For many of us, skiing through the aging process means no longer going places we once skied without thinking twice. Now, approaching my 80’s, my mantra is never to overstep my capabilities and always watch out for the other guy!
Anticipate turns when skiing the trees! Illustration: Mike Roth
I’ve always loved skiing in the trees and still do on occasions when conditions are right, and I’m feeling up to the task. I enjoy the silence, the natural snow, and the general absence of other skiers. But I’m always on guard avoiding the trees and their branches.
My Favorite Eastern Glades
Some of my memorable tree runs have been in the East, where I do most of my skiing.
Mount Snow’s North Face tree runs are challenging. However, the tree run on the main face to the left of “One More Time“ is a delightful intermediate. Also, at Carinthia, the trees between Mineshaft and Nitro are fun.
Killington offers plenty of tree runs, for skiers of all ages and abilities. A favorite of mine is Squeeze Play, to the right of Ramshead’s Timberline trail. It is easily handled.
My favorite at Gore Mountain is Twister Glade. Like many other gladed runs, it needs a certain amount of natural snow.
Bromley’s Avalanche Glades are fun. The area’s Everglade to the Glade is a bit easier.
The south face of Okemo is where you’ll find Forrest Bump (cute name), Double Diamond, Outrage, and Loose Spruce. It’s on the latter that a snow snake twisted my leg.
A different take on Glade Skiing. Illustration: Mike Roth
Glade Skiing Rules
Here are rules I follow when skiing glades:
Never Ski Alone. It’s best to ski with 3 others. If one person is hurt, another can remain, while the third gets ski patrol.
Don’t Use Pole Straps. Catching a pole on a branch can damage arm and/or shoulder. The release mechanism on some Leki poles helps avoid the potential problem.
Wear Goggles and Helmet. They are essential protection when skiing trees
Carry a Loud Whistle. It’s advisable wherever you ski. If you get hurt or lost, a series of loud blasts will attract help.
Ski Within Your Ability
And a few pointers for tree-skiing:
Anticipate turns: Look to where you want to go between the trees and try to anticipate your next two turns
Make smooth rounded turns: In the woods, bumps tend to be soft, with plenty of places to set an edge
We skiers may be getting older, but, with the right attitude and a good dose of caution, we can still enjoy skiing in the trees.
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20220202085906_00001-1-scaled-e1644855297714.jpg942728Mike Roth/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngMike Roth2022-02-17 19:25:422022-02-17 22:48:48Branching Out: Skiing the Trees
Many in the ski resort industry harbor an image of older skiers taking up otherwise profitable space in day lodges while consuming their bag lunches and lingering over a cup of coffee. I take offense at that stereotype. I prefer a cup of hot tea to coffee and I take my own teabag from home.
Clearly, the facility makes more selling beers than charging $0.25 for a cup of hot water. And, like it one not, a few lunchtime drafts are more likely to produce on-hill crashes than coffee or tea.
On a recent trip to the skateboard park with my grandson, I realized that good pre-season safety training might involve dodging boarders while wandering through the half-pipe.
Most areas have well-known secret places where skiers and boarders go for a bowl. Some claim it gives them greater awareness and control. I can see it working that way in mature minds and bodies. But teenage boarder boys and girls? Those are accidents waiting to happen.
Which brings me back to what we quote most from that American patriot, Spiro Agnew. I don’t intend to be a nattering nabob of negativism but looking at the hypocrisy in the industry (what industry, government, institution doesn’t have its fair share of hypocrisy?), all I’m asking is that the people in charge recognize that older skiers are a good thing. We keep their lifts occupied mid-week. We ski more. We make more skiing-related purchases for ourselves, our kids and our grandkids. We tend to ski in control and show consideration for others on the lift, in the lodge, and on the hill.
Rodney Dangerfield
Most of us have supported the industry through bad and good times. Yet, they keep taking away the discounts and other privileges. The majority of those still offering discounts have upped the age threshold…most now at 80; some as high as 90. It’s not that we need the discounts, but it would be nice to have greater respect. Rodney Dangerfield was right.
Killington Now Skiing
Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America launched its 2021-22 winter season last Friday. It was the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and boarding.
Steamboat’s $269 Lift Ticket
Steamboat Ski Resort (CO), announced that a holiday/weekend day ticket will cost $269 when purchased at the window that day. Last season, Steamboat upped its day pass to $225 from $199. Most skiers will purchase in advance at a lower rate or ski Steamboat on their Ikon pass.
What a Run!
Markus Eder is an Italian freestyle skier of great nerve and grace. This 10 minute video shows him negotiating some remarkable terrain. Enjoy the show.
Ski Maps Galore
Remember the area ski maps of your youth? Skimap.org is a site with 16779 images of ski area maps. For example, listings for Mount Snow in southern Vermont shows more than 50 maps from 1957 to 2021. The Americas shows 8849 maps; Europe, 5100; Asia, 1633. There’s even 232 maps for fantasy ski areas shown. Viewers can upload maps after registering.
Reality TV at Mount Baldy
Given the ski area labor shortage, it made sense that the CBS reality TV series, Tough As Nails, would have its two teams race to fix chairs at Southern California’s Mount Baldy ski area. It broadcasts as Episode 2 of the show’s third season. Click here to preview.
Snowbird Patrol
Safety Keepers, produced with support from Mammut, documents a day in the life of two Snowbird patrol people. It’s short and worth watching.
Ski Area Map Making Made Easy
Here’s a fun time-lapse video of ski trail map artist, Kevin Mastin, painting Tennesee Creek Basin at Ski Cooper (CO).
Don Burch creates short, artistic ski videos that capture the small moments showing people of all ages and abilities having fun together on the mountain.
“Skiing The East” features scenes from Stowe, Okemo, Otis Ridge, Sunday River, Killington, Sugarbush, Mount Snow, Stratton, Wildcat, Magic, Waterville Valley and Maple Valley (long closed). Enjoy this two-minute ride.
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Screen-Shot-2021-10-27-at-9.17.13-AM.png315685Don Burch/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngDon Burch2021-10-27 08:45:142021-10-28 18:50:00Enjoy Don Burch’s Newest Creation
In this age of technological disruption, it’s time to consider the growing number of alternatives to rope tows, chairlifts, gondolas and trams.
Self Powered
Starting at the most basic level, there’s the growing practice of uphilling, the use of skins on skis to help the more fit and energetic work their way up. Long a European pastime, it’s catching on in North America to the extent that some resorts are charging for the use of their slopes.
Unassisted backcountry skiing is a version and vice versa. The boarder version uses splitboards, short skis used to climb and then lock together into a snowboard for the trip down.
Heli-, Cat-, Car-Powered
By now, all of us are familiar with helicopters, snowcats, and snowmobiles as a way of reaching higher and more remote terrain.
Some of you may have experienced skijoring, the sport of being pulled on skis by horse, motorcycle, snowmobile or car. If you haven’t, this 1955 video, titled World’s Most Dangerous Sport, will convince you not to try.
Mechanical Skis
Source: Popular Mechanics
In 1953, Popular Mechanics featured Caterpillar Skis, motorized skis that promised to transport the skier up the mountain. The skis had devices that looked like tank tracks and weighed almost as much as the tank. An engine strapped to the skier’s back provided the power. This link to the article shows and tells all.
Fan-Power
Donald Steeg with the SkiBee
Some years ago, a guy in Turkey mounted a large fan on his back to propel himself uphill on skis. More recently, a Russian man developed this fan device from a lawn mower engine. In the early 70s Donald Steeg of Detroit came up with the fan-on-back SkiBee.
Is Something Following Me?
Skizee Woodsrunner
There’s the Roller Cycle Tracker, a ski-mounted motorized unit that pushes its user through snow. The demo video gives the impression it needs further development. Another product, the Skizee Woodsrunner, operates on a similar push principle but looks more sophisticated, as you’ll see here.
As fat tire e-snowbikes grow in popularity, so, too, may their use in towing skiers uphill.
Drone Alone
Samsung built an experimental drone to lift a human.This video shows the drone transporting a boarder. Peculiar and Jetson-like as it sounds, it probably isn’t that far away.
R2-D2 In Our Future?
Last season, the South Koreans held a robot-skiing competition. Assuming that technology improves, there may be R2-D2s in our collective future.
Brighton, Utah’s First to Open
Brighton opened Tuesday, Nov 19, becoming the first Utah resort to kick off the 2019-20 season. Many visitors to the area overlook this gem at the end of Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is an absolute snow magnet and has varied terrain. Passes are reasonably priced for the 65+. Brighton attracts a lot of boarders, so go midweek when they’re in school.
Fantastic Senior Ski Weeks at Mountaineer Inn, Mount Snow
Mountaineer Inn at the base of Mount Snow in Southern Vermont has been hosting Senior Ski Weeks for several years. The 5-night packages include lodging, Mount Snow lift tickets, lessons and meals. Each evening is rich in conversation and entertainment, including live performances from the American musical theater. Openings are still available for the January 5-10 and March 1-6 Senior Ski Weeks. $715 pp/double occupancy. Mountaineer Inn also has special mid-week rates for seniors. Click here for details or call 1-800-682-4637.
Sweet Deal From Apex
Apex Boots
Apex is a remarkable solution for any skier living with uncomfortable or underperforming conventional boots. It combines a soft and comfortable walkable boot with a stiff open chassis. The soft boot slips on with ease, even on cold days. When it’s time to ski, step into the chassis, close the three buckles, and step into your bindings. The company has a sweet deal for SeniorsSkiing.com readers. It ends November 30. Order directly through the manufacturer’s website(use Discount code SENIOR3000) and get free shipping in the lower 48, a ski boot bag from Kulkea (value: $149.95), and free demos for friends and family through 2020 at Apex’s demo center in Golden, Colorado.
Great Gift for Older (and Younger) Skiers!!
Bootster is a compact, lightweight and portable shoehorn for ski boots. It works for ANYONE fed up with grunting and groaning trying to fit foot into boot. I purchased several for Christmas and Hanukah gifts. At $25, Bootster is a bargain. The thing lasts forever. It’s a gift that keeps giving. Click here on or the adjacent ad to learn more and to order.
Discounted Skiwear For Every Size
Snow Country Outerwear is discounting its full line of skiwear for women (Reg and Plus; XS – 6X), men (Reg and Big; Sm – 7XL), and children. Click here or on the adjacent ad for details.
A Ski Gift for the Grandkids
A-B-Skis is a beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s alphabet book. There’s one letter per page that covers some aspect of skiing, each in verse. The volume also has safety information and guidance for getting the young ones excited to be on the hill. It was written by former U.S. Ski Team member and 2006 Olympian, Libby Ludlow and illustrated by Nathan Y. Jarvis, a prominent illustrator and PSIA certified Children’s Specialist ski instructor. A delightful Holiday gift for grandkids. $24.99. Click here to order.
A Worthy Skiing Cause
Since it was founded 17 years ago, the Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City has become one of the world’s preeminent ski history museums. Visitors get to see extensive collections and to experience numerous interactive mountain sport simulators. There’s no admission. Last year, alone, there were more than a half-million visitors. The non-profit foundation behind the museum is conducting its annual fundraiser. To donate, click here.
Award-Winning Animated Ski Film
Hors Piste is an award-winning, student-produced, animated film of a hapless injured skier being “rescued” by two emergency medical crewmembers. No words. About 6 minutes. Click here.
What about that Big Dump last week in the West!!!!!!
If you’re like me — waiting for the first signs of Winter — the season is now on its way.
These areas plan to open in October:
Wolf Creek, CO – 13th October
Killington, VT – 19th October
Sunday River, ME – 19th October
Arapahoe Basin, CO – 20th October
Loveland, CO – 20th October
Wild Mountain Ski and Snowboard Area, MN – 20th October
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, NV – 20th October
Mount Snow, VT – 20th October
Wildcat Mountain, NH – 27th October
SeniorsSkiing.com is now publishing every Friday.
Two big issues for senior skiers surfaced in recent reader surveys.
One is your interest in finding contemporaries with whom you can ski.
The other is being hit by reckless and out-of-control skiers and boarders.
To address finding skiing buddies, I’ve asked a digital-cartographer friend and avid skier to help us identify a meeting place that could apply to all ski areas. The idea is to set a time (e.g. 10AM) when members of the SeniorsSkiing.com community could show up at a specific location and, displaying a SeniorsSkiing.com sticker, meet other readers with whom to take some runs.
Courtesy: University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library Ski Archive
What are the unresolved issues? 1) Identifying a location that would apply to all areas. If in the lodge, should it be a table closest to the end of the cafeteria line? Near the main entrance? Etc. If you have any ideas of how to do this – without involving area management – please send an email or post in Comments. 2) Supplying readers with the identifying SeniorsSkiing.com sticker. That’s the easy part: Email me your name and address, and we’ll send you a supply. My email address is jon@SeniorsSkiing.com.
As for the reckless/out-of-control skier problem, take a look at the reader comments in Mike’s This Week message. It’s not a trivial matter. Many readers report on slope hit-and-runs. Many more report near misses. Getting hit when you’re in your 60s, 70s, or 80s has more life-altering consequences than when you’re younger.
Something needs to be done. We’ve approached National Ski Patrol to inquire about their policies and to see if they would be open to exploring a collaborative effort to improve the situation. We’ll report what we learn. In the meanwhile, if you have suggestions to remedy this dangerous epidemic of unsafe skiing, please email them to the same address as above.
Finally, if you like SeniorsSkiing.com, please help spread the word by introducing your skiing friends to the site.
Despite Serious Neurological Disorder, He Continues to Ski
Nick Manely in France
Nick Manely, a SeniorsSkiing.com reader and avid skier has been managing a Functional Neurological Disorder for several years. He’s based in Colorado where he coaches at Eldora Mountain and works at Larson’s Ski Shop in Denver. In September, Nick presented about his condition and skiing to a group if physicians and researchers at The International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Nice, France.
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Seeks Volunteer Instructors
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is the state’s largest year-round disabled sports nonprofit. The group looking for energetic winter volunteer-instructors. Volunteers will be trained to help teach and lead the organization’s winter programs that include Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, indoor rock climbing, veterans retreats, and wellness programs. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, complete the application at www.vermontadaptive.org/get-involved.
Economical Resource for Small to Plus Size Parkas and Pants
Many Senior Skiers have difficulty finding properly fitting ski clothing. One old friend, quite petite, is always checking ski shops for good-looking things. Sometimes she has to settle for children’s items. Another friend is at the other end of the size spectrum. She, too, has difficulty finding quality skiwear in her size. I know they’re not alone. That’s why I’m delighted that NW Sales Connection has become a SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser. The company offers a wide range of skiwear in a wide range of sizes. Their initial ad focuses on women, but the site covers women, men, and children. The cost of ski clothing on the site tops out at $139.99, and everything is marked down. There is a 30-day return policy (longer over the Holidays). Please click on the NW Sales Connection ad and welcome this valuable resource to the SeniorsSkiing.com community. As an additional incentive to SeniorsSkiing.com readers, NW Sales Connection is giving a 10% discount for purchases made between now and October 15. Enter “welcome seniors” in the discount code box during check out.
The Easier Way To Get Your Boots On
This is the surefire solution to getting feet into boots, even when your boots are cold. It’s the compact, never-fail, Bootster, a clever little device utilizing a slippery material that helps feet slide effortlessly into ski boots. Several things make this a particularly nice product: Bootster reduces the effort of getting boots on. And, it fits into your parka pocket, so you can take it with you and use it to get your boots back on after lunch. At $25, it’s highly affordable and makes for a thoughtful gift for the older skiers on your list. To learn more click here or on the Bootster ad on the home page.
Solar Powered Task Light
We receive lots of offers to review products and to try things that companies would like brought to the attention of our readers. Most are irrelevant or unworthy. But this one got my attention. It’s a light weight utility light powered by choice of solar or by your computer’s USB port. The flexible, yellow silicone arm wraps around almost anything to position the light where you want it. It has four settings, three to adjust the light intensity and one to make it flash. I envision this as a nifty addition to camping gear or just to keep in the car or at home. Mpowerd, the company that makes this and other similar products, works with non-profits to send lights to people living without access to electricity. Luci® Core, MSRP $14.95. Available from most outdoor retailers or directly from https://mpowerd.com
Remember Ski Ballet?
Skis of Glory is a brief video recapping that highly visual and entertaining era.
“Too Darn Hot.” Cole Porter got it right with his enduring 1948 hit. What a summer!
Weather is getting more and more extreme. Hot. Cold. Wind. Flood. I like this church sign:
But I don’t like these pictures taken within a week of each other from near the top of Mont Blanc. Going from snow to lake in such a short time is a bad sign.
Credit: @bryanthealpinist
I don’t know if there’s much we can do about this any more except attempt to take action to slow the process down and figure out how to make the best of it.
Waiting for the flurries, I think abut that magical combination of gravity and snow and being waist-deep in light powder.
In the meanwhile, Irving Berlin also got it right with his saucy 1933 song, “Heat Wave.”
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Vail Resorts Acquires Mount Snow, Hunter, Wildcat, Roundtop, Others
Earlier this week, Vail Resorts announced it is acquiring Peak Resorts. The areas comprise many Eastern and Mid-Western signature resorts (Mount Snow, VT; Hunter Mountain, NY; Attitash, Wildcat, and Crotched, NH; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder, PA; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills,Brandywine, and Mad River Mountain, OH; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek, MO, and Paoli Peaks, IN). The areas will be accessible on the Epic and Military Epic passes.
Alta’s Enduring Butterfly
Contributor Harriet Wallis sent in these pictures of the butterfly shaped snow patch on Alta’s Mt. Superior. The color shot was taken recently. It matches up perfectly with the shot from 1873.
Credit: Robin Roberson
Delta Eliminates $150 Ski/Board Checking Fee
The new policy follows a similar announcement in May by American. Complete checked baggage fee detail, including the new sporting equipment fees: Delta.com
Killington Breaks Ground on New Lodge
Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America , broke ground last week on its 58,000 sq. ft. K-1 Base Lodge. Slated to open for the 2020-21 winter season, it will be 21,000 sq. ft. larger than the previous structure.
Colorado Has Fewest Obese People. West Virginia Has Most.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 30.1% of US adults are obese as of 2017. The US obesity rate has doubled since 1990 when 15% of the population was classified as obese. The five least obese states are Colorado, D.C., Hawaii, California, and Utah. The five with the most obese are West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alabama. Click here for complete list.
2010 Olympic Gold Medal Auctioned for $68,750
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic gold medal belonging to Belarusian freestyle skier Alexei Grishin sold at auction last week for $68,750 according to Boston-based RR Auction. The anonymous winning bidder is a collector from Belarus. The medal is among the heaviest in Olympic history. Each of the 615 medals created for the Vancouver Games features a hand-cropped section of the artwork that ensures that no two medals are the same.
Live Weather Reports Now Available from Mt. Everest
Researchers from National Geographic Society and Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan University recently installed weather stations on Mount Everest. The two highest are at 27,257’ and 26,066’. To access these high elevation conditions click here.
Good Conditions At South Africa’s Only Resort
At the time of this writing, Tiffindell Alpine Resort, South Africa’s only ski area, has almost 12”. All five lifts are operating and more snow is predicted for this week.
Guadalajara Gets 5’ Hail Dump
Credit: CNN
A freak early-July storm left 5’ of hail in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. It happened following several days of warm, dry weather.
Surfing On Skis?
Candide Thovex is the French extreme skier who seems set on doing every imaginable thing that can be done on skis. In this short video, appropriately named The Wave, he uses snow skis on artificially-generated surf.
Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and ninety-four days. Exactly, nine hundred months. On Wednesday I turned 75. For all but the first nine years, skiing has been my passion.
Two things about me contribute to this craziness: I love being outside in the cold, and what I lack in athleticism, I’ve made up for with persistence.
In Okemo’s early days, when I was 11 or 12, I spent the better part of a season determined to ride the Poma without falling. Eventually, I conquered that demon.
For several years, it seemed I was condemned to the stem, functional but awkward. I remember the moment at Mount Snow when a mogul inadvertently caused me to parallel turn. Before long, I had to think twice before stemming.
There were times when I was bedridden. Regardless of time of year, crumpled sheets became mountain ranges, and my mind took me places where I would ski.
In my teens and twenties, friends and I would jump-turn down Eastern trails, stopping with the occasional tip roll. We wore double leather boots wrapped with long thongs. More than once, I’d get to the bottom and realize my skis were splintered.
There were long weekend rides from Manhattan to Killington and Stowe. On the Stowe Road, the LaMarr’s provided a bunk bed and a hearty breakfast for $5.00. On one of those trips another car spun out of control and wrecked my new MG Midget. Hitchhiking that weekend put me on the road to getting hitched. One of the girls who picked me up became my bride.
Soon, skiing shifted to the West, starting in Alta in 1972. It’s been a rare season since when I haven’t
skied that magic mountain. At one point I fell in love with powder. Those of you who have been up to your knees or thighs or waist will understand. When it’s that deep, steep is your friend. It’s a joyful experience, and, like the word, “joy,” it’s ephemeral.
Over the years, I’ve learned to follow the snow. It’s great to spend the day seeking out the best conditions. It might take you to blacks, blues, or greens. If you know how to use your equipment with the least amount of effort, and if you enjoy making graceful turns, you’ll understand this preoccupation with the physics of poetry.
These days, I’m deliberately slow. Wherever I go – and if I feel up to it – I like to play with the fall line, skiing slowly, making well-formed turns. Some kid me about getting more turns per vertical foot. Others get tired of waiting.
I view skiing as a metaphor for life. We develop and use a range of skills. Some days are bluebird; some are dark. There are times of confusion when we feel our way into clarity. Other times it can be cold, miserable, and ugly. But most of the time, skiing is an expression of love.
Legally Younger?
A 69 year old in the Netherlands tried to legally change his age to 49, which, he says, is how old he feels. The Dutch government rejected the request. He plans to appeal, based on the idea that other forms of personal transformation, such as name and gender, are gaining traction in the Netherlands. In one of the SeniorsSkiing.com reader surveys we asked about your actual age and how old you felt after a good day on the slopes. Your ages averaged about 67. How old did you feel? Twenty years younger!
Rare 20% Discount from Apex Ski Boot System
If you’ve been thinking about slipping your feet into a pair of Apex boots — they provide comfort and performance and, like the ad states, let you Ski Hard and Walk Easy — now is a good time to do it. The company is offering a 20% discount to the first 50 SeniorsSkiing.com readers who respond (shipping to the lower 48, included). Offer ends Christmas day. Go to the Apex website, make your selection, and enter SENIOR3000 on checkout.
Ski Whiteface with an Olympian
Mirror Lake Innin Lake Placid, is a lovely place to stay when visiting Whiteface Mountain and other North Country attractions. Starting this season, Andrew Weibrecht, son of the Inn’s owners and an Olympic medalist, is available to ski with Mirror Inn guests at Whiteface. It’s on the pricey side ($450 for 8:00AM to noon, lift ticket included), but for the deep-pocket set, it sounds like a fun experience.
Vermont Adaptive Honors Volunteers
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, the nationally-recognized group empowering people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming, announced its Volunteers of the Year. They are Phil Crowell, of Plainfield, N.H., and Jackie Levine, Barry Whitworth, and Ryan Kennedy, all of Burlington, VT. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports provides services regardless of ability to pay.
Stoking Your Inner-Pow
I don’t know where this videowas shot, but it’s titled “First lines of 2018 – skiing some powder.” Enjoy.
More Great Holiday Gifts for Older Skiers
I just purchased a dozen GearBeasts– all different colors – as holiday gifts for my skiing friends. They’ll use and love this neat, little smartphone carrier. It fits over the neck and under the parka, keeping the phone warm, accessible, and safe. Warm, because it’s close to the body and helps keep the charge. Accessible, because it’s always there and no need to search pockets. Safe, because the phone can be used on the lift without concern for accidental drops. GearBeast has a little built-in pocket to carry credit card, driver’s license and a few bills. When I use it – and I use it often — I leave my wallet in the car. As a holiday gift to SeniorsSkiing.com readers, the company – an advertiser – is giving 20% off its regular prices that range from $9.99 to $12.99 (I bought the $9.99 version.) Go to gearbeast.com (or click on the adjacent ad) and enter SENIORS-SKIING when checking out.
A thoughtful gift for any older skier visiting Aspen/Snowmass is a one-day Ski Younger Now session with Seth Masia: $820 with 7 day advance booking.
Other Recent Gift Giving Suggestions:
Wild West Jerkymakes great-tasting, all-natural, jerky products. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers receive a 20% discount off full retail. Enter seniorsskiing in the promo code window at checkout
The Buffalo Wool Companymakes socks, gloves, hats from bison down mixed with silk, yak, wool, and cashmere. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 10% discount. Enter SeniorsSkiing in the discount code window at checkout.
Panda Poleshave bamboo shafts and are beautifully hand-crafted in Idaho. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount off the regular price of $95. Enter SENIORS30 at checkout.
Orsdenmakes wonderful parkas and pants in great colors. They’re sold only online. Comparable products in stores sell for twice as much. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount through December 31. Enter WINTER30 at checkout.
DeBooter is a skiboot jack, that makes boot removal a breeze. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 20% discount. Enter SENIORSSKIING at checkout.
Safe Descents is emergency ski and snowboard evacuation insurance.Among other benefits, it covers ambulance or air evacuation services if injured in-bounds at any ski resort in the United States. The policy is available to residents of all but five of the lower 48. $56.99 for the season.
Join Us in the Alps
Join us the week of March 10 when we ski in the Aosta Valley with guides fromAlpskitour. Each day, we’ll go to a different resort in Italy, Switzerland and France. The all-inclusive price — $4500 to $5500 per person– depends on where you fly to and whether you stay in a 3 or 5 star hotel. Orsdenis a sponsor and giving a parka to each participant. If interested, email me:jon@seniorsskiing.com.
I hope you’ve been following the new weekly Mystery Glimpse feature.
It’s our way of drawing attention to ski museums. The idea is to ask readers to identify old photos or pictures of objects from museum collections. Mike writes copy explaining where the item comes from and links it to the institution’s website. We figure the more you know about the place the more likely you are to visit and support it. The first Mystery Glimpse images came from The Alf Engen Ski Museum in Park City. Soon they’ll be coming from the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe and the Ski Museum of Maine in Kingsfield.
If you’re a friend of a ski museum that might want to participate, please let them know what we’re up to.
It’s not a museum, per se, but the International Skiing History Association does an outstanding job preserving and communicating about the history of skiing. Their bi-monthly magazine, Skiing History is one of those very special and superbly executed small magazines. The diversity of articles and always interesting graphics make it one of my favorites.
If you enjoy skiing’s past and haven’t already taken advantage of the free digital Skiing History subscription available to SeniorSkiing.com subscribers, I urge you to do so. You can find the link under Community/Subscriber-Only Content on the menu bar.
Mike and I are preparing for the SIA/Outdoor Retailer trade show next week in Denver. We’ll do our best to deliver a full issue.
Apex Ski Boot System
In one of last year’s reader surveys, we learned that 25% of you planned to purchase new boots. Your reasons had to do primarily with comfort, warmth, and fit. All of which contribute to performance.
If you’re thinking about new boots, I seriously recommend exploring the options in the Apex Ski Boot System. Apex is an alternative to conventional ski boots.
Apex combines a boarder-type boot with a detachable outer shell. An easy to use cable system allows for convenient adjustments. They are a staple in ski shops around the country. Domestic and international outlets are listed at the Apex Ski Boot System site. Also on the site are locations of demo centers in Colorado, California, Vermont and New York.
I skied them a few years with great satisfaction and look forward to trying them again. Excellent performance with improved comfort, warmth, and fit: If you’re among the 25% planning to purchase new boots, look at Apex.
The Better Mountain Cam
Resorts around the US are improving their Mountain Cam technology with Prism cameras. I don’t quite understand how it works, but Prism is a big improvement over the more conventional cameras currently in use. Following links are to Prism cameras (not too pretty in the fog and snow): Sun Valley, Tamarack, Deer Valley, Park City, andMount Snow.
Colorado
Several Colorado Ski Country USA resorts offer an array of women’s programs. Most feature instruction. Some include meals, networking opportunities, yoga and other wellness activities, etc. They’re listed below. Visit websites for more information.
Aspen Snowmass: Women’s Edge Program four day clinic has been running for 30+ years.
Copper Mountain: Women’s Wednesdays.
Crested Butte: Women’s Tips on Tuesdays is a weekly half-day class.
Eldora: Women’s Days Program
Loveland: midweek Women’s Only Clinics.
Monarch: Women’s Wednesdays.
Powderhorn: Ski Like a Girl.
Silverton: All-women heli-skiing weekend Feb 10-12 in the San Juan Mountains; April 6-8, Annual Silverton Sisters’ Meeting weekend for experts-only.
Steamboat: three-day Women’s Ski Camp clinics.
Telluride: 36th anniversary of Telluride Women’s Ski and Wellness Week. Resort also offers its SheRide Women’s Snowboard Camp for every level boarder.
Winter Park: Women’s Ski Camps
Wolf Creek: Ladies’ Ski and Snowboard Clinics on specific Sundays
Europe
The Alps are getting good snow. I recently learned about Alpskitour Snow Adventures, a group of European ski professionals that organizes five day resort-to-resort guided alpine ski tours. Accommodations are lovely. Whether or not you plan to go, the website is fun to visit.
Parisian auction house Drouot will auction the official 10th Winter Olympic Games’ (Grenoble) torch, Wednesday 24 January at Drouot Auctioneers, Paris. Estimate: €40,000 / 50,000.
Utah
The public is invited to meet the U.S. Olympic Moguls and Aerials Team 2-3PM, Tuesday, January 23 at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge Plaza. The team will compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The Essence
This short video from Black Diamond gets to the essence of the ski experience. Not all of us will spend our time skiing backcountry, but the message in BD’s video should resonate with every older skier.
Finally
I hope you’re getting in more skiing than I am, here on the Colorado Plateau. On a hike a few weeks ago, I came across this track in the sand. Aren’t bears supposed to be checked in to Holiday Inn this time of year?
Half-Price Subscription to realskiers.com: Jackson Hogen, publisher of realskiers.com, publishes short essays related to the the sport. The current one, about older skiers, is titled “Not Dead Yet.” You can sign up for the essays and receive them free. I recommend getting a paid subscription where, among other things, you’ll find intelligent and comprehensive ski reviews (including the best skis for senior skiers). Subscribers also are entitled to one-on-one consulting with Jackson. That comes in handy when considering your next equipment purchase. Youngsters pay $19.95 for a year’s subscription. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers pay $9.95. To sign up, visit realskiers.com. Scroll down to/click on “Subscribe Today!” Then click “Sign Up” in the “Annual Membership” box. Complete the form and enter SS17 in the field under “Coupon Code.”
COLORADO
Area developments for 2017-18 follow:
Arapahoe Basin: 371 acres of difficult/extreme terrain to be accessible by hiking; 4 person lift to be added next summer.
Aspen Snowmass: Snowmass celebrates 50thAnniversarywith$6.50 lift tickets (opening day 1967 lift ticket price) on December 15, plus other activities throughout season. Aspen to host Olympic qualifying events when the U.S. Grand Prix stops in Snowmass January 10–14, 2018. Breathtaker mountain coaster opens at Snowmass in December.
Cooper: Celebrates 75thAnniversary New Year’s Eve.
Copper Mountain: Hosts Olympic qualifying events December 6-10. New Kokomo Express Lift and Koko’s Hut serves beginner terrain in West Village. Rocky Mountain Coaster opens this Fall.
Eldora: New six-person high speed detachable Alpenglow Express lift ready for action.
Loveland Ski Area: Celebrates 80thyear of operations; adds snowcat skiing in Dry Gulch.
Purgatory: Expanded terrain with new intermediate and expert trails on the back- and front-sides; adding new gladed skiing; installed a mountain coaster.
Silverton: will celebrate 50+” powder days with area-provided snorkels.
Steamboat recently opened its Outlaw Mountain Coaster, the longest in North America.
Telluride celebrates its 45th anniversary.
MASSACHUSETTS
BOSTON: 36thANNUAL SKI & SNOWBOARD EXPO kicks off season, NOV. 9-12, at SEAPORT WORLD TRADE CENTER. ADMISSION:$15 adults; Under 12 free. Paid admission includes one-year subscription to SKI magazine and a $10 Gift Card from GetSkiTickets.com. Purchase tickets online at www.skisnowexpo.com/boston-expo or at door.
MICHIGAN
Ishpeming: Eight skiing athletes/others to be inducted to U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame next April . They include freestyle icon “Airborne” Eddie Ferguson, freestyle’s somersault king Herman Goellner cross-country coach Marty Hall, ski mountaineers twin brothers Mike and Steve Marolt, and (posthumously)130 mph alpine speed skiing world record holder, Steve McKinnney. Ceremonies to be held at Squaw Valley.
MONTANA
Big Sky reported snow above 6500′. National long-range forecastsfor the 2017-18 winter season predict average temperatures and above-average precipitation in the Rocky Mountain West.
PENNSYLVANIA
“First-Time Ski/Snowboard Program” gives beginner ticket, lesson and rentals for $59. Click here for more.
TEXAS/FLORIDA
NOAA reports that Harvey delivered 49.32″ of rain and Irma, 16″. At 30°F, 1″ of rain falls as 13″ of snow. The snow amount could be as much as 50″ dry powder under certain conditions. Using the 30°F/1″rain =13″ snow formula, the amount of rain from Harvey would produce 641.16″ snow; the amount from Irma would equal 208″.
Dick Brooks with Hurricane Harvey debris in Houston
Dick Brooks is a SeniorsSkiing subscriber who lives in Houston and Durango, Colorado where his home resort is Purgatory. He reports that his home was dry and that he and wife, Claire, have volunteered by preparing food for those impacted and by carrying damaged items to the curb. Dick sent this photo of nearby damage.
UTAH
Deer Valley, which Ski Magazine readers just named the #1 resort in North America, will host the 2018 Visa Freestyle International, January 10-12. The event determines the freestylers who will represent the US at the South Korean Winter Olympics in February. The event is held at night under lights. The steep slope is covered in bumps. It can get chilly, but it’s a terrific thing to see.
Opening dates for Utah resorts:
Alta Ski Area: November 22
Brian Head Resort: November 17
Brighton Resort: Early As Possible
Cherry Peak Resort: December 18
Deer Valley Resort: December 2
Eagle Point Resort: December 21
Nordic Valley Resort: December 9
Park City Mountain: November 17
Snowbasin Resort: November 22
Snowbird Resort: November 22
Solitude Mountain: December 2
Sundance Mountain Resort: December 8
VERMONT
OOPS. Ski Vermont recently announced that Parker Riehle, e group’s head, would leave that post to lead National Ski Areas Association. Citing personal reasons, he decided not to take the new position. Long time NSAA president, MIchael Berry, will remain in post until a new replacement is identified and transitioned.
Snowmaking and grooming improvements will improve the experience this season at Bolton Valley, Burke Mountain, Mount Snow, Okemo Mountain, Stratton Mountain, Sugarbush, and Suicide Six.
Okemo Ultimate season passholders now qualify for $49 lift tickets at Stratton Mountain Resort during the 2017/2018 season. Limited to one per day, non-holiday periods only, this special offer is non-transferable, and can only be used by the passholder. Stratton Summit passholders receive this same benefit at Okemo.
When Mount Snow’s visionary founder, Walter Schoenknecht, stood atop Mount Pisgah in over a foot of freshly fallen snow back in autumn of 1949, he knew he had found the perfect place to build his dream ski resort. Only a few years later, Walt had purchased the land around the base of the mountain from the family of Rueben Snow and subsequently renamed the mountain in his honor – which is where the name “Mount Snow” was derived from.
The Original Lift at Mount Snow. Credit: Mount Snow
On December 12, 1954, Mount Snow opened for the first time to skiers with two rope tows and two chairlifts that transported guests up to seven trails. In only a few years since its debut, Walt had transformed the mountain into the premier winter playground of the East with expanded terrain and off-the-wall amenities for the time like a heated outdoor pool, an indoor skating rink and state-of-the-art chairlifts.
Schoenknecht’s boundless energy, ambition and creativity had many comparing him to another such pioneer of that day named Walt Disney. And while not all of his ideas were perfect, including sending a proposal to the Atomic Energy Commission to detonate an atomic bomb at the base of the mountain to create more vertical, many of his initiatives became standard practice for the ski industry like snowmaking, modern lifts and off-mountain amenities.
Now 60- years later, Mount Snow carries on Walt’s pioneering spirit by being in the forefront of on-mountain technology and trends. There is much to celebrate this Founders Day, as December 12 has become known at the southern Vermont resort, with the celebration continuing throughout the weekend.
Mount Snow is offering $12 lift tickets to ski and ride on Founders Day, which can only be purchased at least 24 hours in advance online. There will be a comprehensive historical display in the Main Base Lodge, lift line giveaways, birthday cake for everyone, throwback parties, live music, scavenger hunts and more. The resort is inviting everyone to wear their favorite retro ski gear to honor the styles of the past, and there is an “old school” bamboo gate ski race planned for Sunday, December 14 that will even have a straight ski category.
https://seniorsskiing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/MtSnowOriginalLift.jpg382480seniorsskiing/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Seniors-Skiing-since2013-Logo@2x-300x68.pngseniorsskiing2014-12-08 19:01:262014-12-15 17:44:36Breaking News: Mount Snow to Celebrate 60th Anniversary on Founders Day, December 12
athleticism, I’ve made up for with persistence.
I just purchased a dozen 
Panda Poles
professionals that organizes five day resort-to-resort guided alpine ski tours. Accommodations are lovely. Whether or not you plan to go, the 
