Tag Archive for: 50+

Tamsin Venn

Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Really Cold.

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Here Are 10 Tips For Seniors Dealing With Cold Cold Temps.

Ah, a balmy 0 degrees. In New England lately, 0 is the new 40.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

I posted here awhile ago about the benefits of skiing in the rain. Another unpopular time to ski is in extreme cold. The upside is you have the slopes to yourself. Unless you don’t. When skiing in Stowe over the recent holiday in frigid conditions, I was astonished by the hardy crew of skiers out on the slopes. A lot of that comes down to the increased quality of insulated layering…plus high speed quads.

Here are ten tips for seniors for skiing in cold temps.

  • Take frequent breaks inside to stay warm. Wind is the main factor to consider. Your body loses heat faster in the wind and makes it feels colder than it really is. But note that wind chill is a highly variable condition. Meteorologists revised the calculation in 2001 with much less austere conclusions. Ski area snow reports often cite the wind chill factor, but google the formula for a more precise reading. Take gusts into consideration. Ride the gondola, tram, or bubble lift for added protection.

  • Stick ’em up. When it is this cold, you got to mask up.
    Credit: Tamsin Venn

    Dress like a robber. Exposed skin loses heat first. Cover every bit of your face and neck with ski goggles and a balaclava, the best way to prevent gaps. Get one with a ventilation flap to improve breathing. Put your hood up.

  • Keep hands and feet warm. Long-lasting hand (ten hours) and toe (six hours) warmers are a cheap heat supply when bought in bulk at the hardware store. Follow the kids’ lead and put the toe warmers on top of the toes, not the bottom where they get mushed up. Ditch the gloves. Wear mittens. Some mittens have slots for heaters.
  • Invest in a boot heater. Boot heaters have come a long way with battery-operated heated insoles where you use your smartphone as the remote. For low tech, put toe warmers in your boot before you leave for the mountain.
  • Add a layer. A down or fleece vest to heat the core is a good option. Wear wicking layers next to the skin. Avoid, avoid, avoid cotton anywhere down below your outer layer
  • Drink lots of water. Cold air and intense exercise means you lose more vapor when you breathe, which leads to dehydration.

Cold strategies of old: Knitted face mask/racoon coat. From the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

  • Take a friend or family member skiing. To sidle up to on the lift or check for frostbite. Early signs of frostbite include red or pale skin, prickling, and numbness. Discuss bailout options, so no one is waiting in the wind for the other to catch up.
  • Don’t try anything too fancy. You may stiffen up in the cold. Ski early in the day, for fresh grooming or powder. Follow the sun for visibility and warmth.
  • Save the Snuggly Snowman hot chocolate concoction for the end of the day. Alcoholic beverages swipe heat away from your core, as they send blood and warmth to the vessels near your skin. Outside, you lose heat quickly.
  • Make a leisurely day of it. You’re not going to rack up the vertical feet on your app today. Remember when we all went out into the cold no matter what as a badge of honor of being real skiers? Ditch that concept.

Spruce Camp Base Lodge at Stowe, VT, is calling. Time to head inside. Notice no one on the slopes.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.Com (Dec. 8)

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Free Magazine Subscriptions For Readers, Tale Of The Yellow Suit, Choosing A Condo Rental, More Gifts For Seniors, A Funny Remembered Incident.

Alberto Varagas illustration from WWII honoring ski troops.

This week is a special time of the year for those of us who are Baby Boomers or, more likely, pre-Baby Boomers. When we were growing up, Pearl Harbor Day was more than a mention in the newspapers. Like the attacks on Sept. 11, Pearl Harbor Day was a day of remembering how everything changed.

To commemorate this auspicious date, we’re publishing this voluptuous image from Alberto Varagas, honoring ski troops from WWII. This appeared some time during the war. You don’t see booties like those much anymore. Thanks, Cathy.

We have some more good news for our subscribers this week.  We are always looking for ways to bring value to our readers.  We’ve worked with two magazine publishers to bring free subscriptions to you guys.  You can get a one-year free subscription to both SKI magazine and SKI HISTORY magazine just by following the links in Jon’s article.

These two benefits add to the list of free skiing for seniors, the ski recommendations, Experticity discounts for those who qualify, and free historic ski posters.  All of these are available for subscribers only.  Look under the Subscribers-Only Content box at the top or under the COMMUNITY > Subscriber-Only Content pics.

Bill skiing Park City on his 80th.

Reader Bill Emerson submitted a nice story about his yellow ski suit which has been with him for quite a while. We’re collecting stories about retro clothing, parkas, hats, sweaters, etc., from yesteryear that are still useful.  If you have something really old that you are still using, send us a picture of you with your relic. We’ll assemble a bunch of these and see what happens.

Correspondent and real estate agent Joan Wallen offers some advice on how to rent a condo that fits your needs.  This is the first part of a two-part article; next time, she’ll be talking about how to buy a ski condo.

Correspondent Don Burch read Harriet Wallis’ article on Lift Maintenance 101 which triggered the memory of a funny incident when he was a young man working lifts.  Here’s his story.

Speaking of Harriet, this week she offers some accessible, sensible, and really desirable gift ideas for seniors.  Plenty of time for shopping, right?

Finally, we have to send our best wishes and hopes to those friends and folks in the LA area who are dealing with wildfires and Santa Ana winds. Wide awake out there.

Next week, we should have some news about boot recommendations for seniors, another value-add feature of SeniorsSkiing.com.  Please tell your friends about our online magazine.  There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

 

 

Don Burch

A Wad of Tobacco, A Chairlift, And A Ford Maverick

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A Long Forgotten Incident Comes Rushing Back.

Don Burch, circa, 1970, with the infamous Ford.

In the late 70s, I was working at a ski resort and poor as could be. When the Head Maintenance Engineer asked around for someone to pick up a part for one of the chairlifts, I quickly volunteered. He probably figured I knew what I was volunteering for and wouldn’t have done so without a pickup truck or some other appropriate vehicle.

It was after hours, and we needed the part in order to run the lift in the morning. The supplier agreed to stay open until I arrived.

As a twenty-one-year-old male, there may have been some other decisions I made without much forethought. In my mind, the part was a few bolts or something like that.

Though I was to drive 90 minutes in the dark on country roads, I had confidence in my mature Ford Maverick (Yes, the photo is of the car I used). It was starting to snow, but I knew my new retread snow tires were up to the task. Using the finest workmanship I could muster, I had recently jury-rigged an eight-track tape player under the dashboard so I knew the trip wouldn’t be totally devoid of entertainment.

When I arrived later than promised, the supplier was grumpy as hell. He spat a wad of tobacco into the snow, pointed to large gear laying against a fence post and grumbled, “How the hell are you gonna get that in there?”

Sliding the front passenger seat all the way back, it looked like the gear might just fit. With the grizzly old guy providing special lubricant in the form of sub-vocalized mutterings, we managed to get it in. The car listed unnervingly to starboard.

With no more words spoken, the receipt was tossed in the car, and the parking lot lights were off before I was out the driveway.

On the return trip,  the crown of the road, under slippery conditions and tilt of the car, overcame my ability to keep the old Maverick on the road. Into the ditch I went.

To my great relief, a pickup truck pulled over just minutes after the mishap. With the sweet smell of liquor wafting from their breaths, two good Samaritans offered to pull me out. One attached a chain to their hitch, and the other hooked up somewhere under my car. I took a moment to look under the car, saw the hook on the steering rod and moved it to the frame.

I profusely thanked my new best friends, made it back to the mountain, the chairlift was operational by morning, and I had a windfall of $22.00 bonus.

Thanks to Harriet Wallis whose recent article entitled Lift Maintenance 101 sparked this long forgotten memory.

Harriet Wallis

Three Holiday Gifts Senior Skiers Wish For

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When It Comes To Holiday Gifts, Sometimes Our Adult Children Don’t Have A Clue What We Would Like To Have. Here Are Some Hints To Pass Along. Or, Just Send A Link To This Story!

A surprise awaits and it’s not fruitcake. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Idea #1. A private lesson: A gift of confidence and fun.

You know you’d love to have the undivided, one-on-one attention of a skilled instructor to refresh your skills or move the needle a little bit further on your skiing. Ask for a private coaching session.

“Private lessons help build confidence,” said Leslie Blank, snowsports school director at Brighton. “Private lessons will let you move at your own pace. Or, you can get a little out of the comfort zone and try something new.”

Even good skiers get stuck in ruts, said Tim Wolfgram, director of Snowsports Services at Solitude. A private lesson can help you try new movements so you can have more fun.

Idea #2. A professional photo: Ski action or family portrait.

Ask your adult kids to put down their selfie sticks. Instead, ask for a professional photo of you skiing. Or, get the whole clan together for an on-slope family portrait.

Let a pro capture the photo memory.
Credit: Dobber Price, Peak Photo at Alta

Many resorts have on-mountain photographers who will take great photos of you with no fee and no obligation. But it’s a good idea to call ahead and coordinate the location and time with the photographer.

Here’s a tip. “Wear bright colors. It’s better than dark colors,” said Dobber Price, owner of Peak Photo at Alta, which is now in its 28th year of ski photography. And ski action photos, whether on a gentle slope or steep terrain, will capture your inner pro.

Idea #3. Ski tuning: So you can slide and turn more easily.

Ask to have your skis tuned. Many shops will inspect your skis and give a no-cost assessment of what needs to be done. Often, they just need to be waxed. Sometimes, if they haven’t been tuned or waxed for a long time, they might need more work. “It’s all about safety and the quality of turns,” said Brett Pergrossi, rental manager at Snowbird.

Tuned and waxed skis will slide and turn more easily. “You might slide right past your buddies on the flats,” said Brayden Morgan, head of rentals at Alta Ski Shop. “And, you won’t be as tired because you won’t use as much energy,” he said.

Many resorts offer gift certificates. But tell your kids to be sure the certificate can be used for the service they choose for you. They can buy it, wrap it, and give it. The holiday is solved. And you’ll have a treat coming.

P.S. Now aren’t these gifts better than fruitcake?

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

mikemaginn

Another Unique Gift: Buffalo Down Socks

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We Took The Challenge And Wore Them For Five Days.  Here’s What Happened.

Bison down and Merino wool make a warm and durable combination.

We love buffalo, the distinctly American creature who has been denizen of the Great Plains since pre-history, who was deified by native Americans, who has captured our imagination in countless legends, songs, stories, novels, and movies, who has shown up in hamburgers, (bison burgers) and who now contributes to keeping our feet warm. Such a versatile critter, we hardly imagined that they had enough…what, fur?…to make things out of.

Apparently so. An enterprising company out of Kennedale, TX, makes a variety of clothing and accessory items from what they call “Bison Down”. Come to think of it, have you ever seen a buffalo shivering? Their undercoat of thick down is the insulating mechanism that keeps these huge mammals warm. Ron and Theresa Miskin, the good folks at The Buffalo Wool Co., were kind to send us a couple of pairs of buffalo down socks for testing.

In the letter accompanying the socks, they wrote: “If you’re feeling brave, wear them for two, three even four days…We think you’ll be impressed at how they hold up, keep your feet dry. and don’t get ‘stinky’ like cotton or synthetic socks.”

Well, we went for five days.  We were impressed with how they held up and how warm they were. We hiked in our hiking boots, sat through Thanksgiving, went to the store, and, truth be told, even slept in them on a couple of particularly cold nights. All for the sake of not exactly science but an honest product review for our readers.

At the end of five days, we gave them our personal sniff test. Not bad, we thought, but we need a second opinion to be statistically correct.  So, when our grown up son visiting for Thanksgiving was sitting on the couch one evening, focused on a football game, we asked him to do a sniff test.  In honesty, we didn’t really ask him. Rather we shoved our five-day ripe socks into his schnozola and said, “Smell this”. After an awkward discussion, he agreed they didn’t have the aroma of the bottom of long-abandoned gym locker.

And they really didn’t.  They were terrific.  We noticed these socks were nice and thick, the kind that is really comfy for hiking, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and outdoor activities in the cold weather whatever those might be.  The model we tested was made of 40 percent Bison Down, 40 percent Merino wool, 18 percent Nylon and two percent Spandex.  When we first opened the package, we noticed they were quite silky smooth and soft feeling.  They remained what way for the entire test period.

On the other hand, such thick socks might not be a choice for ski socks. SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher Jon Weisberg, who also is testing a pair, says that some ski boots are so fitted to the foot that thick socks might get in the way, make the boots to tight and the feet too cold.

In any case, you can find a wide variety of different socks, hats, gloves, and even yarn at the Buffalo Wool Company site.  The model socks we tested were the Trekker Buffalo/Merino Wool for $38.  Other socks were as low as $32. Other products included different combos of Bison down with either silk or Merino wool.

And think of the fun you can have challenging your family members to a game of “how long can you wear your socks”.

The American Bison never shivers.
Credit: Brittanica

Tamsin Venn

Becoming A Ski Instructor At An Advanced Age

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Consider A Second Career For Fun, Fitness, Fulfillment.

Mick O’Gara, PSIA Alpine Examiner Emeritus, leads the crew, at Waterville Valley, NH. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Many SeniorsSkiing.com readers are seriously committed to skiing, and many have the experience, time and skills to actually teach skiing.

Here are ten good reasons you should consider working as a ski instructor.

  1. Plenty of other advanced age ski instructors are doing the same thing. You are in good company.
  2. You are needed, especially on weekends and over vacation weeks, February in particular. It’s often all-instructors-on-slope at these times. In down times, which can be frustrating, free skiing with like-minded instructors is a great chance to have fun and parse technique on the lift.
  3. Contagious youthful energy. We old folks get to mix with high school students who have skied at the area since they were Mitey-Mites, those taking a winter off from college or to reset career priorities, and foreign students here for a winter in the U.S.

    How many silly ski instructors does it take to change a ski’s load capacity?
    Credit: Tamsin Venn

  4. Camaraderie. You will find your fellow instructors are a great group of folks, supportive, funny, professional, many life long skiers, who love skiing and are dedicated to teaching.
  5. Training. Ski areas provide on-snow instruction for newbies so no need to fear you’ll be sent out to cluelessly teach beginners. Trainers offer regular clinics throughout the season for newbies and veterans alike. You are encouraged to go through PSIA-AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Assn. of Snowboard Instructors) certifications, and resort trainers offer instruction for that as well.
  6. PSIA is a great organization to join with many clinics and division events throughout the season. It offers Level I, II, and III certifications not only in Alpine and Snowboard teaching, but in Adaptive, Adaptive Snowboard, Cross Country, and Telemark. Level III is very challenging. If you meet an instructor and he or she says Level III, give them cuts in line. PSIA is good for goal setting. You have access to a slew of great trainers, examiners, plus educational material, manuals for teaching different levels of skiers, videos, newsletters, and magazines. You also receive pro discounts of 40 percent or more from major ski gear companies. (You can never have enough Patagonia Nano Puff jackets.)
  7. Perks? Parties. Plus season pass. Locker, so you don’t have to schlep your gear to the mountain every day. Uniform, probably cooler than your own ski jacket. Discounts on gear and burgers. Free skiing at other mountains with letter of intro from your ski school director.
  8. One of the best bosses you may have ever had (at least, that was true in my case).
  9. Incredible sense of accomplishment when a lesson goes well.
  10. It’s easy to get started. Go to jobs page at a ski area that interests you—or more importantly where you have a place to stay—and follow instructions for hiring. Good luck.

    Tamsin says: “I wish I could still do this.” Not required for instructor certification though.
    Credit: Tamsin Venn

 

Pat McCloskey

Fast Freddie

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Blind Skier Inspired All Who Knew Him.

Fast Fred Siget on the left with Pat McCloskey, center, and friend at a long ago National Blind Skiing Championships.

 

The first time I skied with Fred Siget was in Snowshoe, WV, with Larry Walsh of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This was my maiden voyage guiding a visually impaired skier. I had Fred, the first blind skier in our area, in front of me. Right turn, left turn, right turn, stay, stay. All of a sudden the only tree around popped up right in front of us as I yelled “Crash,” and Fred sat down as he ran into it.  I felt so bad, but Fred dusted himself off with a smile and said, “Pat, don’t worry about it at all. This will be one of many.” And we continued down the slope. This began a 40-year friendship with the one and only Fast Freddie Siget.

Fred lost his vision as a result of an accident with a high pressure hose when he was a volunteer fireman. As devastating as this injury was, he was undaunted. He became the first visually impaired computer programmer for Koppers Corporation. He continued dancing, and he learned to ski with guys like Larry Walsh, Jim Conley, Lynne (Kravetz) Hartnett, Shorty Leco and Micky Hutchko.

Fred always had ideas on how to make things easier for blind skiers and how to improve guiding techniques. He had a transmitter rig where the guide used a microphone and Freddie had an ear piece which made calling out commands easier and more understandable.

Once I used the transmitter while standing on top of a slope, calling commands to Fred as he skied by himself down to the chairlift. With his “Blind Skier” jacket on, people were shocked viewing his run. In the bar afterwards, we had some fun with Herman Dupre the owner of Seven Springs Mountain Resort. I put the microphone on and guided Fred over in front of Herman and told him to tell Herman how much he admired his red flannel shirt. Herman was stunned and later remarked to me laughing that he was starting to “get hot thinking about all the free passes I gave to Fred and now he is telling me how much he likes my shirt!” Hilarious.

Fred was always anxious to help new guides. He put himself at risk during the training but always felt that it was worth it not only to train guides that could assist him, but to help the other visually impaired skiers who were beginning to show up at BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development) outings at Seven Springs.

Perhaps the most compelling thing about Fred was his kindness and appreciation for his fellow skiers and guides. He always remembered your birthday and when he called me, he sang, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, get plastered, you bastard, Happy Birthday to you.”

He was popular for his skiing for sure, but as a person, you could not get a better guy who was always interested in others and never talked much about himself.

We lost Fred this fall at 94 years of age. He had an amazing life, and we will miss him. Fred never let his accident slow him down. He always said that he did more as a visually impaired individual than he ever did before losing his sight. He took a perceived bad thing and turned it into opportunity. Shouldn’t we all learn from that lesson?

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 24)

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Happy Thanksgiving, La Nina Delivers, Reader Input Needed, Great Gift Idea, Funny Urban Legend, Lift Maintenance, Birthday For 98 Year Old Olympian, Experticity Reminder.

Fun Thanksgiving? Not for all.
Credit: SnoCountry

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers! We know you are happier than the poor turkey to the left.

In many places, this weekend marks the official start of the snow sports season. In fact, Killington is hosting the Audi FIS Women’s World Cup starting Nov. 24 and going through the weekend. Snow guns are taking advantage of every drop in temperature, and trails will be ready for the world’s fastest women. Join the crowds!

Here’s a short video clip from last year’s race at Killington. Pretty exciting profile of Mikaela Shiffrin, 21-year-old winner of the slalom event.

La Nina Brings Snow

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center reports that a weak La Nina condition exists in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Peru.  That means surface sea water temperatures are cooler than normal having the ultimate effect of retracting the jet stream that flows over North America.  The connection with snowfall is shown on the map below which is a summary of several years of snow accumulation during La Nina winters. Note the blue is above average snowfall, the brown below average.  You can easily see where the snow will be. Remember, this doesn’t guarantee massive snow, but it is certainly a positive development for those in the blue areas.

Reader Stories and Videos Welcome

We were very pleased to see how many readers wrote in to correct and update our original list of where seniors can ski for free. (Note: You can find the list under the COMMUNITY menu pick, select SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT.)

That enthusiasm led us to think that many of our readers might have interesting stories that other readers might be interested in reading. Or video clips.  If you have something to share, please write us at info@seniorsskiing.com.  Keep your copy to 500 words. Pictures are really important, too.  JPEGs or PNGs are ideal.  If you have brief videos, post them on YouTube and send us the link with your story.

An Appropriate Gift For Seniors

We tested a device for locating lost objects using a small, bluetooth-based chip called Tile. We were very impressed and suggest you take a look.  It is one of those inventions which can be truly life-changing. And for the better.

Skiing Urban Legend

We have a funny story which has taken on the status of urban legend about a novice skier.  Correspondent Jan Brunvand coined the term “urban legend” when he was in academia and was asked to report on any legends related to the snow sports world. Here’s the story.

Keep Lifts Spinning

SLC Correspondent Harriet Wallis has a story about lift maintenance, a months-long, complex process that most of us never think about but which has to be done just right to ensure a trouble-free, safe season.  Harriet profiles the lift crew at Deer Valley.

Happy Birthday To 98 Year-Old Olympian

The Ski Museum of Maine has saluted Chummy Broomhall, a two-time Olympian cross-country skier who is celebrating his 98th birthday.  The Museum is asking people to send Chummy a card. Last year, he received 150 cards; let’s beat that this year. Find out where to write.

Experticity Reminder

Several readers have found that when trying to re-register for Experticity, they are faced with a questionnaire asking them for their connection to the ski business.  We explained the change a few editions ago, but it’s worth repeating. What happened was that our original discount relationship was with Promotive.  That company was merged with Experticity early last spring.  They scrubbed their list of subscribers and informed us that only those readers who had a legitimate connect to the ski industry could qualify. We asked them to change their verification process to make it a little less constrictive, and Experticity did take our recommendations.  So, it wasn’t an open door like it used to be, but some readers can probably still qualify.

Next Week

On we go into the early season.  Our correspondents are all working on stories for you.  Gift ideas, tips for renting condos, profiles, and lots of other topics.  Also in the story bin is our list of ski recommendations for seniors.  And boot recommendations.  Stay tuned.

Remember, tell your friends about SeniorsSkiing.com.  There are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Lift Maintenance 101

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The Whole Summer Was Spent Getting Ready For Winter.

Reassembling parts takes time and patience.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

It’s 80 degrees at Deer Valley. Mountain snow melted long ago. A summer breeze rustles leaves on the aspen trees and wafts through the open doors of the maintenance shop. The crew wears shorts and T-shirts. It’s mid-July.

Gears and gizmos cover the work benches, and the crew is meticulously polishing, calibrating and lubricating the parts. It’s virtually open heart surgery on the inner workings of a ski lift.

“We work eight months to be open for four months of skiing,” said Deer Valley’s Lift Maintenance Manager Jeffrey Miller. “All of us in this industry do a great job. We’re well aware of how many bottoms are in the air.”

Maintenance also deals with rubber parts that get worn, such as belts. Weather, wind and temperature can affect alignments. Even identical lifts can wear differently. Lift maintenance is complicated. It’s part science, part skill and part art.

It takes a lot of work to refurbish parts.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Deer Valley’s talented crew keeps the resort’s 25 lifts running smoothly.

But there’s more. Just like your car gets its 60,000 mile service, lift components must be inspected, reconditioned and rebuilt at various frequencies, Miller said.

“For example, certain lift manufacturers require that sheave assemblies be rebuilt every six years. Brakes should be completely torn down, inspected and rebuilt every four years. Gearboxes and final drives get reconditioned on an hour basis, right around the 12,000 hours.”

Got that? It’s a complex schedule.

In spite of all the tedious maintenance, a breakdown can happen. The needed part — many of which are huge — might not be in storage. But a nearby resort might have that part. “We’re a tight-knit group much like a family. We reciprocate by sharing parts,” Miller said.

This is a job for four hands.
Credit: Harriet Wallis.

All this so you can enjoy your ski day.

But the work doesn’t stop when summer ends. When we ski, we’re always looking up – looking at the lift mechanisms, he said. And we periodically sample the oil to see what’s in it and we check tension adjustments.

Get ready to ski. Deer Valley’s lifts and the lifts at your favorite resort had their summer work outs.

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

 

seniorsskiing

X-C Olympian Celebrates 98th Birthday

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From The Ski Museum Of Maine.

Chummy Broomhall in his stride. Help him celebrate his 98th.
Credit: Ski Museum Of Maine

Chummy Broomhall, two-time Olympic cross country skier and the oldest living member of the Chisholm Ski Club, will be celebrating his 98th birthday on December 3rd. Last year the Chisholm Ski Club sponsored a card campaign for Chummy’s birthday and he received almost 150 cards! Let’s blow that number out of the water this year and start sending him birthday wishes now.

Send birthday cards to Wendell “Chummy” Broomhall c/o Maine Veterans Home 477 High Street, South Paris, ME 04281

seniorsskiing

This Week in SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 17)

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New England Areas Opening, Updates In Free* Skiing For Seniors, X-C Correctly, And More.

Bretton Woods is making world-class snow. This shot is from 11/11/17. The resort opened on the 10th. Credit: Bretton Woods

It’s happening.

The Western ski resorts are getting snow, especially in the Pacific North West. New England areas are opening, too. Bretton Woods in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is spinning lifts, the first to open in the state.  Other NH resorts are making snow, and for some in the Granite State, it’s the earliest they’ve ever done that. Cannon and Cranmore plan to open over Thanksgiving with others soon following.

Vermont’s Mt. Snow opened on 11/11/17.
Credit: Mt. Snow

Across the Connecticut River in Vermont, Stowe will be open this weekend followed by Stratton, Smuggler’s, and Bromley over Thanksgiving. Killington is hosting the Audi FIS World Cup for the second Thanksgiving Weekend in a row. And, what was the first resort to open anywhere in the East? Killington on Nov. 8. Our friend and colleague, the Ski Diva, reports Okemo is open right now.

In Maine, Sugarloaf and Sunday River are already open with limited skiing.  Most other Maine resorts will be starting soon after Thanksgiving.

Wooo-Hooo! Many million dollar investments in snowmaking are really paying off.

Last week, we published our list of 111 ski resorts where seniors can ski for free or virtually free.  It didn’t take long for our readers to comment on errors and additions.  Thank you, readers, for helping make this project more accurate.  So now, we have a list of 112 ski resorts where seniors can ski for free or very nearly free.  It resides under the COMMUNITY menu pick at the top right of the page under SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT. If you are not a subscriber, please join us.  It’s free and we’re on your side.

Also, we hear from an expert ski instructor on advice for senior Alpine skiers venturing to the Nordic skiing world.  His bottom line: “It’s easy to do it wrong.”

SLC Correspondent Harriet Wallis reports from the Ski Archives Gala where Rossignol ski executive Ron Steele was presented with the Joseph Quinney Award for his contributions to the industry.

Finally, here’s an unabashed plug for the New England Ski Museum’s really nice gift catalogue.  It’s filled with gift ideas for skiers and winter outdoor enthusiasts. And purchases go to help support the ski museum.

We are featuring it because there are really wonderful, hard-to-find items like historic ski posters, books with an winter outdoor spin,  DVDs, jewelry and belts, hats, accessories, etc.

If you know of other ski museums which have interesting gift catalogues, please let us know.  We’re sure they’re out there.

Meanwhile, let’s get going.  Time to get out into the cold.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Coveted Honors Awarded At Ski History Gala

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Rossignol’s Top Executive And The University Of Utah Ski Team Earned Top Honors.

Top honoree Ron Steele oversaw the company’s sales and distribution of Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange, Look and Kerma brands while he was president of Rossignol.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

The country’s largest ski history and research organization, Ski Archives, held its annual gala and fundraiser to help support its mission. In addition, the event honors individuals and organizations that set a high mark for their influence on the ski industry.

This year, Ron Steele, philanthropist and Rossignol’s executive vice president earned the Joseph Quinney Award. The award recognizes him for his ski industry commitment, vision, and business leadership.

Steele left his home state of Washington to become a champion ski jumper for the University of Utah, and he went on to compete on the U.S. Olympic ski team in Sappporo, Japan. Along the way he was an alpine technician for Rossignol and he rose through the ranks to become its president and now executive vice president. He also serves on ski industry boards.

“I got a great life after coming to Utah,” he quipped.

The award Steele earned, the Joseph Quinney Award, is named for the late ski visionary and founder of Alta.

The University of Utah’s ski team won the NCAA Championship, and the ski team members have high GPAs.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

The other top award, the J. Willard Marriott Library History-Maker Award, went to the University of Utah Ski Team. In 2017, the team won its 11th overall title and its first national NCAA Ski Championship title.

During the winter while the team was out skiing, the unique $2.8 million ski team building, the Spencer F. Eccles Ski Team building, was rising out of the ground on the campus. It’s believed the building is the first-of-its-kind facility on a U.S. college campus.

It’s named after Spencer F. Eccles, a former U of U All-American ski team member, and it was funded by private donations. The donation program was headed by another skier well known in the industry, U of U All-American skier Jim Gaddis. The evening’s award winner Ron Steele was a major donor and played a major role in fund raising for that structure.

The Ski Archives collection is open to the public, and it’s located in the University of Utah campus library in Salt Lake City.

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

 

Brad Noren

XC Skiing: Older, Wiser, And Cheaper

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A Veteran Ski Instructor Finds Nordic Matches His Senior Skiing Philosophy.

A seasoned Alpine skier (left) compared to a pro Nordic skier. XC is easy to do wrong.
(Credit: Brad Noren_

Older, wiser, cheaper, what is this about? It reflects on what happens with age for most, but let’s put it into a skiing context. Having taught skiing since 1971, I’ve discovered these are the three adjectives that seem to reflect on one’s skiing philosophy with the passing of time.

Most of us in this age group probably skied a lot in the 70s and 80s, maybe even the 60s. I’m sure those memories are rich with fun, challenge and thrill. But as we move into the present, the love of the sport is struggling against those three words in many ways, and, for some, as the song says, “The Thrill is Gone”.

Over my many years of skiing and teaching skiing, I watched aging skiers make changes that were hard to accept (me included). This often resulted in some quitting the sport (not me included). Back to the “older” adjective; in brief, “the body doesn’t do that anymore”. The “wiser” adjective points to personal safety issues, and the “cheaper,” well, you know what that means.

Being “older, wiser, and cheaper,” I have found cross country skiing to be an excellent sport for seniors but often not understood or accepted by the once serious downhill skiing fanatic of decades past.

XC skiing will give you the opportunity to circumvent most of the “older” issues by building muscular strength, adaptive fitness, respiratory health, and the thrill of learning will return. A new challenge is in your future. XC skiing will make you much “wiser” on how your body parts really work, because you will be focusing on efficient movement, good diet, refined balance and more. XC skiing can also be “cheaper” than the downhill sport.

Being both an alpine and Nordic ski instructor, there’s a problem I’ve seen with the move from alpine to Nordic. Alpine skiers sometimes feel that since they are a seasoned, 40-year plus alpine skier, black diamonds, powder, NASTAR gold and all that they can put on a pair of XC skis and master the Nordic/XC sport.

Yes, you can try that but you will surely miss the fun, challenge, and the thrill. You must learn to XC correctly. XC skiing is easy to do BUT even easier to do wrong. I have seen this happen over and over again with close ski friends who are expert alpine skiers in their day. Ditch the ego and take a Nordic/XC ski lesson, you will not regret it. Yes, you will bring many skills in from your downhill resume, but you will also learn things you never even thought of. Your health will likely improve; you are going to be wiser learning a new skill, and you might—probably will—spend less cash.

And don’t give up your love for downhill because I also know your downhill skiing skills are going to be strengthened, and you will find a new thrill there as well.

For more information on properly learning XC skills, check out my web site, Nordic Fusion. As I tell all I ski with “Glide Long and Prosper”.

mikemaginn

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 10)

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Veterans Salute, Free Skiing For Seniors Announced, Rush To Prep For Season, Funny Mammoth Memories, Ditch The SmartPhone.

A platoon of the 10th Mountain Division training at Camp Hale, CO. They were one tough bunch; many went on to become ski industry pioneers.

We’re heading off to Boston’s Ski and Snowboard Expo at the World Trade Center this morning, armed with lots of SeniorsSkiing.com stickers and many copies of a hot-off-the-press news release announcing a list of resorts where seniors can ski for free.

When we started SeniorsSkiing.com, we were told by many industry veterans that, in the past, many resorts offered free skiing for seniors.  Over the decades, that benefit eroded away until it became noticeably absent at major and mid-sized resorts. Nevertheless, with the help of baseline information provided by the International Skiing History Association, SeniorsSkiing.com has ferreted out where seniors can still ski for free. Most of the 111 ski resorts we identified are on the small to medium size, but some are bigger, almost destination resort sized.  It is clear from this research that there is a sizable segment of the ski resort industry which values the contributions of and business from senior skiers, many of whom have been skiing for multiple decades.

The list of resorts offering free skiing is available to our subscribers under the COMMUNITY menu pick on the top blue menu.  If you’re not a subscriber, sign up, it’s free, and, hey, we’re fun city.

Veterans Day is a time to remember those who served.  This year, we salute the 10th Mountain Division, the iconic and hardy group of hunters, climbers, skiers, and outdoorsmen who transformed themselves into a potent military force. You can click through to an article on the 10th Mountain from Snow Magazine.

There’s an interesting development in the Blandford Ski saga.  This venerable area was almost in the hands of real estate developers when it was purchased in early September and saved for a skiing future.  Blandford is the type of area families and seniors love: friendly, accommodating, pleasantly challenging and convenient.  We are ecstatic the resort will continue.  Now the challenge is to get ready for the upcoming season.  Thanks to correspondent Harriet Wallis for this report.

And, here’s a funny story contributed by Roger Monty, a subscriber who responded to our call for reader submissions.  It’s an example of how age can prevail over youth.

If you have an anecdote to share, send it along to us at info@seniorsskiing.com.

Finally, correspondent Don Burch reminds us to be mindful when we head out to mountains and trails.  Basically, enough with the Smartphones already.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  We are on your side.  Please tell your friends about us, and, remember: There Are More Of Us Every Day, And We Are Not Going Away.

If you’d like a couple of SeniorsSkiing.com stickers, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.

Jon Weisberg

Now Available: 2017-18 List of 112 US Resorts Where Seniors Ski Free

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This Season, Free Skiing Will Be Available To Senior Skiers At 112 Resorts Across 26 States.

The list of resorts is available to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers. The annual SeniorsSkiing.com report was first issued for the 2015-16 season.

The number of resorts reporting free skiing privileges for seniors increased slightly from last season. Most provide free skiing at age 70.

According to recent National Ski Areas Association statistics, 20% of the nation’s total skiing/boarding population are 52 and older (1,843,000). Those 52-62 total 1,220,000 participants; 62-71 total 510,000, and 72+ total 113,000.

Each resort establishes its own age threshold for free skiing. People in their 60s ski free at nine resorts in six states. Those 70-79 have a choice of 62 resorts in 22 states, and those 80 and older ski free in 40 resorts in15 states.

The three states with the most areas offering free skiing are New Hampshire with 11 and California and Michigan, each with 10. New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania each have 8 resorts with free skiing. Maine has 7, Vermont has 6, and Washington has 5.

Three resorts, Alta Sierra (California), Welch Village (Minnesota), and Sugarbush (Vermont), have a minimum age of 90 to ski free.

Many resorts have a range of discounts for older skiers purchasing lift tickets and other products and services. The editors of SeniorsSkiing.com advise looking online or asking before making purchases.

The free list is available to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers. Existing subscribers have immediate access to the list by clicking Community in the menu bar and then Subscriber Only Content in the dropdown box. New visitors to the site must enter their email address to have access.

Harriet Wallis

Butternut Buys Blandford Ski Area; Rushes To Upgrade For New Season

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Family-friendly Blandford in southern Massachusetts was poised for extinction or development, but Ski Butternut and its owner Jeffrey Murdock bought it Sept. 1 and saved it.

Here comes the snow making. Blandford’s lodges get facelifts and the slopes get upgrades in grooming and snow making.

It’s a rescue mission of historic proportions. Right now, crews are working furiously to renovate Blandford’s base lodges, upgrade the grooming equipment, and install new snowmaking to help smooth out fickle weather cycles that have troubled the family-style ski area in the Berkshire Mountains.

The timing is tight. Renovations couldn’t start until Sept. 1 when the purchase was finalized.

“We’re putting a lot of resources into Blandford,” said Dick McCann, general manager of Ski Butternut. “We want to build the skier base back up. And we care very much about making skiing affordable.”

“We think the ski industry is better for having these small ski areas,” McCann said.

In reality, no one needs a mega resort to learn to ski and have family fun. Yet mega resorts across the country are gobbling up smaller areas.

Historically, Blandford Ski Area was founded in 1936 by members of the Springfield Ski Club, and it was owned by the members. At that time, hardy skiers drove to the end of the road and then hiked to ski the rolling hills.

It’s surmised that Blandford might be the oldest member-owned ski area in North America. It’s located about 20 miles west of Springfield, Mass.

By the 1970s, the popular day ski area had many rope tows and one double chair lift. Families loved the area and spent many volunteer hours doing maintenance and especially picking up stones from the slopes and tossing them into the woods. That made the slopes skiable even if natural snowfall was skimpy.

That’s where I learned to ski and I loved the place. The snow was often thin, but it was groomed to perfection with no stones poking through.

Today, it has 25 trails, three double chairlifts and two base lodges. But snowfall became erratic during recent years and families drifted off to do other things in winter. Blandford was on the brink of extinction.

Ski Butternut’s owner Jeffrey Murdock now owns three ski areas in the Berkshires: Ski Butternut, Otis Ridge, and now Blandford Ski Area.

Ski area management runs in his family, and it started with Butternut. Its first trails were cut by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in the late 1930s, but that was followed by many rocky years. Finally in 1962, Channing and Jane Murdock, Jeffrey Murdock’s parents, bought the state-of-the-art chairlift and the ski area that went with it.

Ski Butternut now has one of the largest uphill capacities in Southern New England.

As to Blandford Ski Area, Murdock is breathing new life into it. Massive renovations are underway and they’ll be ready for this winter. A season pass is $199 for adults, $169 for kids 7 to 13, and $79 for kids 6 and under.

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

 

Roger Monty

Mammoth Memories: See Ya!!!

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In the winter of 1993, I was in my 29th season, age 55 and still in that happy state of benign self-deception when I believed I skied better each season than the season before.

On the Gon at Mammoth.
Credit: Sarah Sherman/ MMSA

A lifelong wage slave, despite passionate longings to the contrary, I had never given myself the luxury of a ski-bum year. As a weekend-warrior, a good year would be 20-25 days.

It was late May and all of my usual Tahoe destinations closed. I decided to take a solo road trip to Mammoth to close the season. The sun was warm and the slopes covered with corn. I quickly racked up formidable verts and boarded the old Gondola at mid-station for what was to be one last run. Three 20-somethings joined me in the cab, regaling each other with boasts of what a fine day they had all had. “Good show!” I offered, “Now we can all relax and coast down on that good old last run.”

“Oh? Why last run? I can handle more,” one guy responded.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think so,” I said.

“Why not?”

“Well, it’s 2:20, now,” I began to explain. “Lifts stop running today at 2:30. We’re still at least five minutes from the top, and it’s a long way down, so… hey!”

“Yeah, well, whatever,” the guy said. “I suppose if I were your age, I’d see it that way, too.”

That smarted. Damn whippersnappers, can’t they show a little more respect… then I thought how I must look to these guys… gray hair, faded parka, scuffed-up red boots… Ah, hell, they’re just kids, who cares, anyway? Still…

At the top, we exited and quickly descended the stairs. I clicked into my skis as fast as I could, and checked my watch – exactly 2:27. No way… BUT… I glanced over my shoulder to see the three guys ready to shove off; they hollered, “See ya!” Then, rather than my usual cautious chicken-slow entry onto the slope, I launched straight out into the air, off the cornice, into the most direct route down.

What the hell am I doing? flashed through my mind. But, to my mild surprise, I nailed the landing, then hauled ass through those soft steep moguls all the way down to the wide groomed outrun. Already flying, I tucked all the way. A hundred yards ahead, the attendant had already started to pull the “CLOSED” rope across the entrance. I waved my poles and shouted, “HEY! HOLD ON!” By the time he looked up, I had scooted through the gate. “Oh, OK,” he smiled. “You’re the last one.” Grateful as hell, and breathing hard, I proceeded to the loading platform and boarded the last gondola of the season.

As the car left the station, I looked down, and saw the three youngsters from the last ride, approaching the now-closed lift entrance. Unable to do otherwise, I opened the window, stuck out my head, and hollered, “SEE YA!”

At the top, I exited slowly, took a long time drinking in that glorious view of the Minarets, Mono Lake, the whole beautiful scene, then coasted down, easy, stopping every few turns to admire all that grandeur, one last time, in all my quiet solitude.

2017-2018 will be my 54th season. I turned 80, last week. It’s been quite a few years now since I last believed I skied better every year. But that passion is still there, and I have no plans to quit, any time soon.

Mammoth’s season goes past Memorial Day in snowy years.
Credit: Peter Morning/ MMSA

Don Burch

Intentions For Upcoming Season: Mindfulness

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Put Away The Phone And Be Here Now.

On a midweek day last winter I went into the lodge for lunch. Nearby were six men, obviously friends enjoying a day skiing together. During their entire lunch five of them were on cell phones, and the sixth had no one to talk to.

On the ride up on a six-pack bubble chair lift one of passengers took a call from work and loudly carried on a conversation for the entire trip up the mountain.

I was skiing with a group, and one of the skiers spent nearly half the day recording himself using a selfie-stick.

It was saddening but all too familiar; people were skiing in a beautiful mountainous area but unable to unplug and enjoy their surroundings.

One of the most pleasurable elements of skiing is attending to nature through all our senses. On the mountain, I can smell the aroma of pine and hear water in streams hidden beneath the snow. If I was plugged into a device, I’d miss one of my favorite sounds, ice kernels spraying off the tails of my skis in spring snow.

Skiing is often about sharing the fun with others. It may be conversations with strangers on a lift or sharing the joy of a great run with friends. Being on the phone or looking at the LCD screen on the safety bar (yes, this is coming) isolates us from others.

Recreation and being in nature are about replenishment. They’re about forgetting everything and being present in the moment. They’re about being mindful and aware. With all the confusion, chaos and distraction in the world we need to take full advantage of skiing’s restorative potential.

On the ride up chairlifts I’ve spotted hawks, owls and voles. Early one morning, I was the sole skier on a trail sharing it briefly with a coyote. Rugged terrain with rock outcroppings, snow and frost covered trees and unique weather events like cloud inversions might be go unnoticed if my eyes are on a screen.

Being outdoors on a mountain in the winter is an incredible gift, and skiing is a remarkably sensual experience. We need to be fully present in order to benefit from all they have to offer. So turn off the phone and listen, look, feel and enjoy.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 27)

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Getting Fit, A Snowmaking Legend, Novel Gift Idea For Seniors, Ski Shows, Happy Birthday, Doug Pfeiffer.

Ski & Snowboard Expos are coming! Official start of the snow season.
Credit: BEWI Productions

The snow season has started, officially and unofficially, in different places around the country.  We urge our readers to start thinking about getting their gear out of basements and start spiffing up those skis and boots. It always pays to get those skis sharpened and bindings adjusted right about now, before crowds hit.

Here’s a cool video about the Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo coming up soon.

https://youtu.be/-01lk71ytJU

The Ski & Snowboard Expos are being held in Boston (11/9-12) and Denver (11/10-12).  In many ways, the coming of the shows is the point of departure for the new snow sports season.  In Boston and Denver, you can find equipment and clothing deals galore, so if you’re close by, it’s worth a trip. Click through from the banner ad on top of the page and get a $3 discount.

Birthday Boy Doug Pfeiffer, ski industry legend, and Mike Maginn, SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher.

It’s also the birthday for one of our favorite ski legends, Doug Pfeiffer, a pioneer in ski instruction and editor of SKIING magazine when we worked there in the early 70s. Here’s a picture of Doug and SeniorsSkiing.com co-publisher Mike Maginn at the International Ski History Association meeting at Stowe in February this year.  Happy Birthday, Doug; you are one of our favorite Scorpios.

This week, we remind our readers that it is time to begin a shape up program for the ski season. Under the Health tab, we have several conditioning articles that will get you started, most notably, a from-easy-to-difficult set of specific exercises from physical therapist Rick Silverman.  

We have a profile of snowmaking pioneer Herman Dupre, who was an early contributor to the arcane technology of creating snow out of…air and water. Herman still hangs out at the Seven Springs Ski Resort in Western PA.  Thanks to contributor Pat McCloskey for bringing this into our pages.

Finally, talk about unusual gifts.  Correspondent Harriet Wallis has managed to discover a boutique shop in Vancouver which makes and sells a variety of beverages, bread, vinegar and other items made from Douglas Fir trees.  Clearly, this is a gift idea for the senior snow sports enthusiast who has everything.

Speaking of gift ideas, we’re looking for products you think would be appropriate for our readers—people who are active seniors, outdoor-oriented folks with an interest in fitness, socializing and adventures.  If you have any ideas, please contact info@seniorsskiing.com

Meanwhile, on to November.  Thanks once again for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, tell your friends.  If you want a free, three x three sticker, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.  We have a bunch to give out.

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

mikemaginn

Shape Up: How To Get Fit For The Season

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Progressive Exercises From Easy To Difficult Can Help You Tone Up.

Okay, it’s late October, and you’ve put this off long enough.  You need to limber up for the upcoming snow season. Without topping up your muscles and stretching those ligaments, you can hurt yourself and have a very short season indeed. With some daily or weekly fitness routines, you can feel and move better on the slopes and trails.  So, get going.

Check out our collection of Conditioning articles under the Health tab.  We have recommendations for some basic yoga poses as well as advice on calibrating your exercise regime to your age.  Be advised, if you’ve spent the summer cycling, hiking or kayaking, you may find that you’ve got to pay attention to muscle groups that aren’t engaged in those exercise activities.  If you’re a walker, you need to think about your upper body.  If you’re a cyclist, what about those hamstrings and shoulders?  Rowing a kayak will build your arms, shoulders and abs, but what about your lower body?  See? Even though you’ve been active, you need to think total body for the season coming up.  Both Alpine and Nordic skiing require active muscles groups all over your body’s geography. So think total body work out.

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

Under the Health>Conditioning menu, you will find a progressive series of exercises that are designed to do just that. Physical Therapist Rick Silverman shows us a set of exercises from easy to moderate to more difficult that will get your battery charged up.  In the series, Rick demonstrates exercises for abs, quads, hamstrings, and hips. You can add your own favorites to this basic set including some basic yoga poses like squats, planks, and down dog.  Yes, add Tai Chi, too.

Here are some links the Rick’s series. And we have correspondent Rose Marie Cleese’s own story of her fitness journey for inspiration.  Check them out and start thinking about a regular conditioning program.

Rick Silverman’s progressive exercise series:

Easy Starters For Seniors

Up A Notch

Challenge Yourself

Rose Marie Cleese’s fitness journey starts here.

If you’re reading SeniorsSkiing.com, you are typically an active senior, so the advice in this article probably make sense to you.  Nevertheless, we know older folks who venture out into the snow world without preparing themselves and wind up injured and unhappy.  You can avoid this; get going!

 

 

 

 

 

Pat McCloskey

Snow Sport Leaders: Herman Dupre, An Original Maker Of Snow

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Son Of Immigrant Parents, Herman Dupre Found A Way To Give The Sport Snow.

Innovator, pioneer, snowmaker, Herman Dupre is a legend in snowsports.

Aside from building the Seven Springs ski area in western Pennsylvania into a major mountain resort, Herman Dupre’s claim to fame is that he is a pioneer in snowmaking.  He always tinkered with how to utilize high pressure air and water to help Mother Nature spread some snow on our local area which is hampered by cyclical warm weather/cold weather events.  When you ski in the mid-Atlantic, you need some help to keep the slopes open.  Snowmaking was the answer, and Herman was at the forefront.

Dupre holds 34 U.S. patents for the HKD snowmaking system. He is the chief engineer for Snow Economics, Inc. and his system is now sold worldwide. His new Backyard Blizzard home system based on the HKD concept became available in the winter of 2000. Without the benefit of his work, many winter resorts throughout the world would not have the snowmaking capability they utilize today.

In 1973, he applied for and received his first of many patents, and in 1990, he introduced the standard tower snow gun that was the first of many low energy products that he and his son in law, Charles Santry and his daughter Anni would bring to the ski area management market.

If you look at their website, you will find all the technical detail of their tower guns, and their new fan jet technology with their recent acquisition of a Canadian company which has increased their R&D capabilities as well as their engineering expertise.

Click on the video below to hear Herman tell his story.

Yvette Cardozo

Here’s A Special Gift Idea: Eat A Tree

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If You’re Looking For Novel Gifts For Snow Country Lovers, Yummies Made From Fir Trees Are Worth A Look.

Laura Waters at her shop, Snowdon House outside Victoria, BC, Canada on Vancouver Island, where she sells edibles made from new growth on douglas fir trees. These include vinegars, jams, dried seasonings and more.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo

Of course, this is a Christmas story. What else when you are talking about eating Christmas trees?

It’s just the growing tips that you eat, actually. And the pine flavor is, well, way better than you expect if you are more used to sniffing pine sap from your fingers when handling fresh cut boughs.

When Laura Waters planted Douglas firs on her four acres of land in 2009, she intended to sell them for Christmas trees.

“But it takes six years for them to grow and then, all you wind up with is stumps,” she said one late spring day as we inspected the bright green growing tips of her trees.

“I was out there, hot and bothered, mowing to keep the grass down between the trees and I had a pot of strawberries on the stove in the kitchen. I cut a branch and out of curiosity, tossed it in.”

The same way that vinegar adds an essence of sweet/tang to fruit compote, the fir tips added … something. And it was a sweet and tangy something good. That experiment became Laura’s first strawberry fir vinegar.

A bit of research revealed that First Nations people in the area used to make tea from the fir tips. It was not only tasty, it provided more vitamin C than citrus fruit.

“When Capt. James Cook was on the BC coast, everyone had scurvy and the local natives told them to make tea out of the Doug fir tips. That took care of the scurvy,” Laura added.

There are lots of way to take the essence of fir trees and make edibles. Laura Waters has literally “botted” trees.  
Credit: Yvette Cardozo

Laura’s first vinegar led to carbonated drinks, which led to fir seasoned bread, brie toppers, a drinkable vinegar that you add to evening cocktails, dried seasoning blends and more. She sells all this in her shop, Snowdon House, in North Saanich, a suburb of Victoria on Vancouver Island. While I was there, a group of visitors arrived. They had come up from Seattle by ferry and taken a cab out to the shop.

Along with the visitors, I tasted the fir essence drink, a bottled non alcoholic drink that was amazingly refreshing. It had a piney back woods flavor that hit the top of my tongue, along with citrus and floral notes. I learned I could pretty much make my own with Laura’s fir vinegar, so I bought a bottle to add to tonic (with a bit of vodka) at home.

We also nibbled our way through her Fir and Fire Brie Topper, which is actually a sweet, piney red and green chili jam that offsets the stringent brie flavor really well. Plus I bought a packet of dried seasoning blend (parsley, lemon peel, Doug fir, dried spinach, ground juniper berries) with which I plan to make a party dip.

There’s a bread mix (with an added blend of Doug fir tips and juniper berries) that results in fresh bread with a pine accent. Laura also makes gift papers by hand and sells outside products such as organic hot chocolate mix wrapped in her hand made gift papers, plus there’s racks of her handmade gift cards. And fresh eggs she sells when her crowd of chickens are in a producing mind.

In addition, she has created a collection of recipes and holds cooking classes. The one she did the day before I visited featured chicken thighs marinated in apricot and bay leaf vinegar, cooked in the vinegar, then wrapped in flat bread with mayo and her apricot/mango topper (yes, she makes toppers that don’t involve fir tips).

If this isn’t enough, on her drawing board are plans to dehydrate the tips for a tea and she was experimenting when I visited with pickling fir tips to make into capers. And then, there was also the Doug fir flavor to be whipped into butter for popcorn topper.

Plus the B&B she opened this year.

Meanwhile, her shop is open Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 5pm.

Yes, Laura Waters is a very busy woman.

Snowdon House Gourmet Gifts

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Oct. 13)

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Weird Weather, Senior Profile, Von Trapp Cross-Country Innovator, Getting Ready.

October 2017 blizzard in Rocky Boy, MT, left 30 inches behind, breaking a monthly record for the state.
Credit: Shawn/Steph White

We can’t stop thinking about the major weather events that have descended across the globe this year. Hurricanes with epic levels of destruction, surprisingly early and deep snows in the Rockies, (and from what we hear, prodigious snowfalls in parts of Australia), wild fires creating horrendous destruction and loss of life in California and Montana, heat waves in Europe all point to the fact that something is going on in the atmosphere. Basically, it is warming up, as predicted by scientists across the world, and we are starting to see the consequences.

What this means for winter sports remains to be seen, but the direction of global temperatures is not positive. One group that has taken the future of global warming and winter quite seriously is Protect Our Winters, an advocacy non-profit whose objective is to create awareness of the connection between the two and to provide opportunities for businesses, individuals and others to influence policy.  If you’re interested in taking some action, check out POW and let us know what you think.

Meanwhile, here’s the latest three-month forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center for November-December-January.

Temperature Predictions Nov-Jan

Precipitation Predictions Nov-Jan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you will notice at a glance is that the temperature predictions across most of the US (left) are above average with a probability of from 33-to-50 percent of actually happening. Above average precipitation (right) is focused in the Rockies while the Southeast looks like below average precip. Everyplace else is a toss-up; equal chance means there could be more, less, or the same as “normal”.  Of course, a prediction is not something to take to the bank.  But since the National Hurricane Center’s forecast for the number and severity of hurricane activities was spot-on for this year’s season which is closing down soon, perhaps the odds of being right about the predictions are changing as climate changes become more extreme.

This week, we revisit the Trapp Family Lodge and a scion of Sound of Music fame, Johannes Von Trapp. In this article from publisher Roger Lohr, our colleague at XCSkiResorts.com, we learn that Johannes was the first one in the US to have the idea that cross-country ski resorts could be a real thing.  In inventing a new winter vacation destination, Johannes changed how people enjoy cross-country beyond local golf courses, parks and back yards.

Don Burch shows us how to get ready for the season with some tongue-in-cheek advice for locating and dusting off your long lost gear.  Harriet Wallis profiles Ruth DeSouza, a senior skier who learned about stick-to-it-iveness from her experience in World War II.  By the way, we intend to profile more senior snow sports enthusiasts in the coming months.  If you know anyone who has a long history in snow sports and who has an interesting story to tell, please let us know.

Thanks, Ben, you’re our kind of guy.

Speaking of senior skiers, we received the following note from Ben Prupis, a 91-year-old reader from Westlake Village, CA. He included it in his request for free SeniorsSkiing.com stickers.  We sent him a bunch and our thanks very much for reading our online magazine and for skiing 50 days a year. Totally awesome. We salute you, Ben.

If you want a free SeniorsSkiing.com sticker, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.

And, tell your friends about SeniorsSkiing.com. Remember that there are more of us every day and we are not going away.

Short Swings
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Responses To SeniorsSkiing.com Reader Surveys Indicate That Finding Boots That Fit And Perform Correctly Is A Challenge. And 25% Of Readers Plan To Purchase New Boots.

Two of our advertisers can help.

America’s Best Bootfitters.com has a host of useful boot-related information, including the names of ski shops where highly trained fitters are available to get you the best fitting boots.

Apex Ski Boot System is a relatively new concept in ski boots delivering comfort and performance through a combination of three components: 1) an exoskeleton offering customizable flex, superior stability, and precise edge control; 2) a snowboard-like boot that provides comfort and warmth, and 3) a heat-molded custom-fit liner. The system uses the Boa® reel and stainless steel cable lacing system allowing the wearer to precisely control fit. I skied an earlier generation of the Apex and was impressed by its support, comfort, and infinite adjustability. They’re also great for simply walking around without the hassle of conventional ski boots. Apex boots are available in ski shops and online. The Apex website does a fine job of explaining the product.

Another advertiser has a great gift for the Senior Skier on your list. DeBooter is the elegantly simple ski boot jack for removing conventional ski boots effortlessly and painlessly. I carry one in my SUV. Those who use it absolutely love it! Click on the DeBooter ad to reach the product site. $39.95

COLORADO

The Amtrak Winter Park Express will offer expanded service for the new season. The train leaves from Union Station (downtown Denver) and drops passengers within a few steps of the lifts. It will operate Saturdays and Sundays, January 5 through March 25, plus on the first Friday of each month.

New and expanded flights to/from Colorado’s eight regional airports for the season:

  • Steamboat: new nonstops from Austin (AUS) and Kansas City (MCI) on ViaAir into Steamboat/Hayden (HDN) airport beginning Dec. 13.  Steamboat now direct air service to 14 major U.S. airports.
  • Aspen Snowmass: new daily nonstops through American Airlines from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and expanded service from both Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) and Chicago O’ Hare (ORD).
  • Telluride: increased access through new American Airlines direct Saturday flights into Montrose-Telluride Regional Airport (MTJ) from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) and Delta’s new flights from Salt Lake City (SLC) Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
  • Three daily non-stop flights from DEN via Boutique Air  (round-trips as low as $100) to Alamosa San Luis Valley (ALS) providing closer access to Telluride, Silverton, Purgatory and Wolf Creek..

UTAH

Ogden-Hinkley Airport, serviced by Allegiant Air, is adding Thursday through Monday flights from Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS). Prices start at $35 each way. A terrific way to get closer to Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and back country operator, Whisper Ridge.

Snowbird’s Cliff Spa has undergone a massive renovation. The rooftop outdoor pool and hot tub were upgraded with radiant heated decks and gas-fed fire pits. The spa’s interior also got a makeover.

Alta has a new co-ed Breakthrough Camp for intermediates ready to reach a higher level. The package includes four nights lodging at the Alta Lodge, full breakfast and dinner daily, three days of instruction with top coaches from Alta’s Alf Engen Ski School, lift tickets and demo skis. www.altalodge.com/ski-adventures/breakthrough-camp

Staying in Salt Lake City? The Ski City Super Pass provides unrestricted access to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and/or Solitude. Can be purchased for three to 10 days of skiing.  Includes ski bus to and from resorts. Priced by number of days purchased. www.visitsaltlake.com/skicity/super-pass

Ski3 Pass ($157) – This new, fully loaded pass includes a full day of skiing at Snowbasin, Powder Mountain plus a full day and night skiing at Nordic Valley with the purchase of two or more nights at participating hotels in Ogden: www.visitogden.com/ski-ogden/ski3

OTHER

For the first time, 70+ Ski Club is organizing a ski trip to Japan. Dates: March 21 – April 1. Visit the 70+ Ski Club site for more information. I came across this video about skiing in northern Japan. Watch it and visit 70+.

Pre-Season Training? Consider the SkiA Ski Trainer, a unique dry-land training device, for use with ski boots. The Trainer is used by thousands of skiers, and recommended by professional skiers and racers, leading ski schools, and national ski instructor organisations worldwide. More info and pricing: http://www.skia.com

Ruth DeSouza
Harriet Wallis

Senior Profile: WWII Survival Shaped Ruth DeSousa’s Resolve

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She Applies What She Learned To Life And Skiing.

At 86 and a bona fide survivor, Ruth DeSouza offers sound advice for seniors.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

When the air raid sirens blared in Bingen, Germany, residents scrambled down into their cellars for protection. The town on the Rhine was bombed again and again by Allied forces.

After each attack, Ruth’s mother would rush to the roof of their building to pick up the burning flares that had been dropped and hurl them off the roof so the building would not catch fire.

Historically, Bingen is on a critical transportation route established in Roman times. During the war, Allied forces were not trying to destroy the town but were aiming their bombs at the major railroad hub and communication lines.

But bomb drops were not accurate. High winds carried them off target into the town destroying schools full of children and homes of those who wanted no part of the war.

At that time, Ruth was an athletic school girl in Bingen. She was a gymnast, practiced ballet, played tennis, and learned to ski on a local farm hill. The turmoil of war shaped her resolve. She learned to expect little but to keep going no matter what.

Today, she lives by the resolve she forged during the war years. Ruth is slim and active at 86. She skis three or four days a week at Alta, Brighton, or Solitude. The other days she walks for 30 minutes. “You have to keep going, and you have to stay strong,” she says.

Ruth’s attitude has always been undaunted. As the war grew worse, Ruth’s family fled from Bingen. After the war, they walked for days to get home. As Ruth walked, she decided to use the fabric of her old school uniform and make a bikini for herself. She envisioned happiness even when life was full of misery.

Today, like the bikini she made long ago, she dresses fashionably and keeps a positive attitude. She advises senior women to be positive also. “Eat right and don’t let yourself get fat,” she says.

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