Isn’t It Time For You To Go Home? We’ve all hosted house parties where one or more guests have decided to hang around long after everyone else has gone. Perhaps the table has been cleared, dishes stacked, and the corks put back in bottles. Perhaps the hostess has gone to bed with a telling backward look. Yet, here they are,[Read More…]
This morning only the silver slice of moon interrupted the pure blue sky. The landscape here in south central Utah is exceptional. My summer grounds are at the base of Boulder Mountain, not far from Capitol Reef National Park. Boulder Mountain is the eastern end of the Aquarius Plateau, the highest plateau on the continent. The mountain peaks at 11,328’[Read More…]
From Yodeling To Yippee-ing, Yvette Rides The Range. I’m not sure if skiing gets you into shape for horseback riding or vice versa, but, yes, a lot of the same muscles are at play. Either way, both take strong legs. I confirmed all of this at White Stallion Ranch just outside Tucson, AZ at the end of last ski season. [Read More…]
La Parva Is A GS Cruiser’s Heaven. As a first installment on the Three Valleys of ski fame in Chile, I’ll write about La Parva. One hour and a half from the Santiago airport, La Parva is perched up at 8,700 ft on the front side of the Andes, and overlooks the city. The road up involves 40 switchbacks and[Read More…]
The Cochran Family Makes Maple Syrup And Ski Racers. There are a lot of Vermonters and others in the ski racing world who could tell you a lot more about the famous Cochran Family of Richmond, VT. I have friends who know them personally and tell the tales of the first rope tow that Mickey Cochran built in his back[Read More…]
Advice From The Marketing Head of Powder Mountain. Reader Ellin Jaffe asks: I’m curious about Powder Mountain near Eden, Utah, and wonder if there are any ski-in ski-out condos there? Here’s the reply from J. P. Goulet, Director of Marketing, Powder Mountain: Powder Mountain has ski-in ski-out luxury homes for rent. There also are many condos available in Eden only[Read More…]
Still Spinning, Still Snowing. Still Going? In 1816, there was no summer in New England. Six inches of snow fell in June, and it was as low as 40 degrees in Connecticut in July and August. There was frost every month of the year, and, in May, strong, freezing winds from Canada wiped out tree buds, and frozen birds dropped[Read More…]
The most important equipment we need to maintain is our bodies. Cardio and weight training are essential to getting the most out of ourselves. My wife is great at exercise: persistent and consistent. Hardly a day goes by when she’s not swimming or doing yoga, weights or other gym stuff. It helps that she enjoys it. I, on the other[Read More…]
Both Require Looking Down The Trail, Pressurizing To The Outside Of The Turn. I was out the other night riding with my pals and noticed that I was starting to look at the front of my wheel in sketchy terrain, and my balance was starting to be compromised. I thought to myself, “Pat, keep your eyes focused down the trail[Read More…]
Bring This Memory With You Through The Summer. Like many, skiing has been a very large part of my life for a long time. I mis-spent much of my youth on a pair of skis, but as the demands of life came around, the skiing was abbreviated. 100 plus day seasons went to three or four. Semi-retirement has let me[Read More…]
An Enormity Of Gratitude, Season Wrap, Mystery Retro, Survey Watch, Looking Ahead. And, poof, it’s almost May. For most of us, the ski season is behind us, and this is our last regular snow season edition. This week, we close our season-long celebration of our fifth publishing year with boundless gratitude that we were able to come so far. SeniorsSkiing.com[Read More…]
We’re about to switch from publishing weekly, as we have since October, to our once-a-month off-season schedule. Many of you are back on the golf course or in your boats. The next time you’ll see SeniorsSkiing.com in your in box will be May 31. SeniorsSkiing.com had a record season. In November we celebrated our 5thyear of publication with a party[Read More…]
Tell Us About Your Season, Pondering The Last Turn, Mystery Horse, Snowbasin Report, E-Biking Coming Up. Signs of the season winding down include ads and promotions for next year’s season passes. The time is now to get the bargains. One development to note is that Arapahoe Basin COO Al Henceroth said that the resort is ending its 22-year relationship with[Read More…]
There’s a difference between skiing and a skiing experience. Confused? Let me explain. With just a few exceptions most of my 65-seasons have been spent skiing. I can’t remember every day or every run, but riding up and skiing down so many places and in so many conditions has been wonderful. Small areas, enormous areas: in retrospect they were variations on a[Read More…]
He may not be the world’s oldest skier, but at more than 5000 years, he is the world’s oldest and best-preserved wet mummy. Given his advancing years, Ötzi is in particularly good shape. Named for where he was found in 1991 by two hikers on the Italian-Austrian border, Ötzi now resides in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in the[Read More…]
Horses And Skiing Have A History. Yes, skijoring. But where, who, when? Anyone ever skijor? What’s it like? Many thanks to the Alf Engen Museum, Park City, UT, for contributing this spirited photo of skijoring in (hint, hint) the West. The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation was established in 1989 with a mission to preserve the rich history of skiing[Read More…]
First Fat Bikes, Now E-Bikes. The Cycling World Is Spinning Up Innovation. An interesting phenomena has started to surface in the cycling industry. From July of 2016 to July of 2017, there was a 95% jump in sales of E-Bikes in what industry regulars say is currently a $65 million segment of the cycling business. Sales have been booming and[Read More…]
Uncrowded, Beautiful Views, Variety Of Terrain, No Hotels. Older skiers would really like Snowbasin outside Ogden, UT. You have nearly 3,000 acres in which to avoid other skiers and 3,000 vertical feet to get some rhythm going. A remotish location keeps lines short midweek. Lifts whisk you up to the top of six scenic, craggy peaks: two high-speed gondolas, three[Read More…]
Take Away Senior Discounts? Epic vs Ikon, Italy Update 2, Mystery Cable Car, Mammoth And Jackson Hole In Spring. Glancing through the Boston Globe last Monday (April 8), our eyes locked on a front page story: ” ‘I’ve earned it.’ Or have they? Are senior discounts deserved?” The point of the article is that while seniors figure they’ve “earned” discounts[Read More…]
Considering a ski trip to the Alps? Here are a few suggestions from our four-week journey in Italy. They may make your trip a bit easier. Travel light: We didn’t, and we regret it. Unless you’re going for the entire season, take one parka (possibly a shell), one pair of pants, and a variety of fast-drying layers. I took two parkas,[Read More…]
The Dolomite Ski Safari we recently completed started and ended in Cavallino d’Oro, a small hotel near the historic market square of Castlerotto, a village in the South Tyrol. Cavallino d’Oro has been a hostelry for more than 700 years. Today it is beautifully appointed, comfortable, and welcoming. The Dolomite range in the northern Italian Alps is a UNESCO World Heritage site,[Read More…]
The First Week Of April Brings “Gapers” To JH And A Different Skiing Experience Editor Note: We are quite pleased when readers submit articles for publication in SeniorsSkiing.com. David Barnes is a long-time reader who sent us this account of a yearly ritual at the venerable Jackson Hole. Thanks David. Jackson Hole. Two words that strike double-black-diamond terror in the[Read More…]
Maple Syrup Time, Dolomite Ski Safari Update, Resort Reviews, Miss Tweedie, XC Lessons There is clearly a disparity between snow conditions in the East and the West. New England areas are starting to wind down, with some closing this weekend and others hanging on a week more. Exception: Killington will strive on until May, as usual. Out West, the snow[Read More…]
We just completed a six-day Ski Safari in the Dolomites. It should be on every serious skier’s bucket list. The Dolomites, or as the Italians say it, Dolomiti, is a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Italy. It received the designation because of the natural beauty and unique local culture. The region, also known as South Tyrol, is the[Read More…]
