Tag Archive for: Purgatory Resort

Jon Weisberg

SHORT SWINGS!

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Several years ago I did the unthinkable at Thanksgiving.

I abandoned my wife and young daughters and went to Alta for a long weekend. I had my wife’s blessing, but she has a long memory, and I still get reminded of that mid-1980s lapse. But I also have sweet memories. It dumped 3′ and, except for the lack of a good base, skiing was excellent. Areas across the country are in the process of opening. If there’s enough snow where you ski, take advantage of it early. A lot of folks tend to wait until the holidays or January to get their first tracks. I prefer not to wait for dessert. Happy Thanksgiving!

What? Work at a Resort at My Age?

I lost track of co-worker who was an avid skier. He retired as a Park Avenue desk jockey sometime in the 1980s and became a ski bum at Alta. His daughter once told me he had the best season of his life. Resorts everywhere are recruiting people for a wide variety of jobs. Even if you’re not in the market for work, the site, SkiResortJobs, is fun to visit.

The White Book of Ski Areas Contest

Our friends who publish the White Book of Ski Areas have a new contest with a prize of two, 2-day lift tickets to any North American ski resort. Around since 1974, The White Book of Ski Areas is the Bible for ski resort data. It is Wikipedia’s primary reference for ski area queries. To enter, visit http://www.whitebookski.com.

Liftopia To Discount Tickets

Liftopia will have a one week sale featuring discounts at 250+ North American resorts and discounts on Liftopia Gift Cards (excellent stocking stuffers). For example, spend $200 of a gift card and get $250 in value. The sale starts Midnight, Tuesday, Nov. 21 and ends at 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Nov. 28. Click on the Liftopia advertisement on the SeniorsSkiing.com Home Page.

Ski and Bike at Purgatory

If you’re in the vicinity of Purgatory Resort this Saturday (Nov. 18), you’ll be able to ski and mountain bike.  Weather permitting, the resort will dedicate one of its chairs to people with mountain bikes. Two others will be for skiers/boarders.

Learn to Ski Snowboard

January is Learn to Ski/Snowboard Month and people are being encouraged to bring a friend to the mountain. It’s an important industry initiative to get newbies onto the mountain.

Alta’s 80th Anniversary

Alta will celebrate the start of its 80th season with $70 lift tickets from opening day through December 14. Discounted lift tickets may be purchased online at https://buy.alta.com/date-specific-tickets.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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For me, this has always been a melancholy time of year.

Most North American lifts stop running, and the joy of winter shifts to summer diversions. Some people use the time to push their limits. Years ago, I’d drive to New Hampshire to ski Tuckerman’s Ravine on Memorial Day. It was an Eastern skier’s rite of passage. When older and commuting into Manhattan, I bumped into a neighbor also waiting for the train. It was a dreary day, but his face was glowing fresh with sun. He had returned the night before from skiing Tuckerman’s. It was at least 8-hours each way. He had driven up Friday night where he stayed in a lodge in Pinkham Notch. Saturday morning he hiked the 2.4 miles to the base of Tuckerman’s then skied all day. No lifts; just climb and ski. At the end of the day he hid his equipment and returned to his lodge. Sunday morning, he awakened to rain, had breakfast, and hiked up to get his gear. Once there he looked around and determined that it wasn’t raining hard enough to keep him from taking a few more runs. Telling the story, he said, “Jon, I figured, what the hell, I might as well enjoy it while I’m here.” George Herzog was 76 when that happened. It was at least 30 years ago.

CALIFORNIA

National Geographic Bowl is adjacent to Squaw Valley, a few feet out-of-bounds from the top of Granite Chief Peak. It now will be accessible by lift and with guides from Alpenglow Expeditions.

COLORADO

Power Pass, on sale now through Apr. 28, provides unlimited skiing plus a host of other benefits (e.g. 12 buddy passes) at five Southwest areas: Purgatory Resort, Arizona Snowbowl, Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort, Pajarito Mountain, and Hesperus Ski Area. Purchasers also ski free or with discount at Copper Mountain (CO), Loveland Ski Area (CO), Monarch Mountain (CO), Crested Butte (CO), Grand Targhee (WY), Eldora Mountain Resort (CO), Diamond Peak (NV), Mount Bohemia (MI), Ski Cooper (CO), Kiroro (Japan), Panorama Mountain Resort (Canada).

MONTANA

Now that winter is winding down, the Montana Office of Tourism is promoting it’s craft beer producers. If visiting the state this summer, there’s no shortage of finding a locally-produced brewSKI. For example: check this short video.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

An avalanche earlier this week in Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt. Washington was caught on this short but dramatic video.

UTAH

Powder Mountain announced that its day ticket limit is being reduced from 2,000 to 1,500. Powder Mountain is the largest skiable resort in North America. Lift accessible terrain is close to 8,000 acres! With fewer tickets available, there will be more untracked pow available to visiting skiers. The resort had 500″ of snow this season.

WYOMING

A split board is a snowboard that separates for climbing and can be reattached for descents. They’re popular for backcountry adventures. Jones, a leading split board manufacturer, issued a terrific photo and video account of their use in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. The scenery and boarding are fantastic.

OTHER

Rice University bioengineering students are building a device to help people with impaired sensation in their feet stay upright and avoid falls. A brief video explains what these innovative youngsters are up to.