Tag Archive for: 50+ senior skier.

Harriet Wallis

Is A Hip Replacement In Your Future?

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Here Are Some Tips From A Two-Hip Skier.

Here’s Harriet. Two new knees, two new hips. When it comes to joint replacement, she knows what she is talking about. Credit: Courtesy of Alta

Your decision to replace any body part is a serious decision. Unlike a purchase from a retail store, you cannot return an implant!

But when your “original equipment” wears out, it’s time to have it replaced. Overall, we’re living longer, we’re living healthier, and we want to enjoy life—and ski.

As background, I have two artificial hips, two artificial knees, and I skied 78 days during this last winter before resorts closed because of the Covid virus. Artificial hips and knees work really well.

Here are some tips if you’re considering new hips.

Choose your surgeon carefully. Your future depends on it. Pay the cost of visits to several surgeons. Those visits will help you choose the right one for you.

1. Ask hip questions

Here’s the list of questions I asked each surgeon. I printed a sheet for each surgeon and I wrote down their answers so I’d remember what each one said. Unexpectedly, their answers were quite different. Print out these question and bring them with you to each visit.

  • Do I need a hip replacement?
  • How many hips do you replace a week?  A year?
  • Do you do the surgery or does someone else do it?
  • Do you do anterior or traditional cut? Why?
  • GPS guided? Robotic? Manual?
  • What kind of anesthesia? Why?
  •  What brand of implant do you use?
  • Metal or ceramic?
  • Glue? What kind? Why?
  • Bone density. What if my bones aren’t good when you get in there?
  • Do you resurface instead of replace? Why?
  • How long in hospital?
  • Will I need help when discharged?
  • What kind of PT do you recommend?
  • Can I ski?
  • Why should I choose you?

2. Do a visual check

Are the surgeon’s shoes clean and polished? How’s the hair? It’s a quick measure of how well the surgeon values him/herself. Neat and clean is a good sign. Think twice if s/he’s scruffy.

3. Find out if he’s/she’s athletic.

A surgeon who is physically active will understand your need to keep your active lifestyle and ski. If she or he’s a golfer, plays tennis, bikes, water skis or is active in some sport, she or he’ll identify with your need to keep your body in motion.

Personal note, funny story:

I met with a noted—but fat—surgeon, and I asked: “Do you ski?”

He replied, “No, but I own a house at the resort!” And he said I should give up skiing. I eliminated him from my pool of possible surgeons.

Get your X-rays on a disc

Be prepared. Take the disc of X-rays with you each time you visit a surgeon so they don’t have to take new X-rays. Surgeons might be in different networks and therefore not have access to your X-rays. Or, even if they’re in the same network, the computer system might be down that day.

Before surgery, plan ahead for PT

Visit some physical therapy studios, ask about their rehab for hip replacement, and decide where you want to work out. Do that homework before surgery.

Personal note: When I came home, I did the prescribed home exercises exactly as I should. But the exercises got easy and I stopped making progress.  I was glad I’d checked out PT studios and switched to one with electronic equipment, gym-type equipment and a heartier workout. Recovery came quickly.

After surgery

Expect to start moving right away. Expect to be walking the day after surgery, and expect to have in-hospital physical therapy.

Personal note: I was in the hospital for a couple days and I progressed quickly. The PT studio stairs became too easy, so the PT therapist took me to the hospital stairwell for greater challenge and practice. On a nice day, we went outside and walked around the entire building.

Shoes and boots

Your new metal hip might like more cushy shoes or a different pitch than you’re used to. Buy your shoes and boots at a store such as REI that lets you wear them, see if you like them, and bring them back if they’re not right.

Personal note: With two metal hips and two metal knees, my body is fussy about what’s on my feet. I now buy all my footwear at REI so I can test drive them for a while in real life, not just in the store.

Look forward to a new hip. Work hard at PT. And I’ll look for you on the slopes.

To read Harriet’s five-part series on knee replacement, click these links.

Ted Levy

Lessons From Folk Tale: X-C Ski Adventure

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[Editor Note: As the new year begins, SeniorsSkiing.com is again asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.  This year, we have a mix of premiums for different level of donations, including stickers, sew-on patches, our new SeniorsSkiing.com ball cap. All donors will be entered into a drawing for a pair of bamboo Polar Poles to be drawn in late March.  You can donate by clicking here.]

Finnish Folk Tale Ingenuity Saves The Day.

Many years ago my wife and I had a small weekend cottage in southeastern Vermont. One Saturday I stopped by the West Brattleboro Library and checked out a book of Finnish folk tales by General Kurt M. Wallenius.

The tale I liked best told of two young fishermen who skied north for a few days ice fishing in winter. They separated one day, agreeing to meet up early evening at camp. One of the fellows snagged a good haul of fish, put them in a sack, and headed back to base. As he was skiing along, he realized he was being stalked by a wolf. He skied faster, but the wolf was closing on him. So, he skied up a small incline, turned abruptly, and skied at the wolf. The wolf leaped to attack him. At the same time, the fisherman leaped, pointing his skis at the oncoming beast. He stabbed it with both skis, killing it but breaking his equipment. So, he sat down, built a fire out of the broken skis, and waited. Sure enough, an hour or so later, his companion saw the firelight and found him. They knew exactly what to do. The fisherman with two good skis gave one to his friend, and they skied back to camp that way, pushing with one leg, skiing on the other. And they brought back all the fish and the wolf’s skin as well.

Not long after I read this story my wife and I were out cross country skiing on a primitive trail. We went fairly far from our cottage when the wet snow started to adhere to the base  of her waxless skis, impeding her progress. I had old-fashioned wax skis and was not having a problem. It started to get late and my wife, making very slow progress, got spooked. She told me to go on without her. She told me that if she did not get back, I had to remember to buy our two boys new shoes every six months, since they were growing quickly.

Remembering General Wallenius’ story, I traded one of my wax skis for one of her useless, waxless skis. Fortunately, we used the same bindings back then. The trick worked. We pushed with the waxless ski, glided on the wax ski, and got back home safely. For many years afterward I made sure we had the same bindings.

 

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: This Isn’t Easy

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Bombing Down

What is going on here? Party? Race? One thing we will tell you is that this looks like (and was) a very tricky maneuver on skis. One resort made these famous.  Name it? The inventor?  Thanks again to the Colorado Snowsports Museum at Vail.

Last Week

Indeed, this is Alf and Alan Engen doing some father and son ski jumping at Alta circa 1952. Alf was an early ski jumper who mastered Alpine skiing and helped start the ski school at Alta. He and his two brothers helped popularize skiing in the West, especially Utah and Idaho. Alf’s son, Alan, carries on the family tradition today at Alta.

The Alf Engen Museum at Park City contributed this photo.

The photo came from the Museum’s Ray Atkeson collection. Atkeson (1907-1990) was a photographer best known for his landscape pictures, particularly in the American West. His black and white ski photos are considered some of the finest ever captured.

The museum contains more than 300 trophies, medals, uniforms, scrapbooks, skis, boots, photos, films and other collectables that span some 70 years in the career of the Engen family. The museum’s educational component gives school children a skiing-based foundation to study subjects such as the water cycle, physics and Utah’s colorful history.

Alf Engen. Check those pole baskets.

The Museum recently added a fully functional virtual ski experience designed and built by Utah-based company Unrivaled. The ride takes you through an amazing downhill ski experience and even gives the authentic feeling of skiing by adding wind and even snow to the overall downhill experience.

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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A friend recently commented that a key to greater happiness is to lower our expectations. It took a few days before I understood what he was saying. In some cultures, unhappiness can be traced to the variance between what we have learned to expect and what we have come to experience. Lowering expectations can change that, without lowering our standards.

My wife and I are still in the process of setting up a new home. It’s a different experience from the last time we did it. Online purchases aren’t always what we thought we were buying, and, for some merchants, making a return can be frustrating. With a few exceptions, in-store shopping has been weird. Salespeople – if you can find them – seem to know very little. Sometimes they say they’ll look for something and never return. I expect that in some ways, my disappointments are related to my expectations. In light of my friend’s revelation, when the salesperson doesn’t return or the person behind the counter is deliberately unhelpful, I reduce my expectation and the anger, the frustration, the aggravation slip away. And, when things turn out the way I think they should, I’m generous both with appreciation and thanks.

Join Us the Week of March 10 in the Alps

My wife and I will be skiing the Alps during March. We’re inviting readers to join  us the week of March 10 when we’re booked with Alpskitour, based in Saint Vincent in the Aosta Valley. Each day, a guide will take us to different resorts in Italy, Switzerland and France. The price — $4500 to $5500 per person– depends on where you fly to and whether you stay in a 3 or 5 star hotel. It includes everything for the 5 day/6 night experience: hotel, guide, meals, lifts, ski rentals, airport transfers, daily shuttles, etc. Each group is limited to six intermediate and higher skiers/boarders. Orsden is a sponsor and giving a terrific parka to each participant. More info about the trip appeared in last week’s Short Swings! column. If interested, email me: jon@seniorsskiing.com.

Richard Pazara’s Ski Streak

Reader Richard Pazara has skied almost everywhere on the globe and he’s still going.
Credit: Richard Pazara

In 2017 we published an article Richard Pazara wrote about his never-ending quest to ski where he hadn’t skied before. At that time he had been to 1,241 ski areas. In response to the recent Short Swings! column about the number of areas around the world (and my confession to having skied only 85), Richard emailed an update in the form of a spreadsheet documenting vertical feet skied, starting with 1994-95, when he began tracking vert with a ski watch. He’s clocked more than 1 million vertical in each of 16 of the ensuing 24 seasons. In 2007-08 he skied 1,667,940 vertical feet! In case you’re curious, Richard was born in 1946. Congratulations Richard! You are an inspiration.

Skiing in Georgia?

The New York Times: Ola Lewitschnik

The country’s Caucusus Mountains have four resorts, with Gaudauri being the most developed. It’s about a 90 minute drive from Tiblisi, Georgia’s capitol. According to the article appearing in the The New York Times’ annual Ski Issue. The country has good terrain, good food, and very reasonable prices. Additional reading made it clear that elsewhere in the country, with the help of cats and copters, it’s possible to access excellent backcountry powder. Can’t report on the quality of guides or safety protocols, but if you’re looking for something different, this might be a way to go.

Mt Bachelor Celebrates 60th

When it opened in 1958, the Bend, OR area had one 3,900’ Poma, two rope tows, and a 1,500-square-foot day lodge. Today, it is the country’s sixth largest area, with 4,318 acres covering an entire dormant volcano.

Great Holiday Gifts for Older Skiers

The Buffalo Wool Company is a small Texas outfit making exceptional woven things to keep your feet, hands and head comfy when out in the elements. Their socks, gloves, and hats are made from bison down, the fluff on the undersides of the 2000 lb animals. The company purchases 75% of the available supply, mixes it with silk, wool, yak, and cashmere and produces unique products that last long and make a good impression when given to the ones you love. In explaining it’s premium pricing, the company’s website states, “Nothing is more expensive than gear that doesn’t work.” SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 10% break by entering “SeniorsSkiing” in the discount code window during the check-out process. I wore Buffalo Wool Company socks last winter when resting between ski trips at our place in the high desert near Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. What a luxury! The company has a “no questions asked” return policy in the unlikely event you or the person receiving the gift chooses to send it back. The American Field Bison Boot Sock ($54.00 less 10%) and the Pro-Gear Technical Boot Bison/Silk Sock ($45.00, less 10%) are particularly good options.

Wild West Jerky is another small company that makes the best jerky I’ve ever tasted. It’s based in the tiny town of Levan, Utah. The products – beef, buffalo, elk, venison, turkey, pork, salmon – are available in multiple flavors, sizes, combinations, etc. All ingredients and processing are entirely natural – unlike the commercial jerky products; even the high-end ones. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers receive a 20% discount off full retail online purchases when they enter “seniorsskiing” in the promo code window at checkout. Leave the fruitcake and Christmas cookies to others. Send or show up with a truly delicious and unusual gift.

Something New: Rental Ski Clothing

Slope Threads is a new Colorado-based company that rents a package of parka, pants, gloves, and goggles for $35 a day. Customers make their selections online. Soft goods are from Obermeyer; goggles from Smith. The clothing is delivered to their destinations. When done, it’s returned via mail. All shipping costs are included. The site has nice-looking stuff for the entire family. I’d be interested in reports from any readers who use the service.

January 4-6 Trip to Stowe

Mogul Meister Ski Club has a few open spots for a weekend trip to Stowe. It includes private bus from Scarsdale, NY, 2 nights lodging, breakfasts, dinner, lift tickets, etc. Cost: $438 pp/double occupancy. Details: email trip leader, Harold Pressberg: hmp696@optonline.net

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Who And Where?

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Hint: 1950

Can you spot who this is dashing through the poles? Might be easy. But where and what event and what’s the significance? That’s the challenge. Note your replies in Comments, just scroll down.

Thanks to the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum for contributing this photo.

Who, where, 1950. Credit: Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum

Last Week

Credit: John Emery

Yes, a rope tow gripper. We’ve never used one, we just grabbed the twirling rope. But, many readers certainly have. It is significant that memories of using this device—from the 60s!—are so clear to our respondents.  John Emery, a reader who submitted this picture, says, “There used to be a heavy belt which the clamp was attached to via the short rope. It had a pouch that the clamp fit into when not in use. You would grab the tow rope with one hand and close the two halves of the clamp over the tow rope. The clamp was attached to the belt, and you would just lean back and enjoy the ride—one-handed even.”

Using this device took a bit of concentration.  From what we’ve read in the Comments section, it was getting it off at the top that was tricky.  It is a long way from a rope tow gripper to quadruple, high-speed chairs, and an impressive number of our readers have seen the transition from one to the other.