomb.

The new directory lists 103 US areas, compared to 112  last season. Forty-two Canadian resorts are included.

The directory includes areas where seniors are given extremely deep discounts for season passes and lift tickets. To qualify for this year’s list, their senior season passes had to cost no more than $125 and their day passes no more than $25.

The list is accessible by clicking Community on the top menu bar, then Subscriber Only Content or click here.

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 26)

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Halloween Skiing, Nor’Easter Brings New England Snow, Contribute To SeniorsSkiing.com, Stein’s Studebaker, Ultimate Ski Quiz.

Boo. Credit: SkiTheWorld.com

For the first time in a while, there will be skiing on Halloween. Resorts are opening in BC, Colorado, Vermont, Maine, and more snow is on the way this week in New England. Here’s the forecast for this Wednesday 10/25. Get your costume ready.

Credit: NECN

We would love to see your pictures from your Halloween Skiing Weekend if you are lucky enough to head out. Send your pictures to info@seniorsskiing.com with location, your name, and worthy details, and we’ll publish it next week.  Thanks!

We Also Want To Publish YOU In SeniorsSkiing.com

We want our readers to share with our readers.

After all, you’ve been around winter sports for a while.  You had funny, dramatic, poignant, scary, etc. experiences in snow country. You’ve run across characters straight out of central casting: living ski legends, local heroes, magnificent employees of resorts, entrepreneurs, long-time ski patrollers, and the like.  You also know what makes for a good product or piece of gear for seniors: items that are convenient, add to safety, and/or are cool. You know about places we all should know about. You’ve been reading books about snow sports and related topics. You know a restaurant that is special, an inn we would love, a ski shop that has gone ‘way beyond your expectations. You have a collection of pictures from the old days you’d love to share.  You have recovered from an injury using a conditioning routine that was effective. Tell us. Advise us. Inform us.

We’d love to hear more stories from our readers.

If you are interested in contributing, write to mike@seniorsskiing.com, and we’ll give you the specs. Look at our past stories in our many different categories and check out the style and length (500-600 words) of our typical articles. If you are a photographer, send your pictures and videos. We know there are many, many readers who have stories to tell.  So, tell us.

This Week

Correspondent Jan Brunvand reports on his search for Stein Eriksen’s Studebaker. Yes, you read that correctly. Find out where the path led him.

Also Don Burch as composed a tricky, funny quiz of ski terms that will give you a chuckle or two.  Perhaps a challenge. Just fun stuff.

Ski Shows

Time to get thinking about heading to the shows coming to Boston, Nov. 8-11, and Denver, Nov. 16-18.  If you click the Ski and Snowboard Show ad at the top of our page, you can get a discount from the admission. Just use the promo code: SENIOR. For many, collecting the brochures and swag from the many resorts and vendors at the shows really gets the mind ready for the season.

Listing Of Free Skiing Coming Very Soon

We have scrubbed and re-scrubbed our listing of where seniors can ski for free or almost free for both US and Canadian resorts. We are going through the final editing process and putting into shape for publishing. Stand by.

If we missed any resorts that offer free or almost free skiing to seniors, we hope you will let us know. This year, several new listings were referred by our readers.

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

If you’re in NYC, come to our fifth anniversary birthday bash in Manhattan.

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 19)

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Snow, Snow, Snow!

So it begins. And it’s only mid-October. Who’s made a first run? Tell us about it!

From East To West

Sugarbush: A dusting. Credit: Timeline Photos

Killington opens for season pass holders on Oct. 19. Credit: Aspen East

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mt. Washington: 1-inch. Credit: NBC10 Boston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vail Pass. Credit: Mary Ellen Roth

 

Wolf Creek, CO, 30-inch base, open on weekends. Credit: Wolf Creek

Arapahoe Basin: Open for skiing seven days a week. Credit: SkiMag.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg describes two simple tools that make putting on and taking off ski boots less of a wrestling match. Terrific gift ideas, by the way.

We are also announcing our list of 2017-18 Trail Masters, senior skiers who have skied, xc’ed, snow-shoed a greater number (or equal number) of days than their age. This year, we find almost 20 percent of those on the list were also on the 2016-17 list of Trail Masters.  We sent each Trail Master a SeniorsSkiing.com “Live2Ski” patch and a couple of our coveted SeniorsSkiing.com stickers.

We hear from correspondent Pat McCloskey on picking the right underfoot ski width for the conditions you find yourself in most frequently. He also advises you consider a multi-ski width inventory of you plan to diversify where you ski. Interesting.

Finally, Yvette Cardozo continues her series on other snow activities with a visit to a dog-sledding outfitter near Sun Peak Resort in British Columbia. If you like dogs and snow, this is a natural combination. We know that “mushers,” trainers and owners of dog teams, are an especially hardy group, devoted to their animals and lovers of winter outdoors.

Look for our listing of resorts in North America where seniors can ski for free (or almost free) coming up soon.

Interested In Writing For SeniorsSkiing.com?

While some of our regular contributors are ski journalists, most are interested and experienced readers who have an interesting story to tell. For examples of stories our readers like, just look at our inventory.  We have over 900 stories of different kinds, so there are a lot of examples. Nostalgia, Resort Reviews, equipment recommendations, history, meeting famous people, you name it, we’d be interested.

If you’d like to write a story for SeniorsSkiing.com, drop a note to mike@seniorsskiing.com. You get to see your name in “print”, share with family and friends, and we’ll send you a SeniorsSkiing.com “Live2Ski” patch and some stickers.

 

 

Ski Shows Coming Up

Ski & Snowboard Expos are coming to Boston (Nov. 8-11) and Denver (Nov. 16-18). As a SeniorsSkiing.com reader, you can get a discount on admission by clicking the banner ad at the top right of this page.

And remember, dear readers, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Yvette Cardozo

Dog-Sledding Is Another Snow Activity: Don’t Say Mush!

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Other Things To Do In Winter For Seniors (Part 2): On You Huskies.

Dog Sled rides with Mountain Man Adventures. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort.

Ok, nobody says mush. Nobody, outside of maybe movies, has EVER said mush, though the folks who drive sleds are often called mushers. Mostly, people who run dogsleds just say, “Go!”

And the dogs aren’t those black and white Siberian Huskies people expect. Your average sled dog is something mushers call Alaskan huskies. They are lean and small with long legs and bred to run. In the case of Chris Schwanke’s pups at Mountain Man Adventures at Sun Peaks Resort, BC, a combo of greyhound or German short hair pointer and … well, who knows what.

“People see some of the dogs with their tails tucked between their legs and think they’re unhappy but that’s what greyhounds do,” said Chris. “So that’s how you tell them apart … the greyhound mixes tuck their tails. The others curl their tails up.”

While these dogs are not an official breed, over the years, the “Alaskan husky” has been recognized by anyone who runs dog teams.

At the end of a tour, guests get to pet the adult dogs and puppies. Credit: Yvette Cardozo

My friend, Nancy Slye and I arrived and first got to pet the dogs and say hello. Chris encourages this. He wants his dogs to be friendly.

Then we loaded into sleds, normally two people in a sled with a guide on back. The ride is 10 km (a bit over six miles) and lasts about 90 minutes.

And we were off—through the woods on narrow trails crowded with trees, along an open lake, across a snow covered golf course, then back into the woods. It can be a semi-wild ride, as snow-caked trees whiz by from doggie level, hardly two feet off the ground.

But what made this trip different from those I’ve done in the past was the chance to run the sled ourselves. Yow!

You stand on the runners behind the sled, which are wider set than you expect if you are a skier. And, guide Destiny said, you just say “go” to start, “easy” to slow and “whoa” to stop.

“Bend your knees a bit and stay flexible,” she added.

It’s kind of like skiing. Or riding a snowmobile. Or a dirt bike. It’s go with the flow.

And, before we knew it, we were back at the start, among the dog kennels and other pups.

Now came more fun. As a treat after a run, the dogs get chunks of meat and fat to fuel them and keep them warm. You toss the chunk in the air and the dog jumps, mouth wide open, teeth flashing in the sunlight. It makes for a killer photograph.

Finally, to wrap up, we went into the puppy pen, where five-month-old Pirate, Sailor, and Captain were waiting to have their ears scratched. It’s not only fun, it helps socialize the dogs from an early age.

Guests are given a chance to drive the sled during the tour. Most sled dogs are NOT Siberian Huskies but, a crossbreed called Alaskan Husky. Credit: Yvette Cardozo

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 12)

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Warren Miller Film Tour, Other Things To Do Series Starts, Flat Light Polka.

It is October and our natural, built-in annual calendar says it’s time for a Warren Miller flick to remind us how graceful, funny, and exhilarating snow sports can be. As long as we can remember, the official pre-start of the snow season has been the viewing of one of Warren’s new films.  Last January, we lost Warren, but his films live on. Below, you’ll find a sample of some Old School footage.

And the Warren Miller Film Tour, kicking off on Oct. 12,  is coming to a theatre near you! Sponsored by Volkswagen and many others, you can catch the Face of Winter in your neighborhood. Click here for details.

Here’s the trailer for Face of Winter.  Enjoy.

This Week 

We’re starting a short series from correspondent Yvette Cardozo who will be telling us about other things to do in the winter besides slide down mountains or trails.  This week, she describes an ice fishing outing around Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia. If you or your spouse need a diversion or a step down from your usual winter routine, some of these alternatives might be fun.  Gets you outdoors and doing positive things. That’s the point, right?

We also hear from correspondent Jan Brunvand who not only advises us to watch out for dreaded flat light conditions, but also gives us a little ditty he wrote called “The Flat Light Polka”. Flat light can really ruin a day’s outing, so, humor aside, it is a hazard we can be mindful of, especially at the beginning of the season when all things are tentative.

As we mentioned last week, getting ready for the season should be your prime objective, conditioning-wise. this time of year. We’ve been asked to point to some exercises that might be useful for senior folks. A couple of years ago, we did a neat series of progressive exercises featuring Rick Silverman, a physical therapist and professional exercise consultant.  You can find the progressive, three-part series by clicking on these links: Easy Starters, Up A Notch, and Challenge Yourself.  As with all new and demanding physical activities, you should consult with your health care professional if you have any doubts or questions.

New York Gathering

One more reminder, we are having a gathering of folks in NYC on Nov. 14. We’ll have some raffle items, some give-aways, and a chance to meet other senior snow sport enthusiasts. Come on down.

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

Flat Light
Jan Brunvand

The Flat Light Polka

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Ugh. Flat light makes the going tenuous. Jan’s wife threads down through the powder. Credit: Jan Brunvand

It isn’t just senior skiers who suffer in flat light, but whiteouts may take a greater toll on our sometimes diminished vision and balance. Case in point: the few falls I’ve had in recent ski seasons were all in flat light conditions. One crash last February caused a minor injury and led to the realization that I shoulda known better.

I wish I had gone to the lodge instead of to the lift with the senior group that day at Sundance when I gazed up at the summit swathed in mist and swirling snow. Instead, I toughed it out for a couple of runs, eventually getting to that sickening point when I couldn’t tell up from down, or whether I was moving or standing still.

I tumbled over an invisible bump, pulling the muscle in my left calf. I managed to get home, needing only my right leg to drive. At the University of Utah Orthopedic Center I got an ultra-sound and instructions for wrapping and icing my leg so it would heal itself in about ten days.

While I was recuperating I composed a parody of a politically-incorrect song of the late 40s, “The Too Fat Polka.” The original was recorded by, among others, Franie Yankovic, Arthur Godfrey and (with a change of pronouns) The Andrew Sisters. I altered “She’s too fat for me” to “The light’s too flat for me,” and I ended up with this:

Here’s a silly ditty, you can sing it while you ski.

Just don’t hit a tree, and sing it while you ski.

Here’s a silly jingle, you can sing it night or noon.

Here’s the words, that’s all you need, ‘cause I just sang the tune.

Chorus:

            Oh! If I can’t see it, I can’t ski it,

            It’s too flat for me,

            Much too flat for me,

            The light’s too flat for me.

            I can’t see it, I can’t ski it,

            It’s too flat for me

            It’s too flat; light’s too flat.

            It’s too flat for me.

It’s a fright out,

There’s no light out,

I can’t ski here,

In this awful whiteout.

(Chorus)

Can you ski when it snows?

No, no, no, no, no.

Can you ski when it blows?

No, no, no, no, no.

Can you ski in the trees?

In the sun it’s a breeze,

But if you possibly, run into a tree. . .

NO, NO, NO!

(Chorus)

I can’t grapple

With the graupel*,

I can’t ski right

When there’s no more daylight.

(Chorus)

I get woozie,

I get dizzy,

When its foggy

Then I’m in a tizzy.

(Chorus)

Hey!

*Small particles of snow over a thin, fragile crust of ice

Note: The Wikipedia article “Whiteout” distinguishes between Flat Light (a “diffusion of sunlight”) and Whiteout (a ”reduction and scattering of sunlight”). Flat light produces a “flat featureless vista [causing] loss of depth of field resulting in disorientation.” Severe Whiteout may lead to “a loss of kinesthesia . . . confusion, loss of balance and an overall reduction in the ability to operate.”

I’m not sure I understand the difference, but for sure its all bad for safe skiing.

Head for the lodge after this one? Think so. Credit: Jan Brunvand

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 5)

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Big BC Snow Beats Record, Colorado Senior Discounts, Conditioning Cautions, Ski Shows Coming.

Oct. 2 25 cm (10 in.) snow wallops Calgary, breaking record with more expected.

No doubt about it, snow is making a statement in the Northwest and Canadian Rockies in particular. Just this week, Calgary experienced a record-breaking snowfall, catching municipal snow removers a bit flat footed. Equipment had to be imported from local towns and cities to help clear the streets. But, the pictures of snow on the mountains are certainly encouraging for those interested in starting the snow season. Check out the Calgary snow fall story by clicking here. 

Free Ski Listing Coming Soon.

Incidentally, SeniorsSkiing.com’s annual listing of resorts where seniors can ski for free (or almost free) in galley form, as the expression goes. This year, we have included several dozen Canadian resorts that provide low or no cost tickets for seniors. Meanwhile, if you can’t wait, the 2017-18 listing is still available under Subscriber-Only Content.  You’ll have to re-enter your name and email to get to it. Click on the menu box at the top of the page.

While some resorts offer free (or almost free) skiing for seniors, others give a big discount. For example, we’ve learned A-Basin in Colorado offers 70+ seniors a $105 unrestricted season pass and a $40 day ticket. Aspen has season pass for 70+ for $514, not bad considering an adult season pass goes for $2,284 at the top end. At Cooper, 60-69 pay $279, 70+ pay $149, 80+ are free. Not to be confused with Cooper, Copper Mountain offers a $389 pass for 70+. You can find other senior discounts and free ski offers at Colorado resorts by clicking here.

Conditioning Starts Now. Right?

Sure, you can do the gym thing. It’s not to late to hit the trails, too.

If you haven’t started getting into shape yet, please consider using the next couple of months as your last chance to buff up before your first run. A couple of years ago, one of our friends decided to go skiing in the early winter without any kind of preparation at all.  Needless to say, she had a wicked fall on her second or third run, pulled muscles, and cancelled the rest of her season.

The reality is that we can’t just go out and do it like we used to. Every year adds a new challenge.  If you are wise, you will pay attention to this. Please people, don’t get hurt.  This week, correspondent Pat McCloskey tells us about some alternatives to gym workouts that you can do to harden those legs, shoulders, and abs. 

In addition, Harriet Wallis offers us a Woman’s Guide To Sports As We Grow Older. Despite the march of time, Harriet encourages us to adapt and keep going.  There’s always a way. Just do it.

Ski Shows Coming.

For some, going to the fall ski shows is the official start of ski season. In Boston, the Ski and Snowboard Expo is on Nov. 8-11, in Denver, it’s on Nov. 16-18. Notice the banner ad at the top of this page? If you click through, you can get your tickets at a discount when you enter SENIOR in your order.

The ski show is always a fun afternoon. Collect the swag from the resorts, check out the deals, retail sales, demos, vendors of all kinds, and enjoy saying hello to your pals in the snow sport community.  We will be wandering around the Boston show this year.  Say hello, and we’ll give you a SeniorsSkiing.com sticker.

Reminder: NYC Gathering Nov. 14

If you’re around New York on Wednesday evening looking for a diversion and potentially winning some co0l raffle items, drop by our SeniorsSkiing.com Gathering.  Details below.

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

Harriet Wallis

A Woman’s Guide To Sports As We Grow Older

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Even Though You’re Not A Spring Chicken, You Can Still Do The Sports You Love. Don’t Let Your Past Hold You Back.

Harriet looks for and usually finds a way. Credit: Laurie O’Connor

To set the stage, I recently broke my wrist, so I’m sealed in a cast. Can’t drive. Can’t swim. Can’t this. Can’t that. Fortunately it’s temporary. Soon I’ll be back to doing the things I love.

Meanwhile, I walk loops in the park, and I’ve met some energetic women my age. But I feel sorry for them. Each is stuck in her own past.

Barb loved to bicycle, and she told great bike ride stories as we walked. But she’s afraid to put air in the tires. Her husband always did it. But he passed away five years ago. She longs to ride again.

When Beth’s kids were little, they’d pack the family and supplies into the canoe and paddle from lake to lake for a week. But the canoe was too heavy for her to handle alone. She gave it away.

Liz loved to ski all over the mountain, but she quit. She blames two things. She hates her ski boots and she’s afraid to use her artificial knee.

These women reminisce the glory days of their past. They wish they could repeat the past. But nobody can go back. So they’re stuck.

Life’s lesson

Long ago, I graduated from college, married my sweetheart, and we moved to the military base where he was stationed. The climate there was sweating hot, there were strange birds I’d never seen before, and locals talked with a slow drawl. My husband’s unit was called up at all hours of the night, and they left abruptly for extended tours. I longed for something I could count on, for something certain.

Through that experience I learned a most valuable lesson: The one thing that is certain is change. Nothing remains static for very long. I learned to how to adapt. I think that’s what keeps me going today.

It’s okay to change

It’s okay to grow older. It’s okay to accommodate arthritis and health conditions. It’s okay to do things differently today than how you did them yesterday. Really.

I’m waving a magic wand and authorizing you to make changes.

Let me give you some examples:

After I had hips and knees replaced, I bought a carbon frame bike. I had two choices: quit riding—or get a bike that absorbs more road chatter than a steel frame bike and that would be kind to all the rigid steel inside me. It was my way of accepting new body parts, adapting, and going forward.

Recently, it became difficult to get a tire back onto the rim after fixing a flat. Too much arthritis in my hands. Again, I saw two choices: quit riding—or get tubeless tires filled with goo that seal themselves when punctured. I got tubeless tires.

When my kids were little, we had a monster-size Grumman war canoe. It weighed a ton, but we heaved it onto the car rack. Now I have a lightweight, inflatable kayak that’s fun to paddle and rolls up to the size of a sleeping bag. I catch just as many fish from it.

You might critique me saying: “Harriet is macho.” But I’m not. I just like to be outdoors and be active even though I’m slowing down. I bike slower than 50 year olds, and I ski slower too. But there’s no reason to stop having fun.

And Liz … I hope she’ll let a pro, not just a salesman, fit her for new boots. Too many skiers buy whatever boots are on sale without a clue how boots should fit. Boots are like dentures! They have to fit right to work right. Then I hope she’ll let her artificial knee show her how great it is to ski without pain.

It’s true that updating equipment has a price tag, but you’re worth it. It’s okay to invest in yourself. It’s okay to make changes so you can enjoy the sports you love. Then tell me about it. I’m cheering for you.

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Sep. 28)

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Other Great Ski Publications, Protect Our Winters, Anticipation, Snowmaking As Fire Protection.

As you may have read, SeniorsSkiing.com is entering its fifth season of publishing. Over these last few years, we have entered the amazing world of ski publications and their publishers, all of whom have been welcoming, supportive, and collegial to Jon and me as newcomers. You should know about some of them.

The Ski Diva is a weekly publication focused on women who ski.  Wendy Clinch, The Ski Diva’s publisher, has been an extremely helpful colleague and friend from the very beginning of SeniorsSkiing.com’s journey.  We thank her for that.  The Ski Diva has won awards from the North American Ski Journalists Association and is recognized for its unique, woman-focused articles.  Its Forum contains thousands of posts from its many subscribers.

Another highly niche-oriented publication, XCSkiResorts.com is published by Roger Lohr, targeting the activities of cross-country ski resorts. Roger has been reporting on cross-country for years and is not only an expert on resorts but also equipment, personnel, travel, technique, and safety. If you are interested in a magical stay at a cozy cross-country resort, XCSkiResorts.com should be your first stop.

Snowbrains.com has been an inspiration to us. We don’t personally know the California-based publishers Miles Clark and Eric Bryant, but we admire their newsy, high quality approach. There’s always an awesome video or current event story worth checking.  There’s also snow reports and forecasts.

OpenSnow.com is a weather/snow reporting site, publisher by Joel Gratz, a professional meteorologist. The site has a ring of correspondents around the country reporting snow conditions and forecasts. There’s also a very cool “Powder Finder” if you’re interested in that sort of thing, and news from resorts. Well done site, especially if you are amateur weather-watchers like us.

We mention these because you, or someone you know, might find them interesting. In one way or another, each of the above has offered—directly or indirectly—material help and support to SeniorsSkiing.com as it got up and running. There are many others that are worth mentioning; we’re sorry we didn’t get to them all.  And we’d like to hear from you what other sites you like.

Of course, SeniorsSkiing.com is the ONLY online magazine for senior skiers, offering a listing of Free Skiing (or Almost Free) For Seniors, Ski and Boot Recommendations,  Experticity Discounts, and Historic Ski Posters, so don’t wander, you guys!

And, also of course, readers of SeniorsSkiing.com can get a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Ski Magazine, the granddaddy of ski publications, just by signing up under SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT. (You will be asked to confirm your name and email address.)

Climate Brouhaha

Our recent series of articles on El Nino and its impact on winter weather caused a small handful of readers who are climate change deniers or skeptics to send some flak our way. Let there be no doubt, SeniorsSkiing.com is concerned about global warming and the increasing level of CO2 in the atmosphere. The reality of the impact of those atmospheric changes are all around us from mega-cyclones and hurricanes, droughts, excessive snow or no snow, and coastal flooding.

We admire the work of Protect Our Winters, a non-profit group that is advocating action in the outdoor sports community against climate change. This climate activist group is trying to influence the political agenda as well as educate students and the public about what they can do it mitigate what is happening to the atmosphere. After all, the snow sports industry is dependent on snow and when and if it falls. There are some ski resorts that are actively working to reduce their carbon footprint with different strategies. This is an important development worth paying attention to.

This Week

Speaking of climate change, the wildfires in the west this summer have been frightening. Ski resorts in the high country could be targets and what they can do to avert or minimize damage is an important ingredient the confronting the danger. Correspondent Harriet Wallis offers a story on how Deer Valley has a plan to deal with potential catastrophe.

Also, we have a lovely note on anticipating the ski season from correspondent Don Burch. Think about it; it’s pre-ski show time, pre-parka-buying season.  We’re buying season tickets, and that alone gets excitement going. We can see the season rolling in with snow falling out west, snowmaking operating at A-Basin, and folks bringing in their skis for sharpening.  Anticipation.

Coming Soon

We are preparing the 2018-19 Where Ski Resorts Can Seniors Ski Free (Or Almost Free) directory. Look for it soon. This year, we will be including a host of Canadian resorts.

Don’t forget our SeniorsSkiing.com “gathering” in New York on Nov. 14.  Details below. 

Dear readers, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away. See you soon!

Don Burch

Anticipation

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A Chill Is In The Air.

It’s usually the cusp of late summer and early fall when I first start thinking about skiing. All it takes is some cool days and seeing the first leaves starting to turn. Wearing long slacks for the first time, turning on heat for the first time, and the beginning of football season get me thinking I’ll be skiing in the not too distant future. I hear weather reports of snow flurries in the high mountains and maybe even see photos of the dusting.

I start getting e-mails from ski resorts that have the audacity to put to print opening dates. Though I know these are pie-in-the-sky expectations I buy into the hope that they will open that early in the season.

Warren Miller Entertainment sends me a link to the trailer of their new film. I recall that as a boy, my father, a non-skier, took me to numerous Warren Miller films. It was just him and me, and I am forever grateful. I’m nostalgic when I hear Warren’s live narrations.

I start to visit my favorite online skiing sites. When I see something particularly interesting, I email it to my ski buddies. For the sake of my non-skiing wife, I try not to talk too much about skiing.

I daydream about special moments from last ski season. In the gym, I double down on ski-related workouts.

I start to make plans for the upcoming ski season. This includes visiting some resorts I’ve never been to. I think about friends I didn’t get to ski with last season and promise myself to make plans to do so this year. I’ve already renewed my membership in the Mountain Laurel Ski Club.

I make mental notes on things I need to do. I know I need a new parka. I think I’ll get my skis tuned. My snow tires should still be good, but I need new wipers.

I often wish I could ski year round but suspect this would detract from my passion for the sport.

My wife says I need to live more in the moment. Obviously I haven’t been able to limit talking about skiing. I know she’s right so I continue to enjoy my other sports and hobbies. But deep inside there is a longing to ski again.

Maybe I’ll write some ski articles.

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Sep. 21)

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Snow Is Happening Now, Winter Weather Prediction, Portillo Report, XC Binding News.

So it begins.  There’s snow in British Columbia, some parts of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Check out the very recent snow map above from Snow-Forecast.com.  The green represents snow; it’s not very much accumulation, —though we did hear Banff got blasted just today—but it’s there. Someone please ring a bell or something.

Sundeck at The Remarkables, Queenstown, New Zealand’s famous resort. Big snow happening there this summer. Credit: Snowbrains.com

And, we have heard that four resorts in New Zealand’s South Island have been forced to close because of too much snow this week. That reminds us of the snow-heavy winter we had in 2015-16 when the California Sierras were inundated. Such is the nature of climate change.  Go to Snowbrains.com for the story on how epic snow closed the mountains in En-Zed. 

Free (or Almost Free) Skiing For Seniors Listing Almost Ready.

This week, we are getting back into full swing here at SeniorsSkiing.com. Our correspondents are sending in early season stories which you should be seeing in a week or two. We have completed our research on where seniors can ski for free (or almost free) at ski resorts in North America.  Yes, indeed, we are including Canadian resorts this year in our listing.  It’s amazing how many resorts there are that do offer a significant break for seniors. Those discounts are out there; you have to look.  We know our annual listing will certainly help.

We’re busy designing the Free Ski list and getting it ready for publication.  Stay tuned.  Until then, you can still access last year’s listing under Subscriber Only Content. 

This Week

The Woolly Bear knows what winter will bring. Credit: TheInfiniteSpide

We’ve been paying perhaps too much attention to the winter weather forecasts this time around. That ol’ El Nino seems to be hanging in there, and if it does, it will definitely play a role in what happens in snow country. So, just to corroborate what we’re been hearing from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, we branched off to collect some tradition folk nostrums of what winter will be.  Find out what the old-timers looked to around this time of year to predict how much snow was in store for winter.  We also checked the annual Farmers Almanac prediction.  Read all about it.

Chile-based correspondent Casey Earle continues his series on skiing in Chile. He wrote some great articles orienting folks to what to expect down there and a recap of some of the principal resorts. This time, he zones in on Portillo, the venerable Chilean resort every skier knows about. Check out his resort review here.

Filled with amenities Hotel Portillo is the only place to stay at the resort. Credit: ChileSki.com

Cross-country editor and XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr brings us some breaking news on the xc ski binding front. He describes the brand new Rottefella binding with a Move Switch that allows you to adjust the weight distribution on your skis. This could be an important break thru for senior xc skiers because it can actually enhance both glide and grip.  Certainly worth a look if you are thinking about new xc gear.

On a more serious note, we have a new article on Sarcopenia this week, a condition where muscles become less efficient in seniors. We found it remarkable that we never knew about this condition until we were introduced to it through a contributed article by one of our readers last year.  If we didn’t know, then probably a lot of our readers don’t either.  Study this one, dear readers.  The good news is that the weakening effects of sarcopenia can be mitigated through weight lift training.

If you have any story ideas, or want to submit an article, please let us know at info@seniorsskiing.com.  The season has started, and it is time to get ready.

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

 

 

 

mikemaginn

Winter Weather Forecasting: From Caterpillars To El Nino

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What Will The Winter Weather Be? There Are Many Ways Of Telling, So Place Your Bets.

The Woolly Bear knows what winter will bring. Credit: The Infinite Spider

We grew up with several folk rules about forecasting the winter weather.  Most people know about the width of the bands of Woolly Bear caterpillars and the increased frenzy of squirrels gathering nuts and stowing them away. But did you also know that folklore points to other, more subtle indicators that certainly must have some validity from the test of time.

Have you noticed the following having a correlation with deep, cold, snow winters? [Thanks to the Farmer’s Almanac for pointing these out.]

  • Heavy fogs in August
  • Two or more woodpeckers on the same tree
  • Mice chewing doorways into a house
  • Really big spider webs
  • Pigs collecting sticks (!)
  • Acorns galore
  • Thicker coat on your dog

And many more.  We suppose that if all these indicators appear in parallel, then winter will be a big one. Now that would be an interesting dissertation in Meteorology.

However much fun it is to tell your grandchildren that the wiggly caterpillar climbing the backyard tree with a big, thick, orange band is a sign of snow to come, we also prefer to keep an eye on the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.  Granted, a forecast is subject to being wrong, but, in the grand scheme of things, it certainly is worth consideration, especially if you are planning winter activities.

The CPC has recently issued its prediction for winter conditions for January, February, March 2019, the core of the snow season for most folks. As we have pointed out earlier, this winter will be influenced by a weak-moderate El Nino that is showing up as warm water in the eastern Pacific. Below are two graphics that reflect the forecast for Jan-March 2019, one reflects Temperature, the other Precipitation.  The colored areas reflect the probability of variance from “average”, that is, the historic amounts of rainfall and temperature recorded over the year.  So, some areas can be “EC” for “Equal Chance”, of being above, normal, or below average, or, in other words, a toss-up.  “A” is a predicted probable variance  “Above”, “B” is “Below”, and “N” is “Normal” or historic average.

You can see at a glance that temperature predictions are forecasting above average temps in the Northwest and extending across a swath of the northern tier of the country. And, the Precipitation map shows above average for the southern tier with a toss-up for a middle band across the country, and pockets of below average precip in the Northwest and Midwest. Put the data from the two maps together, and you get the official NWS prediction for winter: Warmish and toss-up wet in the middle swath of the country, toss-up temps but above average wetness across the south.

Just remember, this is a prediction about what the weather will be four-six months from now and treat it as such. Incidentally, you may want to compare these forecasts with the venerable Farmer’s Almanac’s Official Winter Weather prediction. Alas, The Farmer’s Almanac’s secret forecast formula is calling for “More Rain, Less Snow.”

So, the stakes are set on the table; let’s see how the dice rolls.

Two woodpeckers in a tree means snowy, cold winter, or so they say. Credit: Dreamstime.com

 

 

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Aug. 24)

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Weather Perplexes, Forecasts Of El Nino, Conditioning Ideas, Interesting Articles.

Ok, cut to the chase. This has been a weird summer, weather-wise. In the Northeast, unrelenting hot, humid, stormy, rainy, not just a little but a lot. Out West, dry, fires.  In Europe, heat waves and drought. Big hurricanes in the Central Pacific. (Hurricane Lane is the latest taking aim at Hawaii. A few weeks ago, Hurricane Hector was a near-miss.) [Editor Note: In the Central, North, and Eastern Pacific, cyclonic storms are called “Hurricanes”.  In the Western Pacific, they are “Typhoons,” and in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean, they are “Cyclones”.]

Some say that we are in the change that was forecast when the CO2 levels in the atmosphere started topping the charts. Others say it’s just part of a cycle.  Well, it’s not a cycle we remember. Our friends took their cruising sailboats down east to Maine and found unusual amounts of fog and rain.  It happens, but plain old odd weather seems to be happening in a lot of places.

In any case, we’ve been paying close attention to what’s been going on the the Eastern Pacific all summer long. Whether those ocean waters warm up or cool down has a lot to do with the weather we will experience this winter. Right now, the waters are predicted to warm up which means an El Nino condition setting in.  Depending on how hot the sea water gets can determine whether it will be an average year or a below average year for snow.  To see an excellent discussion of this, go to OpenSnow.com, Joel Gratz’s weather and snow conditions website.

Time To Get Into Shape For Snow Sports

Physical Therapist Rick Silverman starts us off with a basic leg lift.

Meanwhile, as we near the end of August, it would be wise for readers to consider a conditioning strategy for this coming winter. Even if you’ve been active all summer, that doesn’t mean you are totally ready for alpine or nordic skiing, snow-shoeing, or winter hiking. Consider the kayaker: Great upper body strength.  If your technique is right, you probably have some great abs, too.  But what about those quads and hamstrings?  Cyclist?  Marvelous gam strength, but is your upper body and ab section ready to support your legs’ movements?

In any case, think over what’s missing in your conditioning and get started.  You need at least two months to get back to where you want to be.

SeniorsSkiing.com’s Health>Conditioning menu has a number of suggestions for you.  We have a graded series of exercises from easy starters to most challenging from Rick Silverman, a professional physical therapist and exercise consultant. It really is a good place to start. 

In addition, we’ve found that some simple Yoga positions scan be enormously helpful in loosing hips and hamstrings, two frequent culprits that cause mischief in lower backs. We have articles on how to do Down Dog, Plank, Squats We also have an overview of Tai Chi, a slow-mo moving form derived from an ancient Asian marital art that is really useful in practicing balance and building strength.

Let us know what you do for winter snow sports conditioning.

This Week

Harriet Wallis reports on the therapeutic nature of tea and an entrepreneurial company that sells a wide array of different and exotic blends with the prosaic name, The Tea Spot.  We met some of the enthusiastic staff of this woman-owned and operated company at this year’s Outdoor Recreation show in Denver.  Might want to think about replacing that cup of java.

Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com and SeniorsSkiing.com’s Nordic Editor, has a review of a book senior skiers and outdoorsy types would be interested in.  It’s The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams and it presents scientific data on why it is a good thing to spend time outside.

Roger also writes about how golf courses can turn their gently rolling hills into cross-country ski trails when the snow flies.  In fact, a consulting company that transforms links to ski terrain for the winter is offering a $500 referral fee to readers who can steer it to a qualified prospect.  Read details here.

Finally, correspondent Tamsin Venn reports on a series of downhill-oriented mountain bike trails in the White Mountains that can make a late summer-early autumn weekend vacation a truly magic experience.

Next Time

On to September and more news about our Trailmasters, skis and boots for seniors, where you can ski for free or almost free, and our great, big anniversary issue coming up.

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

 

 

Roger Lohr

Developing Golf Course Ski Trails

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New Revenue Source For Those Beautiful Fairways.

Snowmaking at a golf course? When it is too cold to play golf, might as well ski. Credit: Nordic Group International

Cross country (XC) skiers hit a hole-in-one once their local golf course, which has been converted to an XC ski area, is covered in snow. Golf courses are ideal for XC skiing as they are often easier than other trail networks for skiers, and they provide easy access to people looking for a convenient winter excursion. And now, Nordic Group International (NGI) will pay $500 for a referral of a golf course that is interested in developing winter recreation such as tubing and cross country (XC) ski operations (and becomes a client of NGI). There are currently more than 170 golf courses in North America that have groomed XC ski trails.

Jonathan Wiesel of NGI wrote an article for Golf Course Management Magazine in 2009, and he is now putting his money where his mouth is.  That is, he is looking to help golf courses in snow regions develop winter operations. Why would a golf course facility want to add winter activities? The opportunity includes increased revenue, maintaining staff positions, providing community recreation, providing winter amenities for existing or prospective property owners, and so on.

A gold course in winter is a perfect setting for xc skiing, and perfect for seniors who prefer gentle slopes. Credit: Nordic Group International

Profitable winter operations could include XC skiing, tubing, sledding, snowshoeing, fat biking, sleigh rides, dog sledding, ice skating, food and beverage sales, lodging, and special events such as winter weddings and meetings. NGI has teamed up with the SE Group (an premier mountain/outdoor planning firm) to offer services such as feasibility studies, planning and design, snowmaking and lighting, tubing/snowplay layout, turf management strategies, construction oversight and marketing planning.

While such an operation makes sense in a region where it snows regularly during the winter, having a snowmaking operation would guarantee favorable snow conditions. Regular programming can extend the operating season at both ends to increase revenue from early and late season activity. Additionally, lighting the trails will attract skiers and tubers that are unable to visit during the daylight hours.

Such a winter operation would work well in an area that is a major population center, but it also allows resort destinations to take advantage of the winter season. The capital investment for an operation would involve variables such as site topography, extent of existing infrastructure and facilities and the size and orientation of the market. With as little as four-six inches of snow, a winter operation could be launched.

The golf course winter operation is not a pipe dream. Successful winter trail facilities have been in existence across the continent for many years in places such as Woodstock Resort, VT, Sun Valley, ID, Bretton Woods, NH, Weston, MA, Garland Resort, MI, Calgary, AB, Bozeman, MT, and in Breckenridge, Aspen and Steamboat in CO. For more info, contact the trails and land planning consultant at www.nordicgroupinternational.com.

Roger Lohr

Book Review: The Nature Fix

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Your Brain On Nature.

[Editor Note: Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com and SeniorsSkiing.com’s Nordic Editor, reports on the therapeutic effects of being outside.  We thought it, now we know it.]

Lupine field, Sugar Hill, NH. Credit: Roger Lohr

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2017, provides the most compelling argument to date for people to spend more time outdoors in nature, based on an increasing amount of biological, psychological and medicinal scientific evidence.

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 “biophilic” 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.

The recommended prescription for getting outdoors in a “nature pyramid” includes both quick doses and longer spells in wild places. Specifically, humans should:

  • Get out in nature nearby on a daily basis for some minutes to de-stress, find focus, and lighten mental fatigue,
  • Spend weekly outings at parks or waterways for an hour or so, and
  • Go on monthly weekend excursions to natural areas to bolster immune systems.

The top of the pyramid includes annual or biyearly multi-day wilderness trips. More significantly, such wilderness experiences are invaluable for adolescents or those who are in grief or suffering trauma.

The author traveled the world over to investigate and experience research on nature’s impact on humans. In Japan, she saw “forest bathing” on a sensory walk in the woods on one of the 48 forest therapy trails in the country. In Scotland, they call it “eco therapy.” She met with a Korean professor of “social forestry” who introduced her to the world’s only college degree for forest healing. In South Korea from 2010-2013, visits to the forest increased from 9.4 million to 12.7 million, while in the USA there was a decline of 25% during the same time period.

The evidence (20 pages of cited notes and credits) about nature impact involves details with cortisol levels, sympathetic nerve activity, heart rate decline, and hemoglobin in the brain’s prefrontal cortex.  The book is replete with that type of information, which may be news to most people who may not be familiar with such neurological details.

One of nature’s benefits are delivered through sound—a bubbling brook, bird tweets in the early morning, the leaves moving in the wind, and so on. But the US Park Service claims that 83% of land in the lower 48 states sits within 3,500 feet of a road and that within 20 years 90 percent of the population will be close enough to hear at least one of the projected 30,000 airplane flights per day.

In Finland, 95 percent of the population spends time recreating outdoors and 50 percent ride bicycles. It is easy to access forests because 74 percent of the country is covered by trees and there are two million summer cottages for a population of two million Finns, who claim the focus on nature correlates to reduced health care costs and mental and physical fitness.

Williams visited Singapore, where 70 percent of the population lives within 400 meters of green space. The government in Singapore allocates .6 percent of the national budget to develop scenery and greenery.

There are successful nature programs to help people who suffer with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Outward Bound did a study on a therapeutic adventure program showing 9-19 percent of participating veterans who had PTSD, improved. Williams includes a discussion about ADHD programs where 6.4 million kids are diagnosed and half of them are taking medication for the malady.

Isn’t it about time that more therapists, doctors, teachers, and parents prescribe getting outdoors more often?

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (July 20)

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More On Skiing Chile, Fat Bikes For Seniors, Mammoth Invests In Summer, Lost Baby Robin, Alone In The Woods.

Casey grabs some pow at La Parva, Chile. Credit: Casey Earle

Summer is in full glory as we write this. So far, in New England, we’ve had a massive, long-lasting heat wave, heavy rains, clear skies, and classic summer days.  We’ve been hiking, riding our bike in prep for a charity ride in a couple of months, sailing, and generally enjoying the outdoors.  And that is probably not unlike what you, dear reader, are doing this summer.

In our recent survey, we asked what kinds of summer activities you were involved in.  The collective responses revealed a demographic of active, fitness-oriented seniors who have a vast array of different activities off the snow. In a way, you inspire us to get going when we’d rather be lazy.  We have readers who are volunteers restoring historic vessels, one Master of Foxhounds(!), lots of gardeners, car show exhibitors, swimmers, tennis and polo players, weight lifters, dog trainers, yoga practitioners, and community service activists.  Well done, SeniorsSkiing.com readers! In fact, you’ve shown us another side of you, an interesting you that we’d like to know more about.  So, we’re going to follow up with a new feature next winter profiling some of our readers who have unusual and noteworthy past-times.  Stay tuned.

This Week

Our focus on the Southern Hemisphere continues with another look at skiing in Chile.  This time, SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Casey Earle tells us what to expect when you ski in Chile; be advised, it’s really different from your local area.

Long-time correspondent Pat McCloskey tells us about the emergence of the “Fat Bike”, a mountain bike with tires on steroids.  Turns out, fat bikes are boon to seniors who love to ride the gnarly.  If you’re looking for a new way to ride, check out what might be a serious game changer for our many readers who cycle.

Utah-based correspondent Harriet Wallis has time on her hands as she recovers from a wrist injury.  She recounts a charming tale of rescuing a baby robin. Who hasn’t had an encounter with a baby bird outside the nest?

Washington state-based Yvette Cardozo has taken a trip down to Mammoth Mountain to report on the investments in summer activities funded by the Alterra Mountain Co., Mammoth’s new owners.  It’s amazing what $10 million will do when poured into developing non-snow activities.  How about a Mega-Zip line from 11,000 feet down to the base lodge?  Whee!

Finally, we are publishing “Alone In The Woods, A Lost Hunter’s Guide,” a document we discovered a few years ago from the State of Maine. It is filled with advice and guidance on surviving in the woods if you are lost, injured, or just unlucky.  Despite the folksy presentation and cartoon illustrations, the content is invaluable.  We’re offering it as a free download to all readers. Tell us what you think.

El Nino Cometh

We’ve been called a bit nerdy for watching the El Nino conditions in the Eastern Pacific.  Nevertheless, the La Nina-El Nino natural oscillation has shown to be predictive of the weather not only in North America but around the world.  The latest report from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Service says the probability for having an El Nino are literally warming up.  Here is what a classic El Nino winter looks like:  Remember, this is a prediction of the future in a chaotic weather system.  Learn, but don’t place any bets.

A typical El Nino winter may be in store for 2018-19. Credit: Climate Prediction Center.

 

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

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Tale Of A Baby Robin

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You Can Find Adventure In Your Own Back Yard. This Adventure Began In A Window Well.

Found: Baby Robin in distress. Credit: Harriet Wallis

[Author’s note: I’m stuck at home with an arm in a cast. Can’t drive. Can’t hike. Can’t, can’t, can’t. The baby robin tale is a good reminder that adventure and joy can be right at home.]

Laurie called to me: “A baby bird has fallen down into the window well.”

A little robin sat as still as a stone. His little beak pressing against the glass, and his eyes looking in. He couldn’t fly out with his stubby little wings, and his mom couldn’t get down into the narrow space to feed him. There was no other choice. The little fledgling had to be rescued.

Laurie climbed into the window well, put the little fluff into a bucket, and lifted him out. But then what? He was limp and weak. His one foot curled uselessly under him. How long was he in the window well? How long since he’d been fed? Instinctively he opened his mouth wide.

When I was a child, I raised a baby robin by feeding it worms. My dad and I would go into the back yard after dark and get onto our hands and knees. We’d shine a flashlight onto the grass and spot the night crawlers coming up out of the soil. We’d catch them as food for my little robin.

Worms. Robins eat worms. We have a box of fishing worms stored in the refrigerator. Laurie put a fat worm onto a paper plate and cut it into bite size pieces with an old knife.

The little mouth opened wide and she dropped a piece in. Gulp. Down it went. Then his little mouth opened wide again. Repeat. Repeat. He consumed the whole worm.

We got on the internet and read up on what to do with a fledgling bird. We were relieved to find that birds have a poor sense of smell, and handling the baby would not cause his mother to abandon him. And we learned what to do.

The next step: Build a temporary nest for him from a little box and shredded paper towels. We put the worm-fed baby robin into the temporary nest, and put the nest on a stool beneath the tree where he was born. We hoped his mom would find him.

The passive, weak little robin came to life. Did the good meal revive him? He jumped from his cushy nest onto the edge of the box and called loudly: Mom! Mom! Mom!

Adult robins flew in with bugs in their beaks to feed their fledglings on the ground. But they ignored him. He wasn’t one of their own. He called and called— but he was all alone.

Daylight was fading, but we saw him jump off the edge of the box and stumble over some long blades of grass. Then he disappeared.

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

Free: Baby Robin, well-fed and alert, about to head out to the world. Credit: Harriet Wallis

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 22)

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Southern Hemisphere Special, Safe and Sane Cycling For Seniors, Zany Videos, El Nino Coming.

Yes folks, it’s the start of the ski season in far away places below the Equator. Here’s a picture of downtown Santiago, Chile, which received a highly unusual coating of snow for the first time in years.

If there’s snow in the city, there’s more in the mountains. Credit: anis_velasco/instagram

And in New Zealand, The Remarkables, those beautiful, mystic mountains from Lord of the Rings fame near Queenstown, are open for the season.  Check out the video of opening day at the bottom of this article. Nearby Coronet Peak has been open for a couple of weeks.  Here’s what the early season skiing looks like down there.

First turns of the season at Coronet Peak, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Skiing Chile

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to follow the snow during the summer and weren’t quite sure how to do it, we have a new series that might get you started.

Portillo Plateau, Chile. Amazing skiing starting now. Credit: Casey Earle

In celebration of the beginning of the snow season in the Southern Hemisphere, we have an orientation to skiing in Chile by a new SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Casey Earle, an American ex-pat who lives and skis down there.  His first article describes the different resorts what line the magnificent Andes mountains. You will hear more about skiing in Chile in the coming months.

Biking With Young Hammerheads

Veteran cyclist, skier, and SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Pat McCloskey offers some advice for seniors who ride with a gang of younger riders.  He has strategies for going around the loop safely and saving face at the same time. It pays to recognized the limitations that senior status brings, especially on a mountain bike.

Have You Seen These Videos?

Here’s Opening Day at The Remarkables, Queenstown, New Zealand. Click below for the festivities.

And, Check Out What Happens To A Show Off When His Ski Flipping Trick Doesn’t Work. Click the picture below.

Finally, mountain biking down Corbet’s Couloir? First time ever, but you can be sure it isn’t the last.  Thanks Teton Gravity Research. Click on picture to view.

And Looking Ahead. El Nino Is Knocking.

Weather worriers are looking at an emerging El Nino pattern forming in the eastern Pacific. El Nino comes around when the surface water temperature increases ever so slightly in the ocean west of the Peru and Ecuador. Since everything in the weather world is connected, that water temperature change impacts the atmospheric wind patterns which impacts the everyone’s weather.  From the Weather Channel Explainer:

“If El Niño conditions are present during the winter, the jet stream pattern over the U.S. shifts and can result in a wetter-than-average winter across the southern tier of the U.S., including portions of California.

“During an El Niño winter temperatures are also typically cooler-than-average from the southern Plains into the Southeast and warmer-than-average from eastern Alaska into western and central Canada and into the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains and Midwest.

“The strength of the El Niño plays an important role in impacts across the U.S., including in the tropical Atlantic. At this point, it is too early to know when an El Niño pattern may develop and how strong it might be.”

Happy First Day Of Summer.

Onwards.  Have you bought your season ticket yet? Time to pay attention to whatever deals are left.

And tell your snow loving buddies about SeniorsSkiing.com.  Remember, there are more of us everyday, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 18)

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Survey Results: Summer Activities, Summer Trail Prep, Sacropenia Defense.

We are in high spring, as it were, as of this writing, and yet they are still squeezing out runs in Killington, VT, and will be until the end of May. Here’s a pic from last weekend from Aspen East Ski Shop’s Facebook page.

Still turning at Killington with one week to go. Credit: Aspen East Ski Shop

And also at Killington, Scott Howard, (65) a senior skier (!), has managed to break the unofficial record for the total number of vertical feet skied in a

Vertical record holder (unofficial) Scott Howard. Credit: Scott Howard.

season.  According to Trace, his iPhone app, Scott has racked up over six MILLION vertical feet by skiing 60 runs a day, seven days a week. Just so you know, six million vertical feet is equal to 1136 miles. That’s a little short of the distance from Vermont to Colorado.

Couple more runs, Scott, and you can head to the hot tub.

For more about this achievement, click here to read story from our friends at Snowbrains. 

Meanwhile, most of us have put up out skis and are into our non-snow activities. In case you are wondering, what do senior skiers do in the off season.  Let’s look at the results from our recent survey.

Non-Snow Activities From SeniorsSkiing.com Spring Survey 2018

We asked our readers what activities they participated in after the snow melts. Here’s the top ten.

  1. 57.83% Hiking
  2. 39.32% Road Cycling
  3. 37.31% Gardening
  4. 36.54% Touring independently domestically
  5. 32.44% Touring independently internationally
  6. 30.78% Golf
  7. 26.93% Kayaking
  8. 22.78% Fishing
  9. 21.18% Camping
  10. 19.69% Mountain Biking

The most interesting write-in comment was Dragon Boat Paddling. We also noted many write-ins for Tennis, Swimming, and Hunting. We should have made these choices in this survey and will include them next time. Your comments? Reactions?

This Week

Correspondent Yvette Cardozo takes us up to Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia where we learn how trails are prepped for summer.  Check out those cows! And we hear from Arthur Razee, a new contributor, who explains how do deal with sacropenia, the condition that causes muscle loss in older folks. It happens to us all, but we can manage to deal with through diet and a specific exercise.

Also, we say goodbye to our old friend and mentor, venerable and veteran ski journalist John Henry Auran. You can read a tribute here.

Meanwhile, stick with us through the summer.  We have some interesting stories lined up and we do want to hear from you. Please, please tell your friends about us.  Remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

Meanwhile, here’s a shot of a May snowstorm in Charlotte Pass, New South Wales, Australia, where the season is just getting under way.  It’s snowing somewhere in the world every day!

 

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 20)

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Discount Reminders, Season Thanks, Washing Down, Stowing Gear, Abandoned Ski Area Movie, -30-

Killington is still open. Also Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Wildcat, Jay Peak, Okemo, Mt. Snow, Sugarbush. May is possible! Credit: Jamie Frankel

This amazing season hangs on. Even as we write this on April 19 snow is falling in New England, in fact, right outside our window on Boston’s North Shore. We know that the Sierras and Rockies are also seeing spring snowfalls. It will be the last weekend for some, but it’s been years since we even contemplated skiing in May in Maine.

Fourth Season Into The Archives

With this week’s edition, the fourth publishing season of SeniorsSkiing.com is fading into the archives. We will be shifting gears in the next month, bringing articles that reflect our readers’ non-snow season activities on a less frequent basis. We’ll be picking up the pace with new ideas, articles, and offers on the other side of summer.

Bear in mind, the almost 900 articles that we’ve been publishing since 2014 are still and will always be available.  Just check the drop down menus in the blue bar above.

Our Publishing Season In Retrospect

Looking back, we’ve accomplished a lot and worked hard to create value for our leaders. Those initiatives marked SOC can be found under Subscriber-Only Content in the top menu bar. The initiatives we’ve developed in partnership with others include:

  • Mystery Glimpse photos from US ski museums
  • Our Donations to Defray Expenses Campaign
  • Making available 60s Ski Songs from Ray Conrad
  • Arranging exclusive Discounts For Seniors from 20 vendors
  • Publishing Best Skis For Seniors and Best Boots For Seniors (SOC)
  • Creating a directory of  resorts Where Seniors Ski Free (or almost free) (SOC)
  • Offering a free subscription to SKI magazine (SOC)
  • Making available a free digital subscription to Ski History magazine

We also have available on under Subscriber Only Content our first information asset we developed for our readers, complied with the cooperation of the International Ski History Association.

  • Free eBook Collection Historic Ski Posters (SOC)

Early Survey Results: We DO Have Lists Of Discounts.

A quick glance at the survey responses currently rolling in reveals that some readers are wondering when and if we will be offering advice where to get discounts on skiing. We’ve already got you covered.

One of our major early season efforts for the past couple of years has been to identify those ski areas which offer free skiing, or nearly free skiing, for seniors.  We want to point out that information is available under the Subscriber-Only Content menu that is above the blue menu bar. If you are already a subscriber, you will have to confirm your name and email address to get access to that directory. We think confirming your email address is much better alternative than having you create a username and password. We hope you agree.

Spring Survey 2018 Is Still Open.

Responses to our Spring Survey 2018 are still coming in. Thanks to those who have taken the time to give us some valuable input. If you haven’t taken our survey, just click here.  It will take you three minutes, and your advice is important to making SeniorsSkiing.com work for you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G7YBNCK

Thanks To Our Correspondents: You Are The Best.

SeniorsSkiing.com can’t publish every week during the season without articles submitted by our stalwart correspondents.  You should be familiar with their names by now. Each is a professional, some are active journalists, and each “gets” what SeniorsSkiing.com’s mission is all about: Promoting the interests of senior snow sport enthusiasts.

A tip of the ski pole to:

  • Jan Brunvand
  • Don Burch
  • Yvette Cardozo
  • Rose Marie Cleese
  • Val E.
  • Steve Hines
  • Marc Liebman
  • Roger Lohr (SeniorsSkiing.com XC editor)
  • Pat McCloskey
  • John Nelson
  • Tamsin Venn
  • Joan Wallen
  • Harriet Wallis
  • Jonathan Wiesel

And Thanks To Our Reader Opinion Writers.

This year, our readers have submitted more articles to us for publication than ever. We’d like to acknowledge those who were inspired to put pen to paper to write something for our readers. They made an effort to share their opinions, humor, stories, memories, and advice with you.  Thank you to all.

  • Torry Hack
  • John Farley
  • Bill Emerson
  • Brad Noren
  • Roger Monty
  • Bernie Weichsel

Paying Attention to Gear.

With the season winding down, it’s time to clean and stow your gear. We have two articles with advice for doing same. Val E. gives us 10 steps to cleaning that funky down jacket. And, we reprise Don Burch’s article from last year on putting away your equipment.

Flipping out at the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Squaw Valley. Credit: Charlie Shaeffer.

US Ski & Snowboard Hall Of Fame 2018 Inductees

The US Ski & Snowboard Association has just inducted its 2018 class of new members at Squaw Valley.  We salute the following ski celebrities:  Airborne Eddie Ferguson, Hermann Gollner, Marty Hall, Mike and Steve Marolt, Thom Weisel, Steve McKinney, and Shaun Palmer.

Abandoned Ski Areas In Colorado Documentary

Here’s a short documentary from a production company called The Road West Traveled about ski areas that disappeared from the Colorado landscape. In the 60s and 70s at the height of the ski craze, there were 200 ski areas in the state.  There are currently 30. “Abandoned” tells the story of just one, Geneva Basin, which closed in 1984 with some nice drone shots. But what’s with the dog running down the piste with the skiers?  Thanks to Outside magazine for sharing this.

CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE THE DOCUMENTARY

Or, Click Here for “Abandoned”. 

Look For Us This Summer And Fall.

We’ll be publishing articles on fitness, summer sports, fun things, and skiing in the Southern Hemisphere all with a senior slant for the next few months. Please tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

-30-

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Mystery Glimpse: First US Winter Olympic Medalist Was A Ski Jumper

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Only Two Guesses, One Was Correct.

Apparently, our last Mystery Glimpse of the season was fairly esoteric. We salute reader Patricia Gottshalk for identifying Anders Olsen Haugen, the US Ski Team member who was the first American to win a Winter Olympics medal. He won medals in the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and the 1928 games in St. Moritz. In fact, he remains the only American to ever win an Olympic medal in ski jumping. But there is much more to Anders’s story.

It seems that he originally came in fourth in the 1924 Olympics.  The third place went to a Norwegian, Thorleif Haug, who had already won a gold and a silver. However, in 1974, Norway held a 50th anniversary of the games. A ski history buff had scrutinized the scores from those long ago games and determined there was an arithmetic error in adding the results.  Anders had actually won the Bronze by several hundredths of a point. So, at 83 years old, Anders Olsen Haugen, a long-retired brick layer, was awarded the medal by Haug’s daughter at a special ceremony sanctioned by the IOC.

Here’s a snapshot of Anders and Haug’s daughter.  Quite a story, eh?

And with that, we are pausing our Mystery Glimpse series for the non-snow season. This feature could not have been possible without the incredible cooperation of several ski museums across the country. Each museum mentioned below contributed more than one photo from their archives. We thank them for their support and willingness to participate.

Ski museums are quite precious to us. They are typically small, even tiny, with exhibits made from contributions by skiing enthusiasts who want their souvenirs and memorabilia to live on. If you have some interesting relics from the early days of skiing, considering making a donation to a museum near you.  Here are the museums that participated in this year’s Mystery Glimpse. Thanks to all.

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum

Ski Museum of Maine

New England Ski Museum

US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum

Alf Engen Ski Museum

Museum of Sierra Ski History

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 13)

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Looking Back, Mystery Glimpse, Spring XC Skiing, Riding With The Cats.

Spring in Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA. Credit: Mike Maginn

It’s hard not to get a bit philosophical at the end of a season. And yes, we know that there are those who are still finding newly fallen snow out there, but we are done. Highlights for us: We re-discovered our interest in ski history, launching the Mystery Glimpse series this year with the cooperation and contributions of many fantastic ski museums around the country. And re-publishing Ray Conrad’s collection of ski songs from the 60s, a technical challenge, but we hope it is worth it for our readers.

We managed to become comfortable with our emerging carved turn, not yet there, but closer than before. We also realized that skiing on broad, green trails was perfect for us, even skiing the same damn trail all day long was okay.  Such is the lesson from listening to your body. We have new-found Alpine skiing enjoyment by approaching the hills with a whole new mindset. In a nutshell: Slow, poised and in control.

We also revived much appreciation for the joys of cross country skiing and the pleasure it brings on a beautiful, blue-sky, brilliantly cold day with new fallen snow. Nothing can beat the silence of the woods with the only sound your breath and perhaps your heart beating in your ears. Stopping and listening. Even better in your knickers and on your wooden skis. Perhaps a can of beer in your knapsack. Good for what ails you.

We loved mid-week discounts for seniors are major resorts, we loved the empty lift lines, the pleasant cashiers in the cafeteria, the pretzels in the bar apres-ski, the hot tubs at hotels.  And of course, the snow that finally showed up in earnest here in New England just a month or so ago.

As we said, there is still skiing out there, some of the best we are told. But now, we find ourselves heading to the boat store for bottom paint and sandpaper. Weekends have suddenly become nautically oriented. Happy Spring.

Please BOLO For Our Spring Survey. COMING SOON.

Our survey will be heading your way very shortly. We’ve had impressive response rates in our past surveys, and we really hope our readers respond like that again.  This time, we’re trying to pin down the role grandparents have in introducing snow sports to their grandkids. We’re also trying to find this year’s collection of Trail Master, those skiers who have skied the equivalent of their age in days. We know you are out there.

PLEASE RESPOND TO OUR SURVEY WHEN YOU SEE IT IN YOUR INBOX.

 

 

Mysterious Pics

In February, we found a curious set of pictures on the walls at the Mittersill Mountain Inn in Franconia, NH, an iconic, venerable hotel with roots going back the the 40s. The staff did not know the provenance, but these are so idiosyncratic and distinctive, we thought one of our readers might know where these came from.  Of the dozen or so, here is a sample:

Exquisite, aren’t they?  Anyone know the story behind these?

This Week

We reveal the identity of the Mystery Glimpse ski train, its history, and its recent fate.  And we introduce another ski hero we bet very few people will know but should.  Check it out there.

We hear from our cross-country ski editor Roger Lohr, who also publishes XCSkiResorts.com, on spring XC skiing.  It’s out there, and it is glorious. Yvette Cardozo, our correspondent in the Northwest, managed to get herself booked on a ride in a grooming cat at Sun Peaks Resort, BC. She has a really interesting report on how they do it and what it’s like to be on a massive steep in a boxed-in machine.

Onwards

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Remember there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

Enjoy Spring Skiing when you can.

 

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 6)

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Season Hangs On, Cross-Country Lessons, Apex Boot Highlights, Bob Beattie, Fun & Games, Mystery Train.

Where it snowed in 2017-18 and how much. Snow accumulation data from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery via the University of Chicago Research Computing Center

Click Here To See Where Snow Fell Day By Day From Oct 5th to March 26th. 

A glance at the map shows where the season’s snow accumulated and where it didn’t. Clearly, the Far West, Upper Rockies, (and Canadian Rockies not shown), parts of the Wasatch, and the Northeast received more than enough snow this season. Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Arizona resorts not so much.

The incredible graphic produced by the NOAA Goes-16 satellite of daily snowfall accumulation reveals most of heavy snow came sometime in March. So now we have spring skiing breaking out and ski resorts extending their seasons to make up for the phlegmatic January and February.

We have friends who have skied in the rain at Stowe this weekend and others who are planning to keep it up until Memorial Day and beyond out in Mammoth Mountain. This might be dubbed the “shifted season” where winter was re-set a month into the year. In any case, the challenge for resorts is to keep customers coming when most folks are taking boat covers off, spending Spring Break in the sun, or otherwise moving on from snow sports. Owning a ski resort is not for the faint of heart.

Mammoth Mountain extended the season after 16 FEET of snow in March. Credit: Unofficial Networks

This Week

This week’s Mystery Glimpse may be tough, showing a train somewhere out in the mountains. See if you can guess what’s going on.  On the other hand, we’ve been surprised by the depth of knowledge and history that comes out of our reader base. Last week’s handsome, California-stylin’ ski instructor’s identity is revealed along with a video clip of this charming gentleman.

We also have some advice on taking Cross-Country lessons from correspondent Jonathan Wiesel, insights into the growingly popular and “disruptive” Apex boot by Marc Liebman, a new game to play this spring with skiing friends by Harriet Wallis, and industry news and comments by co-publisher Jon in Short Swings. And there’s an interesting piece about the patron saint of skiers, mountaineers, and climbers. Do you know who that might be? Hint: Big dog.

This week’s was also marked by the passing of Bob Beattie, a popular, creative, entrepreneurial competitor, and television commentator. You can link to his obituary here.

The SeniorsSkiing.com Spring Survey Is Coming Soon

Please be on the look out for our Spring Survey. You will receive it as an email, and we promise it will take very few moments to complete. The purpose of these surveys is to understand your needs and to get to know who you are. We have had extraordinarily high response rates in the past which makes us think our readers are engaged and interested in supporting the our mission of boosting the profile of the senior snow sport enthusiast to the outdoor recreation community. So, BOLO.

Ski Songs Available

The response from our readers to Ray Conrad’s album of ski songs from the 60s has been remarkable.  It’s easy to download from CDBaby. If in doubt, ask your grandchild. You can go here to listen to some song snippets. Wonder why no one writes ski songs these days?  Or do they?  Know any “modern” ski songs?

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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