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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Mar. 13)

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Pivoting To Spring, New Mexico Resorts, Luxury Vermont Inn, Mystery Gondola, Weather Man Predicts.

We have several reports that spring-like skiing is happening at the higher elevation resorts in the Northeast. A few bluebird days, corduroy trails.  Ahh.  We are jealous because…we are in Florida. Such are the vicissitudes of family life.  We plan to get back for a final turn or two when we return next week. Let’s hope the base holds for another few weeks.  Hope so because it was 73 degrees when we departed Boston.  As the Skiing Weatherman Herb Stevens reports in this week’s prediction, there might be lots of snow at Easter time.

Incidentally, now is the time for buying next season’s pass.  Both Ikon and Epic have new configurations of passes, and you can get a pass to fit your winter sports cadence. Finally there are reasonably priced mid-week passes that are real bargains. 

Click here to see the 2020-21 Epic passes.

Click here to see the 2020-21 Ikon passes

Wear your green next week. Happy Paddy’s Day. Is he still a saint?

Speaking of next week, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We know it is an unofficial way to transition into spring skiing mode, and some resorts really do it up.  Brodie Mountain in western Massachusetts used to be the archetype.  Now, green beer and snow are popping up from coast to coast and into Canada and beyond.

And speaking again of next week, we anticipate sending the final premiums from SeniorsSkiing.com’s recent fund raiser.  We ran out of labels, stickers, tote bags, cards all at once, and when they arrive we will get back to stuffing and addressing envelopes.

Thank you again for your support and for the many positive messages you sent in your donations.  Frankly, your support makes the challenge of producing a weekly online magazine for senior snow sports enthusiasts a little easier.

This Week

70+ Ski Club group photo. The club ventures to US, European, and this year, New Zealand resorts. Credit: 70+ Ski Club

Harriet Wallis catches up with the 70+Ski Club as they visit several Utah resorts. What a wonderful group of senior skiers who find new friends and new adventures throughout the season and beyond. We’re often asked by readers where they can find seniors to ski with.  The 70+ Ski Club is definitely a place to start. P.S. If you’re not quite 70 yet, you can be a “member in training.”

Contributor Bob Margulis offers his advice on safety in the mountains with this matra, “What can go wrong?” His advice makes sense whether you are backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, skiing, rock climbing, or even cycling. Interesting gear and tips from an experienced mountain man. 

Angel Fire has some two mile runs, and best of all 70-75 seniors pay $29, 75+ pay zero. Credit: Angel Fire

Veteran correspondent Mike Roth reports on his venture to three New Mexico resorts, comparing conditions and trails to his home base in upstate New York and New England.  Interesting differences.

Correspondent Tamsin Venn stayed at a very classy, year round resort at Stowe.  Check out her story on the Topnotch Resort and Spa. Good timing, too, because rates are dropping as we move along into spring. 

Our Mystery Glimpse features an early photo of a gondola in a western state.  Can you guess?  Thanks to the Colorado Snowsports Museum for the photo.  And yes, indeed, that was Cannon Mountain from the air. 

Our stalwart Skiing Weatherman Herb Stevens tells us what to expect as the official start of spring approaches. It looks like more snow to come and perhaps a snowy Easter.  Did you know meteorological spring started on March 1?  Missed it, didn’t you?

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

 

 

 

 

John Nelson

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Wolf Creek—The Snowiest Surprise

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This Resort Has All The Characteristics Senior Skiers Love.

Skiing off the top of Wolf Creek, with Alberta Peak in the distance. Credit: Samual Bricker courtesy of Wolf Creek Ski Area.

It was a powder day at Colorado’s snowiest resort when we pulled in.

Where were the crowds? Not here, they were in places like Aspen, Vail, and Winter Park.

“There are maybe 500 people here,” said our shuttle driver. “Have fun!”

The unassuming base area at Wolf Creek Ski Area is a throwback, with no developed village. Credit: Samual Bricker courtesy of Wolf Creek Ski Area.

Wolf Creek Ski Area is a delightful throwback situated on the Continental Divide in the southern part of the state. And if you’re shocked at the price of skiing in Colorado’s glitzy mountain enclaves, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how they hold the affordability line at Wolf Creek.

“We’re not out to squeeze every last dime out of our customers,” said Rosanne Haidorfer-Pitcher, vice president of marketing and sales at the resort.

Walk-up ticket prices are $72 for adults, and just $43 for seniors 65-79. If you’re 80, congratulations, your ticket is free.

The skiing is phenomenal, especially if you can hit Wolf Creek on a powder day, which is often. Rocky Mountain storms drop more snow here than anywhere else in Colorado—430 inches a year.

Tree-Skiing Paradise

A skier gets ready to drop in off of Knife Ridge, a short hike into double-diamond powder terrain. Credit: John Nelson

Wolf Creek has a vast array of tree-skiing runs scattered over its 1,600 acres. Topping out at 11,900 feet, its 10 lifts serve a long ridge line that is steep at the top, but rolls into intermediate pitches for most of the area. All in all, 55 percent of the mountain is rated as beginner and intermediate.

If you’re an advanced skier, hiking along the ridge line will deliver you into double-diamond alpine drops. Some of the best are off the Alberta Lift, where a 10-minute climb puts skiers into rare territory of steep untracked lines.

You’ll find great powder elsewhere at Wolf Creek, particularly in the resort’s vast maze of tree-skiing. During my visit in February, I skied powder all day.

Transportation, Where To Stay

Wolf Creek has no on-mountain village. It’s an unassuming collection of old-school lodges, with accommodations 23 miles to the west in Pagosa Springs and 18 miles east in South Fork. If you don’t want to drive, shuttle service is offered by Wilderness Journeys in Pagosa Springs.

Pagosa Springs offers the biggest variety of lodging and restaurants, and it’s also home to several hot springs establishments where you can soak your quads after spending the day skiing powder.

After our big powder day, we spent the shuttle ride down talking about how much we loved the skiing at Wolf Creek.

“This is my new favorite resort in Colorado,” said Jan Mosman, who was visiting from Minnesota with her husband, Mark. “I love the tree skiing.”

The Mosmans had just come from Winter Park, where they had done battle with 15,000 other skiers.

“What did you like best about Wolf Creek?” I asked them.

“No lift lines,” Mark said.

Food, Travel

For a small ski area, Wolf Creek has some surprising amenities. On mountain, there are eight places to eat.

The main Wolf Creek Lodge has daily hot specials and homemade soups, along with burgers served on the sundeck. Don’t miss the Continental Espresso Bar at the top of the Treasure Stoke lift, surely one of the highest places to get a coffee buzz in the Rockies.

The closest major airports to Wolf Creek are in Denver (246 miles away) and Albuquerque (237 miles away).

Click here for Wolf Creek Web Cam

Click here for Trail Map

Skiers make the 10-minute climb off the top of the Alberta Lift to access advanced terrain at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Credit: John Nelson.