Tag Archive for: Mont-Sainte-Anne

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Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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How many of you have taken a skiing road trip recently? Over the past few seasons, I’ve ridden lifts with numerous retired couples skiing their way across the continent; getting the best value from their Epic, IKON and Mountain Collective passes.

Using cars and RVs, they traverse from one resort to another, taking occasional non-ski breaks. It’s a return to the collective skiing fantasy promoted by ski magazines and filmmakers for as long as I can remember.

As romantic as the skiing road trip seems, moving from one place to another can be a pain. There’s packing and unpacking. Moving stuff in and out of hotel rooms and friends’ homes. Waking up in unfamiliar places, etc. etc. It gets old, especially as we get older. 

There are exceptions. Last season, we toured the Dolomites on a guided ski safari. That week skiing from mountain inn to mountain inn, enjoying great food, beautiful scenery and our small group’s camaraderie made it one of our all time best skiing experiences.

But I’ve reached a point where I no longer want the hassle of moving around. I thought that renting a place in Salt Lake City for the season would do it. But that, too, requires a drive to one of the nearby areas. Because the place has become so overpopulated, Ski Utah and Ski City USA, two of the local ski promotion entities, encourage people to use public transportation to get to the resorts. At this age, I prefer to drive.

The solution, which many of you long ago discovered, is in the form of staying on or very close to the hill. 

Our Vail friends have the good fortune of walking to the end of their driveway and stepping into a private community van for a short ride to the lift.

And our Deer Valley friend simply walks down his heated driveway and up his community’s heated road to reach the slope.

Talk about skiing luxury!

For those of us without homes on or near the hill, there are the hotels, lodges and inns that are. They can be pricey at big name resorts. But some digging can produce surprising bargains.

For example, from March 6-15, Chalets Montmorency at Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec has a five-night deal for $175 (Canadian) per person, double occupancy. 

Generally, exchange rates make skiing in Canada a good deal.

And, as I’ve explained in past columns, Europe has many great bargains. Click on the adjacent Inspired Italy or Alpskitour ads to get a few ideas.

Ski club trips also can be economical. 70+ Ski Club consistently offers well-priced trips with slopeside lodging. Click on its ad to learn more.

It turns out that for this aging couple, the season has had a few too many moves. And the way things are scheduled, there will be more. 

I’m not sure where we’ll ski next year, but wherever we go, except for when we’re on the hill, we won’t be moving around.

RIP: Mammoth Mountain Founder, Dave McCoy, 

Dave McCoy, who started and developed Mammoth Mountain in California, died February 8. He was 104. McCoy started Mammoth in 1942 and operated the resort for 68 years. When he was 22, he was the California State Skiing Champion. He skied until he was 92. Watch the video about Dave and Mammoth, produced when he was 98.

OOPS!

Last week’s appreciation of Alta neglected to make reference to the Wild Old Bunch, the group of older skiers who gather daily for lunch at the large round table in Alf’s Lodge and Wednesdays for dinner at 5:30PM at the Chuck-o-Rama in South Salt Lake’s Fashion Place Mall.

 

 

Avalanche At Alta

This week’s issue has a not-to-be-missed letter from Harriet Wallis advising her nephew to exercise more caution in the backcountry. Last week, avalanche danger and control closed Alta, Snowbird and Little Cottonwood Canyon for two days. During the shutdown, Mac Charval was able to video a slide as it tumbled across the road heading for the Alta Peruvian Lodge. My understanding is that there was no damage.

https://twitter.com/SeanDNeves/status/1226174442637672448?s=03)

Apple iWatch DOES Like Skiing, After All

Thanks for reader Steve for advising that iWatch users look under “D” for Downhill Skiing  in the device’s “Workouts” function.

Bootster Booster

Jim Cobb, who invented and manufactures The Bootster ski boot shoe horn regularly receives fan mail for this clever compact device. He sent in this comment from a senior skier: Thank YOU for creating and providing the Bootster so that all of us “old and stiff” skiers (and our old and stiff boots too!) can keep getting on the snow even as time marches on.  The Bootster is essential for any skier grappling with the ordeal of getting boots on. Click on the adjacent ad to learn more.

Prevent Cold Temp Phone Failure

Typically, even when my phone is in an inside pocket, it loses juice on cold days. Yesterday, at Alta, it was 21F, time to try a product I picked up at the Snow Show in Denver. It’s an air-activated warmer, similar to a disposable glove warmer. But this one has a peel-off layer that exposes a tacky surface to affix the warmer to the back of a cell phone. I stuck it onto the back of the phone’s protective case. I checked several hours later and the phone was warm and almost fully charged. It’s made by Ignik Outdoors.  A 10-pack costs $19.95; 30-pack, $29.99. (Use discount code WarmSenior15 for a 15% discount exclusive to SeniorsSkiing.com readers through March.) The company also makes hand warmers. All of its disposable warmers come in resealable pouches, which, when used correctly, extend the life of each warmer.

Please Help

February is when we pass the SeniorsSkiing.com collection plate. Donation messages are posted throughout the site. When we started this labor of love six years ago, we decided to make it weekly and free. Since then it has grown substantially, forming a global community of older skiers. By the end of this season, there should be 20,000 subscribers. As we grow so do our expenses. Advertising and your donations help cover some costs. Mike and I cover the rest. For those of you who have donated, we appreciate your support. If you enjoy SeniorsSkiing.com, please click here to help.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Many thanks to those who responded to our February fund-raising campaign. Your decals, patches, and hats are being sent. There are delays in shipments because the patch supplier is behind schedule. Thank you for your support!!!

Once upon a time, stores, malls and restaurants didn’t look the same. Places in different parts of the country looked and felt different, even if their offerings were similar. Today, the mall in Boston might as well be in Boise or Baltimore. To this observer, they seem similar and soulless; commercial palaces selling the same commodified goods.

 

Is something similar happening to our ski areas? 

I hope not. But, despite physical and geographic differences, areas that are part of IKON or EPIC certainly present themselves and their pass offerings with similarity. It’s efficient, and their corporate bosses (most likely) require it.

In the process, local character and culture gets tossed in the blender, and we, the people who may have enjoyed the differences, lose out.

Early last week, Arapahoe Basin announced it was parting ways with Vail Resort’s EPIC Pass. The stated reason is A-Basin’s lack of parking capacity to accommodate increased traffic from it’s EPIC participation. Parking space is a legitimate issue and one of Arapahoe’s biggest challenges.

The official statement from Alan Henceroth ,Arapahoe’s Chief Operating Officer also read, “..the ski area has developed a very special community that feels like home. This decision (to leave EPIC) will allow us to continue to build on this spirit and the experience we have created.”  

I don’t think Arapahoe’s decision is the canary in the mine for the rest of the industry. But it highlights the area’s interest in preserving its character and its community. I spent a bluebird day there a few weeks back. It has every type if skiing you’d want: bowl, trees, trails, above tree line. The lodges are lovely; the food, creative, interesting and reasonably priced. The Beavers, new lift-serviced acreage with blacks and blues opened this season. In 2020 the area will be 75.

Arapahoe is not the biggest and it’s not the most glamorous. But it is a wonderful ski area taking steps to preserve its character and its soul.

BRAVO Arapahoe!!!!!

Vail To Acquire Two Aussie Resorts

Vail Resorts will be purchasing two more ski resorts, both in Victoria, Australia. They are Falls Creek Alpine Resort and Hotham Alpine Resort. The purchase price is reported to be $174 million.

New Sun Valley/Snowbasin Pass

The new Sun and Snow Pass from Sun Valley and Snowbasin.  Twill offer three days at each resort for $359 for adults and $89 for children. The pass also gives 50% off the window rate for subsequent ticket purchases. The pass has other benefits, as well. The $359 price rises after May 31. Click here for details.

 2019-20 IKON Pass Now Available

Both versions of the pass go on sale March 5 for lowest prices of the upcoming season. Click here.

Alf Engen Ski Museum’s Head To Receive ISHA Award

When visiting Park City, the Alf Engen Ski Museum is an important stop. With stationary and interactive exhibits, it is the most entertaining of the nation’s ski museums. Connie Nelson, the museum’s executive director since inception, will be recognized by the International Skiing History Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award when ISHA meets in Park City in early April.

Entering Easily: Getting Into Your Boots

One of the most common complaints about ski boots is the difficulty of getting them on. Over the years, myriad homemade and commercial solutions have been developed. SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser, BOOTSTER, is a ski boot shoe horn that fits in parka pocket, incorporates Teflon-coated Kevlar fabric,  and is genuinely effective. It was developed by an older skier who is also a professional engineer. Visit the company website to see how it works and to read user comments. If you’re fed-up with the aggravation of putting on ski boots, this $25 investment will give you many years of productive dividends.

Colorful Spring Fling Video From Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort

It’s colorful. It’s youthful. It’s fun. Click here.

1920s Winter Sports Film

This compilation from British Pathé includes early skiing, skijoring, skating, etc. One of the weirdest clips has a guy with a parachute. It’s short.

Finally………

We’re working on improving the SeniorsSkiing.com Facebook page. If you visit it — https://www.facebook.com/seniorsskiing/ — please “like” us.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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“Finding Meaning and Happiness in Old Age” is the title of Jane Brody’s March 19 Personal Health column in The New York Times. The article is about developing a healthy perspective on the aging process.

It gathers information from two recent volumes on aging. She describes them as “inspired and inspiring.” One is The End of Old Age; the other, Happiness is a Choice You Make. Brody writes, “After reading the books, I have a new way of looking at myself: as a “good-enough” aging adult who continues to pursue and enjoy a variety of activities commensurate with the limitations imposed by inevitable changes in body and mind that accrue with advancing years.” One of the authors writes about the late concert pianist Arthur Rubinstein. He “…dealt with age-induced declines in his skills by selecting a more limited repertoire, optimizing his performance through extra practice, and compensating by altering his tempo during certain sections to highlight the dynamics of a piece.” Are there lessons here for senior skiers? Readers who follow Short Swings! know that I advocate slowing down and adjusting technique so we ski as we currently are, not as we were when we were younger. I take my time getting down the hill. Lodge breaks are a bit longer. Reaching a certain amount of vertical is no longer a priority. Staying on the hill for more years and enjoying the experience are what matter. To read Jane Brody’s full column, click here.

ROAM Robotics is a new SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser. The young company is seeking skiers to help it develop its soft robotic exoskeletons. The devices, which strengthen knees, quadriceps, and backs, are being developed in San Francisco where ROAM has an indoor ski deck. Volunteers don the devices and ski while company technicians document a variety of data points that will be used to fine-tune the product’s performance. The company also is scheduling on-hill sessions in Park City and Tahoe resorts. If interested in being a test subject, click on the advertisement with the headline “Robotic Exoskeleton: Looking for Test Pilots,” view the brief video, and answer a short questionnaire.

Several New England areas plan to remain open. Killington expects to be skiing until June 3. Bromley and Jiminy Peak will continue through April 8, Cranmore through Sunday, April 1. In Quebec, Mont-Sainte-Anne will end it’s season April 22.

Visit the Discounts for Seniors page to receive 25% off Brilliant Reflective Strips kits. Each kit has an abundance of durable press-on or sew-on reflective material. This is a fundamental safety item for seniors and their families. The strips turn any garment into the equivalent of a reflective safety vest.

Snowsports Industries of America, the winter sporting goods trade group, predicts that new government tariffs on international trading partners “…would lead to higher costs for outdoor products produced domestically that utilize steel and aluminum imports, like…skis and snowboards.”

Patagonia has a website that matches volunteers with environmental organizations in the volunteers’ locales. Click on Volunteer Your Skills.

Outside Magazine‘s article, “The Boy Who Lived on Edges,” tells the story of extreme skier, Adam Roberts. Roberts was a brilliant back country skier whose mental illness drove him to ski ever riskier slopes. It is well written and worth reading. Roberts was killed by an avalanche in 2016.

Best wishes for a good Easter, Passover, Spring.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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My Ski/Family Balance

It dumped in Utah a few days ago, and I decided not to go skiing.

It was a choice between playing in the snow with pre-school/pre-ski grandkids and deep powder. Being with grandkids won out. Granted, the weekend’s revelry left me a bit under the weather, and the wind and flat light were convenient excuses. In the past, fresh powder trumped (almost) every other draw for my attention. It was gravitational, pulling me to its seductive pleasures. But grandchildren are a more powerful force, and sledding with them on a small hill in a city park was a special joy. I’ve had many great powder days in my skiing career and hope to have many more. Being in the snow with grandchildren I only see from time to time is more precious than powder. Both experiences are ephemeral. Despite climate trends, the snow should continue to come. Small children, on the other hand, grow. Maybe, one day, if health continues and all is well, we’ll be able to ski powder together.

The Bleak Future of Winter Sports

Watching the Olympic Games is a peek into the future of winter sports. According to an article in the January 27 issue of The Economist, the popularity of skiing — declining in Western countries — is shifting to Asia. In China, the number of skiers and boarders is increasing 20% a year and 500 new resorts are expected to be built ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Accompanying the article is an excellent video explaining the history of modern skiing and projecting the future of the sport. Climate change is having a big effect. 

Odd But (Apparently) True

The disappearance February 7 of a skier at Whiteface Mountain at Lake Placid in New York’s Adirondack Mountains resulted in a massive but unproductive search involving multiple government agencies and ski patrols. Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis surfaced in Sacramento almost a week later wearing his ski outfit, helmet and goggles. It was reported that he was returning to Lake Placid to meet with the police.

New Hampshire

Cranmore Mountain will host its annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Weekend, March 9-11. Races on

Hannes Schneider

intermediate terrain will be held for several age categories. Past racers have ranged in age from 4 to 95. Hannes Schneider was an Austrian mountain soldier in WWI; his son, Herbert, was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. The Meister Cup pays tribute to American mountain soldiers with a special military race, in which active duty soldiers of the 10th and the Army Mountain Warfare School participate. The weekend features a welcome reception and buffet, opening ceremony, ice carving contest, silent auction, a wear-your-own vintage skiwear show, awards ceremony, and ski history presentation. A Torchlight Parade is scheduled that Friday.

Quebec

Mont Tremblant‘s Super Demo Days, Saturday March 3 is its final of the season. Next season’s skis, boards and accessories will be available. The resort’s SnowSchool hosts a variety of family-friendly programs March 3- 11. Click on SnowSchool (above) for details.

Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort will offer numerous on-mountain activities during Quebec Spring Break. Notably, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s Fulllmoon Descent, March 2, when participants of all ages don headlamps and ski. Stoneham’s activities include a playground, make-up  stand, arts and crafts, campfires, BBQs, winter survival workshops, and, March 6–9, pony rides for the kiddies.

Visit Happy Parents Package for special lodging deals with free tickets for kids as old as 17.

Utah

Presidents’ Day Weekend delivered the goods in Utah. 48 hour totals range from 23″ at Snowbird to 22″ at Brian Head, the state’s most southern resort.

Vermont 

Bromley will hold its Vertical Challenge, March 11. Skiers and boarders compete for medals. The Vertical Challenge is a northeast ski area favorite with participating resorts creating a festival atmosphere.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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A WOW Ski deal for Senior Skiers!

The day before Alta closed for the season, a few ski companies were set up to demo products. One was Liberty Skis, a Colorado ski maker specializing in bamboo. I tried the Variant 87 and now own a pair. The “87” indicates the width of the ski under the boot, considerably narrower than what I’ve skied the past few decades in Western powder and occasional crud. But after a day on Alta’s corn-covered groomers, I knew that I had to have the Variant 87. The company representative gave me his card and the web address for their pro discount. This is where the story gets interesting and relevant to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers. The Liberty Skis site currently lists the Variant 87 for $599 (in season MSRP is $725). Liberty is one of the companies offering discounts to SeniorsSkiing readers through Experticity, the pro discount program available to all readers who have registered to receive the weekly SeniorsSkiing.com editorial package. Through Experticity, the Variant 87 is $398.75!!!! (plus tax). The lesson here: If you’re looking for bargains, get thee to Experticity. Deep discounts on more than 40 cool brands await.

CALIFORNIA

Squaw Valley has had soooo much snow, it’s considering staying open through the summer.

CHINA

A cave painting in China’s Xinjiang region (between Mongolia and Kazakhstan) shows people hunting on skis. It is thought to be more than 10,000 years old — 2,000 years older than the next earliest ski artifact on record.

UTAH

Snowbird is the only resort still open, and it’s getting hammered. Almost three feet have fallen the past few days and more is forecast.

The University of Utah dedicated a new facility to support its ski racing program. The Spence Eccles Ski Team Building has locker rooms and gear storage fror the school’s Nordic and Alpine teams, as well as tuning facilities, meeting rooms, etc. The facility is named for ski team alumni and NCAA All-American Spence Eccles.

QUEBEC

Mont-Sainte-Anne closes for the season this weekend. The resort had 215″ of natural snow, 50″ over last year. Day-tickets sales increased 15%.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Pond Skimming at Vail

Skiing’s Silly Season starts this weekend with the annual ritual of the pond skimming competition. They’re generally associated with live music, costumes, BBQ, beer and LOTS OF FUN. Seven Springs (PA), Stratton (VT), Mt Snow (VT), Nashoba Valley (MA) and others have theirs scheduled for Saturday. Many others will be in April. Mt Bachelor‘s (OR) is the latest I found — May 28. It’s unlikely many SeniorsSkiing.com readers will compete, but if you do, check out these instructions for getting a good run. Be sure to send the video!!

COLORADO

Colorado Ski Country USA announced that its 22 member ski areas reported a January/February increase in skier visits over the same months last year. Snowpack is 125 percent of average and March and April are typically the snowiest months.

MASSACHUSETTS

Nashoba Valley Ski Area’s March Meltdown will be held this Sunday. Prizes for best costumes and pond skimming. Costume theme is 80’s TV or cartoon characters.

QUEBEC

Mont-Sainte-Anne announced the start of its 6 week spring season featuring live outdoor music, a slopeside sugar shack, and sunny terraces. Last day: April 30th.

UTAH

Snow Basin celebrated #nationalpuppyday with an Avalanche Dog Fundraiser benefitting Wasatch Backcountry Rescue.

Whisper Ridge, the new Utah heli/snowcat operation about a hour north of the airport has closed for the season. The company reports a banner season. Whisper Ridge is taking reservations for the coming season: 801-876-4664 or email info@whisperridgeutah.com

VERMONT

Okemo is promoting  an “all-new, bigger, better and bolder lineup” of season passes for ’17/’18. All passes are eligible for a M.A.X. Pass add-on. Purchase by April 30 for best prices and added value. Prices drop dramatically starting at age 65.

OTHER

Zeal Optics has an end of season 30% off sale on all goggles.

KJUS skiwear is beautiful, technical and pricey. 2016-17 Fall/Winter merchandise currently available online at 20% off.