Tag Archive for: seniors skiing

seniorsskiing

This Week in SeniorsSkiing.com (June 9)

/0 Comments/in /by

New Survey. Two Skiing Octogenarians. Simple Planks Strengthen Core. Cycling Into Seattle’s Past.

Gatehouse Web Design asked us to ask you to complete a survey. The company built the SeniorsSkiing.com website. It has also created a number of private online calendars to help property sharers view availability, and schedule and track use. User interest in features such as expense sharing and departure checklists led Gatehouse to develop a web app designed  to help anyone sharing a recreational property reduce the stress and time property sharing issues can cause.
Examples of people who might use the app are:
  • Owners who let family and friends use their ski house and who would be interested a private scheduling calendar and maybe asking users to contribute a below market rent or or simply cover that week’s cleaning bill.
  • Co-owners such as siblings or cousins who have inherited a place and need any easier way to fairly schedule use and share expenses.
  • Co-renters who pool resources to rent a ski house and who need a central location to organize the calendar and communication.
  • Ski clubs or associations interested in an easier way for members to pay dues and schedule their visits.
Survey results will help guide development of the app by identifying the most critical issues faced by vacation property sharers: https://goo.gl/forms/q0CBg5c695mtUJyA2

Paul in his tutu. He skis every day, but not always in a tutu. Sometimes he tows a kite from his helmet.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

This week Harriet Wallis profiles two octogenarian skiers based in Utah. The older of the two, 89 year old Paul Jacobsen, likes to show off his springtime stuff skiing in a tutu. He hasn’t missed a day at Brighton for 25 seasons!

Mike tells us about planks and how this simple exercise is so effective at strengthening the core — essential for tightening your middle and getting more out of your ski day.
Finally, John Nelson takes us on a bike tour of Old Seattle. He states, “Using a bike and a little imagination, it’s fun to explore your city in different way.” It’s a terrific idea, and a particularly good read.

We’re publishing bi-weekly this summer. Our next issue will be available June 22. In the meanwhile, if you have ideas, comments, etc., drop us an email.

SeniorsSkiing.com 3″ x 3″ stickers are  in limited supply. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936, and they’ll be heading your way.

 

 

Quick note to World: Readers keep signing up — even with snow melted and bull wheels no longer turning. There are more of us every day. We are not going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/4 Comments/in /by

Is The US Ski Industry Becoming A Duopoly? If So, Will It Mean Higher Or Lower Priced Passes For Seniors?

Denver-based KSL Capital Partners recently joined privately owned Aspen Skiing Co to acquire Intrawest’s six resorts and four in southern California owned by Mammoth Resorts.

It’s the newest 800-pound ski resort gorilla. The other is Vail Resorts.

Two gorillas. Twenty-two major resorts across the continent.

A recent report in the Denver Post suggests the possibility they may be flirting with federal anti-trust regulations, something that occurred in the late 90’s when Vail was forced to sell Arapahoe Basin.

Vail is reported to have sold 650,000 Epic Passes last season; a 20% increase in sales over 2015-16. Word is, the new KSL/Aspen/Intrawest/Mammoth coalition will develop a pass to rival Vail’s Epic.

The Denver Post article states that a market dominated by cheap season passes could pinch independent resort owners relying on day-ticket sales.

With the exception of a few local versions, Epic Pass has no senior discount, something SeniorsSkiing.com readers find irksome, as indicated in recent reader surveys.

A duopoly means two giants in competition for market share. Will they compete on price and/or extra services? Wouldn’t it be great if they competed for the senior market with a senior discount?

New Zealand

Mt Hutt (6800′ altitude) in Canterbury, opens Friday, marking the start of the South Island ski season. Located about 90 minutes from Christchurch, Mt Hutt is the first South Island ski field to open this season. It just received 12″ and extended cold has allowed snow making operations to create a base of 12″-20″. Mt Hutt typically gets about 13′ during season.

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

Senior Skier Profiles: Two Kings Of The Hill

/1 Comment/in /by

These Octogenarians Are High Spirited Role Models.

Some skiers slow down as they get older. But Bud Temple (84) and Paul Jacobsen (89) pick up steam. Each has skied for more than 70 years. They each learned on primitive equipment in a city park.

Meet Bud Temple

Bud’s been skiing for 70 years.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Bud launched into skiing in an unusual way. While a student at the University of Utah, he took a ski course offered by Bill Lash, a founder of PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Bud excelled, and he earned a ski teaching certificate—one of the very earliest. But then he was drafted.

No problem. He entered the U.S. Army with two unusual documents: his ski teaching certificate and a personal letter from Bill Lash to the Commandant at Camp Carson where special troops were trained.

After basic training when assignments were made, Bud presented his two documents to the assignment officials.

“The Army didn’t know what to do with me,” Bud said. “They’d never seen such documents.”

So the officials left the room, called the Commandant, and returned saying: “The Commandant is expecting you.”

Bud taught special troops how to ski, and he also taught survival, mountaineering, and climbing to special forces in all branches of the military.

Bud showing a some form.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

And then he continued to teach and coach. He coached World Cup alpine champion Tamara McKinney, created a ski school at a small mountain that didn’t have a ski school, and taught internationally at eight resorts.

Last year, Bud was clocked at 48 mph.

On land, Bud hobbles because of chronic leg problems. But skis give flight to this retired mining and metals professional. He swoops smoothly down the slopes.

Bud’s advice for older skiers:

“Accept that you’re not as agile as you once were. Slow down,” says speedster Bud. Then he adds: “I guess I should take my own advice!”

Meet Paul Jacobsen

So has Paul.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Paul holds a 25 year record for skiing every day of the season at Brighton. He’s known as First Chair Paul because he’s always first in line when the lifts open.

Agile and mobile at 89, this retired architect skis daily. Then, for après ski, he goes to most of the University of Utah’s home football and basketball games

Skiing has always meant freedom for him. As a kid he skied for the first time when someone brought a simple pair of slats to the sledding hill. He was hooked.

As a teen he worked in his dad’s grocery store, and he drove to the wholesale produce market daily to buy fresh produce for the store. When his job was done, he was free to ski.

For years, Paul skied with a Japanese fish kite flying from his helmet. But it blew away this winter, and everyone misses seeing it. When skiers dress silly in spring, he wears a tutu.

Paul’s advice for older skiers:

“Enjoy what you’re doing,” says Paul. “Don’t be a couch potato.”

Paul in his tutu. He skis every day, but not always in a tutu. Sometimes he tows a kite from his helmet.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 26)

/2 Comments/in /by

Survey Results Highlights, Trailmaster Statistics, Fitness Focus Series Starts, Senior Woman Skier Wanted.

Click on the picture to learn how to do a body squat.
Credit: New York Times

This week, we have waded through the responses to the Spring Subscriber Survey 2017 and, by analyzing the data, we are discovering exactly who our readers are.  Jon does a nice job summarizing the main points of the research.  Thank you for responding; we had an incredible 27% response rate again. That’s really an impressive sign of engagement of our readers.  We continue to be awestruck how much our readers want SeniorsSkiing.com to continue to be a voice for them.

We are also announcing statistics on our Trailmasters, those readers who “skied their age”, that is, the number of days equal to or exceeding their age.  This year, we had 77 respondents who qualified as Trailmasters.  The statistics on their average age, number of days skied, and number of years as a skier are interesting. We will publish the full list of names when we verify the topmost super skiers.

We are also starting a summer series this week we’re calling Fitness Focus.  Respondents to our survey suggested we have more articles on fitness, so here you go.  With each edition over the summer, we plan to focus on one exercise, stretch, pose, activity that can benefit seniors’ conditioning.  Our inaugural article is on the squat which can be performed as moving exercise or as a yoga pose.  It’s considered one of the “essential” exercises.  Hope you like the series.

Finally, we were approached by a talent agency who is looking for a senior female skier who can appear in a TV commercial.  The timing is tight, so if you know someone, take some quick action.  Click here for the details.

We will be starting our summer schedule next week.  That means, we’re going to be publishing every other week instead of weekly.  We’ll still be at SeniorsSkiing.com world headquarters, however, so if you have ideas, comments, etc., you know where to find us.

If you want a few SeniorsSkiing.com 3″ x 3″ stickers, just send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936.  We’ve already received many letters from far and wide, even a nice chap from Australia has sent for some.

And remember, dear readers, there are definitely more of us every day, and we are not going away.

Jon Weisberg

SHORT SWINGS!

/0 Comments/in /by

 

We spent last weekend with the kids.

Not our own children who live far away or are busy with their own spawn. These are a group of younger friends, ranging from early 30s to late 50s. They’re all single. They enjoy hiking, making food, talking about ideas. It was tiring and terrific. We walked them to the rock art down the road and showed them how to look for stone tools and points in our desert landscape. Conversation went to all the places people tell you not to go: politics and religion among them. It also took us to music and art. We sat around the fire pit underneath what Bob Dylan, in “Mister Tambourine Man,” termed “a diamond sky.” Everyone participated in the kitchen and cleaning up. Age differences were more apparent when discussing past political and cultural events. But what we had in common — an openness to each other’s experiences and ideas — bridged those gaps. A business acquaintance used to advise taking younger colleagues to lunch and asking what mattered to them, what they’re reading and what ideas they’re following. I had several relationships like that when I was younger. It helped me get a broader sense of what was going on. Throughout the ski season, I’ve used brief chairlift conversations toward the same end. A few days with younger people who aren’t part of the family is a terrific way to refresh knowledge and spirit. It’s also a bit exhausting…but well worth the effort.

VERMONT

KILLINGTON has 17 acres open. Senior (65-79) tickets are $55. They plan to be open until the snow melts.

PARLOR is a New England custom ski maker. Working with Vermont-based American Museum of Fly Fishing, Parlor has developed a spectacular looking limited edition ski featuring art by Nick Mayer. The skis are $1000 and for each pair sold, Parlor donates $150 t0 AMFF. Thanks to contributor Jan Brunvand for calling this to our attention

WISCONSIN

Wigwam, the venerable sock manufacturer, recyles about 2000 lbs of socks each month and will make them available to people in need. It’s all part of the company’s goal of becoming a zero landfill company. Wigwam also plans to work with Martex Fiber to recycle discarded yarn and eliminate textile waste.

OTHER

Emerald Expositions, producer of the semi-annual Outdoor Retailer show, has acquired the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show. Outdoor Retailer will merge the Snow Show into its January event, making it the largest outdoor and snowsports industry gathering in North America. The first combined show will occur in January, 2018.

SPOT is a small satellite connection device that signals home and/or search and rescue when users are stranded or lost. As of April SPOT products had initiated 5000 rescues worldwide. I had difficulty getting over some tech issues to make it work. But I’m confident that the more thechnologically adept can figure it out. The device works virtually anywhere. The company has a 50% off sale: www.FindMeSPOT.com/SafeSummer

Our supply of  current SeniorsSkiing.com stickers is dwindling. If you’d like some for your skis, helmet, locker, car,friends, or just to enjoy the pleasure of a good looking graphic, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing.com, Box 416, Hamilton, MA. 01936. Over the past few weeks, requests have come from as far away as Australia.

 

Jon Weisberg

You Are 66.6. You Skied 25.4 Days. You Buy Lunch At The Lodge.

/8 Comments/in /by

And, You Like SeniorsSkiing.com.

The most recent SeniorsSkiing.com reader spring survey explored how readers spend a typical ski day and how much they spend in the process.

As with earlier reader surveys, this one had a 27% response, unusually high in the world of print and digital magazines. It shows that the SeniorsSkiing.com community is enthusiastic and engaged! We plan to use this information to help change perceptions about older snow sports enthusiasts within the ski industry.

Who You Are

  • The average age of all respondents is 66.6
  • The average number of days skied in 2016-17 was 25.4. Trailmasters, those who reported skiing their age or more, had an average age of 66.03 and skied, on average, 84.49 days. (I’m humbled, with a total of 35 days—less than half my age).

Where You Stay When You Ski

  • More than 56% stay at your nearby condo or home or in a hotel or lodge close to the resort. About 44% drive from your homes located up to three hours away.

How Long You Ski and Who You Ski With

  • More than 60% ski with one or two companions; about 25% ski alone.
  • Almost 50% ski 3-4 hours and almost 38% ski 5-6 hours. About 6% ski six hours or more.

How Much You Spend

  • For a typical day at your home resort, 30% of you spend $100 or more per day for lodging, passes, restaurant and at the ski or gift shop.
  • For a typical day on an away from home multi-day ski vacation, about 50% spend $200 or more per day.
  • More than 53% buy lunch at the lodge. Almost 33% make apres ski beverage and snack purchases at the area. Almost 10% also purchase dinner there.

The survey also requested comments and advice.

You asked for more articles on areas in the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Europe, more on equipment, exercise, technique, and discounts. Several readers asked about ride share programs and ways to meet others for a day on the slopes.

One or two readers asked if we could organize content more clearly. A few commented on having to re-enter their email addresses (that happens when the device history is cleared or a new device is used). At least one suggested changing the name because “none of us want to be reminded that we are old.”

Some would like to see more about restaurants and “great culinary experiences.” Requests for more personal stories surfaced, especially about experiences with hip and knee replacements. A few asked for more articles about female skiers, instructors, patrollers. Several asked for more ski club pieces. A few commented with humor, “Tough to ski my age anywhere in the US. There just aren’t that many days in the season.”

Mike and I are committed to continuous improvement for SeniorsSkiing.com. Your input is valuable to that process. We also appreciate the many comments stating “Keep up the good work.” This one seems to sum it all up: “An excellent website with great info…keep on keeping on.”

 

Jon Weisberg

WANTED!!

/0 Comments/in /by

88-94 Year Old Female Skier for TV Commercial.

A talent agency in Vancouver is looking for an older female skier. She must be 88-94, live in North America, and be available to travel to Whistler to participate in filming, May 27 – June 5.

According to Sonya Bertolozzi, president of Canada-located Reel Athletes Agency, the assignment is for a car commercial featuring multiple athletes including ParaOlympians, runners, and people on skis. Anyone interested in the assignment should email current face images, date of birth, and her city of residence. The assignment pays $600 per day on set plus a $12,000 buyout if her face appears on the final edit. If interested, email requested information to reelathletessonya@gmail.com or call Sonya on her US cell phone: 720-421-2455. Please let us know if you’re selected!

Short Swings
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/0 Comments/in /by

To Our Readers

It’s cold where I’m writing this. I drove several hours yesterday to get here. One hour of it was through flurries; at least one-half hour through blizzard. I got the stoves working, changed into warm clothes and had a few sips of single malt. Then I started reading the hundreds and hundreds of answers to our survey question about how we’re doing. Your overwhelmingly positive and supportive feedback are wonderful. When I spoke today with Mike, we agreed that your comments provide a warm embrace for what we’re doing. Your guidance is important to us. Your support is invaluable. Thank you!

My Neighbor Was Breaking in New Boots.

He’s made the fitting process a DIY project, heating the shell with a hair dryer and shaping it to a more comfortable fit. I mentioned the value of using the services of a qualified boot fitter (easy to locate at America’s Best Boot Fitters), but he had purchased his boots online and was committed to doing it himself. It reminded me of the old Strolz and Molitor double leather boots. Anyone remember them? As I recall, you’d lace them tight, stand in the bathtub until they we’re totally soaked, then spend the next few hours walking around until they dried to the shape of your feet.  My first European trip was in 1965 and Austria was among the countries I visited. Somehow, I learned of a place that made bespoke ski boots. They did the fitting and on the promise of a two month delivery, I paid up front. Five months later, still waiting, I sent a letter in English, only to receive a response in German stating they didn’t read English. I found a professor of German who kindly took up my case. They took his letter seriously, and the boots arrived a few weeks later. They were the most ill-fitting things I ever owned. Nice to look at but totally, irreversibly, uncomfortable. Bathtubs and hairdryers were useless. I’ve relied on professional bootfitters ever since.

Still Skiing

A handful of North American resorts are still open, some still receiving snow.
Arapaho Basin got 9″ this week, Snowbird got 7″,  Timberline Lodge,  5″, Squaw Valley, 3″, and Mt. Bachelor, 2″. Other areas still open include Donner Ski Ranch, Killington, Mammoth, Mont Saint-Sauveur, Sunshine Village, and Whistler Blackcomb. Several European resorts are still skiing, and, those in the Southern Hemisphere are just gearing up.

Bears Ears

Anasazi structure in Bears Ears. KUTV

Bears Ears is the most recent national monument. It’s a vast area in southern Utah, sacred to Native Americans; a spectacular wilderness filled with natural and archeological wonders. The White House has signaled that it intends to reverse or reduce its national monument status. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke recently visited the area, meeting primarily with locals who support its development. That includes Utah’s governor and congressmen who value business opportunities from extraction industries more than those from tourism. I studied the arguments on both sides and conclude that it’s in the greater public interest to keep Bears Ears as a national monument. Patagonia, also in favor of preservation, produced a short video along with a pitch to weigh in on the issue. Regardless of where you may stand on this controversy, it’s worth seeing what’s there.

Pat McCloskey

Adventures In Cycling Series: Happy Valley (PA) Cycle

/1 Comment/in /by

Serious Cycling For This Senior Who Hangs With A Younger Crowd.

Trails at Rothrock require some technical skills.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

Nothing like a road trip with 23 of your mountain biking friends to State College, Pa. aka “Happy Valley”.  Our merry band of warriors converged on the Hilton Garden Inn and prepared for three days of riding the challenging terrain of the Rothrock State Forest.  As one of two “senior riders”, I was a little hesitant seeing that it was early spring, and my conditioning was not quite there yet.  But as the first climbs of the first day ensued, it was eat or be eaten with this group of very accomplished riders.  Rothrock has many ride options for different skill levels including gentle fire road climbs, but it also has some of the most challenging terrain in the east.

Our first day was spent near the Tussey Mountain Ski Area with a climb that led to the Tussey Mountain Trail which gave us great vistas looking over “Happy Valley” and the remote mountainsides of Central Pennsylvania.  The rocks and boulders along the trail kept the full suspension bikes busy; most of the riders have gone with the new technology of mid-fat 3-inch wide tires with loads of suspension.  Many of the riders used fat bikes to help absorb the punishing grind of the rocky terrain.

Only two seniors in this group of mountain bikers for this early season rally.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

The second day was spent with our guide Craig Matthews, at the Coopers Gap area which is directly over the mountain from where we rode on Friday.  This area is remote, but the trails are superbly maintained by the local hiking and mountain bike clubs of the State College area.  One of the highlights of Day Two was the “Beautiful Trail” which lived up to its moniker with rhododendrons in bloom lining the relatively level ridge top terrain.

Our last day was back at the Tussey Trails with a side trip to Lemont, PA to hike Mt. Nittany.  A beautiful early morning hike that was welcomed by a smaller contingent of the group with a stop at the quaint and peaceful Café Lemont. Here you can rest on a relaxing outdoor patio or beautifully appointed living room with a freshly brewed coffee of your choice accompanied by homemade pastries and granola cereals.

As the “senior guy”, I made it through and am looking forward to another trip in October where the leaves will be ablaze and the Central Mountains of Pennsylvania will be vibrant with the fall colors.  Just have to maintain the fitness level for that one over the summer.

If you go, the Hilton Garden Inn in State College is very accommodating to mountain bikers.

Ride Support is available from two very good bike shops:

Freeze Thaw Cycles: Rentals and all mountain bike related clothing and accessories available.

The Bicycle Shop: Specialized dealer with rentals and all bike related clothing, and accessories.

Buy the Purple Lizard Map of the local trails.  Available at both shops.  And ask the shop guys for a ride or rides that fit your needs.

From the top of Mt. Nittany, Penn State’s namesake.
Credit: Pat McCloskey

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/6 Comments/in /by

End of Season House Cleaning

We’re moving out of Salt Lake City. Anyone who has gone through the exercise knows about getting rid of stuff. You categorize three ways: stuff you need; stuff you think you need; stuff you know you don’t. Which brings me to skis, boots, and clothes. I have seven pairs of skis and enjoy all of them. BUT, a few pairs haven’t seen snow in several years. At least one goes to the thrift store. There are two pairs of custom boots in the closet. The DaleBoots are the newest and fit best. I harvested the custom insoles from the old SureFits and hope a thrift store customer with my feet gets them for a lot less than I paid. The biggest dilemma? Parkas and pants. My wife shamed me into getting rid of Old Yella, it was dirty and way out of fashion. I have a few recent vintage parkas that cover most of my needs. They stay. The black one I picked up at a yard sale around 15 years ago still looks good and is great in powder. It’s only issue? Far too many zippered pockets. Finally, I’m giving up the pants that were waiting for my waist to change. A few still had tickets from 2003. And that black and silver Colmar one-piece? It’s a beaut, but it hasn’t been outside for more than a decade. Time for it to find a new home.

CALIFORNIA
Squaw Valley is a pretty hot real estate market. 2016 showed an 8% increase in home sales and a 17% increase in dollar volume. Greg Rankin is a ski friend specializing in Squaw Valley real estate. His newsletter is GOSQUAW.com.

MONTANA

Big Sky set a record for skier visitation. Its last biggest season was ’15-’16.

QUEBEC

Most ski resort summer activity is in the form of music, rides, mountain biking, etc. Mont Tremblant offers those and more. Its Tonga Lumina is a sound and light show showcasing the mountain’s natural elements and inspired by the its history and legends.

OTHER

Epic Pass doesn’t offer senior discounts, but season passes for some of its affiliated ski areas do. For example, the Tahoe Value Pass gives those 65+ access to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood for $389. Holidays, peak periods and Saturdays are excluded. For $439, seniors can ski Kirkwood only, with no restrictions. The threshold age for Minnesota’s Afton Alps is 62 and unrestricted skiing is $309 for the season. At Michigan’s Mt. Brighton, skiers 62+ ski unrestricted for the season for $369. Purchase before May 29, and you get two Buddy Tickets, each providing a fixed ticket price for a day at one of the Vail Resorts. A ticket at Vail/Beaver Creek would cost $116 with a Buddy Ticket; one at Park City would be $85. Stowe, Vail’s most recent acquisition, currently is not shown as part of the Epic Pass program. According to a Vail spokesperson, once the deal closes Stowe will be included.

Shred Optics, Sync Performance and Slytech are partnering on a discount program that delivers up to 50% off their brands. Shred makes helmets and goggles. Sync makes down items and other wearables. Slytech makes a variety of protection devices for the back, knees, arms, elbows, shins, etc. When visiting the sites, use discount code: NEWPARTNER.

Val E

Putting Away Stuff: More Advice On Cleaning And Storage

/9 Comments/in /by

Things You Can Do To Show How Much You Love Your Equipment.

[Editor Note: We received several comments about last week’s article by Don Burch about putting your skis away.  So, we asked retail expert and SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Val E. offer some more advice.  Here you go.]

Ski Cleaning

Care for your equipment in the springtime pays off in the fall.

All ski bases are made out of polyethylene which is a chemically neutral and relatively durable material. You can’t ruin it with household chemicals, but you should keep in mind that the base material is porous.  So, clean dirt from the surface and from the pores (hot wax cleaning is for that). Acetone is a simple, cheap and easy option for base cleaning. Use rubber gloves.

To slow down oxidation of polyethylene (see any whitish areas?), seal the base with wax, that is why hot waxing is better than cold waxing. A thick layer covering the base and the edges doesn’t let oxygen infiltrate.

I would suggest you file down nicks on aluminum tail and tip inserts as well as round up the nicks on the top surface edge, especially in the areas where you grab your skis. The top layer and the sidewalls are often made out of ABS plastic which doesn’t like acetone, so to be on a safe side use household soap to clean these areas.

Binding Cleaning

Try to avoid getting liquids besides water and special lubricant into your bindings. A ski bag should protect your bindings from dust sticking to the internal parts. Don’t have a ski bag? Wrap the bindings or the entire skis in a plastic bag. Two big garbage bags will work.

Keeping skis in a shed or cold garage is even worse as driving with your skis on the car roof unprotected; be nice to your skis and you will be a happy camper…oops, skier!

Poles

If tips are rusty and dull, sand them and sharpen. Aluminum poles may bend and stay bent or break, while composite poles never stay bent, they just break in case of high load. Check the shafts: in case of aluminum poles—file any nicks if found. In case of composite poles (carbon or fiberglass), fill in deep cuts or delaminated areas with epoxy resin. Look at the baskets, they should not have any deep cuts.

Boots

Pull out the liner and wash the shell of your ski boots with soap and nylon brush. Dry out the liners and the shells.

Store your boots buckled up. You may want to fit them with newspapers or thick wrapping paper. It may sound very old school, but it will help your liners to stay in shape.

Clothing

Wash all your ski soft goods—pants, jackets, base and mid-layers, face masks, socks using the right detergent; read the tags first. Most dry cleaning companies will not accept your clothing made of membrane fabric. If your gloves are very dirty, hand wash them, carefully squeeze the water out, starting with the fingers, and hang the glovers with the fingers up to dry. If your gloves have membrane liners (Gore-Tex or similar), try to not mess with it, if your pull the liner out of the fingers, it would be very difficult to put them back.

Store your ski jacket on a “fat” plastic hanger, not wire or thin plastic or wood. This is especially important for a natural down jacket. I prefer my ski pants to spend the summer hanging on a belt loop, not folded. Fold it less and you will extend the life of a waterproof/breathable membrane!

Synthetic fleece pieces and mid-layers with synthetic insulation are very easy to wash and store. Some items can be used off season for biking, running or walking. A fleece sweater is my favorite item while traveling by airplane—light, easy, and comfortable. If you have wool layers (merino or regular wool), make sure they are protected from moth.

Helmet

The liner may need a wash, check for cracks, the buckle and adjustments should work well. Dry it out and put in a fabric bag, don’t keep in a direct sunlight or in a hot shed.

Electronics

If you use batteries in your ski gear (goggles, heated gloves, boot heaters, helmet camera, etc.) pull them out. Replace batteries at the beginning of next season.

mikemaginn

Movie Review: Avalanche Sharks

/1 Comment/in /by

Jaws Comes To Snow Country And Attacks Bikini Contest. Terrifying, No?

Don’t go near the…snow. We’ve heard of snow snakes but this is ridiculous.

We would have loved to have been around the conference room table—or more likely, cocktail bar—when the idea for this movie took form.

“Let’s make a movie about a ski resort in avalanche country,” says one genius.

“With a spring break bikini contest around the hot tub at the base lodge,” opines another.

“Yeah, with a herd of sharks that swim under the snow and eats skiers,” says the another genius.

They stare at each other in recognition of a profound ideation and shout in unison, “Avalanche Sharks”. High fives all around.

And so it came to pass that a movie about sharks that swim under the snow during a bikini contest and eat skiers was made.

For those of us who love the absurd, the ridiculous, and the irreverent, this is one for you.  We cannot imagine how the actors managed to not break out hysterically laughing in the midst of some of these scenes.

For students of horror films, this one has all the elements: The crazy outsider shouting a warning no one believes, ancient curse, astronomical event, disbelieving authorities, brave young people, beautiful young people, omnipotent monsters, and, of course, a predictable ending.

This 2014 movie can be rented from Amazon, Youtube, or other streamers. Watch with a group of friends with adult beverages and potato chips.

Dum-dee-dum-dee-dum-dee-dum.

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/0 Comments/in , /by

Sometimes Coming Up With Content For This Weekly Column Is Challenging…Especially Now That The Season Has Ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In season, resorts and others seeking publicity provide us with a steady stream of options to consider. That’s dried up. So this week, I went through the ski-related photos I’ve snapped and forgotten about…until now. Most are license plates, the majority from Utah, where I live. It’s amazing how skiers combine seven letters/numbers to express their love. The plates, some weird decals and signs, a ski-inspired fence or two, and some pre-Christmas pictures while window shopping in NYC are now posted. Simply go to the top of the home page, click Features then (in the drop down box) Terrific/Funny Photos. You are invited to submit ski-related pictures throughout the year.

Spring Reader Survey

Our Spring Reader Survey was distributed this week. It’s a quick one. We’re trying to determine how much older skiers spend when they go skiing. The results will be useful in helping area management appreciate the value of the older skier. They also may help us attract advertisers.

The survey also is your opportunity to be listed as a Trail Master. If you skied your age this season, let us know, and we’ll add you to the annual Trail Master listing.

SeniorsSkiing.com Sticker

Want a few free SeniorsSkiing.com stickers? They look good on skis, helmets, lockers, cars. Send a pre-addressed, stamped envelope to SeniorsSkiing, Box 416, Hamilton, MA 01936.

ALASKA

Dean Cummings’ H2O Guides is booking trips for 2018. Dean has been operating in the Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez since 1995. H2O accesses 4,000 square miles of terrain. Visit their site for details.

OTHER

Mountain Collective passholders can extend the season at Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain which expect to be operating into summer. The pass also covers southern hemisphere destinations such as Valle Nevado, Thredbo and Coronet Peak/The Remarkables.

SHAREaCAMPER, a peer-to-peer motorhome rental platform, analyzed Google searches of adventure activities and came up with a ranking of the countries with the “most adventurous” people. They analyzed searches for activities ranging from skydiving to skiing. On a per capita basis, the Netherlands ranked #1 followed by Australia, Sweden, Germany and France. The U.S. ranked 9th. On search volume, alone, the U.S. raked first. Skiing is most popular in Norway, but the U.S. has the highest number of searches per month for the sport. Full results at the SHAREaCAMPER site.

Looking for a previously owned ski lift? Skilifts.us is one place to find everything from a second hand quad to an old-fashioned rope tow.

 

SCol de Joux ski area
Richard Pazara

Skiing 1,241 Ski Areas Around the World

/5 Comments/in /by

Everywhere There’s Snow. (And Some Places Where There Isn’t.)

Reader Richard Pazara has skied almost everywhere on the globe, and he’s still going.
Credit: Richard Pazara

You can’t have a favorite place until you’ve seen them all. That seemed reasonable to me, so when I started skiing back in 1973, I wanted to favor new locations over ones that I had already skied. My general plan is to fly somewhere, rent a car and stay in a centrally located non-resort town and drive for less than hour to different ski hills. Definitely not ski-in ski-out.

Since retiring in 1994, I’ve had the time to accelerate that effort.  At the end of this season, I have a total of 1,241 different ski areas in 31 countries which includes 432 in North America, 560 in Europe, 203 in Japan and 30 in the Southern Hemisphere.  The experience differs greatly based on local culture, ski area marketing philosophy and, of course, topography and climate.

How does lunch in the French Alps compare to the cafeteria line at your local resort? You kidding?
Credit: Richard Pazara

Truth be told, in terms of sheer numbers such as vertical drop, number of lifts, on-mountain restaurants and miles of runs, the Alps come out way ahead over North American resorts. In the Alps, an area with 1,500-2,000 foot vertical and five-seven lifts will have a day price of $35-40.

For example, Trois Vallees in France with a 7,000 foot vertical with 375 miles of runs is serviced by 143 lifts and has a $65 day ticket price. Add the incredible views of the Alps and excellent food and wine, and it’s really an memorable experience. And yet, most North American skiers I have spoken are totally surprised by these numbers.

Outside the Alps, European skiing becomes much more moderate with hundreds of small T-Bar areas in Germany, for example.

Scandinavian skiing reflects the hardiness of Scandinavians. Go to Salen, Sweden and see pop-up campers in the parking lot in 5 degree F temps. Or go night skiing  at 9:00 am at Levi in Kittila, Finland  (in January there is no day) when it’s -4 degrees F and be told it’s better than last January when it was -60 degrees F.

Ski Dubai is an indoor experience. And cool (17 degrees F)
Credit: Richard Pazara

Japan had the most ski areas of any nation, but the total has been in steady decline for several years. Skiing in Japan which boasts heavy snowfall and some significant mountain complexes is still mainly a social phenomenon.  Not uncommon to arrive on the weekend to a totally full parking lot and see no lift lines as a large portion of the young snowboarders are there to see and be seen, not to make a lot of runs.

The infrastructure is Japan is also different.  In the southern part of the main island Honshu, ski areas have ice plants installed on the mountain. That’s right; it’s too warm to make snow with air and water, so ice is made and crushed to cover the slope. I skied one spring on a 1,500 foot vertical snow cone. Japanese lift people are almost always older men who bow as you exit the lift every time. When it’s snowing, the chairs are always swept clean before you sit down. And there will be an air compressor by the lodge to blow off any snow before you put them away. The Gala Yuzawa lodge has a gondola entry at one end and the bullet train station (from Tokyo 115 miles and 100 minutes away) at the other end.

There are also ski areas in unsuspected places. Morocco has Oukaimeden in the High Atlas (14,000 feet) where I was offered a donkey ride to the lift by a local boy. Dubai has an indoor ski area in a mall. It is kind of odd to be quite cold after a two-hour session in a thin rental ski suit at Ski Dubai where it’s 17 degrees F inside and 107 degrees F outside.

Skiing in the Southern Hemisphere is a joy. Driving a circle route in Chile and Argentina was quite an adventure with some wonderful skiing. Australia has Theadbo and Perisher Blue among other resorts which are quite nice with some very unique twists. I think of Eucalyptus trees as tropical but the Snow Gum tree is a hearty winter variety.  Seeing them and wombats and kangaroos on the drive to the hill is still amazing to me.   New Zealand has some real mountains, and the chance to ski the Tasman glacier on the spur of the moment was a thrill.

So I have enjoyed a lot of different places in all conditions, from unbelievably good to unbelievably bad. I have some places I prefer, but I’m not done yet, so I can’t have a favorite place until I’ve seen them all.

 

Don Burch

How Do Ski Trails Get Their Names?

/9 Comments/in /by

Themes That Pick Up The Resort Name Can Be Catchy And Easy To Remember.

What’s in a name? A few resorts create a theme for trail names. Memorable. Cutesy. Provocative (?) Here’s a trail sign from Waterville Valley Resort.
Credit: Don Burch

Sometimes trail names are descriptive (Easy Mile at Suicide Six), sometimes they are a tribute (Thanks Walt at Mt Snow for its founder Walter Schoenknecht), sometimes they’re humorous (True Grit and No Grit at Waterville Valley), sometimes sensational (Widowmaker at Sugarloaf and Snowshoe) and at several mountains they follow themes. What follows are ski areas where some or all of the trails are themed-named. (This article sourced some of these factiods from a Boston Globe article, What’s The Most Popular Ski Trail Name In New England?)

Gore’s trails are named after Adirondack local sites. The 46er trail is named after the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks, and the Tahawas trail is named after a ghost town in the area.

Guess where? Wildcat, of course.
Credit: Don Burch

At Wildcat, trails have feline names like Wild Kitten, Polecat and Hairball.

Pat’s Peak trails have names related to types of wind including Tornado, Backdraft, Squall Line and Vortex.

Camden Ski Bowl, within five miles of the ocean, has nautical themed trail names such as Spinnaker, Crow’s Nest, Scrimshaw, Mainsail Glade and Clipper.

Mt Abram’s trails are named after the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. These include Dudley-Do-Right, Boris Badenov, Snidley Whiplash, Fractured Fairytales and Frostbite Falls. Wonder how that happened?

Whaleback has trails named Leviathan, Fluke, Blow Hole, Blubber and Harpoon.

Many of Saddleback’s trails are fly-fishing themed. Examples are Jitterbug, Wooly Bugger, Gnat, Nymph, Tight Line and Warden’s Worry.

King Pine’s trails are, of course, related to pine trees and their products. Pokey Pine, Pine Board and Knotty Pine are examples.

Many of Loon’s trails are terms from the logging industry; Flume, Ripsaw, Crosscut and Walking Boss.

Oz Peak at Sunday River has trails named Flying Monkey, Tin Woodsman, Emerald City and Poppy Fields.

Gunstock has trails named Trigger, Ramrod, Flintlock, Recoil and Pistol.

Magic Mountain has trails named Magician, Hocus Pocus, Wand, Up Your Sleeve and Wizard.

What’s your most notable trail name?

Roger Lohr

Putting XC Skis Away

/0 Comments/in /by

Nine Steps For Maintaining Your XC Equipment.

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com thanks Roger Lohr of XCSkiResorts.com and Andy Gerlach of SkiPost.com and StartSkiWax for this article.]

Preparing the base with hot wax.

The winter and snow cover are leaving us, so what do we do with your xc ski equipment?

1) Cleaning: Use wax remover and Fiber wipe, a chamois-like cloth, to clean the kick zone and the glide zone.

2) Use a fine steel or copper brush to clean excess dirt from base.

3) Apply layer of Start Base (Start is a brand of XC ski wax) or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2 to glide zones.

4) While wax is still soft, use scraper with low pressure to “hot wipe” wax and further dirt away.

5) Follow with Fiber wipe and then a fine steel brush again to remove dirt while refreshing base further. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary until no more dirt is seen coming from base.

6) If you suspect your skis have any base damage (i.e. base sealing), consider having the skis stone ground to reveal a fresh base in the spring before summer storage. A fresh base is the most import feature in a skis ability to hold wax and to glide. Ski shops in most every ski town offer great stone grinding services.

7) Once you have a clean and refreshed base, it is time to saturate the base with a summer storage wax. In the glide zones, melt in a thick layer of Start Base (or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2) and let it cool. If all the wax has been absorbed into the base at any point add another layer on to. Let cool leave it on the ski all summer.

8) Skis should be stored in cool, dry place, out of sunlight and not near heating elements nor near a roof or attic where temperature can rise over 130 degrees F. Skis should be stored loosely strapped with no pressure on camber so that there is no risk that heat and pressure can alter any of the skis camber characteristics.

9) Better to do something than nothing. So at the very, very least crayon your softest glide onto your glide zones right now.

If you have questions, contact Andy Gerlach at SkiPost.com.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Apr. 21)

/0 Comments/in /by

Checking The Winter Forecast, Mom-And-Pop: Is Smaller Better?, Editorial: Is Bigger Better?, Silly Falls On Video, Alta GM Retires.

Small is better? Accessible, economical, family-friendly, local ski areas have a community feeling.
Credit: Ski Sundown

This week, a mini-theme has emerged from two of our articles.  We have a piece from new contributor Don Burch, who makes the case for the local ski area. Basically, he says, it’s inexpensive, accessible, manageable, and more intimate (think community) than big resorts. Certainly true in our experience.

And, we opine in a SeniorsSkiing.com editorial on the acquisitions that have rocked the ski industry this month: Vail and Aspen scooping up properties all over the map.  Will those resorts maintain their attractiveness to seniors? Will discounts still be offered in a corporate pricing environment?

Put these two thoughts together, and you can see a future where seniors are literally drawn into second-tier resorts where amenities, discounts and friends can be readily found. Big resorts, maybe not so much. We’d like your reactions to these big changes in resort ownership.

Temperature: Forecast vs Actual, 2016-17
Credit: NOAA

We also thought it was time to go back to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s forecast for the 2016-17 Winter to see how well it held up.  Hint: California was the spoiler, but you knew that.

A tip of the ski pole to Alta GM Onno Wieringa who is retiring after an entire career at the area.

Finally, we have a short video clip of classic flops and flips.  We know it’s not polite to laugh at other people’s misfortunes on skis, but these are quite funny, nevertheless.  Enjoy.

We are moving slowly but surely to spring.  We have heard there is a resort in the Sierra that plans to stay open all year.  How about that?  Would you ski in August?

We’re developing our Spring Survey 2017, and you will be hearing more about that next week.

Meanwhile, thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, tell your friends, and, remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/0 Comments/in , /by

People I’ve met love the Mountain Collective Pass


For those prepared to travel, it’s a no-brainer. Two day passes at any number of well-known ski resorts for $399. I purchased one a few weeks ago for next season and quickly encountered the dark side of this attractive product: weak Customer Support. I made the non-refundable purchase and was then prompted to register. That process didn’t function properly. I notified Customer Service, which, in turn, sent unhelpful automatic responses.  Despite this, I’m looking firward to using the pass next season. Has anyone else had an issue with customer support? 

CALIFORNIA

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows reached 700″ of cumulative snowfall for the 2016-17 season, the second greatest on record. First was 2010-11, with 810″ inches. California Department of Water Resources declared 2016-17 winter northern Sierra Nevada’s wettest. Average annual snowfall at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is 450 inches.

LESOTHO, AFRICA

Believe it or not, there’s a small ski hill in Lesotho, the tiny African monarchy surrounded by South Africa. For readers who might want to check this one off the bucket list, click here for more on this Southern Hemisphere oddity.

 SIBERIA

Sheregesh is a Siberian ski resort with a long season. It is a great distance from anywhere, but each Spring, thousands of scantily clad women and men travel to Sheregesh to party on skis. These Google Pictures make our costumed Spring pond-skimmers look tame.

UTAH

Onno Wieringa, Alta’s GM, is retiring following a career that started as a liftie, advanced to ski and avalanche patrol, and went on to manage one of North America’s iconic resorts. He started in 1972, the year my wife and I got hitched. 2017 is his 45th anniversary (ours, too). We started skiing there in 1973, and it’s a rare season I haven’t returned. I never met Onno, but his reputation is that of a down to earth, competent manager. See Harriet Wallis’ article this week for more on Onno.

Utah’s elected officials openly disdain protection of public lands. It’s the main reason that the Outdoor Retailers are pulling their twice annual gathering from the state. OR, in association with Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Alliance are organizing a march and rally during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market to express support for federal public lands. Participants in the This Land is Our Land march will walk to the Utah State Capitol and hear Utah tribal leaders, outdoor industry leaders, athletes and policy makers speak to issues related to public lands.

VERMONT

The federal court appointed management team managing fraud-fraught Jay Peak and Burke Mountain was commended for stabilizing the resorts’ operations and accounting practices and increasing profits by nearly 500% since taking control of the properties a year ago.

 OTHER

Jeremy Jones, founder of Jones Snowboards, is an executive with a social conscience. His essay on the perils of climate change presents a perspective of the younger generation. It’s worth reading.

Panda Poles are bamboo and they’re terrific! I bought a pair at an end-of-season price. They feel good on three counts: they function well; they look great, and they are made by a company committed to sustainable materials. These poles also are nostalgic. I’m old enough to remember switching from bamboo to aluminum. Now I’ve gone full circle. Want a pair? The Panda Pole website has a 30% discount through April 22.

Harriet Wallis

Alta’s GM Onno Wieringa Retires

/1 Comment/in /by

He’s Loved And Will Be Missed.

Credit: Harriet Wallis

Onno Wieringa has a passion for snow and for the soul of Alta. They have been his love and his career for 45 years.

He arrived at Alta Ski Area in 1972 and landed a job as ski patroller. That was his day job. At night, he was a bartender at Rustler Lodge.

After five years on patrol, Onno was promoted to snow safety director and served under Alta’s second GM, Chic Morton. In 1988 Chic was ready to retire and called on Onno to take the reins. Onno leaves a legacy for Alta to emulate for years to come.

Click for videos of Alta and Onno. http://www.alta.com/snow-and#

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.

seniorsskiing

Editorial: How Will Consolidations And Collaborations Impact Senior Skiers?

/12 Comments/in /by

Bigger Better?

With the Aspen KSL Capital Partners acquisition of Stratton VT and Mt. Tremblant, PQ, and Vail buying the iconic Stowe VT resort, it appears the ski industry has passed a tipping point. The trend is now toward nation-wide reach, corporate management and marketing, multi-resort passes that can be used from coast to coast, and certainly more choices. These multi-resort passes are formed through acquisition and merger of resorts or through collaboration between individual independent resorts.

The good news is that the ubiquitous pass idea—Epic, Mountain Collective and others—gives the skier lots of opportunities for variation and actually brings the price of skiing down if you ski a lot. These passes give you, for example, two days skiing at designation resorts and half-price tickets if you want to ski more. Passes are on sale now for next season and, if you’re interested, now is the time to buy.

On the other hand, what about senior discounts for the less active skier? Stowe currently has a Super Senior Card (70+) that reduces lift ticket prices to as little as $44 a day. The question is will new management sustain these in the future? Vail gives seniors a five percent discount for day lift tickets at the home base resort in Colorado. For example, a regular adult ticket in late April is priced at $123; seniors 65+ pay $113. Granted it’s Vail, but that’s not much of a discount. What’s the point, Vail?

We know from reader surveys that seniors like discounts and deals. Perhaps we will see second tier areas who do encourage seniors with nice discounts and amenities benefiting from new traffic, especially from those who ski less than 10-20 days a season. Perhaps seniors will gravitate to where the lift prices are always reasonable. Perhaps local, mom-and-pop areas will get a boost from seniors re-discovering the benefits of smallness.

We will be watching.

seniorsskiing

Ski Fails On Video

/1 Comment/in /by

A Compilation Of Major Flops And Embarrassing Flips.

It’s the silly season in these last days of April.  We’re sending along a collection of video clips of those skiers and boarders who tried…and failed.  The T-bar episode is actually hysterical. Thanks to FailToTheGail for putting this together.  Who was it that said the difference between comedy and tragedy is distance?

 

 

 

Short Swings
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

/0 Comments/in , /by

It may be the end of the season, but now is when next year’s equipment is evaluated.

Bootfitters from around the nation converged this week on Mt Bachelor to test next season’s crop of boots. MasterFit organizes the unique annual event, and in the past, the knowledge gathered there was the basis of the annual boot review features in Ski and (now-defunct) Skiing. Ski no longer will run the MasterFit reviews, which makes me think that however they choose to cover boots, future coverage will have less validity than in the past. The results of this year’s test will be available this Fall on the America’s Best Bootfitters site. Responses to our most recent reader survey show that about twenty-four percent of readers plan to purchase new boots for next season. Foot discomfort is one of the most frequent complaints from older skiers. If you’re planning new boots, check the test results. We’ll let you know when available. At the very least, you’ll become a more informed consumer.

CALIFORNIA

Military to the Mountains pushes injured veterans out of their comfort zones and into the mountains. Earlier this month, following nine weeks of training, more than 20 veterans skied at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. They were instructed by the Achieve Tahoe adaptive ski program. For a donation of $25, the resort provides a Silver Tahoe Super Pass to active military personnel, a note of appreciation and a challenge coin. In 2016 Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows contributed over $150,000 to the program.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Several readers commented on the last week’s reference to skiing Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt Washington. For those who haven’t been there, this short video will get you acquainted.

UTAH

This summer Alta Ski Area will replace the Supreme and Cecret double chairs with a single high-speed quad. The new lift will be operational in time for next season, Alta’s 80th.

OTHER

Patagonia has an up to 50% off sale on last season’s merch. My experience is that this brand’s goods withstand a lot of use and abuse. My shirt purchased at their Salt Lake City outlet store in the mid-80s still looks great.

RepurposedMaterials has a supply of safety netting from the FIS World Cup Ski circuit. Changed specifs left Beaver Creekwith 15,000′ of obsolete netting. Orange rolls are 12′ wide; pink rolls are 6′ wide. Netting has 3″ squares. The site shows it being used as horse feeders, for batting cages, etc.

Looking for ski and board stuff storage ideas? This Pinterest link is worth a thousand words.

Jon Weisberg

Mary Anderson, REI CoFounder, RIP

/0 Comments/in /by

Mary Anderson, who in 1938 co-founded REI, the nation’s largest consumer cooperative, died March 27.

Mary and Lloyd Anderson, REI founders

She was born in 1909 and lived to 107.

She and her husband, Lloyd, began during the Depression importing high quality ice axes from Austria and selling them to fellow climbers. They formed a cooperative, a business model popular during the Depression in which members paid a small fee and received an annual dividend based on the amounts they spent with the coop throughout the year.

She and Lloyd were avid climbers and hikers. They ran the business from their home, until the 1960s when expansion no longer made that possible. Both retired in late 60s/early 70s.

Today REI has 140+ stores in the US as well as successful catalog and online operations. Last year it reported revenues of $2.56 billion from 6+ million members who received collective dividends of $193.7 million.

REI pays out more than 70 percent of its profits to the outdoor community and other worthwhile nonprofits. One of its current biggest pushes is encouraging women to love nature.

A past CEO, Sally Jewell,  was interior secretary in the Obama administration.

Lloyd died in 2000 at age 98.

On the occasion of Mary’s 100th, the REI Foundation announced a grant in her name that encourages young people to get out in nature and explore.

Remember a few years back when REI closed on Black Friday? Their rationale was to encourage all employees to take a hike (literally) or spend time with family. It was a paid day off.

Jon Weisberg

Baby-Faced Leader Builds Baby Resort in Hills of North Korea

/0 Comments/in /by

Masikryong Ski Resort , North Korea

Gates-To-Masikryong Ski Resort, North Korea

Baby-faced supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, built a luxury ski resort on Taehwa Peak, a 4,460′ mountain in Kangwon Province. It was constructed in 10 months by the Korean People’s Army. The cost is estimated at US $ 35+ million. It has nine blue and green runs, a ski school and a children’s snow park. The resort includes a 120-room hotel with pool, restaurants, and ice rink.

In 2013, a deal with a Swiss ski-lift manufacturer was blocked in response to one of North Korea’s nuke tests. At the time Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs characterized the resort as a “prestigious propaganda project for the [North Korean] regime.” In response, the North Korean Central News Agency issued the statement: “This is an intolerable mockery of the social system and the people of the DPRK and a serious human rights abuse that politicizes sports and discriminates against the Koreans.”

Finally, the resort opened with a 30-year-old Austrian-made gondola, retired from Ischgl. It was supplied by China.

Kim Jong-un is reported to have skied in Switzerland while attending boarding school there.

Mt Snow CROP Harriet puddle skimming
Harriet Wallis

Favorite Memories Of Skiing New England In Spring

/1 Comment/in /by

Back Road Scenery And Ski Slope Puddles Formed Indelible Pictures.

Author Harriet Wallis tries out a puddle at Mt. Snow, Vermont, back in the 80s.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

I loved the scenic springtime drive to the slopes. Steam rose from little sugar shacks as the golden syrup was simmering inside. Horses stood motionless in frozen pastures and breathed clouds of fog into the frosty morning air. Christmas tree farms had fallen silent.

Lichen-covered stone walls divided the winter-flattened landscape into a patchwork quilt. Farmhouse porches that had been stacked solid with fire wood were now nearly empty. What remained was a littering of chips and bark. Frozen laundry flapped on a few clotheslines.

And then there was mud. Road shoulders were rutted. Unpaved roads were impossible, and some parking lots were a quagmire.

Above all else, I loved New England’s ski slopes in spring. When it rained, we put on garbage bags. Those were the days before Gore tex. The bags rattled in the wind. Rain ran down the bags and soaked the legs of our ski pants. Then it wicked into everything we were wearing. We were soaked inside and out.

But the rain also softened the ice, and the ice became slush. It slid downhill like a glacier and melted into puddles. The base area became puddles. A maze of puddles. Many puddles. Deep puddles. Normal skiers went around them. But I loved skiing through those puddles—spraying water everywhere and hoping I could dry my boots by morning. And hoping there would be big puddles the next day.

If you see a puddle at the base of your ski area, please ski it for me—or send me some vibes that springtime puddles still exist at ski areas.

To read more from Harriet click here for her stories on SkiUtah.