Tag Archive for: senior skiers

Herb Stevens

Skiing Weatherman: Transition Month Trials

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Late Season Powder. Rain And Snow.

Although astronomical spring begins with the vernal equinox later in March, “meteorological spring” begins on the first day of March.  That’s when the questions start to arise about how long the season is likely to extend.  Those questions are more common for resorts over the eastern half of the country, where injections of milder Pacific air have been present at times in the past week, and they will continue to come east at times during the first two weeks of the new month.  Surfaces have become more variable, especially on sunny days when trails with full exposure to the sun start to soften up and moisten by midday, thanks to the increasing seasonal output of Old Sol.

Transitional months are the most difficult for forecasters as the battle between warm and cold expands both in area and magnitude.  It is still mid-winter cold in Canada, but the South is steadily warming up in spite of what we witnessed in Texas a week or two ago.  The contrast in air masses can lead to some blockbuster late season snows but if the low center happens to cut up over the Great Lakes rather than run up the eastern seaboard, some of the early spring warmth from the South can rush northward and deal a nasty body shot to snow conditions.  However, back in 2014-2015, three Nor’easters came up the coast and the Northeast got three significant dumps of snow.  While it is great to see a late season parade of storms like that, more often than not, the air mass fight leads to more variety in terms of temps and precip types.  For the next couple of weeks, the pattern will be quite changeable over the eastern half of the country.  With colder air a little harder to find, elevation will play a big role in the snow vs. rain equation.

Overall, the pattern currently does not look like as productive in terms of significant storm threats as what unfolded during February.  The best shot at a meaningful snowfall would appear to be at the end of the first week of the new month.  Here is a surface map for Friday the 5th that shows a storm impacting the central and northern Appalachians.


The track is hugging the coast, which would allow enough mild air to spread into the mountains to start the precip as rain.  However, as the low tracks northeastward, the rain would change back to snow and a sizable “backside” accumulation could be in the cards, as suggested by this snowfall map for the 5th and 6th.


Longer term, I tend to think that the pattern will deliver enough cold air to keep the season going.  March in La Nina years tends to favor a continuation of winter across the North and for now I am going to lean on that analog.

In the West, weather worries are minimal, as transient upper level troughs will swing through the region at times and those systems will produce some late season powder days and sustain outstanding conditions.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Pac NW/B.C.:

The hits just keep on coming.  After very heavy snow to end the weak, weaker systems sustain the snowy pattern next week; quieter in OR.

Central and southern Sierra:

Windy weekend for Tahoe and SoCal resorts. Quiet week coming up, best shot at snow next weekend.

Rockies:

Light snow this weekend; ridging leads to quiet week thereafter.  Next shot at snow next weekend.

Midwest:

Seasonable weather overall for next week.  Passing weak systems produce light snow in northern Great Lakes.

Northeast:

Light mixed precip this weekend. Elevation matters!  Early week cold shot, then milder.  Potential for sizable late week storm.

Mid-Atlantic/Southeast:

Damp weekend; colder with high elevation snow Monday.  Snow potential mid to late week-north.  Challenging upcoming week of weather in southern Appalachians.

 

 

Herb Stevens

Skiing Weatherman: Pattern Quiets Down a Bit

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Warmer end to February. March Snow Looks Good.

This has been an absolutely wild weather week across the country, with more heavy snow in the West, the worst run of cold and snow in the southern Plains since 1899, and two significant storms in the East, although the first one generated a fair amount of sleet earlier this week.

As I discussed last week, in the wake of this week’s arctic plunge, the pattern is changing to one with more Pacific air involved, so we are headed toward an end to February that won’t be as cold as much of the month has been.  In terms of the jet stream flow, we will continue to see troughs track across the country and those systems will present us with our shots at fresh snow.  The troughs won’t have quite as much cold air to work with, though, so snow levels could become a minor issue and rain/snow lines will work into the equation with storms in the Midwest and East in the next couple of weeks.  The historic push of arctic air actually drained a good percentage of the available cold air out of Canada.  Yes, it is still plenty cold to the north, but it will take a couple of weeks to build the deep cold that can help sustain the season with a southward push during the month of March.  Here’s a map that I haven’t shown before.  It is a forecast of the standard deviations of temperatures for the next ten days over Canada.


Notice that the values, whether positive or negative, are overwhelmingly close to neutral.  Ten days ago, most of the southern third of Canada, centered over Manitoba and Saskatchewan, had negative values of 5 and 6 standard deviations, consistent with an air mass that was 30+ degrees below normal. That is the air mass that plowed all the way down to south Texas in the past week.  Those values will be dropping in the near term, as it is still the heart of winter to the north.  The question then becomes whether that air will get involved in the pattern over the U.S. in March, when higher sun angles, rising normal temps, and longer days can start to take their toll on surface conditions and base depths.  Right now the prospect for a turn to colder weather looks promising for early March.  Not harsh cold, but a little below normal.  Again, the final week of this month will be milder over the East, while cold persists in the West, but this map of 5,000 foot temperature anomalies for March 5th shows cold air over the East and an ample supply sitting over Canada for reinforcements.  The five thousand foot level is a proxy for surface temps.

 

So, although the pattern will moderate for the East in the short term, it won’t last long and the prospects for March look good at this point, although a typical La Nina upper ridge could bring the southeastern season to a premature end.  

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Pac NW/B.C.:

Snowy pattern carries on. Snow levels rise a bit early next week before settling back down.

Central and southern Sierra:

Light weekend snow, milder during the week of the 22nd.  Pattern cools down and snow opportunities return next weekend.

 Rockies:

Pacific flow brings light to moderate snow every day or two Wasatch and Tetons northward.   Northwest trajectory brings occasional light snow events central and snow is more scarce until late next week farther south.

Midwest:

A little milder than normal and with a few light snow events in the next week in MN, WI, and northern MI.  A great time to hit the slopes, very comfortable.

Northeast:

Not as cold as past few weeks. Weaker Clipper systems bring light mountain snow every few days.  Lower elevation resorts see light mixed precip with surfaces softening/moistening somewhat.

Mid-Atlantic/Southeast:

Light mountain snow 22nd, then milder.  Spring surface develops in all but the highest resorts next week.

 

Jon Weisberg

Model T Snowmobile

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[Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.]

In 1922, a New Hampshire Ford dealer and inventor offered a kit to convert Model Ts to “Snowmobiles.” The kit sold for $400 at a time when the Model T sold for $300. The conversion included skis in the front and a second set of wheels in back attached to heavy caterpillar tracks. Inventor, Virgil White, also offered a complete, already converted Model T Snowmobile for $750.

Who purchased the rig? People who had to get through bad conditions no matter what: farmers, country doctors, milkmen, grocers, rural mail carriers, fire departments, etc. White claimed the Model T Snowmobile could travel through 18” of snow at 18 miles per hour. The one pictured is completely restored and being offered by Legendary Motorcar Company, Ontario, Canada, for $59,900 A more extensive description is available in this posting from Hagerty, the terrific publication for old vehicle buffs. Even more info is available from the Model T Ford Snowmobile Club.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Last week was the single deadliest avalanche week in the US since 1910. Avalanches claimed 15 lives: five in Utah, four in Colorado, three in Alaska, and one each in California, Montana and New Hampshire. To date, this season, 21 people perished.  According to avalanche.org, all but five of the fatalities were skiers or boarders. 

Experts attribute the dangerous conditions to the thin early-season snowpack which weakened under the snow from  recent storms. That, of course, has been exacerbated by the increase in backcountry skiing, some of which is the result of Covid restrictions at the resorts. An increase in any activity means many novices who are not adequately educated about what they’re getting into. 

And, as we all know, there’s the element of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad luck.

I have several friends whose passion is backcountry skiing. They have the proper gear and know how to use it. They’ve learned how to scope out terrain and how to study snow. They know what they’re doing. That said, one of them was caught in a terrible slide with life-altering consequences. 

Whether or not you’ll ever leave the resort, this first-rate 15-minute orientation film from avalanche.org is worth watching.

Sun Valley Expansion

Sun Valley has added 380 acres of expert terrain.  Called Sunrise, it’s served by  the new Broadway detachable quad. It replaces the Cold Springs chair, until recently the resort’s oldest. Click on the image to learn more.

Lower Covid Risk on Ventilated Gondolas

Swiss researcher measures gondola’s air volume.

Risk of Covid during a 12-minute gondola ride is 1000 times less risky than a dinner in a closed room with eight people. That, according to scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. Personally, I prefer gondola rides to good terrain far more than restaurants with good terrine. 

History of the Chairlift

Early Sun Valley chair

James Curran, who never skied a day in life, invented the chairlift at the request of Averell Harriman who was developing Sun Valley. This article in the current issue of Smithsonian Magazine tells the story of the chair and other lifts. It’s good reading.

Generous Discount for Readers

I’ve reported on a few of the Biofit 360 CBD products. The company’s Deep Sleep CBD drops is the first product — Rx or OTC — to give my wife a full, uninterrupted night of sleep without side effects. It is exceptional. I’ve used its Relief CBD Cream as an alternative to OTC pills, and it really does the job. Now, Biofit is offering SeniorsSkiing.com readers a 20% discount. To enjoy this benefit, click on the Biofit 360 ad on the right of the screen, shop, and enter SKIING in the discount code field when checking out, 

90,000+ Vertical in One Day

Jonathan Boblitt

Jonathan Boblitt skied 90,073 vertical feet at Beaver Creek (CO) on January 26. According to Vail News, he was inspired by his late grandfather who told him a good day of skiing is when he could get it down to 10 cents a run. Boblitt did 39 laps on the Birds of Prey lift. Those and the runs he took to reach Birds of Prey helped him get to 90,000 vert. Congratulations, Jonathan!

Kai Jones Skis Targhee

This two-minute video of 13-year old Kai Jones at Grand Targhee brought a big smile. Targhee is a powder magnet and a joy to ski. Watching this kid make his way down slopes, over cliff bands and through the park is a lot of fun.

We Appreciate Your Support

This is a brief thank you to readers who, over the past week, donated to SeniorsSkiing.com. You will be receiving a mailing with stickers. And, if you contributed $50. or more, you will receive the terrific BBQ apron specially imprinted with the vintage skier woodcut (see below). We’re encouraging readers to make a minimum gift of $10 to help defray the cost of publishing SeniorsSkiing.com. To participate, please click here. The fund-raiser will last through February.

Please, Take A Run For Me

I’ll be in the hospital and out of commission for a while. The coming months will require effort, grit and good luck. For the majority of SeniorsSkiing.com readers blessed with good health or who have gotten through rough periods, I hope you remain well. For those facing health issues, I hope you get better soon.

Because of this situation, it will be some time before I get back to writing Short Swings!

For each of you fortunate enough to be on the slopes this weird (now, snowy)  season, I ask this favor: Next time you’re on the hill, please, take a run for me.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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This week’s Short Swings! message is straight-forward:

If you enjoy receiving SeniorsSkiing.com, please support us financially.

Many of you have been generous in our past February fundraisers.

This month, we hope to expand the number of donations by asking more of you to donate a minimum of $10; not much considering the cost of a hot chocolate or a bowl of chili.

For those readers donating $50 or more, we’ll send a terrific navy blue BBQ apron imprinted with this striking vintage skiing woodcut.

All donors will receive a personalized thank you note and some SeniorsSkiing.com stickers.

The fundraiser will continue through the month.

To donate, click here.

Thank you!!!!

Ski Patrol Drones Used at Val Thorens

Many ski resorts outlaw drones for a variety of safety reasons. But ski patrol in Val Thorens, the French mega-resort, are employing drones to monitor lifts and avalanche management systems, and to perform a host of other duties. Among the examples you’ll see in this short video produced by drone-manufacturer, DJI Technology, is how an infrared-equipped drone, is able to detect a skier buried in an avalanche. This is impressive stuff that, before long, we’ll be seeing at many areas.

Idaho’s Tamarack Resort Plans Expansion

Tamarack Resort

Tamarack, which opened in 2004, went bankrupt in 2008, and got new owners in 2018, recently applied to the US Forest Service to add 3000 acres to its existing 1100. The addition, including multiple lifts, would elevate it to one of North America’s biggest. Tamarack, in west central Idaho, averages 300” a season.

Elan’s Folding All-Mountain Ski

Elan, the Slovenian ski brand, is big on innovation. I used their asymmetrical skis a few seasons ago in the Dolomites. Right and left ski were used on hard pack. Switch the skis and they performed differently in powder and soft, heavy snow. Now, Elan is using a similar approach in its new, folding Voyager model. The technology was developed as tactical equipment for the Slovenian Army. It incorporates a hinge and locking swivel-plate which holds the binding.  The company appears to be promoting Voyager for ease of carry-on and transport. Click here for an amusing explanation. Another Elan product currently under development is a “smart ski”, embedded with sensors that will provide real time coaching feedback through a headset. Couldn’t find a price for the Voyager.  

Yellowstone Club’s New Trail Map

Yellowstone Club, adjacent to Big Sky

The closest I ever got to the Yellowstone Club, was skiing a perimeter trail at Big Sky in Montana. Yellowstone Club is the “private and secure” ski and golf resort where business and entertainment celebs have homes. Bill and Melinda Gates are there, as are Tom Brady, Justin Timberlake, and before his death, Warren Miller. Click here to see the resort’s new trail map.

Two Idaho Areas Join Low Cost Multi-Pass

They are Soldier Mountain and Pomerelle Mountain. Indy Pass costs $259 and gives passholders two days of skiing at each of 61 participating areas.

Death and Fantasy Ski Videos

Arianna Tricomi is a three-time Freeride World Champion. In 2018, the Italian was Euro Skier of the Year. She recently recorded this touching and informative video after being unable to save a 15-year-old buried in an avalanche. The point she makes is that little is discussed publicly about risks and preparations made when filming fantasy skiing in challenging terrain. The final edited versions may attract less prepared skiers to mimic the lines, often with tragic results. Her message, while it may not apply to many older skiers, is still an important one: In order to prevent more unnecessary deaths, there needs to be more open discussion and disclosure about behind-the-scenes planning of extreme skiing videos.

Classical Guitar Après Ski

Dr. Jon Paul Yerby is a gifted classical guitar artist and educator who performs globally. He’s not a skier, although, he’s told me that skiing is one of his aspirations. But he is an outstanding musician, as demonstrated in this performance of the  J.S. Bach Prelude. This and other of Jon’s performances are a nice way to enjoy a relaxing senior skier après-ski.

 

Jon Weisberg

New Rx Goggle: Full-Range and Fog-Free Vision

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SnowVision Rx goggles integrate prescription with inner lens

One of the downsides of not skiing this season is that I am unable to experience some new and interesting products in a skiing environment. I make clear in each article I’ve written about these products that it is not a product review. These pieces may be about the product’s features and benefits and how I think it will benefit other senior skiers, but, at least for this season, these product articles are not full reviews based on my on-hill experience.

That said, I’ve been using my new SnowVision prescription ski goggles in a number of non-skiing settings. SnowVision is a Belgian company that advertises with SeniorsSkiing.com. It utilizes a patented lens technology that integrates the prescription lens into the inner lens of the goggle. The picture accompanying this article explains it quickly. 

A Better Rx Goggle

The SnowVision approach has numerous advantages over goggles using prescription lens inserts or over-the-glasses (OTG) goggles. The most obvious is the total lack of fogging. I believe that has something to do with the face to lens distance. I’ve used SnowVision while hiking on a cold, wintery day and fogging never occurred. I can’t imagine it would be an issue while skiing. 

I’ve never found OTG goggles acceptable. My experience is they fog-up too easily. Also, with prescription inserts, there’s always the issue of matching the insert with the correct goggle. Once, after purchasing the insert, I had to search for a compatible goggle.

Perhaps the most significant and satisfying difference between SnowVision and other prescription goggles is the clarity and full range of vision. My prescription-insert goggles provide decent enough vision looking straight ahead. SnowVision, however, gives full, clear vision at the periphery. This, because the integrated prescription lens, like the goggle’s outer lens, is curved. The difference in vision is dramatic.

SnowVision prescription lenses are available as unifocals, progressives or bifocals. The company sent me a pair with bifocals. In all my years wearing glasses, this is the first time with bifocals, and I adjusted immediately. Also, the lenses are fully photochromic: they darken when conditions are lighter and lighten when conditions get dark.

But I have not yet skied with SnowVision, so I can’t comment on their effectiveness in flat light and other on-hill conditions. As for comfort of fit, hiking in a cold and snowy forest, they provided excellent, fog-free vision.

The Belgian company has its goggle components manufactured by high-quality vendors in Germany, Italy and Japan.  That quality is reflected in the design and robust look and performance of SnowVision.

Price ranges start about $300 for the unifocal. The custom-made goggle comes in a box with a cloth carrying case, a lens-cover and free shipping, worldwide.

I’ll write a full review when I’m back on snow next season, but, in the meanwhile, if you’re like me and rely on prescription goggles, SnowVision offers a unique, new approach which I think is superior to the existing options.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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A segment of the population is getting out of hand. We saw it at the Capitol, and we’re reading about it on airlplanes, in restaurants, and, now, of all places, ski areas. Pent up anger and resentment, stoked by misinformation and lies, is erupting in public places. It’s ugly, and it’s upsetting. Unfortunately, it’s not going away.

Most ski areas now require masks and social distancing. But not all skiers and boarders want to comply. Their resistance has led to verbal abuse of employees tasked with enforcing policy. Maybe those opposed to the rules think their freedom is being challenged. But, as history tells us, there really is no freedom without responsibility and that responsibility is to the rule of law and the public’s well-being. Without it, you could selfishly do whatever you choose…the rest of society be damned.

It’s good that some areas are enforcing their policies. The fact that Schweitzer Mountain closed night skiing for MLK weekend and this weekend suggests direct punishment for night skiers/boarders resisting mask and distance policies. Other resorts are issuing notices re-empathizing Covid requirements.

Ultimately, Covid concerns will be short term, whereas on hill collisions from reckless and/or out-of-control skiers/boarders will continue to be an issue. I can only hope for myself, other senior skiers, our children and grandchildren, that the areas will pay more than lip service to this more permanent and potentially lethal situation.

Alyeska Tops 45′

This is what 24′ of snow looks like. Think about 45′!

A few weeks ago we reported that Alaska’s Alyeska Resort was the first in North America to get more than 400’. As of this writing, Alyeska has a season total of 541”.

Park City Patrol Demonstrates for Pay Increase

The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, representing 200 patrollers and mountain safety personnel, demonstrated this week for a salary increase and better sick leave. The group, which has been operating without a contract since January 1, claims Vail Resorts (VR) is refusing federal mediation. The head of the group explained it wants VR to recognize ski patrolling as a full-time career, deserving salaries and benefits comparable to other Vail Resorts staff. They have a point, don’t they? And how would VR or any ski resort function without patrol? They also have a sense of humor with their picket signs: “Not on Strike. Just practicing.”

Snow in the Sahara

For the first time in 37 years, snow fell in North Africa’s Sahara Desert. With average winter temps of 57F (summer, 100F), desert snow is rare. But in the Atlas Mountain range looming above the desert, there’s a ski resort and vast backcountry terrain accessible by climbing (there are three tour operators) and Africa’s only heli-ski operation.

Canadian Teen Survives in Snow Cave

Snow cave built by Canadian teen

Last Saturday, 17-year old Robert Waldner got separated from his family while snowmobiling in a mountainous area of British Columbia where this time of year temperatures can drop to -58F. Realizing he was lost, the high schooler shoveled out a snow cave and hunkered down for the night. His breath caused the interior of the cave to ice over, stabilizing the interior temperature. Fortunately, search and rescue spotted his snowmobile and found the lad, unharmed, before midnight.

Outstanding New Skiing History

 Just-published, Ski Jumping in Washington State: A Nordic Tradition is exceptionally well-researched and a first-rate read. While the  224-page paperback focuses on the development and evolution of ski jumping in the Northwest, it’s scope covers the golden age of ski jumping throughout the nation. The volume is filled with wonderful illustrations and photographs from early to mid-Twentieth Century. It tells the story of Norwegian immigration to the US and how many of those immigrants — Alf Engen, Torger Tokle, Art Tokle, Olav Ulland, Birger and Sigmund Ruud and others — contributed to ski jumping competition. John W. Lundin, a ski historian and attorney, authored this gem. The book has a Foreward by Eric Nelson, CEO of the National Nordic Museum. Ski Jumping in Washington State: A Nordic Tradition (Arcadia Publishing) accompanies an exhibit on the same topic organized by the National Nordic Museum and the Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum.

Drive the Streets of 50 Cities

Click here to take a virtual drive through more than 50 cities worldwide. You’re able to set vehicle speed, street noise, etc. Return to the city after one drive and you’ll be on a different route. I took the drive up Park Avenue in Manhattan and passed the building where I used to work.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Friends in Vail recently got their Covid vaccinations. Colorado is making them available to people 70 and older.

If we were in Utah where we have a place, my wife and I would be able to get shots on Monday, January 18. But we’re in NY where, over the past few days, the Governor announced that people 65+ are now eligible. Scheduling the shot is confusing. The state’s vaccination registration website listing places administering vaccine has hundreds of drugstores, hospitals and dedicated vaccine administration sites. Virtually everyplace we called had no idea when the vaccine would be available.

Eventually, one of us was able to schedule an appointment at a freestanding vaccine administration site for the end of February. We’re still searching for another time slot.

Our friends in Vail were given cards verifying they’ve been vaccinated (the first of two doses). It will be interesting to see if a more sophisticated digital system will evolve to identify who has been vaccinated. If it does, it probably will raise issues about privacy. I’m all for maintaining individual digital privacy, but I’m also aware that most Internet users reveal far too much personal  detail on Facebook and other social media platforms, often in contrast with their concerns about government knowledge of their personal lives. Articles I’ve read suggest that at one point, those of us who’ve been vaccinated will be part of a national digital registry. Eventually, when airlines and other enterprises limit access only to those who’ve been vaccinated, they’ll get that info from the registry. 

It wouldn’t surprise me if, at one point in time, that info also will be registered on your electronic ski pass…the one that provides access to the lift. When that happens, it will help determine who has access to restaurants, rental facilities, etc. That’s probably several seasons out, but don’t be surprised when it happens.

Schweitzer Mountain Fights Back

Schweitzer Mountain’s Twilight skiing suspended because of disrespectful clientele

Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint, Idaho, announced it will close its twilight skiing operations for two weekends as retribution for “…the verbal abuse…directed towards our staff as they have attempted to enforce our safety requirements…” Some customers have resisted wearing masks and social distancing.

$10,000 Reward to Identify Hit and Run Teen Skier

The collision occurred in Vail’s China Bowl on January 6. A teenage boy on skis crashed, full force, into Betty Benjamin, 74. She’s now hospitalized with a collapsed lung and all right-side ribs broken. Her brother is offering the reward. Colorado law makes it illegal for anyone involved in a ski accident in which someone is injured to leave the scene without giving name and address to an area employee or member of patrol. In a related matter, last week a panel for Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed use of waivers protecting ski resorts from lawsuits filed by people injured while skiing/boarding. It appears to be a win for the resorts, not the people who use them.

Own an Epic Pass but Unable to Use it? Read this.

This article from The New York Times explains the dilemma faced by Epic Passholders unable to cross stateliness because of Covid restrictions and and Vail’s response to the issue.

Alyeska Reports 460+”

Alyeska under the Northern Lights

Alaska’s Alyeska Resort is the first North American resort to top 400′ this season. Storms over the paset several days dumped almost 5′.

Indoor Dining Suspended at Aspen Snowmass

Pitkin County, where the resort is located will allow outside dining and takeout. The county has the second-highest Covid incidence rate in Colorado. One in 35 residents is infected.

Remember Eddie the Eagle?

He was the British ski jumper who bedazzled spectators during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics with his barely competent but highly courageous derring-do. I’ve been thinking about Eddie’s pluck during this time of confinement. He didn’t win any medals but he inspired a world of onlookers with his grit and determination. His story was the subject of a feature film a few years ago starring Hugh Jackman. To watch the trailer, click on the picture. This brief, upbeat report about Eddie, now in his mid-50s, also is worth watching.

And Now For Something a Little Different

Chuck Patterson is a California freeskier who has graced the cover of Powder Magazine. Over the past few years, using ski boots and skis, he’s shifted from flakes to surf . Enjoy this video produced by Salomon.

Jon Weisberg

Finally! A Ski Boot For Older Feet

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I recently had an online boot-fitting session with Dahu, the remarkable Swiss ski boot that advertises with SeniorsSkiing.com.

Before sending a pair of loaners, the company asked for my street shoe size. I could have used their App to determine foot volume but didn’t go through that short step. As it turned out, the boots they sent were the correct size.

Why is this Swiss-designed ski boot remarkable? This is not the same-old prettified with a new buckle or a different color. Dahu was conceived and developed to be fitted more easily, minimize ski boot discomfort, and maximize skier performance.

Although I have not yet skied Dahu, I am convinced it is the ideal boot for older skiers.

Here’s why: The boot has a comfortable, insulated leather inner boot with a patented grooved rubber sole that interfaces strategically with grooves in the shell. This interlocking interface enhances the boot’s torsional stiffness, thus maximizing energy transfer from skier to ski. 

Worn separately from the shell, the inner boot delivers traction in all conditions. Good looking, too.

Dahu’s shell is made of Grilamid polyamide composite, a Swiss product combining lightness and durability and consistent flex at all temperatures.

The shell features a hinged tongue with two micro-adjustable buckles and a hinged, releasable rear, incorporating the patented aluminum Powerbeam spine. Similar to the inner boot that interfaces with the shell, the Powerbeam helps transfer body energy to the ski. It also contributes to each skier’s ideal stance. 

Like another Swiss product – Swiss cheese – the shell is filled with holes. This feature eliminates the vexing hotspots on most skiers’ feet. Those of you who’ve engaged skilled boot fitters to reshape conventional boots using hair dryers and other tools will know what I’m talking about. By analyzing the common hot spots on most skiers’ feet and removing those sections of shell, Dahu has overcome that issue – extremely important for skiers whose feet have changed with age.

I haven’t skied them yet, but my 40-minute Zoom fitting session assured me it will be a good on-hill experience.

Words don’t do this boot justice. I strongly recommend visiting Dahu’s website to get a more visual picture of the way this unique product works.

One additional thing:  Dahu named its shell, Corsair, after the aircraft carrier fighter planes. I’m sure it’s a lot easier to slip foot into liner and liner into shell than it is to land on an aircrat carrier. 

Students of Naval history will recall that corsairs also were pirate ships operating hundreds of years ago. Based on ease of fit, comfort and performance, I think Dahu’s Corsair shell and that super comfortable liner will be plundering attention and sales from the rest of the industry.

Boldog
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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My deadline for wishing people Happy New Year is getting shorter.

Boldog új évet is Happy New Year in Hungarian. Numerous postcard artists in the 1920s/30s incorporated kids on skis.

Centuries ago, when I worked in an office (remember when people worked in offices?), it seemed like New Year’s greetings extended through at least the first week of the year. You’d bump into a colleague and offer the obligatory phrase. Once, many weeks after the New Year, I said “Happy New Year” to a co-worker. That prompted a discussion about time-limited greetings.  We decided that, unlike birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and deaths, New Year’s greetings should be limited to a few days. That said, and the fact that this is reaching you about a week after this year’s not-so-sparkling event, let me bend that rule and wish you Many Happy and Healthy Turns in 2021!

 

“When” by John O’Donnell

Award-winning Irish poet John O’Donnell lives in Dublin. His work is widely published. His poem, When,  was published last week in The Irish Times. It’s a good read for this New Year.

And when this ends we will emerge, shyly
and then all at once, dazed, longhaired as we embrace
loved ones the shadow spared, and weep for those
it gathered in its shroud. A kind of rapture, this longed-for
laying on of hands, high cries as we nuzzle, leaning in
to kiss, and whisper that now things will be different,
although a time will come when we’ll forget
the curve’s approaching wave, the hiss and sigh
of ventilators, the crowded, makeshift morgues;
a time when we may even miss the old-world
arm’s-length courtesy, small kindnesses left on doorsteps,
the drifting, idle days, and nights when we flung open
all the windows to arias in the darkness, our voices
reaching out, holding each other till this passes.

Six Word Challenge Winners

Over the past month several readers submitted six words summarizing the current situation in their ski lives. Two winners were selected. Their entries are below. They’ll each receive The Bootster ski boot shoe horn. 

Boots in car. Pee In Woods

Norm Reynolds, Golden, Colorado

Mask, balaclava, gaiter, helmet, goggles. Breathe? 

Susan Zangrilli, Sandy, Utah

Thanks to all who sent in their creations!

Western Snow Magnets

Alyeska Resort  (AK): 336”. Stevens Pass (WA): 221”. Jackson Hole (WY): 212”.  Whistler Blackcomb (BC): 201″.

Austria Closes Schools and Stores; Not Ski Areas

Covid closures have affected virtually every aspect of public life for Austrians, except ski areas, which continue to function. News reports describe intense crowding in lift lines and elsewhere. Last season, Ischgl, near St. Anton, which attracts big numbers for it’s apres ski scene, was linked to the spread of the virus throughout Europe. Ski area operators lobbied hard for their facilities to remain open during lockdown. Swiss areas also remain open. However both countries have imposed quarantines for those crossing their borders, effectively making the hills off-limits to those living elsewhere.

Superyacht Heli-Skiing

La Datcha, the first ice-breaker superyacht, is available for heli-skiing adventures this season in Russia’s remote Kuril Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula. The cruise will focus on first descents. The 252’ superyacht carries a staff of 25, two helicopters in a below deck hangar, and a 3-person submersible. Cost for 7-days start about $1,225,000 for up to 12 guests and include heli-skiing, guides, equipment, meals, beer/wine, and use of the submersible. Website: https://www.eaheliskiing.com.

First Wood RFID Pass

Source: Skidata

SKIDATA, which produces tech associated with paperless lift tickets, has a new pass made of wood. It’s being used by Austria’s Kitzbühel Bergbahn.

14 Year Old Skiing Wunderkind

At 14, Jackson Hole‘s Kai Jones may be the youngest ski pro. When he was 11, his amazingly graceful form and derring-do helped him win the International Freeskiers Association’s North American championship for skiers younger than 12. The New York Times recently featured his skiing career: click here to read. Click on the video to see Kai in action. Wowee!!!!

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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This is our final issue of 2020. We’re not saddened to see the year go. Whatever your holiday of choice, please enjoy it safely. And celebrate the arrival of the New Year. It’s time to turn the page on so many things. Here’s wishing you a great season and many bright and promising days ahead!

What Do Vaccines and Ski Areas Have in Common?

Vaccine development and ski areas have something loosely in common: the public-private partnership. This may be a stretch, but hear me out.

Several Covid vaccines, like many other drugs and technologies, were developed with some level of government participation. In the case of  Pfizer’s, the government guaranteed to purchase $1+ billion of product long before it was approved. For decades, technology transfer programs have helped medical and other technologies — discovered, invented, and/or developed with public funds — get picked-up and commercialized by the private sector.

What does that have to do with skiing? At least 122 ski areas lease property from the Forest Service. Among the more prominent are Vail, Aspen, Snowbird and Mammoth.

Next time you’re making turns on leased -government land, consider the public-private partnership helping you enjoy the sport and, hopefully, protecting you from Covid.

Six Word Challenge

Tom Irving, 82, is a volunteer instructor for the Two Top Mountain Adaptive Sports Foundation. He says  teaching in the program is “the best decision I ever made.” He mostly teaches disabled veterans 3-4 days a week at Whitetail Resort (PA). Tom’s scheduled PSIA clinic was cancelled, as were two group ski trips he had booked. And he has high hpes for the vaccine. All of which leads to his six-word summation: Missed one. Cancelled two. Future’s Bright.

Corky Miller, 75, loves skiing Buena Vista (230’ vert) near Bemidji (MN), which explains his six-worder: Local fast hill, ski all day!

Brian Frias is a California skier. As part of the Masterfit organization he has developed a keen eye for the sport. Looking at the bright side of Covid, he offers this one: Long lines lead to empty slopes.

Please keep sending your six-word entries. A few winners will receive the Bootster Shoe Horn for Ski Boots. Please post your entry to Comments or send to jon@seniorsskiing.com.

A Completely New Approach to Prescription Goggles

SnowVision Rx goggles integrate prescription with inner lens

SnowVision makes a unique goggle with your prescription integrated into the inner lens. Unlike conventional Rx inserts, in which the insert is a separate component subject to fogging and often limiting vision range, this goggle maintains the eye-to-lens distance, resulting in fog-free wider range-of-vision. I’ll be reporting on my experience with the SnowVision goggle in an upcoming issue. But from everything I know about it, the goggle is a breakthrough, especially for older skiers. For more, click here or on the SnowVision advertisement.

Wolf Creek Has 10 Feet!

Wolf Creek Ski Area in Southwest Colorado keeps on getting the goods. As of this writing, the area has received more than 129″.

Alta/MIT Study: Silence Reduces Risk of Infection

The more and louder we speak, the greater infected individuals transmit the virus. A team of MIT students scientifically analyzed how and where residents and guests of Alta have the greatest probability of catching Covid. They determined that people in loud indoor dining areas have a 60% chance of catching the virus – even with tables 6 feet apart. Analyzing space, air circulation and time spent in public buses transporting people to/from the resort, they learned that if no one spoke, the busses could carry 60 masked passengers vs the 20 masked and socially distanced passengers Utah Transit Authority has mandated for this season.

New Chapter in Skiing Haves vs Have Nots

Luxury seating in the VIP gondola

The Eiger Express, a new tri-cable gondola system was launched earlier this month on Switzerland’s famed Jungfrau. It “…combines all the advantages of the aerial gondola and the funicular,” being able to run across long expanses with fewer support towers – only 7 for a length of more than four miles! A ride that used to take more than an hour is now reduced to 15 minutes. Among other Eiger Express features is the Platinum Club which includes a VIP lounge, where members can await their own VIP Gondola car. The car holds 8 people and features leather chairs and a champagne bar. Couple’s membership is a mere 18,000 CHF ($21,000+) a year. Numerous US resorts already have VIP clubs and passes. How long before they, too, get their own gondola car?

Redford Sells Sundance

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Movie star and environmental activist Robert Redford sold Utah’s Sundance Mountain Resort to two high-end real hotel development companies. The new owners plan to add a high-speed lift and new trails. Sundance is a jewel long in need of infrastructure improvement. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new owners do. Redford started the resort in 1969 after purchasing the small Timp Haven area and renaming it Sundance after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in which he and Paul Newman co-starred.

Saddleback Re-Opens

Saddleback covered in snow

Saddleback Mountain (ME) reopened earlier this week after being dark for the past 5 years. Arctaris Impact Fund purchased the mountain less than a year ago and has invested $18 million.

Two Short Videos

Mount Cain is an old-fashioned powder magnet on Vancouver Island (BC). Average snowfall is 38′. Vertical drop: 1,499′. Two T-Bars and one rope tow. May be on the small side, but as you’ll see in this 15 minute video, it is well-loved and skis big.

Ski Rio in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico has been closed since 2000. This eight minute video shows its abandoned state and the turns still possible for those who choose to climb.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Last week’s column highlighted responses to a question posed to several friends: How much vertical footage is needed to have a satisfying day on the hill? For this week’s column, I posed the same question to all readers. Your input over the past several days says a lot about your passion for the sport. Not enough room to include all responses, but here’s a selection:

Fellow ski journalist, Dave Irons, 82, reports, “…all I need is a morning that includes 5-10 runs.” He and his 60-year old daughter ski Shawnee Peak (ME). “The 1200 feet of vertical is plenty. She’s…in great shape, which is why she is good for a few more runs after the old man is ready for a beer.”

John Emery, 67, and his wife ski Bogus Basin (ID). “I still track and log my vert, not for bragging purposes but to keep myself honest.” 

Rick Hovey is 66 and a resident of Park City (UT) since the mid-70s. Typically, he skis one million vertical and 80 days a season. Poor guy, last season he clocked 58 days and 900K vert. He writes, “I expect to meet my goals this year but will try to be satisfied with what I get.”

Rich Spritz writes, “My goal is to ski my age, though this year I may miss 70.” His family has a rule: “three runs counts as a day.” To anyone challenging the rule he suggests skiing three at “Breckenfridge” when it’s 7°F with wind howling, “then come meet inside by the fire and tell me that doesn’t count as a ski day!”

Susan Shaffer, Chapel Hill, NC, has skied one million vertical for several seasons. Last March, when areas closed, she was three days short of skiing her age. 

Tony’s local area is Cannonsburg (MI) with 250’ vertical. The area is a few miles from where he and his wife are on patrol (99 years of patrolling between them). For Tony, a light day is 100 runs or about 25,000 feet. “It’s a lot cheaper than the gym and lots of fresh air.”

At 74, Kevin Toolan’s perfect day is about 4 hours with his 6 and 10-year old grandsons at Okemo (VT) followed by lunch, a glass of wine and a nap. 

Peter Hogan skis Copper Mountain with his step-son. They enjoy lunch at a sheltered woodsy spot with a view, then ski the bowls and take a long “butt-kicking” mogul run before a few beers.

Connie Grodensky writes, “Skiing local is what skiing is about this year.” She takes 10-run days at Mt. Bachelor (OR) and is happy to leave before the crowds arrive. 

Ed Schultz, 76, skis 15 runs at Brantling (NY), with 250’ vertical. It’s small but in region that receives lots of snow.

Bob Ohrt, provides these words of wisdom: “Have been skiing local for many years. Depending on the year, ‘local’ might be a 300′ valley or a 3,000′ resort. It really doesn’t matter. Skiing is the experience and the sensation. Every ‘where’ can offer different joys. Ski what you have got.”

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.

Skier’s Six-Word Challenge

Here’s the challenge: summarize your thoughts about the season in 6 words. Several have been received. If you want to enter SeniorsSkiing.com’s Six Word Challenge, you may win a Booster ski boot horn, a great gift for any older skier. 

Here’s a selection from the past week.

Louis Vigorita, Ventura, CA, commented on escaping Covid isolation: 

Out of the bubble, into the snow.

Susan Zangrilli, Sandy, Utah, expressed one of this season’s dilemmas: 

Mask, balaclava, gaiter, helmet, goggles. Breathe? 

Her husband, David, laments not being able to boot-up in the Alta locker-room: 

Boots on. Boots off. Sans bench.

Bob Ohrt puts this optimisitc spin on the season:

It’s the smiles not the miles.

And Jan Brunvand, Salt Lake City, who’s already skied seven days, sent this about his season’s goals: 

Fifty days? Good luck with that!

Enter SeniorsSkiing.com’s Six Word Challenge. Summarize how you feel about this season in six words. Winners will receive a Bootster ski boot shoe horn! Send entries to jon@seniorsskiing.com.

Passes Surpassed Lift Tickets Last Season

National Ski Areas Association reports that last season, skier/boarder visits using season passes were greater than visits using single and multi-day lift tickets…a first for the industry.

May Be Best Lift Deal in the US

Colorado Ski Country USA’s $35 Gems Card provides two 2-for-1 adult lift tickets or two 30-percent (30%) off adult lift tickets at each of these Colorado resorts: Arapahoe Basin, Cooper, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Granby Ranch, Hesperus, Kendall Mountain, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn and Sunlight. For more information: www.ColoradoSki.com/Gems.

Better Mapping

You may have noticed a new look in the trail maps at places like Vail, Sun Valley, Squaw and Alpine Meadows, Stowe, Mt Snow, and Killington. They are among the areas utilizing  the services of VistaMap, a company providing a comprehensive system for creating and maintaining trail and guest maps. Like any good map, these are easy to read and understand. The technology utilized let’s them be updated easily. Click here to visit Vistamap‘s website.

Liftopia’s Assets Acquired

Remember Liftopia, the online ticket seller, which advertised extensively over the past few seasons? The company went under earlier this year after several resorts were not paid for the tickets Liftopia sold. The company’s liquidated assets were acquired by Skitude, a European ski-oriented tech.

Two Interesting Short Ski Films

Abandoned (24 minutes) tells the stories of several defunct Colorado areas.

Made Back East (21 minutes) follows a group of ski friends as they ski backcountry in New York and Vermont.

One Wonderful Ski Video

Twelve year old, Jacob Smith was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 8. After years of surgery, he is well  but legally blind. This 7 minute video tells Jacob’s story, including his descent on skis of Big Sky’s Big Couloir. Need a pickmeup? Don’t miss this one!

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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This season will favor those living close to the mountain. Older skiers who aren’t a short walk or reasonable drive away probably will avoid the hassle and risk of commercial flights to get there. They’ll spend more time on local slopes. 

Currently, we’re in our place several miles north of New York City. The closest reasonable skiing is about 2.5 hours to the north where there are several areas with vertical drops ranging from 1,100’ to 1.600’. 

Which got me thinking: how much vertical feet is needed for a satisfying day of skiing?

I posed the question to several skiing friends around the country. Their responses offer insight into what makes us happy about the sport.

Travel Writer Roger Toll, 75, lived in Park City and Santa Fe and has been skiing for 60 years. In his 60s his daily diet ranged from 20k’ to 40k’. When he moved from Park City to New Mexico, he was lured by free skiing at Ski Santa Fe, an area with about 1,200’. Enjoyable as he found some parts of the mountain, its 1,200’ vertical entertained him for about 10 runs or 12k’; “…enough to have a great day, especially when it’s free.”

At the other end of the country, Howard Vipler finds skiing Hunter Mountain’s 1,600’ satisfying but generally calls it quits by noon. He retired from Hunter’s Ski Patrol after 40 seasons there, so he knows where to find fewer people and better conditions. Even so, for him, 1600’ has it limitations.

Back to the west, where Dick Chapman,  retired pain researcher of international renown, skis Wolf Creek in Southwestern Colorado. Dick was 58 when he started. He’s now 76.  Wolf Creek has about the same vertical as Hunter Mountain, but far more snow. Its tagline: “The Most Snow in Colorado.” Dick’s measure for a satisfying day on the hill isn’t vertical. He writes, “Fun is skiing at the edge of my ability and successfully meeting little challenges.”

Now to Colorado’s I-70 corridor and Vail, where David Orlinsky books a minimum of 10 runs and/or 15,000’ to qualify for a satisfying day on the hill. Having skied with him, I know that’s an understatement. Over the past two decades, the retired businessman has averaged one million vertical feet per season!

One state over, in Utah, Jan Brunvand and Harriet Wallace have different takes on what it means to have a satisfying day. Their names often appear with their SeniorsSkiing.com articles.

Jan, professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah and widely recognized as popularizing the concept of the “urban legend,” doesn’t count daily vert. At 87, he requires skiing a minimum of five runs in order to log the day. Usually he’s in the 7-10 run range. I’ve taken a few runs with Jan and hope I’ll be as graceful and having as much fun when I’m 87.

I’ve also skied with Harriet, 80, whose optimistic outlook is infectious. As she explains it, “It’s not about vertical. It’s about being outdoors…dancing down the slope…blue skies and whiteouts. It’s all about friends, no app needed.”

There were several other responses which I’ll try to include in a future column. I’d like to hear what you think makes for a satisfying day on the hill. Please post a comment or drop me a line: jon@seniorsskiing.com.

Your Six Words About This Season

Hemingway may have started this form. Six words that express a thought. What six words express this season? Send your entries to jon@seniorsskiing.com, please. Planning to select some good ones. Author credits will appear with each. Reminder: six words about this season. I came up with the following. “Escaping Covid. Skiing in my mind.”

Covid Victim: Ski Patroller Beards

Before/After: Arapahoe Basin Patroller, Thomas Olsen, Credit…Ian Zinner/Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

It’s all about getting a proper fit for masks, and it’s changing the traditional face of male ski patrollers. As this recent New York Times article explains, patrollers’ beards are going, going, gone!

Big White Ski Resort, BC Pulling Anti-Maskers’ Passes

British Columbia’s third-largest ski resort is ending skiing privileges for pass holders refusing to wear masks. First offenders lose a week; second offenders, a month. “It’s pretty simple, if they don’t wear their mask, we pull their pass. Once we told them they lose their skiing privileges, the argument stopped pretty quick,” said  Michael Ballingall, senior vice president, Big White Ski Resort.

Crans Montana HotelPass

Here’s a Swiss lift ticket concept, US areas might consider: Crans Montana, the large, seniors and family-friendly Swiss ski resort has a new HotelPass allowing those lodging in participating hotels to purchase last minute lift passes at deep discounts. No advance reservations. Total flexibility of when to use. Click here for more info on the HotelPass. Participating Crans Montana hotels also have new, highly flexible cancellation policies.

Final Laps on the Covid Track

We’re taking the final laps before crossing the vaccine finish line. Do what you need to do to avoid getting infected. If you already have been or are, do whatever you can to get well. Above all: Think positive. Test negative.

One Of The Best Short Ski Films…

The Chairlift is one of the best short ski films to date. A little over 12 minutes, it’s an homage to the chairlift and it’s unique culture. A production of Salomon, which released it a few days ago. 

SeniorsSkiing.com Email Blasts

You’ll start receiving occasional emails from some of our advertisers. Each will be relevant to skiing and related topics. SeniorsSkiing.com will distribute the emails; we don’t sell our list or your email addresses to third parties. We hope you’ll find them of interest.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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This week I participated in a media briefing about the coming season. It was organized by Ski Utah and featured presenters from most of the state’s areas.

They confirmed what most of us already know. This will not be a normal season. Resort skiing will require more advance planning than we’re used to. Some of the details, as presented in the aforementioned media briefing, are outlined a few paragraphs down.

Those of you who live close to where you ski won’t feel the pain. Not so for those of us who must travel.

That’s one of the reasons I plan to try cross country this season. I won’t be alone.  

Cross country skiing is about to boom. Since its impact was first felt, Covid has prompted many more people to pursue solo outdoor sports. 

According to Reese Brown, executive director of the non-profit Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA), early sales of entry-level gear packages were up over 200% in August and September. This bodes well for that branch of the sport.

This issue of SeniorsSkiing.com is dedicated to cross country and other Nordic activities. When Covid entered the scene, we anticipated that many of you, turned off by new obstacles, might look to Nordic activities as an alternative. That’s why we introduced the Make More Tracks: Nordic Resource Guide and are featuring a Nordic article in each issue. You’ll note that Alpina, which makes top-of-the-line Nordic ski boots and other gear is supporting the initiative.

Cross country, skate skiing, snowshoeing, and snow biking don’t always require traveling great distances to enjoy. If you live where there’s snow, many parks and local golf courses have groomed trails. If you’re fortunate enough to be near a cross country resort, you can enjoy extensive trail networks with many amenities. 

Clearly, Covid has turned skiing on its head.

What did I learn in that media briefing mentioned earlier? Among other things, advance ticket reservations will be required. It’s one of several ways areas will limit access. 

Places like Snowbird will regulate the number of skiers by requiring parking reservations. And at least for the first part of the season, parking spots will be for morning arrivals only.

For several seasons, Utah has encouraged people skiing the Cottonwood Canyons (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude) to take public transportation. Depending on time of day or day of week, ski buses were at their 60 passenger capacity. This season, each bus will be limited to 20.

Many senior skiers enjoy the amenities of a locker room. Now, in an effort to improve social distancing, Deer Valley will limit access locker room access. The resort already has removed all seating. 

Snowbasin is introducing portable “executive” restrooms.

Restaurants will require reservations or ordering by app. Powder Mountain will do both as well as increase take-out locations around the resort.

These changes are representative of what to expect at resorts throughout the U.S. 

In closing the media briefing, Nathan Rafferty, who heads Ski Utah, shared his metric for success for the coming season. As I recall, in the past it has been increasing the number of skiers and the number of skier days. This year, it’s simply “Get open and stay open.”

Vail, Killington, Park City Mountain Resort, Alta Opening 

source: Alta

Vail, Park City Mountain Resort and Killington each announced season openings on Friday, November 20. Alta will open Monday, November 23. Check your email and favorite mountain website for more opening dates.

The Nordic Approach

That’s the name of the new online magazine for cross country skiers. Click here to visit the free site and find resorts, retailers, lots of good articles and tips for everyone interested in or already enjoying the cross country skiing lifestyle.

Parlor Skis Backcountry Emails

Parlor Skis is the Boston-based custom ski manufacturer known for high quality skis designed for the purchaser’s individual skiing style and needs. I know several skiers who’ve invested in Parlor skis, and they absolutely love them! The company takes an intelligent and analytical approach to the customization process. Its New England heritage is reflected in a new email series exploring back country skiing in the Northeast. If you’d like to receive Parlor’s emails, send your request to mark@parlorskis.com.

ISHA Needs Your Support

International Ski History Association

ISHA (International Skiing History Association) is the non-profit that, among other things, publishes Skiing History magazine. If you’re not already a member, I urge you to join. You’ll receive Skiing History every other month. Click on ISHA’s ad at the bottom of the stack of ads on the right and you’ll receive the free digital version. But at this time, it’s important to send ISHA money. Like so many other non-profits, the group is feeling the effects of Covid, especially from corporate sponsors cutting back because of reduced revenues. Please help ISHA weather this particularly tough storm. A one-year membership is only $49.

U.S. Ski-Snowboard Hall of Fame, Too

This is another worthy non-profit whose revenues this year were interrupted by Covid. The Hall of Fame‘s mission is to honor and celebrate the athletes, pioneers and visionaries of the United States who have significantly enriched the global sports of skiing and snowboarding and to showcase their stories and historic memorabilia…” To learn more and/or make a donations, click here.

A Skier’s Thanks

Next Thursday the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving, a time when we give thanks for our good fortune by stuffing our faces and tolerating people we’re obligated to have at our tables. I apologize for the cynicism. This year will be different. Like others we know, Pam and I will be alone for our traditional feast. We’ll eat well, knowing that many will not and that many will be alone. As we do on every Thanksgiving and throughout the year, we’ll remember those no longer with us and those less fortunate. As skiers, we should be expressing thanks to the people who work hard so we can enjoy our good times on the hill. There are the groomers who work throughout the night, often in dangerous conditions, to prepare slopes and trals for our enjoyment. There are the lifties, standing in bitter cold to assist us onto the chair. And patrol, up early to control avalanches and working throughout the day to make trails safer. The people preparing and serving food. Those clearing the lots. There are many we never see and whom we never have the opportunity to thank. Maybe it’s not the purpose of Thanksgiving to thank them, but this year, let’s do it anyway. And while we’re at it, let’s thank the medical researchers, especially those at Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. It sounds like their commitment to developing Covid vaccines will soon get us back to some form of normal, including a more normal ski season. Thank you! 

Frustration #1. Frustration #2.

Frustration #1: Readers are reporting that SeniorsSkiing.com requires re-entering name and email address each time you try to open the site. We believe the issue may be the need to enable cookies on each device used to access SeniorsSkiing.com. If you’ve done that on your laptop and want to open the site on your phone, you must enable cookies on each device. On my iPhone, I went to Settings, scrolled to Safari, turned off  (grey bubble) “Block All Cookies”  and turned on (green bubble) “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.” Other phones may require other steps. 

Frustration #2: We’d like more classified advertisers. It’s a great deal. Advertise for four weeks for $1. Once the classified section takes hold, we plan to increase the cost of advertising. For the immediate future, however, you can advertise something for sale, something for rent, a club trip, look for someone to ski with, etc. for a buck. 

Back December 4

SeniorsSkiing.com is taking next week off. See you December 4!

 

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.

 

 

Short Swings
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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You don’t stop skiing when you get old.

You get old when you stop skiing.

Recently saw that bumper sticker statement on a few posters and T-shirts. 

It’s a wishful truism for senior skiers, cheering us on our snowy descents as we ascend to yet another year and another season.

But like almost every other overly simplistic proclamation, it simply doesn’t hold up under thoughtful examination.  

If you’re reading this, you’re probably trending upward in age. And, more likely than not, you’re an avid skier. And, unless poor health or some other factor has entered your life you have no intention of giving it up.

I’d be dishonest if I told you it has not entered my mind. I’m about to hit twin sevens, and what I was able to do on skis in the past , indeed, may remain there. 

In other words, I’m slowing down.

It’s not easy to lower personal expectations. But I realize that by doing so I may be able to extend my days and seasons on snow.

Maybe this is part of my pre-season jitters. Every Fall I experience a touch of anxiety. As a kid, it was about improving my skiing skills. As an adult, it was more about where and when I’d be on the hill. Over the past few seasons, it’s been more about how long it will take to get my legs back. 

I have no plan to stop skiing. And I have no way to stop getting old.

Perhaps it’s best to accept what we have when we have it and, like another T-shirt reads, Just stop thinking about it…and ski.

Great Snow; Closed Areas

Kitzbuel. Austria

Austria’s Tirolean areas (Stubai, Hintertux, Soelden, Kauneral, Pitztal, and Kitzbuel) have excellent conditions but are closed until November 30 due to Covid. Some will remain open for professional racers.

Indoor areas in the UK also are closed, effective November 4.

Vermont Issues Covid Operational Guidelines

Vermont just issued guidance spelling-out a cautious and through approach to managing Covid. Out-of-state long term workers will require quarantine and testing. The number-of-out of state weekend workers and volunteers such as patrol and instructors will be reduced. Comprehensive contact tracing will be implemented for workers and guests. This will require daily completion of electronic forms. Social distancing and masks will be required in lines and on lifts. Windows on enclosed lifts will be open. Day lodges will operate at 50% capacity and guests will be limited to 30-minute stays. Contactless systems will be in place for ticket sales and rentals. Click here to access the complete document.

SeniorsSkiing.com Classifieds

It’s our new service to help readers sell, buy, travel, rent, meet, etc. Currently someone is offering a 2 BR condo in Winter Park for $150 a night. Another person has a room available in a 3 BR condo near Beaver Creek for $665 per week. There’s a pair of Apex Boots for $425, and Rossignol Antelope MH waxless Nordic skis with Salomon bindings for $50. Lots of good deals on skis, instructions, etc…even a ski-worthy Mercedes Sprinter van. Posting ads is easy and inexpensive. Sign up by November 12 and get 4 weeks of advertising for $1. Click CLASSIFIEDS on dark blue menu bar.

How do you wear a face mask with a helmet?

Frequent contributor Harriet Wallis emailed raising that interesting issue. This season, most US ski areas will require face masks on lifts and in lines. Personal experience with disposable surgical masks is that ear loops disconnect easily from the paper mouth/nose covering. KN95s are less subject to tearing, as are the less effective (in terms of virus-trapping) cloth masks. Are they to be worn on the inside or outside of your neck or face warmer? Do we pull them down or remove them when we get off the lift? How will areas requiring masks monitor compliance? Will that be left to Lifties? Patrol? Others? Reminds me of the curse: May you live in interesting times.

BOOTSTER for Holiday Gifts

 

The Bootster is a simple, compact shoehorn for ski boots. It helps the skier’s foot slip effortlessly into the boot – even when the boot is cold and the shell is stiff. It’s small and easily carried in parka pocket. Having used The Bootster as a holiday and birthday present for other older skiers, I know that it is well-appreciated, virtually indestructible, and gets a lot of use. $25. Click on adjacent Bootster advertisement for details and to order.

VIVE Wear Compression Socks

VIVE Wear is an orthopaedic surgeon-developed compression sock combining baby alpaca, merino wool, nano silver plates, and nano copper wire. The company website explains how the metal components enhance healing. I recently tried a pair on a wet and nasty day. EXTREMELY comfortable and added nice spring to my step. No doubt these will serve as excellent ski socks. Reasonably priced. Click here to visit site.

Nothing to do with Skiing Dep’t

Internal shell of ram’s horn squid. Source: New York Times

Researchers exploring Australia’s Great Barrier Reef last week made two never-before-seen discoveries using a remotely operated vehicle: a ram’s horn squid in its natural environment and a coral reef taller than the Empire State Building. The squid is the only living squid that has an internal coiled shell. It also has a single, searching eye and can emit a lime-green light.

A Different and Wonderful Ski Documentary

Every now and then a different kind of ski film pops up on the screen. North Country is a 21-minute documentary about Lahout’s, the oldest ski shop in the U.S. The film tells the story of the store’s founding in 1920 in Littleton, New Hampshire, and how Joe Lahout, returning from combat in WWII and with a deep passion for skiing, emphasizes ski gear and clothing. His three sons — lawyers and other profesionals move back from big city careers to grow the family business. Now, a third generation has returned to continue the growth. Great vintage footage. Wonderfully and sensitively told.

Jon Weisberg

Senior Skier? Here are the Best Skis for You.

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This is the time of year when, with input from the Realskiers.com website, we publish SeniorsSkiing.com’s annual listing of the best new skis for older skiers.

Arrival of the pandemic virtually wiped out implementation of the comprehensive women’s test. But Realskiers.com was able to collect sufficient data to pick the best models for senior male skiers. 

The 2021 Best Skis for Senior Skiers listing shows men’s choices only, many of which are suitable for female skiers. It also includes  Men’s and Women’s choices from 2019-20. We did this to help readers interested in new skis as well as to help those of you who may run across previously owned boards at a Swap or Sale. 

Realskiers.com’s member reviews (see end of this article to obtain a discounted realskiers.com subscription) include narratives that go deeper into each ski’s personality. 

All of the selected skis share the characteristics of being designed and engineered to reduce the amount of energy required for turning. Generally, that means softer tip and tail and a bit of sidecut. Those designated as Women’s skis in the 2020 listing may be designed for female size and physique.

The recommended skis are grouped into five categories, each based on the ski’s width, which helps determine the terrain where its performance is optimized. 

SeniorsSkiing.com suggests that when purchasing new skis, older skiers should start by choosing the most suitable category (see following) and working with a quality ski shop where they can demo before purchasing. If you score a pair at a Ski Swap, evaluate if the savings are worth sacrificing the demo. As long as you’re in the right category and find a good length, you won’t be too far off base.

Frontside (“Carving” skis) 

–Encompasses broadest range of skier abilities from entry-level to experienced

–Use on groomed terrain. Wider models are usable off-trail 

  • Ski width: 75MM-84MM

All-Mountain East 

–Work equally well in on-trail and off-trail conditions

–“Re-entry” ski for those who have not skied in a few years 

  • Ski width: 85MM-94MM

All-Mountain West 

–For use in the West by high performance skiers

–Adapted for off-trail use but can be skied on-trail by skilled skiers

  • Ski width: 95MM-100MM      

Big Mountain 

–More maneuverable powder skis

–Inadvisable for regular on-trail use

  • Ski width: 101MM-113MM

Powder 

–Specialty skis for use in Deep Powder only 

  • Ski width: >113MM

To access the complete listing, a) click “COMMUNITY” on the dark blue menu bar at the top of the page, b) then click “SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT,” c) click on the 2021 Best Skis for Senior Skiers listing.

Detailed reviews are available at Realskiers.com. The site provides free access to equipment reviews and other information. In depth information and personal guidance from the publisher is available to SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers at a discounted annual rate of $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 SS20 in the field under “Coupon Code.” 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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The other night, on Netflix, we watched “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” Sir David, 94 (93 when he narrated the film), is the British naturalist/broadcaster who has been filming and educating the broader public about the natural world since the 1950s. 

“A Life on Our Planet” is an incredibly beautiful visual statement. Sir David talks  about and shows an abundance of lifeforms and discusses how accelerated natural resource destruction is rapidly leading to an ecosystem that, eventually, will no longer sustain human life. 

Referring to the film as a “witness statement,” he presents both beauty and destruction and, with calm and reassurance, explains what we can do to bring Earth back to a state that will sustain all animal life – humans included – for future generations.

Why am I calling this important film to your attention?

As people of a certain age, who love being outdoors, I expect you appreciate the fragility of our ecosystem. Overactive smokestacks. Rainforest destruction. Increasingly violent storms. Dying coral reefs. Depleted ocean life. Melting glaciers. Diminishing polar caps. These and other harbingers don’t bode well for the future.

I know many among us whose interest in short term pleasures limit their thinking to their own lifespans. We lived through what we were handed. Future generations will do the same.

I view it differently. We live longer and better because of industrial progress. But nature and humankind is now out of balance. The relationship must be adjusted in order for life on Earth to be protected.

As skiers we’re beginning to experience the results. Fifteen or 20 years ago I read a study indicating that by 2030, natural snow in Park City would allow only the top half of the mountain to be skied. I think it will take longer. Another sign of unreliable conditions: snow making everywhere. including at the top of Sun Valley.

We don’t need to worry about skiing during our lifetimes. And our children probably will be fine. It’s the future generations we need to think about.

John Donne published “No man is an island,” in 1624. Over the years I’ve come to understand it as a meditation on our interconnectedness, both as humans and as pixels in the larger picture. It’s reproduced below. But for those who remember the poem, it’s important to recall the final words: “…never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

No man is an island entire of itself; every man 

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; 

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe 

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as 

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine 

own were; any man’s death diminishes me, 

because I am involved in mankind. 

And therefore never send to know for whom 

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. 

Don’t Be The Reason We Can’t Have A Season

A lift line, last week, in Cervina, Italy. Not too much social distancing.

“Don’t be the reason we can’t have a season,” is the guidance from Paul Pinchbeck, head of the Canadian Ski Council. Last week, he and other ski industry representatives participated in a Zoom media briefing organized by the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. That clever rhyme captures a sense throughout the industry that responsible behavior — social distancing, wearing masks, etc. — will help areas remain open. Irresponsible behavior already has forced Cervina, in Italy, to close. That decision was quickly followed by Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte announcing that all of the nation’s ski areas, as well as gyms, pools and movie theaters would be closed until Nov. 14. 

Among other US locations, concerns about complying with public health regulations are surfacing in Summit County, Colorado. Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin’s COO, recently blogged about the sharp increase in cases across the county. He attributes them to “…socialization – an evening party, drinks after work, hanging too close with too many people. Many of the transmissions have occurred in the late evening, after partying, when peoples’ guards are down.” He warns that if it doesn’t get better, among other things, it will hamper the ability to ski.

Some states have a more laissez faire attitude and, most likely won’t do anything to close their areas. Utah, I expect, is one. But, as this week’s Question For You asks, what will happen if an area’s core operating group catches the ‘rona? 

Certainly, après ski carousing does not apply to senior skiers ;>)

P.S. Wednesday, in an effort to halt Covid, France and Germany announced ski resorts would be closed until the beginning of December. 

470

That, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) was the number of ski areas last season, in the United States. Of the 37 states with areas, New York has the most (51). Next is Michigan (40), followed by Colorado and Wisconsin (31, each).  Click here to see entire state-by-state list of areas.

James Taylor: American Standard

Like many of you,, I started lsitening to James Taylor in the later 60s and kept on listening for the next decade or so. His style always brings back long winter drives to Killington and Stowe and sweaty summers as a single in Manhattan. Earlier this year, he released his American Standard album. Not to be confused with the plumbing fixture company, American Standards (aka The American Songbook) usually is interpreted as popular tunes from the 1920s through the 1950s. Think Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennet, and the many others from that rich and wonderful musical era. Now James Taylor applies his special genius to the genre. It’s wonderful listening. Click on the image above to hear and learn more.  

 

Peak Obsession Trailer

Jeremy Jones is the founder of Jones Snowboards and creator of some very interesting film projects. In this half-hour film, he documents a few of the ascents/descents  he is attempting in his quest to climb and ride each of the lines in 50 lines chronicled in the book, “The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America“.

A Friend…

I have a skier friend experiencing debilitating side effects from a chemotherapy-related process to boost her bone marrow. She’s a fine skier with a great mind and intelligent sense of humor. She emailed to describe what she’s going through. It’s not pleasant, but she’s among a handful of people I know who has the grit to get through it. Her experience is a sharp reminder of how fortunate it is simply to get through our days in comfort and good health and to appreciate what we have…as long as we have it.

mikemaginn

What You Said About Joint Replacement

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“Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at my pain-free knees and thank my luck stars I had this technology available.” Nancy P.

Take it easy, wait for perfect conditions, think positive. Credit: Liftopia

We had a number of comprehensive, well thought out, and even emphatic responses to our Question For You last week. Recall, we asked for advice about getting joint replacement as an active snow sports-loving senior. We don’t usually analyze the array of responses we get to the QFY feature, but in this case, there are some findings that are worth highlighting.

Here’s what you said:

  1. Some descriptive stats: The average time between surgery and returning to skiing was 8.46 months. Most of the respondents were in their 70s, fewer in their 60s, and one 80. Most respondents reported knee replacements, about a quarter of those double knee replacements. Fewer respondents reported hip replacements.
  2. “Prehab”, exercise before surgery, and Rehab are the key to success. Many responses endorsed the need to strengthen muscles and stretch ligaments under the guidance of a PT and/or on your own. Post operative exercise brings back functionality faster and safer, but overdoing it—which can be a problem for some committed exercisers—can lead to setbacks.

“The value of pre-op therapy for strength and flexibility cannot be over stated.” Mark M., PT

“Go in strong, come out strong.” Donald M.

“Be religious about rehab.” Sherm W.

“Work your tail off.” John W.

“Strengthen, strengthen, strengthen.” Jack M.

  1. Ongoing exercise after rehab PT was a frequent mention. You said these activities kept you going: Swimming, cycling/mountain biking, walking/hiking, elliptical machine, pickleball, Boot Camp fitness. Note: no running, jumping off the backs of pickup trucks, mogul skiing, or icy slopes.
  2. Several readers offered advice about easing back to downhill skiing. This included doing snowplows, sticking with greens, waiting for perfect conditions, avoiding too much, too soon, i.e., glades, blacks. Interestingly, one person mentioned heading back to cross-country skiing before going to the mountains to gain confidence. Bottom line: Take it easy.
  3. What helped getting back into skiing? There were several mentions of having a good surgeon and good appliance replacing the joint in the first place. Other readers mentioned enablers: New equipment, Knee bindings that release from the heel as well as the toe, Ski Mojo, a supportive device that relieves pressure on hips and knees. Another reader mentioned a positive mental attitude. Can’t argue with that.
  4. Curiously, a number of readers mentioned alternatives to surgery including a variety of therapeutics including different drugs and stem cell treatments. Obviously, they are out there and worthy of inquiry. However, most respondents opted for surgery, some after years of a pain.
  5. As far as outcomes are concerned, several readers reported they’ve never skied better. Clearly there is a transformation from pre- to post- joint replacement.

“It was the first time in 30 years that I didn’t have at least twinges of pain from that knee.” Nancy P.

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Cassandra

Cassandra came to mind last week as we took our first flight since the craziness began.

In case you missed that part of Greek Mythology, after Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy, he turned it to a curse, causing her prophecies not to be believed.

Stay with me on this one. 

The flight was one familiar to many Eastern skiers: SLC to JFK.

We geared up with face masks, face shields, and wipes. 

Pam had changed flights so many times, even Delta was confused. At one point, she upgraded us to First, a luxury generally reserved for Frequent Flier miles and overseas travel. The logic: last on/first off.

This was our first encounter with Salt Lake’s new airport, which is still under construction. Our terminal was big, beautiful and empty. 

Granted, the paucity of travelers contributed to the speed and efficiency of the place, but I had the feeling that, even when busy, this airport will be on top of its game. 

Next stop was the Delta Sky Club. More big and beautiful and filled with signs and notices reminding people to wear masks. Even the WIFI password carried the message: wearmask.

If you choose to continue reading, it’s only fair to disclose that I believe in and respect science. I understand that we live in what some have identified as a post-truth society and have been exposed to its supporting arguments. There may be some truth to post-truth, but I still weigh-in on the side of science. 

Back to the Delta Sky Club, which, as we waited for our flight, became more populated.

At any given time, about two-thirds of the travelers were masked and sitting far apart. The rest were not.

On a trip to the restroom, I counted 19 maskless travelers. A few had an empty glass in front of them – which, in their minds, must have qualified them to slip under Delta’s rule of not requiring a mask “while actively eating of drinking.”

I spoke with a Delta supervisor who explained that in the month since the new Club opened, it had become increasingly difficult to get passengers to wear masks.

Not so on the plane, where people were mask-compliant.

What does this experience have to do with skiing? 

Many of you rely on planes to get to mountains. Indeed, most Western resorts rely on airlines to get skiers to their lifts and lodges.

If people, out of selfishness, petulance or a sense of not wanting to follow what is good for themselves and for their communities, choose not to follow scientific advice, our return to the “new normal” will be delayed even more.

Which brings me back to Cassandra. She spoke the truth about what would happen. But she was afflicted with the curse that others wouldn’t believe her. 

I write this knowing it conflicts with other points of view. Most SeniorsSkiing.com readers have more ski days behind them than they do ahead. Speaking for myself, I want to enjoy as many of them as I can, as healthily as I can.

It’s time to believe Cassandra.

 

Flurries (Almost) Everywhere

Tuckerman’s Ravine in Spring.

The season is about to start. Over the past week (even earlier) snow fell at higher elevations throughout the West and elsewhere, even Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt Washington (NH). Snow guns are operational. Lifts are running across the Alps. One Scandinavian area unpacked snow saved from last year and spread it on a slope for early race training.

First North American Ski Area Now Open

Wild Mountain, Taylors Falls, Minnesota, is the first North American area to open for the 20-21 season. Four chairs and multiple rope tows service a variety of terrain with a short vertical. Mt Norquay Banff, Alberta, will open Saturday.

Fire Destroys Large Fischer Ski Factory

The factory, in Mukachevo, Ukraine, manufactured 25% of all Alpine and Nordic skis sold internationally. In addition to Fischer, brands made there include Rossignol, Scott, Alpina, Splitkein and Tecno. About 1,500 were employed. The fire occurred Tuesday, October 13.

The Skiing Gypsy

Murray Sandman (aka The Skiing Gypsy) is a 70+ Aussie blogging about his multi-continental ski adventures. He first contacted us following the  series a few seasons ago about skiing the Dolomites. Our trip was organized by Inspired Italy, the superb and reasonably priced local outfitter. Murray emailed his DIY approach, which you can find – along with other experiences and advice – at https://gypsyskitravels.wordpress.com.

Great New Winter Clothing Site

Orsden, which made excellent parkas and pants, has pivoted to a curated e-commerce site with wonderful-looking women’s and men’s casual winter clothing. Some of the brands will be familiar; others less so. If you’re seeking something to relieve your Covid-confined existence or to brighten someone else’s special day, click here.

Special Occasion Gondolas

The Gondola Shop’s Sauna: only $25,7000.

The Gondola Shop in Fruita, Colorado, buys and repurposes gondola cars. They design and rent them out for weddings, transform them into saunas, and are in process of preparing 20 or so as individual dining rooms that will sit in Telluride’s Town of Mountain Village.

End Is Near

Living in the US? You may be on the receiving end of an endless stream of fund-raising appeals from candidates for office. A Washington, D.C. friend refers to it as “silly season.” Election Day is upon us. We cast our mail ballots before leaving Utah last week. Most people our age fully appreciate the importance of participating in the system by voting. Skiing can wait. It’s time to cast your vote.

mikemaginn

Alone In The Woods Maine Guide Survival Manual

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Whether You Day Hike Or Trek, There Is Some Woodsy Wisdom You Need To Know.

[Editor Note: We are reprising this article from July 2014 to remind our readers that there are definite skills and knowledge needed when heading into the woods. As noted elsewhere this week, people are going into state and national parks without proper preparation, some getting into trouble. This guide, as eccentric as it appears, has worthy information to take on board.]

Folksy but wise advice from Maine Guides.

Several years ago, we stumbled on a unique resource to surviving in the woods if you become lost.  Now you might think that is probably something that won’t happen to you because you are either experienced, well-equipped, cautious about where you wander, or just lucky.

Well, getting lost out there happens all too often in the woods, even with prepared, expert hikers and campers. Unexpected stuff comes down: GPS batteries die, injuries happen, weather changes, equipment fails, that luck of yours runs out, and knowing how to make it out is a critical set of skills.

The State of Maine has published a truly valuable guide for surviving in the woods if you are lost.  It’s called, “You Alone In The Maine Woods,” and it is billed as a practical guide to woods comfort, safety, and survival.  It’s been updated frequently since the original 1972 edition by various authors from the Maine Warden Service and Search and Rescue from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

We offer it here as a PDF download for you and your friends and family for all readers who visit SeniorsSkiing.com. Notice its whimsical but clear illustrations and straight-forward advice.  Typical Maine.

Click the image below to download the 72-page guide.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Alone-in-the-Maine-Woods

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Maybe I’m becoming that grumpy old man, but the steady stream of videos about backcountry skiers being avalanched away, the drone videos of sharks swimming perilously close to surfers, and the reports of elk and buffalo attacking people with no common sense are getting to me.

Who in their right mind would try to pet a large wild animal and not expect some consequence? I once knew a woman whose passion was hiking in grizzly territory. She thought of herself as a bear-whisperer, probably influenced by a popular movie at the time. She encountered lots of big bears. Fortunately, she was never attacked. Looking back on that and other decisions she made, I think she had congenitally bad judgment.

We see this type of poor judgment when people drink and drive. Or when they back up and over a cliff taking a selfie.

Authorities recently retrieved the body of a Lake Tahoe drowning victim. It was the deepest water body recovery in US history. The poor fellow had jumped out of the rental boat to take a selfie. He neglected to put the engine in neutral. Hardly good judgment.

We camp with a cautious couple. They’ve guided us to remote and risky locations, but consistently exercise good judgment.  Driving back from a lakeside gathering with several vehicles, he made it clear he would go first, stop at the first intersection for the others to meet and continue doing that until we reached pavement. Nobody got lost taking a wrong turn.

A few years ago my wife asked that I no longer hike alone into remote areas, something I had done for years in the wilderness around our home in south central Utah. At first I resisted, but then agreed. What would happen if I took a fall or twisted an ankle? 

That’s a lesson for solo skiers. It may not apply to skiing smaller areas or if you stay on trail. But at large resorts where some of us like to go into the woods, it’s always best to buddy-up. If that’s not an option, be sure to enter the area’s phone number or that of its ski patrol into your cell phone. You never know when it might come in handy.

And since cell reception can be spotty, always, ALWAYS, carry a very loud whistle in your parka. Three loud blasts, repeated every 15-20 seconds should attract attention. I googled “loudest hiking whistles.” Some are metal; some plastic; some have compass and other doodads Not one was more than $25, and most were much cheaper.

The greatest form of protection for any outdoors enthusiast, young or old, is that behavior known as common sense. SeniorsSkiing.com readers are older. That means we should be wiser. Use your noggin and minimize risk.

SeniorsSkiing Classifieds

More detail on our new Classified Advertising section elsewhere in this issue. It evolved mainly from reader input. Many of you expressed interest in meeting contemporaries with whom you could ski. Classifieds also give you the opportunity to sell things, offer services, etc. Among other things, we hope that ski clubs offering trips to non-members will use the service. Introductory cost of advertising is as low as it goes: $1 for four weeks of advertising, as long as the ad is placed before November 13. After that the rates increase, but they’re reasonable. It’s all self-service. Click on “Classified Advertising” on the Menu Bar, then click Place Your Ad. You’ll need to agree to the Terms. Then pay by credit card. We’re using a secure third party service for transactions. Have some vintage ski-related item you’d like to sell? Give it a try.

British Medical Journal: More Exercise = Lower Risk of Early Death

Higher levels of physical activity — regardless of intensity — are associated with lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people, according to a study of 36,383 adults aged at least 40 years. The observational  study, conducted at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo was published recently in the British Medical Journal. Average age of participants: 62. Resulting guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Findings also show that being sedentary (e.g. sitting still, for 9.5 hours or more a day) is associated with increased risk of death.

New Warren Miller Virtual Film Tour

 

Future Retro (watch trailer by clicking above) will stream on East Coast Saturday, November 7; Central and Mountain regions Saturday, November 14, and West Coast,Saturday, November 21. Each showing is being supported by regional sponsors and will have offers, prizes and giveaways. Price is $30 for up to 4 people per ticket. Visit the Warren Miller website for details and to purchase tickets.

Vote for Your Favorite X-C Area

USA Today, Cross Country Ski Areas Association and Nordic Group International are inviting votes to determine USA Today’s 2020 Best Cross Country Ski Resorts. Click here to cast yours

Department of Over-the-Top Skis 

Source: Foil Skis

Foil is an Italian custom ski maker. Its website states: Foil Skis are the truest expression of our lifelong desire to create authentic “High Performance Art…” Like a Master Chef, the team at Foil has learned not only how to select the finest ingredients but also how to combine them in a way that has produced a ski which is every bit as breathtakingly beautiful as it is a sheer joy to ride. The company’s special edition Oro-Nero model has a top-sheet of 8000 year-old bog oak and is equipped with 14 karat gold bindings. Each purchase is accompanied by gold-plated poles, a flask, and a hand-stitched leather carry bag. My inquiry about cost has gone unanswered.

US Traffic Deaths Declining

Click here to visit an interesting, interactive “heat map” ranking states by the number of traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles. The data, presented by Reviews.com, was compiled in 2018 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration & Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Princeton Ski Club

Looking forward to speaking next Tuesday with the Princeton (NJ) Ski and Sail Club about SeniorsSkiing.com and the coming season. It will be the club’s first meeting of the season and its first via Zoom.

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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How often do you think about skiing?

To my wife’s dismay, it’s always top of mind.

A few months ago, camping in a remote, high mountain location with some fellow skiers, we realized we were simultaneously having the same thought: What would be the best line down those North-facing slopes? Chuckles and beers followed.

Harder evidence trickled in throughout summer in the form of hundreds of new subscribers. Curious about that phenomenon (it happens every summer), I did a fast check of where these new subscribers live. The majority were in locations experiencing hotter than usual conditions.

Thoughts of skiing are a pleasant, if temporary, escape from the heat.

A corollary would be sitting in front of a blazing fire on a cold winter day thinking of  the beach.

So here we are, early October and, depending on where you live and what the temperature is, you may be thinking ski hill or balmy beach.

Mike and I discussed this recently in one of our planning calls. Did we publish the Best Boots for Older Skiers Guide too early? Should our Best Skis for Older Skiers Guide be published now or in a few weeks when temps are a bit colder and flurries are in the air?

You’ll find an article on Masterfit’s impressive new Buyer’s Guide in this week’s issue and a link to the Guide. If slopes and trails are on your mind, the Guide is a good place to go for a quick fix. If you’re still opting for the beach, the Guide can wait a week or two.

Ditto for our annual listing of North American areas where older skiers get great bargains on passes.  We expect to post that in early November.

No Blame if you’re not thinking mountain or beach. There’s an abundance of distraction at the moment. 

Wherever you live, Covid and its consequences are issues. I’m not alone in wanting to have those East Coast grandkids back in my arms.

And whatever your position on climate change, the planet is sending increasingly urgent messages about the need to take action.

If you’re a US citizen, the Presidential election is probably occupying a bit of your attention. I mentioned this last week and will continue to do so through Election Day. Whomever you support, be sure to vote.

While we’re working our way through these issues and distractions, we still have slopes and trails to think about. 

Now is the time to dust off skis and boots. Have your shop check the bindings. Make your winter plans. Snow is on the way.

Powder Magazine: RIP

Powder Magazine, the publication so many of us enjoyed during its 49-year run, will close down in November. It’s final Annual Photo Issue hits the stands November 16. It should be a collector’s item. For years, I looked forward to and relished each issue of this visually impactful magazine. Like other print ski magazines that have shuttered over the past few years, I’m sorry to see Powder go. R.I.P.

Are Yurts in Our (Skiing) Future?

Snowbasin, the superb ski area about 45-minutes north of Salt Lake City, announced it will be adding several mid-mountain yurts this season. Their stated purpose is to give skiers an alternative place to rest and warm-up. One hopes that seating will be well spaced and masks required. Using these temporary structures as a way to relieve crowding in lodges is a good idea, as long as appropriate Covid protections are in place. It wouldn’t surprise me if yurts start popping at areas in general.

Cancelled: Winter Park Ski Train

The Winter Park Ski Train connecting Denver with the ski resort has become another victim of Covid. With the exception of a multi-year hiatus, Ski Train operated every season since 1941. While social distancing concerns lowered the boom, Denverites can expect the service to resume sometime in the future.

Buy a Tee Shirt. Help a National Park

Wild Tribute makes tee and sweat shirts with graphics representing most U.S. national parks. The company donates 4% of its proceeds (not profits) to non-profits supporting the parks (e.g. National Parks Conservation Association, Grand Canyon Association, Grand Teton Association). The products make good birthday or holiday gifts for anyone who loves our parks. Click here to visit Wild Tribute’s website.

Jon Weisberg

2021 Masterfit Buyer’s Guide Sets New Standard

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Remember the old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs? For many readers, those thick bibles of material culture were a fixture of my youth.

The comprehensive, new Masterfit Buyer’s Guide is close to being their skiing equivalent. In addition to it’s gear reviews, the guide has numerous helpful articles about how skis and boots are reviewed, kids gear, packing for a day trip to the hill, keeping gear in good condition, picking the right pole, pre-season fitness exercises, etc. 

The Guide is intelligently organized and attractively laid out.

Whether a sophisticated ski gear consumer or someone who dials in when the snow falls, the 2021 Masterfoot Buyer’s Guide demystifies gear and gear choices in a series of well written, well illustrated articles.

The Guide, accessible on line, only, sets a high bar for the genre.

While checking it out at  https://masterfitinc.com/seniorsskiing, don’t miss SeniorsSkiing.com’s full page ad.

mikemaginn

Keeping Tight: Maintain Muscle Mass As You Age

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Four strategies make fitness simple

When it comes to fitness, the old saw about “use it or lose it” is not only true, for certain age groups, it is a challenge of sorts.  Why?  Because, according to Dr. Frank Lipman, founder of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center,  New York, muscle decline starts at age 40 and actually accelerates every decade you grow older.  By the mid-70s, there is potential for losing half your muscle mass, he says.  That is, if you are sedentary and inactive.

On the other hand, if you are reading this, chances are you are an active and engaged sportsperson and have been for a good chunk of your life.  Nevertheless, if you want to maintain your muscle fitness as you age and slow muscle-mass loss, there are some important strategies Dr. Lipman recommends.  You may be doing some of these things already; if you aren’t, consider how you might adopt some new practices.

1.  Press and pant.  Dr. Lipman says exercise is the prime strategy.  Resistance training and aerobics are the cornerstone exercises

Light weights are good for bone density and muscle mass preservation. Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

Light weights are good for bone density and muscle mass preservation.
Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

to pursue.  Our personal preference is year-round group exercise classes at a good gym, fitness club or YMCA.  Regularly scheduled group classes give you a specific time to show up, and keep you motivated.  You can also learn a lot about muscles and the impact of exercise from an excellent class instructor.  Skilled instructors will vary their workouts, and when you take a couple of classes a week, you get into a habit.  And then there’s the camaraderie of working with a group of like-minded, supportive classmates from week to week. Of course, your personal doctor can give you advice about what kind of exercise is best for you.

2.  Ramp up protein.  Forget the low-fat diet.  Raising your protein consumption is the best weapon in slowing muscle deterioration, according to Dr. Lipman.

“Take your body weight, divide it in half, subtract 10. The resulting number will give you the approximate amount of protein you should be eating every day. So, for example, if you weigh 160 lbs, then half of that is 80, minus 10 = 70 grams of protein spread over the course a day’s worth of meals…If you have renal issues, you should work with your doctor to determine an appropriate daily protein intake for your specific needs.”

3.  Make it high-quality protein.  Dr. Lipman advocates grass-fed beef or organic chicken.  Also organic white beans, black beans,

High-quality protein comes from grass-fed cows. Credit: Mike Maginn

High-quality protein comes from grass-fed cows.
Credit: Mike Maginn

chickpeas, lentils and leafy greens.  He also suggests adding Whey Protein from grass-fed cows.

4.  Add the right supplements.  According to Dr. Lipman,

“the supplements that have shown promise in preserving and supporting muscle mass, topping the list are Omega-3 f

atty acids; Vitamin D; L carnitine; Glutamine and B12/folic acid.”

What are you doing to remain fit?  Are you on a high protein diet?  How’s that working for you?

This article was adapted from www.drfranklipman.com.  Check with your doctor before starting any fitness or diet program.