Tag Archive for: little cottonwood canyon

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Every now and then, we give readers a status report on the state of the older skier and the status of SeniorsSkiing.com.

It’s fair to say that we’re all doing well. The magazine started in the Fall of 2013 with exactly “0” subscribers. Today there are 17,000 of you, and the number is growing.

We know from industry trade association statistics that in the US, 20% of all skiers and boarders are 52 and older. We also know that the number of skiers/boarders in this country has fluctuated between 8.3 million and 10.2 million for 25 years. The market is not expanding.

Our annual reader surveys tell us a lot about the older segment of that market. Almost 3500 readers – more than 21% of the subscriber base — responded to our last survey. 

Your average age is just shy of 70. When we started, it was closer to 67. Two-thirds of you are male. When we started, the split was 60/40 (m/f).

A few seasons back, you skied about 15.5 days per season, compared to the national average of 6 days per season. Last season, short as it was, you skied, on average, almost 33 days!

Contrary to the perceptions of some in the industry, you are a significant economic force. When asked how much you spent on all aspects of skiing during the past season for yourselves and others, 51% reported up to $2500; 29% spent between $2500 and $5000, and 20% spent more than $5000. We expect that while there are larger numbers of younger skiers, the amount they spend in a season as individuals is considerably less. Two-thirds of you have told us that you’re financially independent.

Publishing SeniorsSkiing.com every week takes a lot of effort. No one – writers or publishers – gets paid. Ad sales and reader contributions cover costs, and the more we grow, the higher those costs. Our annual fund-raiser is conducted in February.

Sometimes we slip behind. Last season’s Trail Masters list is overdue, as is the annual report of North American ski areas where seniors ski free or at deep discount. It’s a lot for two older guys working with some younger people for technology, graphics and other specialized needs.

It would be nice to wave a wand and attract ads from companies selling pain relievers, financial services, and health plans. We’ve tried, but our audience isn’t big enough for their needs. It also would be great if ski makers and/or ski pass companies chose to advertise. When approached, they show minimal interest.

Is it because we’re focused on the older end of the market? Do they figure that SeniorsSkiing.com readers will buy skis and passes regardless of whether or not they advertise? Perhaps.

Skiing is a youth-oriented sport in a youth-oriented culture. When is the last time you saw an age-contemporary featured in an advertisement for skis or a ski destination? In an editorial feature in one of the few remaining ski magazines? In a recently released ski video?

SeniorsSkiing.com exists to show the world of non-mechanized snowsports through the eyes of the older skier.  If you like what we’re doing, forward an issue to other older skiing friends. 

Snow in the West

Source: Alta

Winter arrived at the Western ski resorts this week. Snowbird, in Utah‘s Little Cottonwood Canyon, got 29″. Alta, next-door, reported 30″. Wolf Creek in the Southwest corner of Colorado reports a 50’base, 7 out of 10 lifts open and 127 out of 133 open rails. Another pulse is expected over the coming weeks.

Vermont Covid Policy Places Season in Jeopardy

This week, the State of Vermont, suspended its policy allowing travelers from the Northeast to visit the Green Mountain State without quarantining. If Covid rates drop, the policy will probably allow more visitors in the state without requiring quarantine.

Utah: Too Little, Too Late

The Governor of Utah finally issued a statewide mask mandate. Cases there have been skyrocketing and wide portions of the population are defying suggested precautions. Among other reports from The Salt Lake Tribune, people in Utah County (south of Salt Lake County) have hosted large-scale, maskless dance parties. Mothers in the county are reported to be applying icepacks to children’s foreheads to help them pass school temperature checks, and coaches have been encouraging team members to conceal if they’re feeling flu symptoms. Prior to the new mandate, the governor’s mantra was that citizens of Utah “will do the right thing.“

Mask = Specs = Foggy Lenses

Using 3M Nexcare paper tape (available in most drugstores), tape the gap between top of mask and your face. It should eliminate fogging by preventing warm breath from reaching the glasses.

Joe Biden Skis

There are numerous Internet references to sightings of Joe on the hills of Aspen and Vail but no pictures of the President-elect on boards. If anyone has one, please email to jon@seniorsskiing.com, and we’ll publish with credit.

Tricks on Skis: 1937 Newsreel

This 1937 Pathe newsreel isn’t graceful but it’s worth watching.

Snowball Fight 1896

https://youtu.be/-rAMRBWy2to

 

This early film of a snowball fight was shot in 1897 in Lyons, France. Less than a minute long. Keep watching to see the modern, colorized version. It’s pure joy!

$1 Buys 1 Month of Classified Advertising

We’ve extended the offer to December 4. Purchase one month of classified ads for $1. Click on Classifieds on the dark blue bar at the top of the Home Page to place ad or see what’s being offered.

Nordic to be Featured in Next Week’s Edition

As part of our commitment to Nordic activities, next week’s edition will be dedicated to all things Nordic. Numerous Covid-related obstacles are interfering with the coming Alpine season. We expect many of you to shift at least part of your skiing attention to cross-country, skate-skiing, snowshoeing, etc. If you have not already done so, please visit our new Make More Tracks Nordic Resource Guide. And enjoy our weekly Nordic features.

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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I know that some people don’t get attached to ideas, things or each other. But it must be rare.

I was 10 when skiing entered my life, and I’ve been playing in mountains and snow ever since. At first, Mount Snow in Southern Vermont was the center of my winter universe. Then it was that state’s Stowe and Killington. 

 

In the early 70s my new bride and I visited Alta for the first time. It’s the classic ski resort at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, just outside of Salt Lake City. We were there for a week. There’s hardly a season since that I haven’t returned.

There are other great areas, some with bigger terrain, more sophisticated lifts, and other bells and whistles. I’ve skied many of them and hope to ski many more.

Alta keeps pulling me back.

The obvious reasons are accessibility, snow, and terrain. 

But there are more subtle things that are part of Alta’s draw. There is a unique Alta culture that understands and appreciates its rich history, its remarkable beauty, and, for those who know and love it, it’s essence.

Over the years I’ve skied most of the area, but some places were out of my reach and, at this age, will remain that way.

Utah’s license plate reads “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Of its 14 resorts, Alta consistently receives the most. The 2010-11 season delivered 724″. Last season snow depths totalled 626″.  This season, to date, Alta has more than 355″.  Click here for its annual totals.

Most people drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon for the day. Unfortunately, as the Salt Lake Valley population grows, that 8 mile drive can take a long time. It took me 90 minutes a few weeks ago. Powder days require a very early start.

In the 47 years of skiing Alta, I’ve stayed at each of its five lodges. The Alta Lodge and The Rustler are favorites. The old Snowpine Lodge was Spartan-like. I have yet to try its posh replacement. Goldminer’s Daughter and Alta Peruvian each have their own charm.

If you’re an Alta regular, you’ll understand. If you’ve never been or haven’t been in a while, it’s time to go. Like everything else, Alta is destined to change. But because it is Alta, when it does, it will only add to the magic.

Masterfit Buyers Guide

The new Masterfit Buyer’s Guide provides comprehensive guidance on the best choices in 2019-20 skis, boots, bindings, poles, insoles, and kid’s gear. The free, 105-page guide is chock full of  valuable information explaining what to buy and how to buy it. It was put together by an all-star team of reviewers and writers who, for years, worked for the nation’s top ski magazines. My strong recommendation: make the Masterfit Buyer’s Guide a “favorite” on your computer (click here for the link). It will be useful the next time you’re considering a purchase. And while you’re there, check out the SeniorsSkiing.com ad on Page 106.

Is Apple iWatch Anti-Skiing?

A few iWatch obsessives I know say the device’s “Workouts” function shows “Snowsports” and “Snowboarding,” but not “Skiing.” Can anyone out there disprove it or explain why?

 

 

New Name for Ski and Snowboard Expos

The Denver and Boston Ski and Snowboard Expos have been renamed Snowbound. This year’s Denver event is scheduled for November 6-8; Boston’s is scheduled for November 19-22.

Pico Hosts Blind Skiers

This weekend, more than 30 athletes who are blind or have visual impairments will learn to ski with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports during the 13th anniversary of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Winter Ski Festival at Pico Mountain. Click here for more info.

Skiing History’s New Issue Now Available

The January-February 2020 issue of Skiing History is online. If you’re a member of the International Skiing History Association (ISHA), a hard copy is on its way to your mail box. If you’d like a free digital copy, click on the ISHA advertisement on the SeniorsSkiing.com home page.  

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Father Dies in Roof Fall

Jeff Shiffrin, father of the World Cup athlet died earlier this week when he fell from the roof of his home in Edwards, CO, near Vail. The 65-year old anesthesiologist was shoveling snow when he fell. He had raced on the Dartmouth Ski Team. 

75-Year Old Uphill Skier Profiled in New York Times

Sharon Crawford, 75, a multisport athlete from Frisco, Colorado, is an uphill skier. he Times profiled her participation in the Breckenridge Ascent Series, which, took her from Breckenridge’s 9,600′ base up 1,500′ vertical on a black diamond. The fastest racer completed the course in 32 minutes. Crawford clocked in at 1 hour 2 minutes. Click here for complete story.

Fantastic Gift For Young Mothers To Be

Mountain Marsupial 4-in-1 Jacket

Mountain Marsupial is a 4-in-1 jacket that can be worn while baby carrying in the front, on the back, and while pregnant. It caught my eye last week at the SIA/OR Snow Show. The jacket lists for $239. If you’re looking for an attractive, functional gift for a pregnant someone or a recent Mom, click here.

 

 
Little Cottonwood Canyon traffic
Harriet Wallis

Monster Traffic Jams Overwhelm Canyon Roads At Four Salt Lake Resorts Last Winter

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Big Changes Are Underway This Season. Will They Help Solve The Problem?

Little Cottonwood Canyon last winter.

Flashback To Last Winter

Bumper to bumper traffic creeps up Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons toward Alta and Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude. But resort parking lots are already full.

It’s mid-morning on a typical weekend.

Rabid skiers ignore the parkies. And they ignore One Way signs. They drive the wrong way and create blockades. They ram their cars onto berms and they jam up fire lanes.

Every parking spot is taken. There’s no place to park. Cops turn cars around and head them back down the canyon.  

Outraged skiers then park along the 2-lane road — further and further away from their resort. They park on both sides of the narrow, twisting road.

Car doors hang wide open into the traffic lanes while skiers sit to put on boots. High snowbanks force skiers to trudge on the car-clogged road toward their resort, hauling their equipment, kids and coolers. The 2-lane road becomes a 1-lane obstacle course.

Some cars that park along the road sink into the deep snow and must call a wrecker to get pulled out. Other cars that park sloppily and threaten safety are often ticketed and are sometimes towed away.

That was last winter. It wasn’t pretty.

Why All The Mayhem?

Salt Lake City’s economy sizzles. Home and apartment construction booms, and that spikes the local skier population. 

More than 300 flights arrive daily at Salt Lake International Airport, and 10 resorts are within an hour’s drive. Skiers with a multi-resort pass, such as the Ikon pass, flow unpredictably from resort to resort.

The only way up each canyon is by two-lane road. Resorts on national forest land must comply with regulations and cannot make changes on a whim.

Last winter topped the charts with 711 inches of snow, and, like a magnet, it sucked skiers up the canyons. Just add up all those issues. The net result was humongous traffic jams.

Partners For Solutions

Canyon roads have been a concern for more than 30 years. Solutions have been proposed, and some have been tinkered with. But last winter’s traffic nightmare pushed the hot button.

This winter, it’s all hands on deck. Ski resorts plus Save Our Canyons, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, the Central Wasatch Commission and the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) are stepping up efforts to change skier behavior and solve the traffic issue.

What’s Up For This Winter?

UTA added more ski buses in both canyons. It removed the inside ski/board bins to provide more standing room. And it eliminated some bus stops to speed up transit times, Skiers with a resort-specific season pass or an Ikon season pass can ride the UTA ski bus free.

Snowbird expanded its R.I.D.E. program—an Uber-type ride share app so skiers can carpool. (R.I.D.E. is the acronym for Reducing Individual Driving for the Environment. Download the iOS Snowbird R.I.D.E. app or the Android Snowbird R.I.D.E. app.)

In addition, Snowbird skiers who carpool or take the UTA ski bus earn R.I.D. E points toward sweet rewards. And carpools with three+ people get VIP parking.

This year, Alta, Brighton and Solitude implement the R.I.D.E. app.

At Alta, there are ride share vans for employees, and it dedicates 25 percent of the Wildcat parking lot for carpools with 3 or more.

Solitude takes a bold step and will charge for parking. Daily fees range from $5 for cars with four passengers to $20 for just one or two passengers. Those with a Solitude or Ikon season pass can buy a season parking permit for $150. The permit will cost $225 for non-season pass skiers.

More To Come

The question remains: What will it take to change skier behavior and eliminate the traffic jams? Stay tuned. The 2019-2020 ski season is arriving right now.