Tag Archive for: SeniorsSkiing.com

Tamsin Venn

Coasting Most Of The Way

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Senior Cyclists Love Gravity And Vice Versa.

Franconia Falls offer a cooling off spot. Bring your bathing suit! Credit: Tamsin Venn

Pedaling up and down hills on a mountain bike has its rewards, but we prefer trails that have an emphasis on the downhill. We suggest three great places in the White Mountains of New Hampshire at or near ski areas to do just that. Important: We use suspension mountain bikes that absorb the bouncing over roots and rocks.

The Lincoln Woods Trail off the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) just west of Lincoln, N.H., is one good trip. You cross the suspension bridge over the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River and follow it on a gradual climb 2.8-mile bed of an old logging railroad (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recarea/?recid=74669). At the next bridge, you turn left up the trail to Franconia Falls, which is spectacular with a natural water slide. Go ahead, jump in and cool off. The return trip is a screaming downhill all the way back to the parking lot. You dodge some of the old ties and rails still visible. Total trip 6.5 miles up and back.

Another good coaster is The Franconia Notch Recreation Path (https://www.traillink.com/trail/franconia-notch-recreation-path/). The asphalt path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park, following the Pemigewasset River for nine miles, ending at the Flume Gorge, then merging onto Route 3 for the last five miles back into Lincoln. The first leg is a bit of a climb up to Cannon Mountain, then the path drops, tempting you to whiz down the hills after you’ve crawled your way up, but there is a 20 mph speed limit (!)

The path passes Echo Lake, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram, The Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site, where you can use a brilliant visual gizmo to recreate the old stone face above you (the Old Man tumbled down in 2003). You also pass Lafayette campground (ice cream anyone?), The Basin (icy water cool down?), and finally the Flume Gorge. Bring a lock for your bikes. This trip is eminently doable thanks to Rodgers Ski & Sport (http://rodgersskiandsport.com/) which will shuttle you from its store in Lincoln to the path’s start for $10 a person.

Remember the Old Man? Here’s a unique tool to bring him back, sort of. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Next day, we zipped south to Waterville Valley Resort via I-93. The extensive well-maintained cross-country ski trail system is a blast for biking. You cut through the woods and explore a variety of trails for all abilities through the National Forest. Everything from meandering dirt fire roads to gnarly single-track is available, plus lift access to biking trails on Snow’s Mountain, the first ski trails in Waterville Valley. (http://www.waterville.com/adventure-center/).

Our favorite run is to take the Snow’s Mountain Chair ($9 single ride and $21 all day pass) and zoom down the wide Livermore Road back into town, crossing babbling brooks and wood bridges, in an Eden-like setting. We branch off onto Swan’s Way, a single track, which leads you back to the Town Center. More scenic is to follow the Connector past the Mad River. Then relax outside with live music and cold drinks, even if you didn’t necessarily break a sweat.

Trail junctures post YOU ARE HERE maps (a good printed map is also available), graded beginner, intermediate, expert in XC ratings, so you always know where you’re going.

Do you have a coasting trip you could recommend? We’re open to suggestions.

At the top of Snow Mountain Chair at Waterville Valley. Credit: Tamsin Venn.

Roger Lohr

Developing Golf Course Ski Trails

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New Revenue Source For Those Beautiful Fairways.

Snowmaking at a golf course? When it is too cold to play golf, might as well ski. Credit: Nordic Group International

Cross country (XC) skiers hit a hole-in-one once their local golf course, which has been converted to an XC ski area, is covered in snow. Golf courses are ideal for XC skiing as they are often easier than other trail networks for skiers, and they provide easy access to people looking for a convenient winter excursion. And now, Nordic Group International (NGI) will pay $500 for a referral of a golf course that is interested in developing winter recreation such as tubing and cross country (XC) ski operations (and becomes a client of NGI). There are currently more than 170 golf courses in North America that have groomed XC ski trails.

Jonathan Wiesel of NGI wrote an article for Golf Course Management Magazine in 2009, and he is now putting his money where his mouth is.  That is, he is looking to help golf courses in snow regions develop winter operations. Why would a golf course facility want to add winter activities? The opportunity includes increased revenue, maintaining staff positions, providing community recreation, providing winter amenities for existing or prospective property owners, and so on.

A gold course in winter is a perfect setting for xc skiing, and perfect for seniors who prefer gentle slopes. Credit: Nordic Group International

Profitable winter operations could include XC skiing, tubing, sledding, snowshoeing, fat biking, sleigh rides, dog sledding, ice skating, food and beverage sales, lodging, and special events such as winter weddings and meetings. NGI has teamed up with the SE Group (an premier mountain/outdoor planning firm) to offer services such as feasibility studies, planning and design, snowmaking and lighting, tubing/snowplay layout, turf management strategies, construction oversight and marketing planning.

While such an operation makes sense in a region where it snows regularly during the winter, having a snowmaking operation would guarantee favorable snow conditions. Regular programming can extend the operating season at both ends to increase revenue from early and late season activity. Additionally, lighting the trails will attract skiers and tubers that are unable to visit during the daylight hours.

Such a winter operation would work well in an area that is a major population center, but it also allows resort destinations to take advantage of the winter season. The capital investment for an operation would involve variables such as site topography, extent of existing infrastructure and facilities and the size and orientation of the market. With as little as four-six inches of snow, a winter operation could be launched.

The golf course winter operation is not a pipe dream. Successful winter trail facilities have been in existence across the continent for many years in places such as Woodstock Resort, VT, Sun Valley, ID, Bretton Woods, NH, Weston, MA, Garland Resort, MI, Calgary, AB, Bozeman, MT, and in Breckenridge, Aspen and Steamboat in CO. For more info, contact the trails and land planning consultant at www.nordicgroupinternational.com.

Harriet Wallis

Product Review: Company Based On Tea’s Cancer-Fighting Properties

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Tea Offers Flavor, Enjoyment, And Health.

Cold Buster tea blend soothes colds and is caffeine-free. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Let’s make it clear. Tea cannot cure cancer. But the chemical make up of many teas can be part of a healthy anti-cancer lifestyle.

It’s not hocus pocus. Tea is a most studied anti-cancer plant. Check out what the National Cancer Institute says about tea’s anti-cancer benefits: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet

But let’s start at the beginning.

Maria Uspenski was healthy and active until she was slammed with ovarian cancer that turned her life upside down. That’s when the IBM engineer and tech business owner launched full bore into making nutrition and lifestyle changes to give her a life-saving edge. She learned that teas can boost the immune system and might inhibit cancer.

In 2004, this cancer survivor founded The Tea Spot, a woman-owned tea and tea ware company in Boulder, Colorado.

So what about the teas?

I like tea, but I’m a beginner. I had no clue there are so many kinds of tea, and I don’t speak “tea language.” But I like to explore tea flavors and try new tea techniques. It’s okay to be a beginner and learn as you go. Real connoisseurs, however, will appreciate the breadth of The Tea Spot’s offerings.

They offer many, many types of White, Green, Oolong, and Black teas. And there are also Herbal, Mate, Organic and Pu’erh teas.

I’d never heard of this Pu’erh-thing, so I looked into it. It’s a special process that gives those teas an earthy taste. It’s thought to do good things such as: reduce cholesterol, aid digestion, improve weight loss, and it might relieve hangovers.

Each tea has its special properties and benefits. And the Tea Spot site describes each tea in detail. There are so many teas to try.

The bottom line:

The market is saturated with health drinks. Perhaps it’s time to try tea as your health drink.

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

Roger Lohr

Book Review: The Nature Fix

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Your Brain On Nature.

[Editor Note: Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com and SeniorsSkiing.com’s Nordic Editor, reports on the therapeutic effects of being outside.  We thought it, now we know it.]

Lupine field, Sugar Hill, NH. Credit: Roger Lohr

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2017, provides the most compelling argument to date for people to spend more time outdoors in nature, based on an increasing amount of biological, psychological and medicinal scientific evidence.

Over the years, efforts have been made to quantify nature’s impact on mood, well being, ability to think (remember, plan, create) and sociability. The “biophilic” hypothesis involves lowering human stress, boosting mental health, restoring attention, empathy, and cognitive clarity. Nature also affects a social component like the feeling that is shared among people who spend time together outdoors or people who perform exceeding acts of kindness in the aftermath of a severe environmental event such as a tornado, earthquake, firestorm, and such.

The recommended prescription for getting outdoors in a “nature pyramid” includes both quick doses and longer spells in wild places. Specifically, humans should:

  • Get out in nature nearby on a daily basis for some minutes to de-stress, find focus, and lighten mental fatigue,
  • Spend weekly outings at parks or waterways for an hour or so, and
  • Go on monthly weekend excursions to natural areas to bolster immune systems.

The top of the pyramid includes annual or biyearly multi-day wilderness trips. More significantly, such wilderness experiences are invaluable for adolescents or those who are in grief or suffering trauma.

The author traveled the world over to investigate and experience research on nature’s impact on humans. In Japan, she saw “forest bathing” on a sensory walk in the woods on one of the 48 forest therapy trails in the country. In Scotland, they call it “eco therapy.” She met with a Korean professor of “social forestry” who introduced her to the world’s only college degree for forest healing. In South Korea from 2010-2013, visits to the forest increased from 9.4 million to 12.7 million, while in the USA there was a decline of 25% during the same time period.

The evidence (20 pages of cited notes and credits) about nature impact involves details with cortisol levels, sympathetic nerve activity, heart rate decline, and hemoglobin in the brain’s prefrontal cortex.  The book is replete with that type of information, which may be news to most people who may not be familiar with such neurological details.

One of nature’s benefits are delivered through sound—a bubbling brook, bird tweets in the early morning, the leaves moving in the wind, and so on. But the US Park Service claims that 83% of land in the lower 48 states sits within 3,500 feet of a road and that within 20 years 90 percent of the population will be close enough to hear at least one of the projected 30,000 airplane flights per day.

In Finland, 95 percent of the population spends time recreating outdoors and 50 percent ride bicycles. It is easy to access forests because 74 percent of the country is covered by trees and there are two million summer cottages for a population of two million Finns, who claim the focus on nature correlates to reduced health care costs and mental and physical fitness.

Williams visited Singapore, where 70 percent of the population lives within 400 meters of green space. The government in Singapore allocates .6 percent of the national budget to develop scenery and greenery.

There are successful nature programs to help people who suffer with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Outward Bound did a study on a therapeutic adventure program showing 9-19 percent of participating veterans who had PTSD, improved. Williams includes a discussion about ADHD programs where 6.4 million kids are diagnosed and half of them are taking medication for the malady.

Isn’t it about time that more therapists, doctors, teachers, and parents prescribe getting outdoors more often?

 

Jon Weisberg

Marker Recalls Some 2017/18 Touring Bindings

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Possible steel pin breakage in Marker’s Kingpin models 10 and 13 may lead to lower release forces and result in falls, according to the manufacturer.

Marker is recalling its 2017-18 Kingpin toe binding

The ski touring binding is targeted at the backcountry market. Marker is replacing the binding toes at no cost. If you have the binding contact your local Marker Authorized Retailer or visit https://www.marker.net/en-us/support/recall/ for assistance.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (July 20)

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More On Skiing Chile, Fat Bikes For Seniors, Mammoth Invests In Summer, Lost Baby Robin, Alone In The Woods.

Casey grabs some pow at La Parva, Chile. Credit: Casey Earle

Summer is in full glory as we write this. So far, in New England, we’ve had a massive, long-lasting heat wave, heavy rains, clear skies, and classic summer days.  We’ve been hiking, riding our bike in prep for a charity ride in a couple of months, sailing, and generally enjoying the outdoors.  And that is probably not unlike what you, dear reader, are doing this summer.

In our recent survey, we asked what kinds of summer activities you were involved in.  The collective responses revealed a demographic of active, fitness-oriented seniors who have a vast array of different activities off the snow. In a way, you inspire us to get going when we’d rather be lazy.  We have readers who are volunteers restoring historic vessels, one Master of Foxhounds(!), lots of gardeners, car show exhibitors, swimmers, tennis and polo players, weight lifters, dog trainers, yoga practitioners, and community service activists.  Well done, SeniorsSkiing.com readers! In fact, you’ve shown us another side of you, an interesting you that we’d like to know more about.  So, we’re going to follow up with a new feature next winter profiling some of our readers who have unusual and noteworthy past-times.  Stay tuned.

This Week

Our focus on the Southern Hemisphere continues with another look at skiing in Chile.  This time, SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Casey Earle tells us what to expect when you ski in Chile; be advised, it’s really different from your local area.

Long-time correspondent Pat McCloskey tells us about the emergence of the “Fat Bike”, a mountain bike with tires on steroids.  Turns out, fat bikes are boon to seniors who love to ride the gnarly.  If you’re looking for a new way to ride, check out what might be a serious game changer for our many readers who cycle.

Utah-based correspondent Harriet Wallis has time on her hands as she recovers from a wrist injury.  She recounts a charming tale of rescuing a baby robin. Who hasn’t had an encounter with a baby bird outside the nest?

Washington state-based Yvette Cardozo has taken a trip down to Mammoth Mountain to report on the investments in summer activities funded by the Alterra Mountain Co., Mammoth’s new owners.  It’s amazing what $10 million will do when poured into developing non-snow activities.  How about a Mega-Zip line from 11,000 feet down to the base lodge?  Whee!

Finally, we are publishing “Alone In The Woods, A Lost Hunter’s Guide,” a document we discovered a few years ago from the State of Maine. It is filled with advice and guidance on surviving in the woods if you are lost, injured, or just unlucky.  Despite the folksy presentation and cartoon illustrations, the content is invaluable.  We’re offering it as a free download to all readers. Tell us what you think.

El Nino Cometh

We’ve been called a bit nerdy for watching the El Nino conditions in the Eastern Pacific.  Nevertheless, the La Nina-El Nino natural oscillation has shown to be predictive of the weather not only in North America but around the world.  The latest report from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Service says the probability for having an El Nino are literally warming up.  Here is what a classic El Nino winter looks like:  Remember, this is a prediction of the future in a chaotic weather system.  Learn, but don’t place any bets.

A typical El Nino winter may be in store for 2018-19. Credit: Climate Prediction Center.

 

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Tell your friends about us.  Remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away!

 

 

 

Short Swings
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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An old story tells of a teacher who before summer break would always advise his students to do three things: Take one long walk. Read one good book. Make one new friend.

It’s advice I try to follow.

 

Every day, before the heat sets in, I walk to the end of our road. It traverses a magnificent high desert landscape with tall cliffs and a verdant mountain slope. Some days I continue another 30 minutes across the desert, into a slot canyon and up to a waterfall. The temperature in this lush narrow space can be 20 degrees lower than the desert. It’s wonderfully refreshing.

I’ve read several books over the past few months. One of them is Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan. Set in Milan and the Dolomites during the Nazi occupation of Italy, it’s based on the true story of Pino Lella, a teen-ager who uses his climbing and skiing skills to help Italian Jews escape to Switzerland. Pino becomes the driver/interpreter for a Nazi general, has a love affair, and experiences numerous nail-biting adventures. Following the war he moves to America and teaches skiing at Mammoth. Dave McCoy, Mammoth’s founder, is quoted saying seeing Pino in deep powder was “like watching a dream.” I found the book so absorbing that its 500+ pages went by in a weekend.

I thought that approaching 75, as I am, making new friends wouldn’t be so easy. But I was wrong. Just last week, I attended a workshop on conflict resolution taught by a Zen Buddhist monk and an Aikido master. I was the oldest person in the room. Many were half my age. But we were there to learn, to interact and to share stories. It’s nice to be in a group for several days learning new things and making new friends.

SeniorsSkiing.com Trail Masters

Next month we’ll announce the 2017-18 Trail Masters. 106 of you skied or exceeded your age last season. The ten oldest in the group range from 76 to 79. Each will receive our new Trail Master patch.

Indoor Ski Area To Open (FINALLY) in NJ Meadowlands

Year-round skiing and boarding will be available at Big SNOW America, a 12-story, 180,000 square foot indoor ski area in New Jersey’s Meadowlands. the area will be part of a shopping mall with 450+ stores and restaurants. Development of the indoor area started in 2003 and had numerous stops and changes in ownership. Once completed, it’s proximity to New York and it’s airports is expected to turn it into a major destination.

Mount Snow’s Carinthia Lodge is Gone

Built in 1960, it is being replaced by a $22 million structure that will carry the same name. The 38,000 square foot building is expected to open for next season.

SeniorsSkiing.com Fifth Anniversary Gathering

We’re planning a mid- October party to celebrate five years of publication. It will be held in a private room in a pub on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Advertisers and ski resorts are contributing SWAG. More details starting in September.

 

Yvette Cardozo

Summer Adventures At Mammoth Mountain

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Non-Snow Activities Make Mammoth A Family Summer Vacation Stop.

Climbing the Via Ferrata at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.Credit: Peter Morning, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.

Ok, picture yourself, flat on your belly in “Superman” position, hurtling in the air down a mountain at 60 mph.

No wonder Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort calls this the Mega-Zip. It’s billed as the “most vertical in the USA” (some 2,100 feet from the top of the ski resort at 11,053 feet) to the bottom.

Definitely not for the faint of heart. Adrenalin junkies, line up here.

The mountain is aiming to open the zipline by late summer, before all these non-snow goodies have to close for the winter season (and skiing!). And it’s got three more adventures, one in the works and two others already operating. The “taste of climbing” wall called Via Feratta is being built. The ropes course for kids 12 and under (gotta grab ‘em early) is already open, as is the Woolly’s Mining Co, a gem mining adventure for kids.

The zipline starts at Mammoth’s top, 11,053 feet and plunges over what some locals call “Oh S*%t Cliffs,” heading down at speeds billed at “over 55mph.” The run is more than a mile long from top of mountain to the base, and you will be able to descend side by side with other folks on parallel cables.

The whole ride is actually in two stages, starting from the very top and going on a somewhat sideways path to the mountain’s Chair One, where people exit and get on a second line all the way to the bottom.

Mammoth hopes to open it by early September, which would give about a month before winter snows start.

The Via Ferrata, which translates to “Iron Path” is a mid mountain mostly horizontal traverse along a cliff face. Rebar is being secured into the cliff face and the adventure will include ladders, suspended bridges and iron rungs, among other things. There will be six different routes that progress in difficulty.

“We think of it as an intro to climbing,” said Justin Romero of the mountain’s marketing department. “The idea is to give people who have never thought of climbing an idea of what it’s like.”

You go with a guide, he added, you are clipped in at all times and the total vertical is about 180 feet as you follow a set trail for 300 feet more or less horizontally across the rock.

The website says “perfect for families, groups or individuals. No previous climbing experience required.”

Photos of what it might look like show folks in full climbing gear … helmet, harness and the rest.

Kids’ Ropes Course at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Credit: Peter Morning, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.

Then, for those kids you found climbing the kitchen cabinets while still in diapers, there’s the kids ropes course for children 12 and under. The site says, “Climb, stretch, balance and crawl your way through 10 different elements that include a climbing net, log walk, planks, swings and more before you rappel back to the ground to finish.”

But for the parents, it’s nice to see all this isn’t THAT high off the ground, and the final rappel drops a fairly tame 15 feet.

A lot of these improvements come courtesy of Alterra Mountain Co., which now has interest in a dozen ski destinations, including CMH (heli skiing). The company, which recently merged with Intrawest, pumped serious money into Mammoth. Some $10 million is being used this summer on the zipline, the cliff climb and both children’s adventures along with improvements to Canyon Lodge.

Besides the zip and climbing route, folks in summer can mountain bike, hike, just ride the gondola for the view and in the greater Mammoth Lakes area, fish, kayak and more.

Summer season is usually early June through end of September when the snows arrive.

For more information: https://www.mammothmountain.com/

People enjoy and photograph the view of lakes from the top of the gondola at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. This viewpoint is a short hike from the gondola top. Credit: Yvette Cardozo

Harriet Wallis

Tale Of A Baby Robin

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You Can Find Adventure In Your Own Back Yard. This Adventure Began In A Window Well.

Found: Baby Robin in distress. Credit: Harriet Wallis

[Author’s note: I’m stuck at home with an arm in a cast. Can’t drive. Can’t hike. Can’t, can’t, can’t. The baby robin tale is a good reminder that adventure and joy can be right at home.]

Laurie called to me: “A baby bird has fallen down into the window well.”

A little robin sat as still as a stone. His little beak pressing against the glass, and his eyes looking in. He couldn’t fly out with his stubby little wings, and his mom couldn’t get down into the narrow space to feed him. There was no other choice. The little fledgling had to be rescued.

Laurie climbed into the window well, put the little fluff into a bucket, and lifted him out. But then what? He was limp and weak. His one foot curled uselessly under him. How long was he in the window well? How long since he’d been fed? Instinctively he opened his mouth wide.

When I was a child, I raised a baby robin by feeding it worms. My dad and I would go into the back yard after dark and get onto our hands and knees. We’d shine a flashlight onto the grass and spot the night crawlers coming up out of the soil. We’d catch them as food for my little robin.

Worms. Robins eat worms. We have a box of fishing worms stored in the refrigerator. Laurie put a fat worm onto a paper plate and cut it into bite size pieces with an old knife.

The little mouth opened wide and she dropped a piece in. Gulp. Down it went. Then his little mouth opened wide again. Repeat. Repeat. He consumed the whole worm.

We got on the internet and read up on what to do with a fledgling bird. We were relieved to find that birds have a poor sense of smell, and handling the baby would not cause his mother to abandon him. And we learned what to do.

The next step: Build a temporary nest for him from a little box and shredded paper towels. We put the worm-fed baby robin into the temporary nest, and put the nest on a stool beneath the tree where he was born. We hoped his mom would find him.

The passive, weak little robin came to life. Did the good meal revive him? He jumped from his cushy nest onto the edge of the box and called loudly: Mom! Mom! Mom!

Adult robins flew in with bugs in their beaks to feed their fledglings on the ground. But they ignored him. He wasn’t one of their own. He called and called— but he was all alone.

Daylight was fading, but we saw him jump off the edge of the box and stumble over some long blades of grass. Then he disappeared.

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

Free: Baby Robin, well-fed and alert, about to head out to the world. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Pat McCloskey

Fat Bikes Are A Boon For Senior Cyclists

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New Technology In Mountain Bikes Can Keep Seniors On The Trails.

Here’s a Fat Tire bike; carbon frame has room for wider tires. Credit: Pat McCloskey

Remember when you first bought your first pair of “shaped” skis?  I do.  I jumped on them to take advantage of an easier turn and less work.  Fast forward, I have a nice quiver of skis now with some 107s under foot for powder, loose snow, and crud.  Just point and shoot with total confidence.  Equipment keeps senior skiers in the game.

Same thing with mountain biking.  For several years now, the rage has been “fat” bikes and plus size tires with lower pressures for traction and control. Recently, while watching some friends maneuver very easily over tombstone like rocks and greasy roots here in the East, I marveled at the control that the plus tires and full suspension give the rider.

For those of you who are not familiar with the plus tire revolution, the description of plus refers to any tire width that is basically 2.6 inches and wider in diameter.  Most mountain bike tires have traditionally been in the 1.95-2.3 inch diameter range.  But in recent years, the technological advances in mountain biking have developed carbon frames which are compatible with wider .35 mm rims that accept a wider width tire.  With lower tire pressures around the 12-psi to 15-psi range, the plus technology allows the rider to have a more plush ride with suspension that grips gnarly terrain like glue. For the senior rider who wants a challenge but wants to maneuver safely through rocky, rooty, terrain, the plus bikes are just like our wider width skis—just point and shoot.

Knobby Fatties grip any kind of trail and make the going smoother. Credit: Pat McCloskey.

While riding behind one of the best riders I know who happens to be in his late sixties, I noticed that he didn’t even pick his lines anymore on a technical trail.  He just points the 3-inch tire and rolls over everything.  So, I recently purchased a 29er plus, full suspension bike from Salsa and VOILA, I do the same.  I feel much more confident with the plus technology.  A definite “plus” for a senior rider who still wants the challenge.

Many of the current generation of the plus bikes now (either 27.5 or 29ers) come equipped with the SRAAM Eagle components.  Simply put, they have a wide range of gearing with a 50 tooth cog in the back that allows for easy climbing of virtually anything that is thrown at you on the trails.  Even though the plus 29ers, for instance, are a little heavier than the standard carbon full suspension bikes, the Eagle gearing makes it easier for a senior rider to maneuver the plus bikes up a steep, rock strewn trail.  Personally, I love the “old man” gear and even though my local bike shop employees say I don’t need it, I definitely want it, and I use it.  I will take every advantage I can—on the slopes or on the trails.

So, take a look at plus technology.  Those 3-inch width tires may be a little excessive for your local trails and you may want to scale back to 2.67 or 2.8, but the lower pressures, enabled by wider profile rims, make life a lot easier and more enjoyable on the trails for a senior rider.  Modern equipment keeps you in the game, folks.  Take advantage of it.

Here’s the big 50-tooth inside “old man” gear that provides mega leverage. Credit: Pat McCloskey

 

Casey Earle

More Ski Chile: What To Expect From A Chilean Ski Trip

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Some Adjustments Necessary To Ski The Legendary Mountains Of Chile.

For many, a typical Chilean ski trip will seem a bit like traveling back in time to the USA 30 or 40 years ago. Some of the lifts date back even further than that! While the ski areas around Santiago are progressively upgrading their infrastructure, snow making, grooming, and security, the ones further south remain, in a word, funky.

Most Chileans do not speak English, but those in ski schools, tourism, and management positions generally do. If you have no Spanish, you should still get by just fine, as people are mostly helpful and warm. The Chilean peso converts at 630 to the dollar.

Expect a lot of surface lifts, mainly t-bars and platters, but also the infamous “va et vient” lifts at Portillo (more on that later). On the plus side, these lifts are usually fast, run in windy weather (which is frequent), and you can bail out easily enough if they stop for whatever reason. Some of the chairlifts are second hand from Europe or the USA, and only one high speed quad exists, in Valle Nevado. Lifts open at 9:00 and close at 17:00, with most skiers coming out at around 11:00. Lunch runs from 12:00 to 15:00.

A lonely ride at Corralco. Remember those Poma lifts? Credit: Casey Earle

Don´t expect to get good snow conditions information from the ski area websites, often it is outdated, wrong, or simply non-existent. Portillo is very reliable, but for other ski areas you may have to resort to analyzing webcams or scouring their Facebook pages.

The weather and snow conditions in the Central zone are generally very good. With few but furious snow storms, and occasional extremely light, dry snowfalls, most days will be sunny, fine-packed powder skiing. Off-piste is often limitless, with the southern exposures accumulating triple the amount of the northern ones. With both the sun beating down, and the storm winds roaring in from the north, only in exceptional years can the true north faces be skied, and thus almost all runs are south facing. The season normally runs from mid-June to the end of September.

Casey grabs some pow at La Parva. Credit: Casey Earle

You have to go at least 400 km south from Santiago to the next ski area, Nevados de Chillan, the beginning of the southern climate zone. Here the storms are more frequent and wetter, and the mountains are lower, with skiing starting near or at the tree line. Most people consider skiing in this area more towards spring, when the weather improves. Packed base data is often referred to in meters, reaching up to 5 meters in places. The season in the south often starts late June, and extends into October, with backcountry excursions (on the volcanoes) going into November.

Nevados de Chillan on a windy day. Credit: Casey Earle.

Large hotels are few, at best one per area. La Parva has no hotels, large or small. Aside from Portillo, most people go for the day, or lodge in cabins, small hotels, hostels, or property rentals near the ski areas. Airbnb, Booking.com and other websites have a wide variety of lodging available. In general, what you see is what you get. Chilean food is quite palatable for American tastes, with lots of familiar (and some very unfamiliar) dishes, all accompanied by great local wine and beer.

Lift ticket pricing is based on high and low season, and age group. Avoid the two middle weeks of July, which is the kids winter holiday, as it is quite expensive and crowded. “High season” prices go from July to early/mid August in general, then just weekends, except for Sept 17-19 (National Independence holidays). Seniors start at 65, with about a 20-30% discount on normal adult prices, which run around US$70 in high season and $50 in low. La Parva has a class of seniors from 60-65, and then “super-seniors” as 66+, which only pays US$18 anytime!

Next up is a review of Portillo!

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (June 22)

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Southern Hemisphere Special, Safe and Sane Cycling For Seniors, Zany Videos, El Nino Coming.

Yes folks, it’s the start of the ski season in far away places below the Equator. Here’s a picture of downtown Santiago, Chile, which received a highly unusual coating of snow for the first time in years.

If there’s snow in the city, there’s more in the mountains. Credit: anis_velasco/instagram

And in New Zealand, The Remarkables, those beautiful, mystic mountains from Lord of the Rings fame near Queenstown, are open for the season.  Check out the video of opening day at the bottom of this article. Nearby Coronet Peak has been open for a couple of weeks.  Here’s what the early season skiing looks like down there.

First turns of the season at Coronet Peak, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Skiing Chile

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to follow the snow during the summer and weren’t quite sure how to do it, we have a new series that might get you started.

Portillo Plateau, Chile. Amazing skiing starting now. Credit: Casey Earle

In celebration of the beginning of the snow season in the Southern Hemisphere, we have an orientation to skiing in Chile by a new SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Casey Earle, an American ex-pat who lives and skis down there.  His first article describes the different resorts what line the magnificent Andes mountains. You will hear more about skiing in Chile in the coming months.

Biking With Young Hammerheads

Veteran cyclist, skier, and SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Pat McCloskey offers some advice for seniors who ride with a gang of younger riders.  He has strategies for going around the loop safely and saving face at the same time. It pays to recognized the limitations that senior status brings, especially on a mountain bike.

Have You Seen These Videos?

Here’s Opening Day at The Remarkables, Queenstown, New Zealand. Click below for the festivities.

And, Check Out What Happens To A Show Off When His Ski Flipping Trick Doesn’t Work. Click the picture below.

Finally, mountain biking down Corbet’s Couloir? First time ever, but you can be sure it isn’t the last.  Thanks Teton Gravity Research. Click on picture to view.

And Looking Ahead. El Nino Is Knocking.

Weather worriers are looking at an emerging El Nino pattern forming in the eastern Pacific. El Nino comes around when the surface water temperature increases ever so slightly in the ocean west of the Peru and Ecuador. Since everything in the weather world is connected, that water temperature change impacts the atmospheric wind patterns which impacts the everyone’s weather.  From the Weather Channel Explainer:

“If El Niño conditions are present during the winter, the jet stream pattern over the U.S. shifts and can result in a wetter-than-average winter across the southern tier of the U.S., including portions of California.

“During an El Niño winter temperatures are also typically cooler-than-average from the southern Plains into the Southeast and warmer-than-average from eastern Alaska into western and central Canada and into the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains and Midwest.

“The strength of the El Niño plays an important role in impacts across the U.S., including in the tropical Atlantic. At this point, it is too early to know when an El Niño pattern may develop and how strong it might be.”

Happy First Day Of Summer.

Onwards.  Have you bought your season ticket yet? Time to pay attention to whatever deals are left.

And tell your snow loving buddies about SeniorsSkiing.com.  Remember, there are more of us everyday, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Jeeping the High Country

A few weeks ago we took the five hour drive to Ouray, Colorado, to escape our desert heat. Ouray sits at 7792′ surrounded by peaks in the San Juan Mountains in the southwest  section of the state. The scenic Victorian mining town rightfully calls itself “The Switzerland of America.”

Jeep, Jon, Pam, and April high above Ouray, Colorado. Mark is behind the lens.

It’s 47 miles from Telluride on normal roads; about 17 miles via old miner’s roads that ascend to 13,000+’, through meadows, past waterfalls and snow fields. Our friends Mark and April took us on a tour. Mark saw it as an opportunity to demonstrate the super powers of his super Jeep, a high-clearance 4WD,  tricked out to take rough high country roads like a Lexus takes the freeway. What a ride! We climbed “roads” that on foot you’d need to navigate with pitons. We descended cliffs that mountain goats avoid. Given the choice between stream and bridge, you can guess the choice we made. Eventually, we travelled a stream. Others might seek the dry route. With this vehicle, the wet way was just fine. We picnicked near a waterfall before descending back into the valley. If you go, we can recommend staying at the Hotel Ouray, a fine Victorian hotel in the center of town and dining at The Outlaw. There are other good restaurants scattered around the town. Although we’ve never used it, Ouray has a large hot springs facility. The “Million Dollar Highway” (US Route 550) from Ouray to Silverton is gorgeous, and Silverton (home of Silverton Mountain, the legendarily steep lift- and heli-served back country ski area) is filled with neat stores, restaurants, bars and art galleries.

Alterra Purchasing Solitude Mountain Resort

Alterra Mountain Company announced this week the acquisition of Solitude Mountain Resort, the gem in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon. Alterra was formed last year and owns Deer Valley, Steamboat, Winter Park, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain, Stratton, Snowshoe, Tremblant, Blue Mountain, and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. It also owns the IKON Pass.

Vail Acquiring Crested Butte, Okemo, Mt Sunapee

Vail Resorts is in the process of acquiring Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain in Vermont, and Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire. The sale includes Vermont’s Okemo Valley Golf Club and Tater Hill Golf Club. The three areas are being sold by Triple Peaks, LLC, owned by members of the Mueller family which purchased Okemo in 1982, Mount Sunapee in 1998, and Crested Butte in 2004. The State of New Hampshire needs to approve the Sunapee acquisition for it to proceed. Vail Resorts announced it will honor previously purchased Okemo, Mount Sunapee, and Crested Butte 2018-19 season passes.

Deer Valley Adding New Chair

Deer Valley Resort, recently acquired by Alterra, is investing $8 million in a new high speed quad, improved snowmaking, expanding its fleet of groomers, and replacing its rental equipment. The quad will replace the Homestake chair which carries skiers from Silver Lake Village to the top of Bald Eagle Mountain.

Utah Skier Visits Drop 10%

Poor and inconsistent snowfall contributed to a 10% drop in skier visits to Utah last season. The state had 60% of average snowfall according to the National Weather Service. Nationally, skier visits were down 3%.

Hedy Lamarr Doc Filled with Surprises

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is a documentary film released last month. The exceedingly well-done film tells the story of the Austrian-born actress who helped define Hollywood beauty and informed the visual portrayals of Disney’s animated Snow White and Batman comics’ Catwoman. The surprising part of her biography is that she was an inventor who patented a communications technique contributing to Allied victory in WWII and that is used in virtually all modern telecommunications. Why do I mention this in SeniorsSkiing.com? She also started a lodge in the early days of Aspen. It’s now the Aspen Villas. The film is available on Netflix.

 

seniorsskiing

Vail and Alterra’s Unfairness Doctrine

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Editorial

Regardless of whether the steady elimination of season pass senior discounts is personally insignificant or presents a financial burden, you should be aware of the lack of fairness and gratitude exhibited by this new policy.

Through Vail’s EPIC Pass and Alterra’s IKON pass, the companies are advancing elimination of senior discounts, while acquiring more areas. In fairness, some localized Vail Epic passes offer senior discounts. But Alterra’s pricing policy is more draconian because it substitutes its own IKON bundled pass for (most) local area season passes. In doing so, it also eliminates local area senior pass discounts.

Granted, for those who choose to travel to ski, IKON and EPIC offer decent value. But for most Alterra resorts, those who don’t travel but want to ski at one of the Alterra areas are now forced to purchase the bundle.

Why is the elimination of senior discounts unfair? Because areas removing senior discounts still offer student and military discounts.

Why does the elimination of senior discounts reflect a lack of gratitude? Perhaps the most obvious reason is related to our years of participation and support. After 30, 40, 50, 70 or more years of supporting ski resorts, why can’t resort operator’s reward us for our collective loyalty? It’s done in many other industries.

A subtler and possibly more significant reason is the older skier’s role in introducing young people to a  sport whose US  base hasn’t grown in 35 years. The most recent SeniorsSkiing.com reader survey shows that grandparents are a major factor introducing grandkids to skiing and boarding. Fifty-eight percent of the respondents were grandparents. They introduced more than 68% of their grandkids to the sport. Of those, 94.5% continue to participate. Considering that each grandparent or grandparent set has an average of 3.7 grandkids, the influence of older skiers on new skier/boarder recruitment — one of the biggest issues facing the ski resort industry — is profound. Why yank discounts when we’re helping to add new skiers and boarders?

Maybe they think they can boost revenues because we’re an easy and decentralized target. Maybe the people making the decisions have a built-in age bias. Maybe it boils down to old-fashioned greed.

And maybe it wouldn’t be so disturbing if it were fair. But it’s not fair. It doesn’t recognize our decades of support to the industry. It does not take into account that most of us go midweek. And it ignores our role introducing new skiers and boarders to the joys of being on snow.

We’d like your thoughts on this point of view. Please comment.

Casey Earle

Ski Chile: An Introduction For Neophytes

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Chase The Snow To Summer’s Skiing Headquarters In The Southern Hemisphere.

Come May, you have probably set your skis into hibernation and begun patiently waiting for the snow to fly next fall. But you really don´t have to wait!  Southern America’s greatest mountain range starts getting snowed on in May, and by June the ski areas are normally in full swing.

In Chile the resorts are sprinkled just east of the Pan Am highway along the 700 mile stretch from Santiago south, at roughly the equivalent latitude of central California. With an 80 year tradition of skiing, you will find a whole new world of winter adventure, lasting into October on good years.

Santiago and the Andean foothills, after a rare low altitude snowfall. Credit: Casey Earle

Visitors will be happy to know that within a two hour drive of the airport in the capital, Santiago, there are four good ski areas, and upwards of 70 percent of winter days are sunny. Closest are the Three Valleys, which hang above Santiago on the western slopes of the Andes. At night, you can see the snocats grooming trails from this metropolis of seven million!

The La Parva, Valle Nevado, and El Colorado ski areas are interconnected, and it is possible to enjoy a total of 40 lifts and dozens of groomed runs, with multiple options for lodging and dining. Skiing here starts at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, reaching up to 12,000 feet, and is entirely above the treeline. The sunsets are extraordinary.

Casey looks out from El Colorado ski area towards the upper Valle Nevado and La Parva lifts. The 18,000 foot El Plomo mountain looms in the background. Credit: Casey Earle.

Two hours north of Santiago is the world-renowned Portillo hotel and ski area, smack in the middle of some of the highest mountains in the Western Hemisphere. The hotel sits looking north over the mysterious and beautiful Laguna del Inca lake and boasts a long tradition of great service and entertainment. Here you can rub shoulders with racers and ski fanatics from all around the globe.

Portillo and the Plateau chairlift (spot it!), with the Laguna del Inca. Credit: Casey Earle.

Further south, the ski area infrastructure and access may leave a bit to be desired, but I love it nonetheless. All of the ski areas are situated on volcanoes which have varying levels of activity. They are also surrounded by gorgeous temperate rainforests, lakes, rivers, and hot springs. The main ski areas are Nevados de Chillan, Corralco, Villarrica, and Antillanca. The first three have adjacent towns within a 30 minute drive with plenty of lodging and other touristic services. All but Villarrica have a good hotel at the ski area base.

Villarrica ski area, note the smoking volcano. Credit: Casey Earle.

My recommendation for potential visitors is to contact one of the tour companies operating in Chile, or book directly with one of the on-hill hotels such as Portillo. You will have one of the best and most unusual ski trips of your life. Most of the tour operators

Las Araucarias ski area, west side Volcan Llaima. Credit: Casey Earle

in Chile are mainly for younger, adventurous skiers, such as Casa Tours or Powder Quest. However, for the +50 crowd, I can recommend DreamSki Adventures which offers group guided resort based tours in Chile and Argentina for the 45-70+ skier. Their guides are seasoned ski instructors trained in the CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructor Alliance) and offer a high degree of customer service on and off the snow.

Come on down!

For the latest in conditions in Chile from Casey Earle, click here.

Here are the resorts mentioned.

Pat McCloskey

Cycling Efficiency For Seniors

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Bottom Line: Knoweth Thy Limits, Wise One.

Ride with younger guys? Then ride wise and slow down. Credit: Pat McCloskey

As I  was pounding the rocks of  Laurel Mountain on the mountain bike with  a group of younger riders here in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands, I was thinking strategy.  At 63 years old, I am still in pretty good shape but the older I get, I start thinking about the old adage “age and treachery will beat youth and skill”.  Not really applicable in most cases but at least I can try – right?  So the first thing I think of is: don’t push the anaerobic limit to be the first up the hills and over the rocks.  Let the young guns deal with that and I will just keep them in sight.

I have learned to ride within myself and only exert myself enough to keep a visual on the group, especially with a longer three hour + ride.  A more scientific approach is the below which is done with a heart rate monitor:

  • Zone 1: 60 to 70 %; very comfortable effort; use this for warmup and cool down
  • Zone 2: 70 to 80 %; comfortable enough to hold a conversation; most training is done here
  • Zone 3: 81 to 93%; “comfortably hard” effort; you may be able to say short, broken sentences.
  • Zone 4: 94 to 100%; hard effort; the pace is sustainable, but conversation is a few words at a time.

Author Pat McCloskey ponders whether to go around a big section to get back to the parking lot.

Basically the zones are dictated by two theories.  The original theory is dictated by the target maximum heart rate of 220 minus your age. Then you can calculate with a heart rate monitor which zone you can ride in.  This calculation is not quite accurate because it does account for conditioning.  A better way to use the zones is to calculate what is called Heart Rate Reserve which is your max heart rate minus your resting heart rate. Find out what your real max heart rate is by exerting yourself in Zone 4 with a monitor and then in the morning at rest, calculate your true resting heart rate.  This allows for conditioning and the zones can be used according to that calculation on a heart rate monitor.  All in all, I use a monitor on rides to tell me when I am exerting myself above my perceived rate of exertion which will lead to fatigue on a long ride if I am not careful. Use the monitor and slow down accordingly.  As long as I keep the group in sight and can be in the Zone 2 area, I am a happy rider.

Another strategy is not to ride every section but take a breather and bypass a section and/or coast to the next meeting area.  Sometimes that means taking a fire road instead of a technical trail..  I like to challenge myself and take the technical sections but I know if I take them all, I will not be able to keep up or complete the ride.  Ride to ride another day is my motto, and I am not out to prove anything.

Lastly, know your limits and know when you are finished.  You don’t want to get hurt and if you are too fatigued, it can happen easily on a mountain bike.  Sometimes you have to cut out and take the fire road back to the parking area for a head start on the post ride beer.  Hey, you had a good ride, with younger, stronger riders, but for a guy who is older, this is the way to stay involved without compromising your ride or theirs.

Riding season is upon us, and there is no reason not to challenge yourself within limits.  Go for it.  Have fun but as Harry Callaghan once said, “ A man has to know his limitations.”

Cross or divert? Use your noggin and your heart rate monitor to decide. Credit: Par McCloskey

mikemaginn

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (May 18)

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Survey Results: Summer Activities, Summer Trail Prep, Sacropenia Defense.

We are in high spring, as it were, as of this writing, and yet they are still squeezing out runs in Killington, VT, and will be until the end of May. Here’s a pic from last weekend from Aspen East Ski Shop’s Facebook page.

Still turning at Killington with one week to go. Credit: Aspen East Ski Shop

And also at Killington, Scott Howard, (65) a senior skier (!), has managed to break the unofficial record for the total number of vertical feet skied in a

Vertical record holder (unofficial) Scott Howard. Credit: Scott Howard.

season.  According to Trace, his iPhone app, Scott has racked up over six MILLION vertical feet by skiing 60 runs a day, seven days a week. Just so you know, six million vertical feet is equal to 1136 miles. That’s a little short of the distance from Vermont to Colorado.

Couple more runs, Scott, and you can head to the hot tub.

For more about this achievement, click here to read story from our friends at Snowbrains. 

Meanwhile, most of us have put up out skis and are into our non-snow activities. In case you are wondering, what do senior skiers do in the off season.  Let’s look at the results from our recent survey.

Non-Snow Activities From SeniorsSkiing.com Spring Survey 2018

We asked our readers what activities they participated in after the snow melts. Here’s the top ten.

  1. 57.83% Hiking
  2. 39.32% Road Cycling
  3. 37.31% Gardening
  4. 36.54% Touring independently domestically
  5. 32.44% Touring independently internationally
  6. 30.78% Golf
  7. 26.93% Kayaking
  8. 22.78% Fishing
  9. 21.18% Camping
  10. 19.69% Mountain Biking

The most interesting write-in comment was Dragon Boat Paddling. We also noted many write-ins for Tennis, Swimming, and Hunting. We should have made these choices in this survey and will include them next time. Your comments? Reactions?

This Week

Correspondent Yvette Cardozo takes us up to Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia where we learn how trails are prepped for summer.  Check out those cows! And we hear from Arthur Razee, a new contributor, who explains how do deal with sacropenia, the condition that causes muscle loss in older folks. It happens to us all, but we can manage to deal with through diet and a specific exercise.

Also, we say goodbye to our old friend and mentor, venerable and veteran ski journalist John Henry Auran. You can read a tribute here.

Meanwhile, stick with us through the summer.  We have some interesting stories lined up and we do want to hear from you. Please, please tell your friends about us.  Remember, there are more of us every day and we aren’t going away.

Meanwhile, here’s a shot of a May snowstorm in Charlotte Pass, New South Wales, Australia, where the season is just getting under way.  It’s snowing somewhere in the world every day!

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Are older skiers the Rodney Dangerfields of the slopes? Sometimes it feels like ski resorts show us no respect.

Consider that there are no Epic or Ikon senior discounts, and, in the case of some Ikon resorts, there no longer are local season passes and the senior discounts associated with them.

Some of the big players are doing very well. Vail Resorts, which owns Epic, reported a 58% increase in second quarter net revenue over second quarter 2017. Part of the increase was a one-time bonus from the new tax law; part of it was from increases in lift ticket and season pass products.

Like any other business, the ski industry follows the money. Which brings me to one of the key findings from our most recent reader survey. Fifty-six percent of all respondents spent $1000 to $5000 per person on skiing and related activities last season. More than 10% spent $5000 or more per person.

The same can’t be said for Millennials and Gen-Xers, the industry’s primary target markets.

One in five U.S. skiers and boarders are 52 or older. Our survey, which had more respondents than any of our previous reader surveys, showed an average of 15 days on the hill. More than one-third skied 23 days or more.

For those bottom line oriented ski executives who may be reading this: We use your facilities more and spend more than the youngsters. Think twice before removing senior discounts.

 

New Canadian Resort to Have Longest Vertical in North America

Valemount Glacier Destination is being developed in the Cariboo Mountain Range in British Columbia. When completed, it will have the longest vertical drop in North America (6726′) and the third longest in the world. Developers expect it to become a year-round skiing and sightseeing destination. Near Jasper National Park, the area already has substantial infrastructure. When completed, there will be skiing on several mountains, the largest of which is Mt XXXX, which summits at XXXXX ‘. The resort is a 75 minute drive from Jasper. It is located on the trans-Canada rail line and has a local airport within walking distance of the resort base. Larger airports are several hours away.

According to Tomas Oberti, project manager, the first phase is expected to open for day skiing in December. Full build-out of the project will occur over 20 years.

More on Valemount Glacier Destination at http://valemountglaciers.com.

Seven Skiers Die in Alps Storm

Seven skiers on the Haute Route in Switzerland died in a sudden storm in early May. They were part of a guided group forced to overnight in freezing temperatures. Adding to the tragedy: they were just a few hundred meters from an alpine hut. Elsewhere in the Alps, the storm claimed the lives of another seven climbers and tourists. It was the most loss of lives in Switzerland since 1999, when 12 died in an avalanche in the Valais.

 

The Daily Senior Skier Skinning Session at Arapahoe Basin

Doris Spencer is 72; Kent Willoughby, 79. They have been skinning up A-basin for nearly 18 years. This short documentary inspired me. I expect it will do the same for you.

 

Snowbird’s One Star Season

The Bird just issued this one-minute video summary of the season. The resort characterizes 2017-18 as a “one star” season, but you’d never know it from the skiing and boarding in the video.

 

Baltimore Ski Club Celebrates Member’s 90th Birthday

Dave Karczmarek, BSC Director of Ski Trips, recognizing John Wotell on his 90th.

John Wotell turned 90 in February, and the Baltimore Ski Club recently turned out in force to celebrate. A long time skier, he and his wife, Ann, were active members of the Ski Club of Maryland since the 1960s. For years, he was president of the group and made “President for Life” when he stepped down. He celebrated his 90th at Big Sky. Happy Birthday, John!

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Skiing Grandparents Play Major Role Introducing Grandkids to Winter Sports

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Courtesy: Daily Mail

Grandparents who ski or board play a major role introducing their grandchildren to the sport. This is one of several significant findings from the April reader survey.

It was the fifth SeniorsSkiing.com reader survey, and it produced the largest reader response to date.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents identified as grandparents. The introduced more than 68% of their grandchildren to the sport. Importantly, 94.5% of the kids continue to participate. Each responding grandparent or grandparent set has an average of 3.7 grandkids.

These “gateway grandparents” may instruct the kids, pay for lessons, or encourage their adult children to do the same. Even if the grandparents don’t live nearby, readers report that they purchase equipment and clothes as gifts, and often host family ski vacations.

The average survey respondent is 68 and skied or boarded an average of 15 days last season. More than one-third skied 23 days or more.

“As this survey shows, grandparents play a major role introducing younger people to skiing and boarding,” observes Mary Jo Tarallo, Executive Director of Learn To Ski and Snowboard, the national initiative dedicated to spreading the joy of skiing, snowboarding and winter sports.”At a time, when the ski industry is seeking ways to attract more participants, the SeniorsSkiing.com survey results shed light on grandparents as a reliable but overlooked source of new skiers and boarders.”

Grazing cows
Yvette Cardozo

Summer Trail Prep: How It’s Done

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What Happens When the Snow Disappears Along With The Crowds?

Grazing cows in summer help cut grass on ski runs. Part of summer prep. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort.

Bet you’ve never thought about how your favorite ski runs get cared for when there’s no snow on the ground.

Yes, they have to be prepped each summer.

Seth Worthen, slopes manager at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Canada, explained how his 11 person trail crew works. And it’s a seven-day-a-week job.

Willow and alder trees, for instance, can grow four to six feet over the summer—the height of an average person. You might think of willows as bushes, but if left alone, they can become 20-foot trees, fast.

“We use a flail mower,” said Worthen. “It practically makes the willow into chips. Even the larger ones can be laid down flat.”

Summer flowers and hiking at Sun Peaks Resort. Summer prep of ski runs will include cutting the grass after the flower bloom. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort.

The crew starts low on the ski mountain in May as soon as the snow clears. But they often can’t get to the tops of runs until July because of lingering snow.

Early grooming years at Sun Peaks Resort were spent removing stumps and rocks. So now, most runs are just grass.

“We mow ‘em with an off road mowing machine, making stripes up and down. Sundance almost looks like a golf course. When you mow two or three feet of grass growth, it lies down and insulates the ground so we need only 25 – 30 cm (about a foot) of snow to open.”

And then, there are the cattle.

Four farms in the area have grazing rights on Crown recreation land. That means the nice, smooth, grassy ski slopes get help with grass cutting from the bovines. Some years, it’s only a few hundred cattle, but it theoretically could be thousands.

So another job here is setting up electric fences to keep the cattle out of the core village. There are gates so people can access hiking trails.

Among the other jobs, there’s cutting some trees along the edges of existing trails each summer to widen them a bit. Also choosing and marking winch cat trees. These are the trees the grooming cats attach cables to so they can manicure steep ski runs in winter.

“We bore into the trees to make sure there’s no decay,” said Worthen.

That’s a smart move when you are expecting to have a cable on a tree keep an eight ton snow cat from sliding uncontrollably down the mountain.

Summer prep is not exactly a hazard free job. One recent summer, one worker was herding a bull (yes, there are bulls among the grazing cattle) when she stepped wrong off a log and broke her ankle. We know she healed just fine because this winter, she was helping run dogsled tours.

At least a third of the runs are prepped each summer, though there are north facing runs on Mt. Morrisey that get more water so the willows grow faster and have to be dealt with yearly.

Thanks to the fact most runs are now just grassy trails that are skiable with a fairly thin layer of snow and are helped by snow making on major green runs, the resort is usually ready to open for skiing each year by the second week of November.

https://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

Summer flowers and hiking at Sun Peaks Resort. Summer prep of ski runs will include cutting the grass after the flower bloom. Credit: Sun Peaks Resort.

Arthur Razee

Sarcopenia: Insidious Muscle Loss Can Be Managed.

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It Can Happen, But Don’t Despair.  Read On.

A fitness program that includes resistance training can forestall muscle loss.

Sarcopenia or muscle wasting is a condition which affects almost everyone starting about 50 years of age.  Do you have it?  Look in the mirror: Your once proud biceps and pectorals have sagged, your pants are falling down, no more butt, your legs look skinny. What looks like loose skin is really the loss of muscle. You find yourself skiing on easier slopes, minding how you climb stairs, playing less aggressive tennis, and basically losing muscle tone.

Is all lost? No, indeed.  A prominent medical school subjected a group of older folks who used walkers to a resistance training program.  In 90 days, they were able to ditch the walkers!

Apparently, the secret is a resistance training routine with some dietary changes.  A structured program in resistance, i.e., weight lifting, similar to a body builder’s program is the key.

In addition, older folk do not process proteins well. When it’s snack time, we go for crackers or other carbohydrates. This subdues your appetite but contributes nothing to your protein intake and robs your body of the space that could be utilized for protein.  Find a protein source for your snacks.  I am fond of beef jerky. Or try Greek yogurt, trail mix, almonds, peanut butter and celery, and others. Check here for ideas. Protein drinks are okay, but don’t use them as a meal replacement.

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

Resistance training for seniors is a case of make haste slowly. There is potential for injury and an untrained individual needs to be careful. Proper form is absolutely critical for injury prevention and instruction by a professional is required, either at certified trainer at a gym or a physical therapist.

Medicare covers about 20 physical therapy visits a year. Get a referral from your primary care provider. Medicare with a United Healthcare supplement (AARP) has the Silver Sneakers Program which allows you unlimited visits to a gym on the program.

If you do have some resistance training experience but have been lax for a while, start off slow.  Start with a lower body workout—squats, lunges—that use your body weight only for four weeks.  Then add light dumbbells. A weight which allows you to complete three sets of 10 reps without undue exertion is the signal to increase the load, never more than about 10 percent.

Don’t forget your upper body. Most gyms have an array of weight machines which reduce balance issues.  Once again, find a personal trainer for a couple of visits to learn the form and reduce the chance of injury.

Follow your program three times a week.  You will feel stronger in a month, see results in two months and by the third month you will have developed a life-long habit.

As with all exercise programs, seek the advice of your medical professional and get expert help in starting out.

 

mikemaginn

John Henry Auran: Ski Journalist Extraordinaire, Dies At 90

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The Creative, Intense, Funny, Unique Journalist Will Be Remembered As One-Of-A-Kind.

John Henry Auran, journalist, raconteur, skier, sailor, innovator, enthusiast.

Ski journalist John Henry Auran was the kind of person you could never forget. I worked for John Henry, or JHA, as he was known to some, in the early 70s at SKIING Magazine, then located at One Park Avenue in New York City. Despite different life paths since then, we kept in touch, even as his declining health brought him farther and farther away from the sports he loved.

John Henry was always interested in delving into new products, new racing results, new personalities on the ski scene, new ideas for connecting the reading public with the outdoor winter sports industry. His enthusiasm was uncontainable for finding, thinking, analyzing, reporting, and watching the world for news.

I will never forget when he and I went to a ski boot manufacturer somewhere in New Jersey who promised to show us a then new development in boot fitting. This was the first foam-fitting demonstration ever, as far as I know, in the business. Since John Henry was SKIING’s boot expert, he went for a sneak preview, and I tagged along to take pictures.

At the manufacturer’s “plant”, John Henry was seated in a high chair, like the shoe polishing chairs you see at airports or train stations.  His foot was placed in a plastic bladder which was gradually filled with foam and placed in a boot shell. I distinctly recall him reporting all the sensations that involved: “It’s getting warmer, I feel some pressure,” while a big smile crossed his face. “I’m getting foamed!”

After that, John Henry couldn’t resist asking people if they’ve been “foamed”.  Since no one had, that gave him license to launch into describing the experience complete with gestures and enthusiastic and dramatic commentary. “Everyone should try it.”

He was also an innovator in what created a new genre: the industry show newsletter. At the time, the ski business had three regional shows for equipment and clothing manufacturers and wholesalers to meet retailers run by Ski Industries America. John Henry had a terrific idea: Publish a daily newsletter at each show that reported news, gossip, personnel moves and the like every morning of the show. Sounded like a great idea.

JHA enlisted the staff of SKIING to do some reporting, bring it to us in our editorial corner where he and I would create columns by typing copy into an IBM Selectric. We then pasted the columns to a piece of oaktag with a pre-designed masthead and logo and brought it to a printer where we waited until the job was done. We picked up the edition and distributed it throughout the show venue. Did I mention this process took almost all day AND all night? Trial and error was the name of the game. Despite being exhausted, we knew we had a hit when we saw the show people reading the Show News over coffee. That was true journalism.

John Henry always had a story ready whenever we talked over the years. One of his favorites was about his hometown where he was born in Germany. As a young boy, he was a witness to Kristallnacht in November 1938.  A few years ago, the town government had a commemorative event marking that dark past and invited JHA to come back to join the few other surviving town residents to bear witness and tell their stories of what happened.  Despite his disability, he went all the way back to Germany with a companion, all sponsored by the town. It was a remarkable and touching journey.

John Henry was also an enthusiastic member of SeniorsSkiing.com’s Advisory Board.

John Henry lived in a nursing home in upstate New York for the past decade or so. When I called, the nursing staff would chat while John got to the phone. They would tell me he enjoyed being taken to nearby Hunter Mountain where he would sit in the base lodge watching the skiers and the lift traffic. I can see him there, in my mind’s eye, reminiscing to himself about the equipment, the racers, the dramatic places, the deadlines, and the great writers he knew. Watching the lift go around and around.

Rest in peace, John Henry.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 20)

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Discount Reminders, Season Thanks, Washing Down, Stowing Gear, Abandoned Ski Area Movie, -30-

Killington is still open. Also Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Wildcat, Jay Peak, Okemo, Mt. Snow, Sugarbush. May is possible! Credit: Jamie Frankel

This amazing season hangs on. Even as we write this on April 19 snow is falling in New England, in fact, right outside our window on Boston’s North Shore. We know that the Sierras and Rockies are also seeing spring snowfalls. It will be the last weekend for some, but it’s been years since we even contemplated skiing in May in Maine.

Fourth Season Into The Archives

With this week’s edition, the fourth publishing season of SeniorsSkiing.com is fading into the archives. We will be shifting gears in the next month, bringing articles that reflect our readers’ non-snow season activities on a less frequent basis. We’ll be picking up the pace with new ideas, articles, and offers on the other side of summer.

Bear in mind, the almost 900 articles that we’ve been publishing since 2014 are still and will always be available.  Just check the drop down menus in the blue bar above.

Our Publishing Season In Retrospect

Looking back, we’ve accomplished a lot and worked hard to create value for our leaders. Those initiatives marked SOC can be found under Subscriber-Only Content in the top menu bar. The initiatives we’ve developed in partnership with others include:

  • Mystery Glimpse photos from US ski museums
  • Our Donations to Defray Expenses Campaign
  • Making available 60s Ski Songs from Ray Conrad
  • Arranging exclusive Discounts For Seniors from 20 vendors
  • Publishing Best Skis For Seniors and Best Boots For Seniors (SOC)
  • Creating a directory of  resorts Where Seniors Ski Free (or almost free) (SOC)
  • Offering a free subscription to SKI magazine (SOC)
  • Making available a free digital subscription to Ski History magazine

We also have available on under Subscriber Only Content our first information asset we developed for our readers, complied with the cooperation of the International Ski History Association.

  • Free eBook Collection Historic Ski Posters (SOC)

Early Survey Results: We DO Have Lists Of Discounts.

A quick glance at the survey responses currently rolling in reveals that some readers are wondering when and if we will be offering advice where to get discounts on skiing. We’ve already got you covered.

One of our major early season efforts for the past couple of years has been to identify those ski areas which offer free skiing, or nearly free skiing, for seniors.  We want to point out that information is available under the Subscriber-Only Content menu that is above the blue menu bar. If you are already a subscriber, you will have to confirm your name and email address to get access to that directory. We think confirming your email address is much better alternative than having you create a username and password. We hope you agree.

Spring Survey 2018 Is Still Open.

Responses to our Spring Survey 2018 are still coming in. Thanks to those who have taken the time to give us some valuable input. If you haven’t taken our survey, just click here.  It will take you three minutes, and your advice is important to making SeniorsSkiing.com work for you.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G7YBNCK

Thanks To Our Correspondents: You Are The Best.

SeniorsSkiing.com can’t publish every week during the season without articles submitted by our stalwart correspondents.  You should be familiar with their names by now. Each is a professional, some are active journalists, and each “gets” what SeniorsSkiing.com’s mission is all about: Promoting the interests of senior snow sport enthusiasts.

A tip of the ski pole to:

  • Jan Brunvand
  • Don Burch
  • Yvette Cardozo
  • Rose Marie Cleese
  • Val E.
  • Steve Hines
  • Marc Liebman
  • Roger Lohr (SeniorsSkiing.com XC editor)
  • Pat McCloskey
  • John Nelson
  • Tamsin Venn
  • Joan Wallen
  • Harriet Wallis
  • Jonathan Wiesel

And Thanks To Our Reader Opinion Writers.

This year, our readers have submitted more articles to us for publication than ever. We’d like to acknowledge those who were inspired to put pen to paper to write something for our readers. They made an effort to share their opinions, humor, stories, memories, and advice with you.  Thank you to all.

  • Torry Hack
  • John Farley
  • Bill Emerson
  • Brad Noren
  • Roger Monty
  • Bernie Weichsel

Paying Attention to Gear.

With the season winding down, it’s time to clean and stow your gear. We have two articles with advice for doing same. Val E. gives us 10 steps to cleaning that funky down jacket. And, we reprise Don Burch’s article from last year on putting away your equipment.

Flipping out at the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Squaw Valley. Credit: Charlie Shaeffer.

US Ski & Snowboard Hall Of Fame 2018 Inductees

The US Ski & Snowboard Association has just inducted its 2018 class of new members at Squaw Valley.  We salute the following ski celebrities:  Airborne Eddie Ferguson, Hermann Gollner, Marty Hall, Mike and Steve Marolt, Thom Weisel, Steve McKinney, and Shaun Palmer.

Abandoned Ski Areas In Colorado Documentary

Here’s a short documentary from a production company called The Road West Traveled about ski areas that disappeared from the Colorado landscape. In the 60s and 70s at the height of the ski craze, there were 200 ski areas in the state.  There are currently 30. “Abandoned” tells the story of just one, Geneva Basin, which closed in 1984 with some nice drone shots. But what’s with the dog running down the piste with the skiers?  Thanks to Outside magazine for sharing this.

CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE THE DOCUMENTARY

Or, Click Here for “Abandoned”. 

Look For Us This Summer And Fall.

We’ll be publishing articles on fitness, summer sports, fun things, and skiing in the Southern Hemisphere all with a senior slant for the next few months. Please tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

-30-

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: First US Winter Olympic Medalist Was A Ski Jumper

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Only Two Guesses, One Was Correct.

Apparently, our last Mystery Glimpse of the season was fairly esoteric. We salute reader Patricia Gottshalk for identifying Anders Olsen Haugen, the US Ski Team member who was the first American to win a Winter Olympics medal. He won medals in the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and the 1928 games in St. Moritz. In fact, he remains the only American to ever win an Olympic medal in ski jumping. But there is much more to Anders’s story.

It seems that he originally came in fourth in the 1924 Olympics.  The third place went to a Norwegian, Thorleif Haug, who had already won a gold and a silver. However, in 1974, Norway held a 50th anniversary of the games. A ski history buff had scrutinized the scores from those long ago games and determined there was an arithmetic error in adding the results.  Anders had actually won the Bronze by several hundredths of a point. So, at 83 years old, Anders Olsen Haugen, a long-retired brick layer, was awarded the medal by Haug’s daughter at a special ceremony sanctioned by the IOC.

Here’s a snapshot of Anders and Haug’s daughter.  Quite a story, eh?

And with that, we are pausing our Mystery Glimpse series for the non-snow season. This feature could not have been possible without the incredible cooperation of several ski museums across the country. Each museum mentioned below contributed more than one photo from their archives. We thank them for their support and willingness to participate.

Ski museums are quite precious to us. They are typically small, even tiny, with exhibits made from contributions by skiing enthusiasts who want their souvenirs and memorabilia to live on. If you have some interesting relics from the early days of skiing, considering making a donation to a museum near you.  Here are the museums that participated in this year’s Mystery Glimpse. Thanks to all.

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum

Ski Museum of Maine

New England Ski Museum

US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum

Alf Engen Ski Museum

Museum of Sierra Ski History

 

 

Down Care
Val E

How To Wash Your Down Jacket At Home

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Season’s Over; Isn’t It About Time You Get That Puffy Back To Clean?

Front loader needed for washing down. Credit: REI

Not only are your season-dirty down jackets, vests, and even sleeping bag dirty and smelly, if you left them that way, they would lose their heat-insulating properties. It is easy to destroy your down gear if you don’t follow some basic rules when washing them at home. It’s not difficult, but it does take some time and know-how.

You will need:

  •  a front load washing machine and a dryer (Top load machines are not recommended.)
  • a bucket
  • special down liquid detergent
  • three-four new tennis balls or reusable drying balls
  • a new sponge (for washing dishes)
  • a clean toothbrush (or something similar)
  • three hours of free time.

10 How To Steps

  1. Purchase a liquid detergent specially designed for down.  Try either Granger’s or Nikwax. You will need about a cap (50 ml) for a jacket.
  2. Inspect the jacket and find especially dirty spots. A bright light really helps. Close all pockets, velcro, and zippers. Turn your jacket inside out.
  3. Soak your jacket in cold water in a clean bucket. Drip a bit of detergent on a sponge and create some foam. Apply foam on wet, dirty areas. Let foam to penetrate the fabric for five to 10 minutes. Brush the really dirty areas with toothbrush. Let it soak for 20 more minutes.
  4. Pull out the detergent dispensing tray of your washing machine, clean it thoroughly. Even a small amount of a wrong detergent or a softener can negatively affect the condition of the down.

  5. Tennis Balls or Dryer Balls are needed to keep the fluff up. Credit: REI

    Take the bucket right next to the washer and gently dump your jacket inside the washer. Add three-four new tennis balls or reusable drying balls. Hint: no balls, no worries. Roll balls out of your heavy cotton socks, wet them, and throw into the washer.

  6. Fill one cap of the detergent, (or the recommended amount in the instructions), into the receiver for the liquid medium. All washers are different, so ideally you need the lowest temperature, the slowest speed, and the longest time —one hour or more. Press the button and…take a break: have a cup of coffee or mow the lawn.
  7. After the machine stops, look at the contaminated zones. Again, a bright light is your friend.  If you still see dirt, repeat step three to five. Check again.
  8. Now, On to your dryer. Set the lowest temperature, the lowest speed, and the longest time . One and a half hours or more would be fine. Click the button and…take another break.

Pull out your clean, dry jacket and hang it on a wide hanger. Regardless of the price and the country of origin (China, Canada, Hungary) of a jacket, feathers may come out.  It is just a question of when. This is a natural process, don’t be surprised if it happens to you. Do not pull out the protruding feather because you will create a larger hole in the fabric and way more feathers will follow. Try to push the feather back inside.

9. Almost all down jackets are only water-repellent and not water-resistant (unless they have membrane fabric like Gore-tex). A few percent of all down jackets do not even have water repellent properties. Those are designed to be a mid layer, which goes under a water resistant shell jacket. All the rest have a water-repellent coating. A smart user should restore this coating after washing, otherwise the fabric will absorb and even let moisture go through in case of rain or wet snow. And water is bad for down. Use a product for water-repellent restoration, typically in a spray. Again Granger’s and Nikwax are very reliable. Apply it according to the instructions. Let it dry.

10. Done! It is time to use your downy friend.

Nixwax and Grangers are specially formulated for Down. Credit: Mountain Equipment Coop