seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (July 7)

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Mammoth revels on the Fourth of July.
Credit: Mammoth Mountain

As we have been hearing from media sources, the skiing goes on. Apparently, July 4th at Mammoth was a combo beach party and ski festival as witnessed by the photo above.  Alas, although we closely scrutinized the details in the picture, we couldn’t see any senior skiers reveling in their bathing suits and bikinis.  What’s the matter with you guys?

George belongs to a very special ski club.
Credit: Snowbird

On the other hand, George Jedenoff, who celebrated his 100th birthday skiing at Snowbird on July 5th with his pal Junior Bounous, wasn’t in a Speedo this week. Correspondent Harriet Wallis tells us the back story of this interesting, positive, and inspirational man who learned to ski 51 years ago and has been at it ever since.  Certainly the king of Trailmasters!

We continue our Fitness Focus series this summer with a look at an highly effective stretch and strengthening pose that is one of the most iconic yoga positions.  Down Dog, aka Downward Facing Dog, is relatively simple to do and yields huge benefits, especially in stretching those tight hamstrings which can play mischief with lower back and hip pain. There’s a video included in the story that shows how to correct common mistakes in Down Dog.

Harriet also has submitted an update to her nostalgic profile of Blandford Ski Area in the Springfield, MA area. Regrettably, like many small areas, Blandford is and has been in financial difficulties. We love these little areas,

Small areas like Blandford are where families grow up loving skiing.
Credit: Ski Blandford

especially for senior skiers.  The mid-week traffic is minimal, the ticket prices are usually discounted, and there is often a community of folks to hang around with.  The good news is that Blandford might actually merge with Ski Butternut.  Let’s see what happens.

The ski industry lost Tommy Corcoran, the developer of Waterville Valley Resort and a former Olympian.   He made a mark on the sport when it was on the steep upside of the growth curve, making central New Hampshire a cool destination for Bostonians, New Yorkers, as well as celebrities. He was 85.

Finally, we have a fantastic report from Rose Marie Cleese on what’s happening in the never-ending season in the California Sierra.  As you can imagine, the biggest snow accumulation in years is still bringing the devotees back to the high country.  She has identified what is happening where as well as some tips on skiing in that highaltitude sunshine during the summer.

Two-time Olympian Tom Corcoran was an all-around athlete who put Waterville Valley on the map.
Credit: Waterville Valley Resort.

Our top Trailmasters are being mailed their prize Debooters as we speak. Well done, everyone.

If you want a handsome SeniorsSkiing.com 3 x 3 inch sticker, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.  We will send you a few.

Onward to mid-summer.  And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 23)

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Trail Masters Are Announced, Kayak Angling, Nostalgia For Blandford, Mid-June Ski Run At Alta.

This guy is taking a mid-June run down Alta. Walk up, ski down.

Yes, it is hot out there.  The head dome is hovering over the Southwest, and yet, there are places where people are still skiing.  We’ve received a report that people are skiing off the top of Mt. Washington, NH, walking up the mountain at Alta, and, of course, Mt Hood is opening for summer skiing, as is Les Deux Alpes in France. New Zealand and South American ski fields are open, too. When will folks have had enough?  Probably not till after July 4.  We hope correspondent Rose Marie Cleese gets us to Mammoth Mt, CA, to report on skiing on the fourth in the Sierra.

This week, we are announcing the Trail Masters who reported “skiing their age” this past season. Our most senior Trail Master is Fredi Jakob, a vibrant 83 year old who skied 83 days this season, mostly at Alta. Read our report and check out the list here.

As a reminder, we are also publishing once again our explanation of why some of you have to re-enter your email when accessing our online magazine. We are doing this to hopefully pre-empt the occasional angry email we get on this subject. The situation is easy to rectify, and it is most probably a click or two on the reader’s device.

 

WhyKnotFishing guide Matt Zimmerman teaches how-to kayak and fish in Marblehead Harbor.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

Correspondent Tamsin Venn reports on a potential new sport for active seniors to engage in.  She went kayak angling, or fishing from a kayak recently and tells you about the adventure she had in Marblehead Harbor.  Tamsin, by the way, knows a lot about kayaking as she is the publisher of American Coastal Kayaker magazine, but this is the first time she’s been kayak angling.  Looks like fun.

Also, Harriet Wallis writes about a nostalgic trip to Blandford ski area in Springfield, MA. Even though the area is closing, her memories of growing up on the slopes with a bunch of friends and families are vivid and persist.  We are starting to realize that it is the small- to medium-sized mountains that form the deepest relationships with people. There’s an emotional attachment that is hard to find in destination resorts.  Maybe that’s just us.

Finally, someone figured out how to get up Alta and take a run the other week and took a video of it. Walk up, ski down, you get what you pay for.  On to summer, guys.

Next time, more Cycling Series stories, a Fitness Focus that will keep those tight hamstrings limber, and more fun and games.  If you haven’t purchased your season ticket for next season, you may have missed out on the most generous discounts. Keep watching the website of your go-to mountain.

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

 

Jon Weisberg

2016-17 Trail Masters

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Congratulations to the 2016-17 Trail Masters!

Trail Masters are those senior skiers whose number of days skied last season matched or exceeded their ages. Seventy-seven qualified, compared to 42 in 2015-16, the first year Trail Masters were recorded.

At the top of the list is our oldest Trail Master, Fredi Jakob, who skied 83 days at age 83. Fredi’s home resort is Alta. He has been skiing 66 years. Next is Jack Nixon, 82, who skied 110 days, whose most frequently skied resort is Crested Butte.  Jack was also in second place last year.

Several people made the list both years. Among them is David Orlinsky, a ski buddy of the past few seasons. We’re both 73, and when we skied Copper Mountain in January, he was always waiting at the end of the run. Glad to see “Speedy” clocked 85 days.

The average age of all Trail Masters is 66. Their average number of days skied last season is 83.5, and their average number of years skiing is 48.5.

Each of the ten oldest Trail Masters will be mailed a DeBooter, that outstanding ski boot jack that lets your remove boots quickly and painlessly! Every older skier should own one.

Skiing one’s age is a terrific accomplishment. For all of us it will be easier to accomplish next season than the season that follows.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF TRAIL MASTERS

mikemaginn

Why Do I Have To Re-Enter My Name And Password?

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We Explain Why This Annoyance Happens And What You Can Do About It.

Editor Note: We get emails from time to time about how frustrated some of our readers are in having to re-enter their name and password when they visit our online magazine.  Sometimes those emails are in ALL CAPS, sometimes they use naughty words. Trust us, there is an explanation, and not everyone who subscribes has this problem. We’ve published this before and will continue to do so. It’s an easy fix.

If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed.  We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation.

  • You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one you originally signed up on. Subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com puts a “cookie” on your device.  If you use a different device, no cookie, so you are viewed as a non-subscriber. If you re-enter name and password, you’ll be okay with the new device.
  • You have disabled cookies or cleared browser history on your device. Turn cookies back on, and you’ll not have to re-enter again, or leave it disabled and realize you have to re-enter each time.  Your call.
  • You are trying to access our Subscriber-Only Content.  Instead of building a firewall that requires usernames and passwords, we elected a much simpler way of getting to our exclusive content: Just confirm your name and email.  You will have to do that each time you want to get to that information, which, by the way, is under the Community tab at the top.
Tamsin Venn

Kayak Angling: A New Sport To Consider

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Summer Is The Time To Try On A New Sport.

WhyKnotFishing guide Joe Gugino teaches how to kayak and fish in Marblehead Harbor.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

As a publisher of a sea kayaking magazine in the off season, I have witnessed the huge growth in the popularity of kayak fishing. It has been an opportunity for avid fisher people to get into the sport without the expense of a motorboat and launching and mooring fees, plus a chance to slide into some spots where only the kayak can go.

Fishing here in New England is big when the stripers move in around May and June. So in late May, I head over to the Little Harbor Boathouse in Marblehead, MA, to take part in a Guided Hobie Kayak Fishing Excursion. It would be a three-hour fishing program with use of a Hobie Kayak, fishing gear, and know-how from three very friendly and experienced guides: Jesse Minoski, Joe Gugino, and Mike Marquis. Perfect for a beginner like me. My first lesson was actually how to cast a line. Fortunately, my teacher Joe Gugino is a former fourth grade teacher. And even more fortunately, I was already used to a kayak wobble in unsteady seas so I felt secure in my balance with my hands free to fish. For skiers, that sense of balance comes naturally in a kayak, since we are so used to weight shifts.

The rocky shoreline around Marblehead is ideal striped bass territory, Hobie Team member Minoski says, and the Little Harbor Boathouse’s “hidden gem” location means you don’t have to go more than a half mile from the launch to fish and duck out of the wind behind Crowninshield and Gerry’s Islands.

Maryellen Auger, owner of Little Harbor Boathouse, has a Hobie Revolution 11 waiting for me. It’s an ideal boat size for women, she notes. Sleek and lively, the Revolution uses a pedal system to propel forward (a paddle is attached by bungee chord on the side if you need it). She points out the pedal system can be ideal for older people who may have developed shoulder issues over the years.

The kayak comes in three lengths, 11, 13 and 16 feet, increasing in speed with the hull length. A molded-in rod holder, multiple hatches, lots of on-deck storage, and a “hyper adjustable” Vantage CT seat with webbing, that is so comfortable you could sit out there all day and cast a line, are some of the pluses.

I “power-pedal” my way out through Little Harbor behind Crowninshield and catch up with six eager clients and three helpful guides.

I’m not so lucky in catching a fish, but I can tell you how wonderful it is to sit out on the ocean in a comfy seat on a fresh spring day, casting a line, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, camaraderie, and communing with a species that obviously knows the most of any of us about the water dynamics below. All and all, I had a very good time and highly recommend it, especially for someone new to kayak angling.

For more info, www.littleharborboathouse.com

For ongoing fishing guiding service on Boston’s North Shore—the blue fish come out in July—with 2017 Hobie Fishing Team Members Joe Gugino and Jesse Minoski: www.whyknotfishing.com

In the off season, Tamsin Venn publishes Atlantic Coastal Kayaker Magazine. www.atlanticcoastalkayaker.com

seniorsskiing

This Week in SeniorsSkiing.com (June 9)

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New Survey. Two Skiing Octogenarians. Simple Planks Strengthen Core. Cycling Into Seattle’s Past.

Gatehouse Web Design asked us to ask you to complete a survey. The company built the SeniorsSkiing.com website. It has also created a number of private online calendars to help property sharers view availability, and schedule and track use. User interest in features such as expense sharing and departure checklists led Gatehouse to develop a web app designed  to help anyone sharing a recreational property reduce the stress and time property sharing issues can cause.
Examples of people who might use the app are:
  • Owners who let family and friends use their ski house and who would be interested a private scheduling calendar and maybe asking users to contribute a below market rent or or simply cover that week’s cleaning bill.
  • Co-owners such as siblings or cousins who have inherited a place and need any easier way to fairly schedule use and share expenses.
  • Co-renters who pool resources to rent a ski house and who need a central location to organize the calendar and communication.
  • Ski clubs or associations interested in an easier way for members to pay dues and schedule their visits.
Survey results will help guide development of the app by identifying the most critical issues faced by vacation property sharers: https://goo.gl/forms/q0CBg5c695mtUJyA2

Paul in his tutu. He skis every day, but not always in a tutu. Sometimes he tows a kite from his helmet.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

This week Harriet Wallis profiles two octogenarian skiers based in Utah. The older of the two, 89 year old Paul Jacobsen, likes to show off his springtime stuff skiing in a tutu. He hasn’t missed a day at Brighton for 25 seasons!

Mike tells us about planks and how this simple exercise is so effective at strengthening the core — essential for tightening your middle and getting more out of your ski day.
Finally, John Nelson takes us on a bike tour of Old Seattle. He states, “Using a bike and a little imagination, it’s fun to explore your city in different way.” It’s a terrific idea, and a particularly good read.

We’re publishing bi-weekly this summer. Our next issue will be available June 22. In the meanwhile, if you have ideas, comments, etc., drop us an email.

SeniorsSkiing.com 3″ x 3″ stickers are  in limited supply. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936, and they’ll be heading your way.

 

 

Quick note to World: Readers keep signing up — even with snow melted and bull wheels no longer turning. There are more of us every day. We are not going away.

John Nelson

Cycling Series: Around Old Seattle

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Biking With A Mission: Hit The Historic Parts Of Town.

Editor Note: You can download a cue sheet for this “Forgotten Seattle Bike Tour” by clicking here which will take you to correspondent John Nelson’s blog. 

Start the ride at Occidental Park, once a salt marsh. Historic bike rides bring a new dimension to a city. Credit: John Nelson

It turns out the bicycle is a great time machine.

I recently devised a tour to take in some of Seattle’s most famous historic sites. You can do it too, no matter where you live. Using a bike and a little imagination, it’s fun to explore your city in different way.

Come along on my 23-mile tour back to the 1800s, and let’s see what was happening here in Seattle.

Pioneer Square

Our journey begins in Occidental Park. Today it’s a vibrant brick-covered gathering place, but when the first settlers came to Seattle, it was a salt marsh.

As we travel three blocks north toward Yesler Way, notice how wobbly the ground is. You can thank the workers of Yesler’s Mill, who started filling much of this ground with sawdust as the city was being built. Streets throughout this part of town are uneven and unstable, as fill material was added over the years, including the refuse from a major fire in 1889.

Shoreline to Denny Hill

Heading north along Western, imagine we’re traveling on the shoreline of Seattle. Back in the 1850s, this was the waterfront—none of those piers 300 yards to the west were here.

As we pass Spring Street, take a moment to look up the hill to the east. Nine springs provided water to the early settlers in the city, and Spring Street is named for the biggest of these. To appreciate this spot, let’s take a long drink from our water bottles, and continue north toward what is now Pike Place Market.

From the market, it’s time to do some climbing, although today, our climb is much shorter than it would have been in the 1800s. Denny Hill once stood between Pike and Cedar Streets, now called Belltown.

Starting in 1897, the hill was shaved off in what is known as the Denny Regrade. Over the next 33 years, giant hoses, dynamite and steam shovels were used to remove the top 120 feet of the hill in the name of growth and development.

Lake and Forest

For now we’re done with historic downtown Seattle. Our journey takes us south and east, toward Lake Washington. But we’re not done with regrades—our tour takes us along Jackson and Dearborn streets, both of which were regraded to help the city grow bigger.

The regraded streets are nice for biking today, but back in the 1800s they were quite hilly. Jackson at one time had a 15 percent grade. In the early 1900s, the city’s busy earth-movers shaved down Jackson and Dearborn, using the dirt to fill in much of what is now the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

Hopping onto the Mountain to the Sound Greenway, we travel through a tunnel to Lake Washington and down to the lake shore.

Heading south along Lake Washington Boulevard, we travel to Seward Park, one of the few places we can still see old-growth trees in the city.

Along the Duwamish

Leaving Seward Park, we ride west over Beacon Hill to a pioneer farming location, Georgetown. It’s an arty, hipster hangout now, but back in the 1800s, Georgetown was on the edge of the tidal flat and had rich alluvial soil deposited by the Duwamish River.

Duwamish River, looking to downtown Seattle, used to meander through the salt marsh.
Credit: John Nelson

Today, the Duwamish River is a major industrial waterway, engineered to handle huge ships. Little remains of the old river that once wound among the mud flats.

But we can see a hint of the past at Terminal 107 Park, the site of a former Duwamish Indian village. Step off your bike and take a walk along a gravel path to the shore of the river.

As we peek at the earth along the riverbank, we may find evidence of a midden —a place where shells and refuse were discarded by native people.

The home stretch

From here, we’ll be riding back through the stadium district to our starting point. Hopping on the West Seattle Bridge Trail, we pedal into SoDo and take in the former tidal flat. If this was 1850, we’d be under water now, or at least stuck in the mud.

Hear that crowd roar? It’s the sound of modern times as we pass Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners) or CenturyLink Field (Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders) back into Pioneer Square.

Shells are visible in the embankment of Terminal 107 Park in what is called a midden, where Native people discarded refuse.
Credit: John Nelson

_____

John Nelson is a freelance outdoors writer based in Seattle. Follow his blog at skizer.org.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 2)

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We’re Starting Our Summer Schedule!

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, SeniorsSkiing.com will be publishing on a bi-weekly basis.  We’ll still be continuing our Cycling Series, our new Fitness Focus, articles about hiking, profiles of senior skiers, and interesting places our readers and correspondents are visiting.  And, we’ll be publishing our list of 78 Trailmasters, super senior skiers who skied their age and more last season.

So, see you next week with more stories.  As for now, there’s this:

Where To Ski In Summer: Best Glaciers For Skiing [From The Telegraph (UK)]

Les Deux Alpes has skiing all summer.

Click here to link to the Telegraph article.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 26)

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Survey Results Highlights, Trailmaster Statistics, Fitness Focus Series Starts, Senior Woman Skier Wanted.

Click on the picture to learn how to do a body squat.
Credit: New York Times

This week, we have waded through the responses to the Spring Subscriber Survey 2017 and, by analyzing the data, we are discovering exactly who our readers are.  Jon does a nice job summarizing the main points of the research.  Thank you for responding; we had an incredible 27% response rate again. That’s really an impressive sign of engagement of our readers.  We continue to be awestruck how much our readers want SeniorsSkiing.com to continue to be a voice for them.

We are also announcing statistics on our Trailmasters, those readers who “skied their age”, that is, the number of days equal to or exceeding their age.  This year, we had 77 respondents who qualified as Trailmasters.  The statistics on their average age, number of days skied, and number of years as a skier are interesting. We will publish the full list of names when we verify the topmost super skiers.

We are also starting a summer series this week we’re calling Fitness Focus.  Respondents to our survey suggested we have more articles on fitness, so here you go.  With each edition over the summer, we plan to focus on one exercise, stretch, pose, activity that can benefit seniors’ conditioning.  Our inaugural article is on the squat which can be performed as moving exercise or as a yoga pose.  It’s considered one of the “essential” exercises.  Hope you like the series.

Finally, we were approached by a talent agency who is looking for a senior female skier who can appear in a TV commercial.  The timing is tight, so if you know someone, take some quick action.  Click here for the details.

We will be starting our summer schedule next week.  That means, we’re going to be publishing every other week instead of weekly.  We’ll still be at SeniorsSkiing.com world headquarters, however, so if you have ideas, comments, etc., you know where to find us.

If you want a few SeniorsSkiing.com 3″ x 3″ stickers, just send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936.  We’ve already received many letters from far and wide, even a nice chap from Australia has sent for some.

And remember, dear readers, there are definitely more of us every day, and we are not going away.

Jon Weisberg

You Are 66.6. You Skied 25.4 Days. You Buy Lunch At The Lodge.

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And, You Like SeniorsSkiing.com.

The most recent SeniorsSkiing.com reader spring survey explored how readers spend a typical ski day and how much they spend in the process.

As with earlier reader surveys, this one had a 27% response, unusually high in the world of print and digital magazines. It shows that the SeniorsSkiing.com community is enthusiastic and engaged! We plan to use this information to help change perceptions about older snow sports enthusiasts within the ski industry.

Who You Are

  • The average age of all respondents is 66.6
  • The average number of days skied in 2016-17 was 25.4. Trailmasters, those who reported skiing their age or more, had an average age of 66.03 and skied, on average, 84.49 days. (I’m humbled, with a total of 35 days—less than half my age).

Where You Stay When You Ski

  • More than 56% stay at your nearby condo or home or in a hotel or lodge close to the resort. About 44% drive from your homes located up to three hours away.

How Long You Ski and Who You Ski With

  • More than 60% ski with one or two companions; about 25% ski alone.
  • Almost 50% ski 3-4 hours and almost 38% ski 5-6 hours. About 6% ski six hours or more.

How Much You Spend

  • For a typical day at your home resort, 30% of you spend $100 or more per day for lodging, passes, restaurant and at the ski or gift shop.
  • For a typical day on an away from home multi-day ski vacation, about 50% spend $200 or more per day.
  • More than 53% buy lunch at the lodge. Almost 33% make apres ski beverage and snack purchases at the area. Almost 10% also purchase dinner there.

The survey also requested comments and advice.

You asked for more articles on areas in the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Europe, more on equipment, exercise, technique, and discounts. Several readers asked about ride share programs and ways to meet others for a day on the slopes.

One or two readers asked if we could organize content more clearly. A few commented on having to re-enter their email addresses (that happens when the device history is cleared or a new device is used). At least one suggested changing the name because “none of us want to be reminded that we are old.”

Some would like to see more about restaurants and “great culinary experiences.” Requests for more personal stories surfaced, especially about experiences with hip and knee replacements. A few asked for more articles about female skiers, instructors, patrollers. Several asked for more ski club pieces. A few commented with humor, “Tough to ski my age anywhere in the US. There just aren’t that many days in the season.”

Mike and I are committed to continuous improvement for SeniorsSkiing.com. Your input is valuable to that process. We also appreciate the many comments stating “Keep up the good work.” This one seems to sum it all up: “An excellent website with great info…keep on keeping on.”

 

seniorsskiing

Super Senior Skier Trailmaster Results Are In

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Here Are The Stats From This Extraordinary Group Of Senior Skiers.

Our recent Spring Subscriber Survey 2017 had a question asking if the respondent had skied a number of days that equaled or exceeded their age in years.  The results are extremely interesting.

We had 77 respondents who qualified as this year’s group of Trail Masters, that remarkable group of super senior skiers who really hit the slopes this past season.  While we await verification from the top skiers, the most senior with the most days, we wanted to give you some statistics that describe who these super seniors are.

  • The average age of the Trailmaster group: 66.03
  • Highest lowest age range: 50 and 83
  • The average number of days skied: 84.49
  • The highest lowest number of days skied: 60 and 160 (!)
  • The average number of years the respondent has been skiing: 49.4
  • International locations of Trailmasters: Italy, Canada, France, Australia
  • Most frequently mentioned home state of Trailmasters: Vermont

We’ve sent emails to the super duper top of the list of Trailmasters to validate their numbers.  We’ll let you know who these folks are and who else is on the list of SeniorsSkiing.com’s Trailmasters for the 2016-2017 season soon.

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 19)

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Cycling Series Begins, Ski Video Compilation, Survey Comments, Publishing Schedule News.

Night skiing under the North Lights. See the compilation video in this week’s edition.
Credit: Good Time With Rider

This week, you can see that we are shifting focus to summer activities.  We know our readers are also cyclers, hikers, kayakers, and to a lesser extent, golfers and fishermen.  With that in mind, here’s the first of our cycling series for this season.

Correspondent Pat McCloskey tells us about his early season mountain bike ride in Happy Valley in Central Pennsylvania. If you’re into mountain biking, you can appreciate Pat’s challenge in keeping up with a bunch of younger spinners who climb gnarly, rugged, rock-strewn trails with vigor.

Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com, reports on an adaptive bike program in Vermont that will host vets and people with disabilities all summer long in different locations. If you are in the area, you might want to check in and see if you can help out.

Trails at Rothrock require some technical skills.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

Finally, we have a compilation video depicting skiing from all ends of the spectrum, from silly and zany to serious and thrilling.  It’s a tribute to the unbeatable 2016 season and worth a four-minute view.

We are compiling our list of Trail Masters, those readers who have “skied their age” this past season.  We have an amazing list of over 150 names to vet and are getting it ready for publication soon.

Speaking of our survey, we want to respond to some comments that seem to have come up frequently, based on a scan of the data. This is not a thorough analysis, just a quick hit:

  1. Our readers want us to provide information on discounts and lobby ski resorts for additional price breaks for seniors. Roger that and will continue to do even more.
  2. You want to connect with other senior skiers.  We hear that loud and clear.  First step, go to COMMUNITY in the top menu, scroll down to Find Ski Buddies With NSCF, which is the National Ski Council Federation, an umbrella organization for ski clubs in the US, and find a club near you. Then, check out 70+ Ski Club, one of our fantastic advertisers.  Also add a comment in our FORUM under the COMMUNITY menu.
  3. Many comments revolve around reporting on resorts.  Our correspondents will be fanning out next season to add even more Resort Reviews to our collection.  By the way, we welcome contributions from our readers.  Let us know what you have in mind, and we’ll send our submission guidelines.
  4. Video submissions: You want to see them from other seniors, and so do we.  Please send our clips.  Keep them short, 3-4 minutes.  We started a collection, have only two on the site, and we welcome more. If you post them on Youtube, it is an easy pick up for us.
  5. Lessons, technique, skills.  You want advice for seniors on adapting to changing abilities. We will take that on board as a to-do for next season.

There’s much more, of course.  We will analyze and learn from your valuable comments.

One comment did get to us in a very good way.  One of you wrote, “You’re on a significantly important mission by providing an excellent quality read.” Tears in eye, man.  Thanks.

Finally, our readers are still vexed with the problem of having to re-enter email addresses. Here is how to resolve this problem:

If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed.  We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation.

  • You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one you originally signed up on. Subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com puts a “cookie” on your device.  If you use a different device, no cookie, so you are viewed as a non-subscriber. If you re-enter name and password, you’ll be okay with the new device.
  • You have disabled cookies or cleared browser history on your device. Turn cookies back on, and you’ll not have to re-enter again, or leave it disabled and realize you have to re-enter each time.  Your call.
  • You are trying to access our Subscriber-Only Content.  Instead of building a firewall that requires usernames and passwords, we elected a much simpler way of getting to our exclusive content: Just confirm your name and email.  You will have to do that each time you want to get to that information, which, by the way, is under the Community tab at the top.

Finally, finally, we are considering changing our publishing schedule from weekly to bi-weekly for the summer months.  The new schedule will start at the beginning of June.

Once again, thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

Night skiing under the North Lights
mikemaginn

Best Of Skiing 2016: A Tribute To All Kinds Of Skiing Last Year

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A Superb Skiing Year In Most Places Deserves A Fitting Remembrance. This One Is Over The Top.

Night skiing under the North Lights. One of the amazers in this compilation video.
Credit: Good Time With Rider

In this video, you will see some examples of skiing in 2016, including cool powder skiing, jumping off cliffs, skiing on roads, night skiing under the Northern Lights, bikini skiing, nude skiing, street skiing, jumping from buildings and bridges “skiing”, indoor skiing, skiing down Joy Street, Boston, on tops of cars, ski joring (horse skiing), rock skiing, kite skiing, tandem skiing, and lawn skiing.

As we said, it was quite a year.  Thanks to Good Time With Rider for this video.

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 12)

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More Ticks, More Storage Ideas, Sharks That Swim Under Snow, Oh Boy.

Don’t go near the…snow. Avalanche Sharks are out there.

Thanks to all our readers who responded to our SeniorsSkiing.com Spring Subscriber Survey 2017.  We had an incredible 28 percent response rate. If you are familiar with surveys, you will instantly see that is an extraordinary number.  Our readers—you guys—are definitely engaged in our online magazine/community.  And the comments and advice you offered were wise, humbling and most encouraging.  We are very grateful for your input.  More on what we learned later.

One thing we learned immediately from scanning the responses is that many readers looking for other people to ski or travel with. There are at least two avenues to pursue:

  1. Check out the 70+ Ski Club, a group of seniors who ski together on trips around North America and Europe.  [You don’t have to be 70+ to join, by the way.]
  2. Find a ski club near you. We have partnered with the National Ski Council Federation—an umbrella group of ski clubs across the US—and have posted a link to their map of clubs.  Just go to the map, click on your city and you will get names of ski clubs and the email addresses of club officers.

As for this week, we continue some themes from last week. Correspondent Val E., a specialist in retail and ski industry products, adds tips for the careful storage of gear over the summer. A few simple steps now can avoid complex steps later.

Steve Hines, our outdoorsman and Wilderness First Responder, offers Part 2 on the tick infestation we are experiencing. This time he discusses treatment and prevention. This is serious business folks; he also reminds us to pay attention to the Powassan virus, another tick-carried disease that is serious and even deadly.  If you spend any time in the woods this summer, this is important stuff.

Finally, we have a movie review to share.  Avalanche Sharks is a modern monster movie featuring an avalanche, a bikini contest at a ski resort, and sharks that swim under the snow. Seriously, that’s the plot.  Check out review and see the trailer here.

Finally, finally, here’s why you may be asked to enter your email address when you come to SeniorsSkiing.com.  It’s the most common comment/complaint we get here at SeniorsSkiing.com World Headquarters.

If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed.  We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation.

  • You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one you originally signed up on. Subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com puts a “cookie” on your device.  If you use a different device, no cookie, so you are viewed as a non-subscriber. If you re-enter name and password, you’ll be okay with the new device.
  • You have disabled cookies or cleared browser history on your device. Turn cookies back on, and you’ll not have to re-enter again, or leave it disabled and realize you have to re-enter each time.  Your call.
  • You are trying to access our Subscriber-Only Content.  Instead of building a firewall that requires usernames and passwords, we elected a much simpler way of getting to our exclusive content: Just confirm your name and email.  You will have to do that each time you want to get to that information, which, by the way, is under the Community tab at the top.

Next week, we’ll get into more summer activities. For now, we are experiencing a cool and wet mid-Spring  here in New England.

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

mikemaginn

Movie Review: Avalanche Sharks

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Jaws Comes To Snow Country And Attacks Bikini Contest. Terrifying, No?

Don’t go near the…snow. We’ve heard of snow snakes but this is ridiculous.

We would have loved to have been around the conference room table—or more likely, cocktail bar—when the idea for this movie took form.

“Let’s make a movie about a ski resort in avalanche country,” says one genius.

“With a spring break bikini contest around the hot tub at the base lodge,” opines another.

“Yeah, with a herd of sharks that swim under the snow and eats skiers,” says the another genius.

They stare at each other in recognition of a profound ideation and shout in unison, “Avalanche Sharks”. High fives all around.

And so it came to pass that a movie about sharks that swim under the snow during a bikini contest and eat skiers was made.

For those of us who love the absurd, the ridiculous, and the irreverent, this is one for you.  We cannot imagine how the actors managed to not break out hysterically laughing in the midst of some of these scenes.

For students of horror films, this one has all the elements: The crazy outsider shouting a warning no one believes, ancient curse, astronomical event, disbelieving authorities, brave young people, beautiful young people, omnipotent monsters, and, of course, a predictable ending.

This 2014 movie can be rented from Amazon, Youtube, or other streamers. Watch with a group of friends with adult beverages and potato chips.

Dum-dee-dum-dee-dum-dee-dum.

 

 

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 5)

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Cinco de Mayo Skiing, Skiing On Stones, Why Re-Enter Name/Email?, Storing Skis, Ticks Are Coming.

Proof that more than one person has skied the scree in Austria.

The responses to our Spring Survey 2017 are rolling in.  Thank you for your encouraging comments and suggestions.  It is very heartening to know there are so many readers out there who are rooting for us and for senior skiing.  Yes, we are trying to promote senior discounts. And we will continue to highlight the “second-tier” ski areas where discounts are more generous and skiing more…relaxed.  And yes, we will have more articles on fitness and gear reviews.  So much helpful information.

If you haven’t responded, there is still time. We’ll send out a reminder soon.

Spring skiing in Arizona?  Who woulda thunk?  But here it is. Arizona Ski Bowl is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with open lifts. Click below to see short news story.

“Why Do I Have To Re-Enter My Name and Email Address?”

If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed.  We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation.

  • You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one you originally signed up on. Subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com puts a “cookie” on your device.  If you use a different device, no cookie, so you are viewed as a non-subscriber. If you re-enter name and password, you’ll be okay with the new device.
  • You have disabled cookies or cleared browser history on your device. Turn cookies back on, and you’ll not have to re-enter again, or leave it disabled and realize you have to re-enter each time.  Your call.
  • You are trying to access our Subscriber-Only Content.  Instead of building a firewall that requires usernames and passwords, we elected a much simpler way of getting to our exclusive content: Just confirm your name and email.  You will have to do that each time you want to get to that information, which, by the way, is under the Community tab at the top.

Co-publisher Jon Weisberg found a place in this whacky world where people ski on rocks.  Okay, we’ve seen skiers in canoes going down ski trails, surfers wearing skis, skiers in streets and urban parks, but this one gets the nutsy award.  Okay, maybe once to say you’ve done it, but not every weekend. Check it out.

Lyme’s tell-tale ring rash appears 36-48 hours after a tick bite.

Correspondent Steve Hines brings us the first part of a two-part series on Lyme disease. We know our readers are active summer people, many cyclists and hikers.  The news is that Lyme is spreading, no longer the exclusive disease of New England.  It pays to pay attention to this; having Lyme disease is a serious condition. The good news is it can be avoided.

Finally, Correspondent Don Burch gives us some tips on putting our gear away.  If you haven’t thought about storing your equipment with just a little TLC, now is the time to rectify.  We typically thrown our boot and ski bags down by the furnace after our last outing without so much as a fare-thee-well.  Not a good idea.

 

 

Our sticker, free with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Finally, finally, if you’d like a SeniorsSkiing.com sticker, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936. We will send you a couple for sticking on things.

We appreciate our readers more and more every day.  Thanks again so very much for your responses to our new survey.  Keep ’em coming.  And remember, folks, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Sometimes Coming Up With Content For This Weekly Column Is Challenging…Especially Now That The Season Has Ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In season, resorts and others seeking publicity provide us with a steady stream of options to consider. That’s dried up. So this week, I went through the ski-related photos I’ve snapped and forgotten about…until now. Most are license plates, the majority from Utah, where I live. It’s amazing how skiers combine seven letters/numbers to express their love. The plates, some weird decals and signs, a ski-inspired fence or two, and some pre-Christmas pictures while window shopping in NYC are now posted. Simply go to the top of the home page, click Features then (in the drop down box) Terrific/Funny Photos. You are invited to submit ski-related pictures throughout the year.

Spring Reader Survey

Our Spring Reader Survey was distributed this week. It’s a quick one. We’re trying to determine how much older skiers spend when they go skiing. The results will be useful in helping area management appreciate the value of the older skier. They also may help us attract advertisers.

The survey also is your opportunity to be listed as a Trail Master. If you skied your age this season, let us know, and we’ll add you to the annual Trail Master listing.

SeniorsSkiing.com Sticker

Want a few free SeniorsSkiing.com stickers? They look good on skis, helmets, lockers, cars. Send a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.

ALASKA

Dean Cummings’ H2O Guides is booking trips for 2018. Dean has been operating in the Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez since 1995. H2O accesses 4,000 square miles of terrain. Visit their site for details.

OTHER

Mountain Collective passholders can extend the season at Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain which expect to be operating into summer. The pass also covers southern hemisphere destinations such as Valle Nevado, Thredbo and Coronet Peak/The Remarkables.

SHAREaCAMPER, a peer-to-peer motorhome rental platform, analyzed Google searches of adventure activities and came up with a ranking of the countries with the “most adventurous” people. They analyzed searches for activities ranging from skydiving to skiing. On a per capita basis, the Netherlands ranked #1 followed by Australia, Sweden, Germany and France. The U.S. ranked 9th. On search volume, alone, the U.S. raked first. Skiing is most popular in Norway, but the U.S. has the highest number of searches per month for the sport. Full results at the SHAREaCAMPER site.

Looking for a previously owned ski lift? Skilifts.us is one place to find everything from a second hand quad to an old-fashioned rope tow.

 

Jon Weisberg

New Twist on Skiing “The Rockies”

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Most areas have turned off the lights on ’16-’17.

Scree Skiing in Haiming, Austria

Nonetheless a few places in North America are still operating. They include Blackcomb Mountain, Snowbird, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Mt Bachelor, and the place that skis 12 months a year, Timberline Lodge.

Over the years I’ve heard about sand skiing. The following are associated with sand boarding, but I’m sure if you want to try skis, you won’t be turned away: Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Mosca, CO, Sand Master Park, Florence, OR, Silver Lake State Park, Mears, MI, and Marina State Beach and Dunes Preserve, Marina, CA.

 

Proof that more than one person has done it.

If you’ve really got the itch and are in the vicinity of Haiming, a small town 45 km west of Innsbruck, you might want to try scree skiing. Apparently, some hardy locals don their Kevlar ski suits, use skis with big rockers and make turns on a surface that makes you yearn for New England ice. No lifts to our knowledge, but we did hear that they’re discussing a celebrity ski race with who else but Sharon Stone.

 

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Apr. 28)

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Cat Skiing, A Record Number Of Resort Visits, Naming Ski Trails, Putting XC Skis To Bed.

How does lunch in the French Alps compare to the cafeteria line at your local resort? You kidding?
Credit: Richard Pazara

We think we may have struck a nerve in last week’s editorial on whither senior lift ticket prices in the age of resort consolidation and collaboration.  Check the comments. Will big-league destination resort prices be pushing seniors to less-traveled, second-tier areas? How will second-tier resorts react? Will you be looking for deals in your local area when your favorite spot snaps into line with corporate-no-senior-discount pricing? This is going to play out this summer at big and small ski areas when pricing settles down. Meanwhile, we suggest you look for season pass deals right now while early-bird discounts are in season.

We know there is another whole universe of Alpine skiing where there are no lifts, no lines, no crowds. Beyond Pluto? Nope, it’s just cat skiing, where a big machine takes you into untracked high country and picks you up at the bottom. In this week’s edition, correspondent Suzie Winthrop tells us what it’s like to yo-yo in perfect powder in a week of cat skiing in BC’s Selkirk Mountains.

We got an email from Richard Pazara, a retired executive, who wanted to know if we’d be interested in his adventures skiing around the world. What makes Richard’s story astonishing is that he’s skied at 1,241 resorts from Dubai to New Zealand.  Richard is a big league traveler. Not only has he racked up ski resort visits, he’s visited all 3,144 counties in the US over a 40 year span. And, all 32 states in Mexico, all Canadian provinces and 144 of the world’s 193 countries. He is ranked 78th of the world’s most traveled people. And he reports it’s mostly on frequent flier miles. He says he has a “strange accounting gene” that pushes him to remain in motion and keep track of every step.

Correspondent Don Burch brings us an interesting note on how ski trails are named or got their names. Have you noticed a theme to the trail names where you go skiing? What’s your most remarkable, notable, provocative trail name?

What’s in a name? A few resorts create a theme for trail names. Memorable. Cutesy. Provocative (?)
Credit: Don Burch

Finally, Roger Lohr of XCSkiResorts.com and Andy Gerlach of SkiPost.com team up to tell us how to put away our XC skis.  Please don’t just put them down in the basement next to the furnace. A little care goes a long away when next season’s snowflakes fly.

Meanwhile, we are getting our end-of-season Spring Survey 2017 ready to distribute to our readers.  Please watch for it soon in your email box.

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

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Apr. 21)

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Checking The Winter Forecast, Mom-And-Pop: Is Smaller Better?, Editorial: Is Bigger Better?, Silly Falls On Video, Alta GM Retires.

Small is better? Accessible, economical, family-friendly, local ski areas have a community feeling.
Credit: Ski Sundown

This week, a mini-theme has emerged from two of our articles.  We have a piece from new contributor Don Burch, who makes the case for the local ski area. Basically, he says, it’s inexpensive, accessible, manageable, and more intimate (think community) than big resorts. Certainly true in our experience.

And, we opine in a SeniorsSkiing.com editorial on the acquisitions that have rocked the ski industry this month: Vail and Aspen scooping up properties all over the map.  Will those resorts maintain their attractiveness to seniors? Will discounts still be offered in a corporate pricing environment?

Put these two thoughts together, and you can see a future where seniors are literally drawn into second-tier resorts where amenities, discounts and friends can be readily found. Big resorts, maybe not so much. We’d like your reactions to these big changes in resort ownership.

Temperature: Forecast vs Actual, 2016-17
Credit: NOAA

We also thought it was time to go back to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s forecast for the 2016-17 Winter to see how well it held up.  Hint: California was the spoiler, but you knew that.

A tip of the ski pole to Alta GM Onno Wieringa who is retiring after an entire career at the area.

Finally, we have a short video clip of classic flops and flips.  We know it’s not polite to laugh at other people’s misfortunes on skis, but these are quite funny, nevertheless.  Enjoy.

We are moving slowly but surely to spring.  We have heard there is a resort in the Sierra that plans to stay open all year.  How about that?  Would you ski in August?

We’re developing our Spring Survey 2017, and you will be hearing more about that next week.

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

 

 

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Editorial: How Will Consolidations And Collaborations Impact Senior Skiers?

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Bigger Better?

With the Aspen KSL Capital Partners acquisition of Stratton VT and Mt. Tremblant, PQ, and Vail buying the iconic Stowe VT resort, it appears the ski industry has passed a tipping point. The trend is now toward nation-wide reach, corporate management and marketing, multi-resort passes that can be used from coast to coast, and certainly more choices. These multi-resort passes are formed through acquisition and merger of resorts or through collaboration between individual independent resorts.

The good news is that the ubiquitous pass idea—Epic, Mountain Collective and others—gives the skier lots of opportunities for variation and actually brings the price of skiing down if you ski a lot. These passes give you, for example, two days skiing at designation resorts and half-price tickets if you want to ski more. Passes are on sale now for next season and, if you’re interested, now is the time to buy.

On the other hand, what about senior discounts for the less active skier? Stowe currently has a Super Senior Card (70+) that reduces lift ticket prices to as little as $44 a day. The question is will new management sustain these in the future? Vail gives seniors a five percent discount for day lift tickets at the home base resort in Colorado. For example, a regular adult ticket in late April is priced at $123; seniors 65+ pay $113. Granted it’s Vail, but that’s not much of a discount. What’s the point, Vail?

We know from reader surveys that seniors like discounts and deals. Perhaps we will see second tier areas who do encourage seniors with nice discounts and amenities benefiting from new traffic, especially from those who ski less than 10-20 days a season. Perhaps seniors will gravitate to where the lift prices are always reasonable. Perhaps local, mom-and-pop areas will get a boost from seniors re-discovering the benefits of smallness.

We will be watching.

mikemaginn

2016-17 Winter Forecast Outcome

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How Close Were NOAA Predictions? The Surprise Was California.

Temperature: Forecast vs Actual, 2016-17
Credit: NOAA

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center recently published a review of its forecast for the 2016-17 winter.  As you know from horse racing, the stock market and Las Vegas, predictions often do not reflect realities.  The question really is how close to reality the predictions are.

In October, 2016, the Winter Weather prediction was focused on factoring in a weak La Nina pattern in the Pacific.  La Nina and sibling El Nino, as you may be aware, are warm or cool water conditions roughly in the latitude of Peru in the eastern ocean.  These conditions impact the air masses above them and, subsequently, the jet stream which steers weather patterns in the atmosphere.

Climate Prediction Center thought a La Nina (cooler water) would bring generally warmer temps across the lower US and cooler in the Pacific Northwest, Upper Midwest and Ontario. For precipitation, the prediction was below normal precip across the southern US, continuing the drought situation there, and above average precip in the upper band across the US-Canada border.

In reality, the La Nina was weaker and faded away earlier than predicted. That factor plus multiple “Atmospheric River Events” off the California coast, narrow regions of heavy moisture transported from the tropics, and general randomness brought different outcomes.

Temperatures across the US in the 2016-17 winter were the warmest ever recorded. That was in line with the prediction for warmer temps across the whole country. But it was colder than average in the Pacific North West rather than the Northern Plains.  And, while precipitation for wetter than average in the Northern Tier was spot on, the forecast for drier than average only worked out for Florida, where drought conditions persist.

As we know, it was wetter than average in California with ongoing storms racing up from the Pacific. Not predicted.

In general, Climate Prediction Center’s own objective evaluation of its predictions show it was much more accurate for the temperatures this year than precipitation.

We will be bring you predictions for the 2017-18 Winter when they emerge.

Precipitation: Forecast vs Actual 2016-17
Credit: NOAA

 

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Ski Fails On Video

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A Compilation Of Major Flops And Embarrassing Flips.

It’s the silly season in these last days of April.  We’re sending along a collection of video clips of those skiers and boarders who tried…and failed.  The T-bar episode is actually hysterical. Thanks to FailToTheGail for putting this together.  Who was it that said the difference between comedy and tragedy is distance?

 

 

 

Don Burch

The Case For The Local Ski Area

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So It’s Not The Rockies.  But What Makes Mom-And-Pop Special?

Ski Butternut in the Berkshires: All you need for a fun day with friends at a typical local area.
Credit: Ski Butternut

[Editor Note: As we are seeing in a month of startling industry news, the ski business is rapidly consolidating.  Big corporations are buying portfolios of resorts.  Vail has added Stowe to its collection. Aspen and its private equity investors, KLS Capital Partners are plucking up Stratton and Mt. Tremblant, among others. Other consortia have been formed or are forming. Where does this leave the mom-and-pop local area, probably closer to home, less exciting facilities, average food, but nicely discounted mid-week tickets for seniors? This is an important question in an industry that is moving away from smallness.] 

Support your local ski area. You know the place. It’s likely the place you learned to ski at and/or where you brought your children to teach them. If you have grandchildren, its the place you are bringing them to ski. It’s likely the ski area is privately owned and supports the surrounding area by employing local workers. Simply put, we go to local ski areas to ski. We don’t go to see others or to be seen. We don’t go for après ski activities or plush lodging.

Small is better? Accessible, economical, family-friendly, local ski areas have a community feeling.
Credit: Ski Sundown

We need to support our local ski areas by skiing at them. Increasingly smaller mountains are being bought by corporations or going out of business. Local ski areas are by definition closer to home, they are less crowded and have less expensive lift tickets. Midweek skiing at one of my favorite areas, Ski Butternut, in Western Massachusetts, is $25 for all skiers! Every season, I make it a point to ski at Butternut and several of my other local ski areas, and each time it’s a wonderful experience.

Aesthetically my local ski areas fit into their surroundings rather than dominate them.

When I go to my local ski area, I don’t race there. I know I’ll park close to the lodge, I won’t have to wait in line for tickets or in lines to get on the lifts. The entire day is more relaxing. I know I’ll get plenty of great skiing, and I don’t have to jockey to get a place in line or compete for a table to have lunch at. I do less racing down the mountain (though I can do that if I want) and spend more time stopping, looking at the scenery or talking to people. I feel safer skiing at my local area because there are few, if any, rude or aggressive skiers. While skiing, I don’t have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure I’m not going to get run over.

It’s a more relaxing day, because everything feels manageable. First time visitors are not going to be confused about where to park, how to get to the lodge or what trails go where. At the end of the day, families don’t have to worry about finding their children because everyone ends up in the same place. Since local ski areas are less overwhelming and feel safer, parents are more likely to give children the freedom to ski on their own. As a child, one of my favorite memories was being allowed to ski with my friends and explore the mountain without our parents.

Because I skied these areas as a child, I get the added benefit of a wonderful sense of nostalgia. When traveling, I’ve also had great fun skiing at independently owned mountains that I’d never been to before.

Spend a day or so exploring a local ski area and experience the charm and fun they have to offer. Just take a look at a small sample of season pass senior deals for next season:

Ski Butternut, Western MA: $175 (70+)

Ski Sundown, Northwestern CT: $109 (70+)

Catamount: Eastern NY: FREE (80+), before 6/1 $150, before 9/1 $155 (70-79)

What’s your local area? How are the deals shaping up for seniors?

 

 

mikemaginn

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Apr. 14)

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A Reunion, Big White As A Role Model, A Forbidden Resort, Goodbye To A Mountain Pioneer, Remembering Spring Skiing.

Jolly time at Masters Week apres ski party at Big White Ski Resort. The Masters program is aimed at skiers of all levels over the age of 50.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo

Onwards to Spring!  We hear the skiing in the West has never been better.  Still more storms in the Sierra coming and the question, “When will it end?” must be raised.  For some, never is an okay answer.

Ski legend Doug Pfeiffer and SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher Mike Maginn reconnect after many decades at the ISHA Hall of Fame ceremony at Stowe.

This week, in addition to noting the 105th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we have dipped into nostalgia. Most happily, we (i.e., this editor) bumped into our former boss from SKIING Magazine Doug Pfeiffer and his wife Ginny at the International Ski History Association Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at Stowe, VT, last weekend.  Decades didn’t erase the memories we shared ever so briefly as the crowds mingled around us.  It’s great to see the long arc of life events coming round again.  Doug and Ginny, it was wonderful to say hello.

We have a two-part story about the Master’s Week program at Big White, Kelowna, BC.  We feel this is an important pair of  articles for two reasons.  First, we want our readers to know that ski areas can and should develop senior-specific programs that will consistently attract seniors and help create a lasting community of friends.  Second, we want to show ski area management that these kinds of programs, which have been popping up across North America, are, in fact, a low-cost, no-cost way to acknowledge and support a ski resort’s most loyal customers, the seniors who come back year after year. Thanks to correspondent Yvette Cardozo for looking at both the social and ski clinic elements of the program.

Utah-based Harriet Wallis reminiscences about spring skiing days in New England, a special time up there when snow season transitions to mud season, and Robert Frost poetry books come down from the shelf in the evening.

Gates-To-Masikryong Ski Resort, North Korea

Many years ago, we skied in South Korea. It was an unusual experience. Pioneering could be a way to describe conditions and equipment back then.  We are sure they’ve been upgraded since.  Co-publisher Jon Weisberg notes that the North has joined the alpine ski business with a new resort.  Could it be the One-Whose-Haircut-Can’t-Be-Mentioned wants to relive his college days in the Swiss Alps?

Finally, we remember Mary Anderson, co-founder of REI in 1938.  Not many retail businesses last that long.  Mary and her partners formed a cooperative that managed to survive swings in the economy and to this day appeals to mountain and outdoor enthusiasts.

Thanks to all and, this week, a special salute to our advertisers who are renewing for one more year of supporting SeniorsSkiing.com.

Next week, we’ll be profiling our two Advisory Council members who were inducted into the ISHA Hall of Fame, Bernie Weichsel and Gretchen Rous Besser.  We’ll have a story about the glory of local areas by a new contributor and other surprises.

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

Mary and Lloyd Anderson, REI founders.