Tag Archive for: Joan Wallen

Joan Wallen

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Ragged Mountain

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Ragged Has All The Features Seniors Love: Great Trails, Low Crowds, Modest Prices.

Ragged Mtn, Danbury, NH, has two peaks. Credit: Ragged Mtn.

Located less than two hours from Boston, Ragged Mountain in Danbury, NH offers skiers and boarders a wide variety of terrain from a perfect learning area for beginners to some challenging glades for the expert. It’s truly a family mountain as all trails lead back to the quintessential New England base area.

Ragged’s beginner terrain is ideal for learning. There are two carpet lifts serving very gentle terrain that provides a slope that will not threaten or frighten new skiers. From there they can progress to the Barnyard Triple serving a slope perfect for working on turns and building confidence. The whole beginner area is located off to the side of the main mountain, keeping it separate from the better, faster skiers coming off the summit.

Magic Carpet ride for beginners. Credit: Ragged Mtn.

Two high speed lifts serve the area’s two main peaks. A detachable, high speed six passenger chair, New Hampshire’s only sixpack, whisks skiers and riders to the summit of Ragged Mountain in about five minutes. A detachable quad takes about the same amount of time to reach the Spear Mountain summit. From the Ragged peak a variety of trails from easy green to black diamond wind their down. Skiers and riders are able to navigate from the summit to base on all green or all blue trails or a combination of the two. There are some shorter black diamonds on the upper mountain and a couple of top to bottom ones as well. Several steep glades connect Ragged summit to the trails on Spear. Spear Mountain has three main trails down with one called Cardigan being the easiest and longest way down. Flying Yankee is sometimes closed for racing but when open is a nice intermediate cruiser. Showboat, under the lift, is a steeper pitch and is great for what its name implies. There are half a dozen black glades on Spear, open only with natural snow but great fun when the cover is good. There are three terrain parks, including a small introductory one in the Barnyard learning area.

The area first opened in 1965 and being an older mountain, the trails are interesting and varied, from wide and open to narrow and twisting. Their grooming crew does an excellent job. Even in a challenging winter like this one all open trails have been in great shape.

The Learning Center offers the unique Bebe Wood Free Learn-to-Ski or Ride Program for beginners of all ages to be introduced to snow sports without risk to their wallet. This program – it really is free! – offers three two-hour lessons, with rental equipment and a lower mountain lift ticket for no charge. Following graduation from the program students can purchase discounted equipment and seasons passes. It’s named after long time Ragged employee Bebe Wood who worked there until she was in her nineties.

The attractive and well thought out base area is easy to navigate. There you’ll find the Elmwood Lodge, the Meetinghouse Lodge and the Guest Services building all designed with skiers in mind. The Elmwood Lodge, with its attached Red Barn, houses three restaurants. Birches features table service and an upscale menu of classic American cuisine and lovely mountain views of Ragged’s slopes. If you’re there to watch one of the races held on the Main Street trail and don’t want to stand outside, this is the spot to be. The Stone Hearth Bar, located in the Red Barn, serves up lunches and snacks as well as thirst quenching adult beverages including some new and delightful beers brewed at the Flying Goose in nearby New London. Check out the newest one—Rags to Riches. A huge stone fireplace and weekend entertainment complete the picture here. The Harvest Café is great for a quick lunch or snack with soups, sandwiches, items from the grill and more. There’s plenty of table space in the lodge and the bar’s stone fireplace extends to two floors and provides a cheerful spot to warm up.

The Meetinghouse Lodge houses the Learning Center, the rental shop and more gathering space for changing and picnic lunches.

Although a little off the beaten path, Ragged is accessible either via Interstate 89 or 93 followed by a 20- to 30-minute drive on lightly traveled secondary roads. While not the largest of mountains, its 1250’ of vertical, short lift lines and uncrowded trails reward skiers and riders with plenty of time on the hill in a relaxed atmosphere. It is well worth the trip!

Tickets And Passes

Lift Tickets: Seniors (65+-79) $62 Weekend/Holiday, $52 Midweek,  $51 Four Hour Weekend/Holiday, $45 Four-Hour Midweek, 80+ Free

Season Passes: From $349-519, All ages. Purchase of a season pass provides access to four additional resorts: Jay Peak, Pats Peak, Ski Butternut, Whaleback

Click Here For Ragged Mountain Trail Map

Click Here For Ragged Mountain Web Cam

There’s the base lodge down there. Credit: Ragged Mtn.

 

 

Joan Wallen

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Windham—A Gem In The Catskills

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A Mid-Week Senior Program Includes Clinics, Group Lunch, Yoga, Plus.

Windham is 2 1/2 hours from NYC and has something for everyone.

Driving from New Hampshire through Vermont to Windham Mountain in the Catskills of New York on a recent weekend I felt some trepidation as to what I would find. There had been rain, lots of it, and temperatures reaching 60 degrees over the course of the weekend. Arriving at the mountain on Monday mornin,g it was not looking promising – lots of bare ground and brown spots. But everyone in our group was game to try it out so we booted up and headed for the lift.

And what a pleasant surprise was in store for us! There had been a small window of snowmaking temperatures Sunday night,, and the mountain crew made full use of it. While it didn’t allow any new trails to be opened, it did a wonderful job of patching and spot resurfacing. The groomers smoothed out the surfaces, and, though only a small percentage of the trails were open, those skied very nicely on softish, granular sugar snow.

Snowmaking is robust and widespread at Windham.

Windham is a sizable mountain with a 1600’ vertical. To me, it feels like a much bigger mountain. There are 54 trails, ranging in length from 300 to over 12,000 feet, serviced by a total of 11 lifts including a high speed six pack and two high speed quads. Snowmaking covers 97 percent of its trails and slopes.  Much of that is fully automated, making it very responsive to changing weather conditions. There were several trails open off the Westside Six, the six-pack going to the West Peak summit, and the Wonderama Express Quad.  We found enough good skiing to keep us entertained over the course of a day and a half. An Express Quad took us up to East Peak where we found a couple of good runs including Wanderer, a long, easy cruiser that sweeps along the ridge at the edge of the resort and eventually winds its way to the base. All were in agreement that the mountain ops crew did a fantastic job in recovering from the “R” event prior to our arrival.

The modern, airy base lodge houses a spacious cafeteria on the ground floor and a table service restaurant with an upscale menu upstairs. Also on the upper level is a private club with its own food service and lounge areas.

The resort has spent more than $12 million in the last two years to elevate the guest experience, and it is quite apparent from snowmaking to grooming to base area and resort amenities.

Midweek Program Just For Seniors

Windham boasts an active 50+ Midweek program which runs for eight Tuesdays from early January to early March. There’s an optional yoga program at the beginning of each day followed by on snow clinics with the instructors then a group lunch. During lunch, there are presentations on snowmaking, product reviews, what’s happening at Windham, and various other topics of general interest. The program currently has more than 70 participants who come from New York City and its environs as well as the local area. The Midweek program costs $250, pass not included.

You can ski the big race courses on the simulator. Credit: Joan Wallen

The Adaptive Sports Foundation has partnered with the mountain to bring in the Ski and Ride Simulator which provides real skiing and riding in virtual reality. Used by the race teams for training, it is also available to the public for a fee. Skiers and riders of all ages can test themselves on virtual race courses from around the globe simulating real World Cup and Olympic courses. From grandparents to grandkids, it can an enjoyable challenging to all. A portion of the proceeds help support the Adaptive Sports Foundation.

The Alpine Spa, kids snowmobiling, snow tubing and ice skating will keep everyone – kids to parents to grandparents – busy when not on the slopes.

While we didn’t get to ski all of Windham, what we experienced was great and certainly whetted the appetite making us eager to return when the mountain is fully operational to explore what is truly big mountain skiing just 2 ½ hours from New York City.

Tickets And Passes

Day tickets for 65-74 are $76; 75+ is $70. Windham also offers a four-hour Flex Ticket good for any four consecutive hours. 65-74, $52; 75+, $35.

Season Passes, 65-74, $659; 75+, $229. A Sunday-Friday mid-week pass is $549 for all ages.

Click here for Windham Mountain Web Cam.

Click here for Windham Mountain Trail Map

The base area is the hub of activity with lifts radiating out.

 

 

Joan Wallen

Buying A Mountain Home? Ponder This.

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A Veteran Real Estate Agent Shares Tips You Might Not Have Thought Of.

[Editor Note: See Joan Wallen’s earlier article: Commute, Rent, Or Buy? for advice on renting.]

Condo on the mountain?

Want to buy a home in snow country? Perhaps you’ve rented and now decide that a second home is right for you. Or maybe you’re ready to take a leap of faith and go directly into ownership. What are some of the considerations you should take in to account?

Location is key. You may already have a favorite mountain or region that you like to ski. This makes it easier. If you don’t have a preferred area, think about what’s right for you and your family. Do you want to ski one mountain all the time or be in a location where you can reach several resorts? Will a specific resort be good for your family for future years? You don’t want to end up at an area that the kids will outgrow. Do you want to be slope side, in town or out in the countryside? Condo or single family home?

If you decide on a condo, investigate before buying. Is it a new development or an established community? If the development is older you would want to know the history of upgrades to the buildings and grounds, roofs, building siding, roads, etc? If there are amenities like a swimming pool or fitness room, what’s their condition? Are condo fees reasonable or so high as to feel like a second mortgage? Carefully review the condo association documents to be informed not only of their rules and regulations but also their financial status. The capital reserve fund should be adequate for both planned and unexpected maintenance costs so you don’t get hit with a special assessment.

House in the country?

Consider usage of the condo in the off season. If you won’t be coming to the mountains in the summer you may want to rent out the unit. Some associations enforce minimum rental periods of anywhere from two weeks to two months or more. This could impact your ability to secure a tenant. And if you want, or need, to rent it out, be sure it’s in a location where there’s a demand for summer activity.

Although condo fees add to the cost of ownership, there are advantages also. Outside maintenance fees cover snow removal, shoveling, lawn mowing and trash pickup.

Condo living is not for everyone, however. You may prefer the privacy of a single family home either close to town or in the country. But, you’ll have to arrange for plowing, perhaps someone to check on the house after a power outage and of course maintenance will be your responsibility. The advantages are privacy, perhaps a more tranquil setting and if you’re in the country you can likely cross country ski or snowshoe right out your front door. If you wish to rent it,  you’ll be your own boss, no association restrictions. And, more responsibility also. If something goes wrong, you can’t just call the office, you’re on your own to find a repair person.

Finally, does owning make financial sense? What will you do with the property in the off season? Is it in a location where you and your family will use it both in the summer and winter?

Buying a home in ski country is a big commitment but also can bring big rewards. As a gathering place for family and friends to enjoy the outdoors together, many lasting memories will be created. Family members who may not ski will still have a base from which to enjoy other outdoor activities, or to just hang out by the fire and read. And you don’t have to worry about making reservations, finding a place to stay after that two foot snowfall or lugging your gear and clothing back and forth. The home and your belongings are right there waiting for you.

 

Joan Wallen

Mirror Lake Inn: A Peaceful Haven In Lake Placid

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Activities, Elegance, Extraordinary Service In The Heart Of The Adirondacks.

Mirror Lake Inn has been recognized with AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence for 32 years in  a row.
Credit: Joan Wallen

I entered the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid through a back door, walked right past the front desk without noticing it, and down the wide staircase. When I ended up at the entrance to the spa, looking somewhat confused, an employee asked if he could help. When I told him I was looking for the registration desk he didn’t just point me in the right direction (which would have been easy to do), he walked me there. This “taking the extra step” set the tone for my stay and proved to be typical of all the Inn employees I encountered. Everyone from the front desk staff, to the bartenders, dining and housekeeping staff had a friendly smile, helpful attitude and genuine interest in my comfort and well-being during my stay. The Inn itself exudes ambiance with its spacious common areas, fireplaces, comfortable furniture and numerous more intimate spaces for reading, relaxing or quiet conversation, all with an Adirondack décor. Tea, coffee and homemade cookies are served daily from 3:30 to 4:30 in the living room so guests can mingle and relax after a day on the slopes, trails, lake or visiting the many Olympic venues throughout the area.

After a $4-million renovation, rooms are looking fantastic.
Credit: Joan Wallen

The Main building houses guest rooms, the spa, fitness center and indoor pool as well as two of the resort’s restaurants – Taste Bistro, casual yet upscale, and The View, Lake Placid’s only four diamond AAA rated restaurant. The Terrace and Mountainview buildings, also housing guest rooms, as well as the Adirondack Conference Center are all connected to the Main building by indoor walkways. The guest rooms are spacious and comfortable with seating areas facing the lake. Their décor reflects the Adirondack theme of the public spaces. The Colonial House and the Lake Cottage are across the road on the water and have more elaborate rooms as well as one and two bedroom suites. Though in general the clientele may be more mature, the suites are well suited for families. One of the unique features of the resort is that all guest rooms face Mirror Lake and therefore offer fantastic views through floor to ceiling windows and sliders. The Cottage Café, also on the lake, serves casual fare for lunch and supper and is a gathering spot for the apres ski crowd.

The Inn has recently completed a $1 million makeover of its renowned spa. With rooms for massage, facial and body treatments, the women’s and men’s sanctuaries include spaces for relaxing and revitalizing, a eucalyptus steam room, sauna, whirlpool, indoor pool, fitness facility and a full service salon. Its reputation as the number one spa in Lake Placid is well deserved.

Mirror Lake itself, only steps from the Inn, offers activities just outside your front door. A groomed ice skating lane follows the perimeter of the lake, a three mile smooth pathway for relaxed skating or vigorous exercise. The Inn maintains a couple of small rinks just in front of the Café while the town has cleared a much larger area across the lake for hockey tournaments and free skating. I encountered cross country skiers and other snowshoers on my trek across the lake, as well as folks just out walking their dogs. A couple of concessionaires offer dogsled rides and a toboggan chute is nearing completion and will open soon. Snowshoes are available for Inn guests use if you don’t have your own.

A short walk brings you to the main street of Lake Placid where you’ll find many shops, from jewelry to outdoor fashion to Adirondack furniture and gourmet goodies. The bar scene is lively and the restaurants in town offer a wide variety of menus. Also located downtown at the Olympic Center are the Olympic Museum and the speed skating oval where you might watch hopefuls practicing or do some skating yourself during public skating hours. And of course, there’s world class alpine and cross country skiing just minutes away at the Olympic venues of Whiteface and Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Last June the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa accepted the AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence in lodging for the 32nd year in a row. The View received the same award for fine dining for the ninth consecutive year. The resort’s owners, Ed and Lisa Weibrecht, parents of Olympian Andrew Weibrecht, credit their exceptional staff for these honors. “We have a secret weapon. The secret weapon is all of you, our staff”, Weibrecht told the group assembled at the presentation. I certainly found this to be true. A cheery “hello”, a smiling “how are you this morning”, a helpful “do you need anything”, a warm “what can I get you” greeted me in the parking lot, in the lobby, hallways and restaurants throughout the property. In sum, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa offers casual elegance in a relaxing atmosphere with enough to do on and off the property to entertain both the most athletic guests and those looking for just a tranquil retreat.

Mirror Lake Inn has an assortment of room choices and package pricing starting at $186 (December 10-March 19) and $137 (March 20-End of Season).  Check the website for the accommodation options.

Mirror Lake Inn is a tasteful and modest spot to relax and enjoy winter sports activities.
Credit: Joan Wallen

 

B_Sun Valley 1950
Joan Wallen

Bebe Wood: Approaching 90 And Going Strong

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Skiing Since The 30s, She Has Seen Lots Of Changes.

In 1949, 23 year old Bebe Wood left her job at Dartmouth College and traveled to Idaho seeking adventure as a ski bum in Sun Valley. By then, she had already been skiing for about 10 years!  Thus began her long association with the ski industry. Today, approaching her 90th birthday, she remains actively involved as a Host at Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire.

As a youngster in Marblehead, MA, she and her siblings taught themselves how to ski at a nearby golf course. By the late 1930’s her sister, five years her senior, had a driver’s license so they started going up to Cranmore in North Conway, NH. It was there that she became immersed in the sport.

Bebe Wood was an original ski bum in Sun Valley in 1950. Credit: Bebe Wood

Bebe Wood was an original ski bum in Sun Valley in 1949-50.
Credit: Bebe Wood

Following graduation from college, she went to work at Dartmouth as medical secretary. She and her friend Jean Adams joined the Dartmouth Outing Club which was an opportunity for travel around Northern New Hampshire and Vermont—Stowe, Cranmore and Suicide Six. They also skied locally at the Oak Hill rope tow in Hanover. “The DOC was a wonderful experience”, says Bebe. “We all loved to ski, yodel and sing. We had a great time.”

In the winter of 1949-50 Bebe and Jean Adams headed west to be ski bums in Sun Valley. They worked as waitresses and had plenty of time for skiing during the day. Bebe also had time to be a Sun Valley model for a Life Magazine shoot there and appeared in a February 1950 issue. “We had the best time there,” Bebe says. “Dartmouth was connected to Sun Valley back then and we were able to ski with some top notch eastern skiers.”

During the following ten years or so there was not much skiing in her life as she and her new husband were starting a family and moving around. But in 1963 they moved to Bristol, NH. And that move heralded her return to skiing in a big way.

In 1964 she began her long tenure at Ragged Mountain where she directed the junior program for school kids. She continued in this role until the mid 1980s when Ragged closed. During the next few years, Bebe taught at nearby King Ridge in New London, NH where she was part of the ski school until Ragged reopened in 1989.

All along the way Bebe found time to become PSIA certified, a first aid instructor, make two trips to the Alps skiing in Switzerland, Austria an Italy and a return trip to Sun Valley.

Bebe learned snowboarding at 70. Credit: Bebe Wood

Bebe learned snowboarding at 70.
Credit: Bebe Wood

Bebe retired from instructing in 2007 but continued as head the Courtesy Patrol until it was phased out a few years ago. Not wanting to be idle, however, she remains active at the resort today as a mountain host. You can find her in the base lodge greeting skiers and boarders, chatting with folks as come in for a break, checking with patrol on the latest conditions and dispensing all kinds of local knowledge and information about the resort and the general area.

Bebe stopped skiing five years ago at the age of 85. “Not because I can’t ski,” she says, “but because I’m now too afraid of getting hurt. I have no one to take care of me if I were to get injured. I do miss it, though.”

Bebe sees the evolution of equipment and technique as a positive thing that has made the sport much easier to learn and continue. “Sometimes the technical details get confusing but if the continued development of new equipment and technique makes the sport easier that’s good for its growth,” she said. When asked about other changes she’s seen, she said that in the old days skiers were just one big happy family. They sat around the fireplaces in old ski lodges and never complained about rope tows that wore out ski gloves or conditions that were less than ideal. Now she says, skiers want everything to be perfect. And there are so many people you have to be a little more careful.

According to Bebe, “It’s still a wonderful sport. It should be available in all schools free of charge so all kids have a chance to experience it.” She thinks there are more seniors skiing now than ever before. “New and better equipment keeps people going longer,” she says, and hopes that “more people being on the hill does not discourage older skiers.” She knows some seniors in their late 70s and early 80s who still ski, including some 10th Mountain veterans. “But the group is dwindling.”

What keeps her coming back? Why does she continue to work even though she no longer gets out on the hill? Love of the outdoors, a desire to keep up with the sport and the people in it, the opportunity to meet new people with similar passions are just a few of the reasons. “You don’t have to be young to enjoy it. It brings family and friends together.” Of teaching she says, “I can still look at skiers and tell what they’re doing wrong. I can tell who has had lessons and who hasn’t.”

Bebe Wood today.

Bebe Wood today. Tuckerman’s Ravine was a favorite spot. Credit: Joan Wallen

Approaching her 90 th birthday in a few months and summing up her lifetime involvement in a sport she loves, Bebe states, “I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” Including, or perhaps especially, her ski bumming year in Sun Valley. “If young people have a chance to be a ski bum, they should go for it. It’s an experience to always remember.”