Tag Archive for: SeniorsSkiing.com

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Straight Down

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Who Is This And What Is He Best Known For?

Let’s see if you can identify this skier who blazed some very impressive trails back in the 40s and 50s.

Hint: He was also a pilot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

We are frequently impressed by the deep knowledge our readers have on the personalities and history of snow sports.  This week, we were blown away by the several contributors who absolutely nailed the story behind this famous picture.  Well done, readers.

Here’s the story: In 1206 AD, a Norwegian king died and left his baby son, Hakon Hakonsson, as heir to the throne. To protect the infant from enemies, two skiers carried him through treacherous winter terrain to safety in Lillehammer. Their rescue is commemorated every year in the 54=kilometer Birkebeiner race, named for the birch bark gaiter they wore to protect their legs.

Thanks again to the New England Ski Museum for the painting and caption. Congratulations to NESM for opening its new facility in North Conway, NH.

Jon Weisberg

My Sun Valley Serenade

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A few rides on the lift can say a lot about an area. At Idaho’s Sun Valley I was reminded of its friendly vibe and older population of very good skiers.

Sun Valley with Ketchum and Baldy in the background

Anyone reading this knows Sun Valley is one of America’s oldest and most celebrated resorts. In the late 30s to the 60s/70s, Sun Valley helped establish the glamor of skiing by attracting celebs like Ernest Hemingway, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, and Ingrid Bergman. The 1941 romantic comedy, “Sun Valley Serenade” starring Olympic skater Sonya Henie; actor, John Payne, and bandleader, Glenn Miller (“Chattanooga Choo Choo” was one of its songs), is played 24/7 on a resort TV channel.

All of that might be lost on Millennials, but as part of the SeniorsSkiing.com demographic, the importance of Sun Valley should not be lost on you.

It’s the location of the world’s first chairlift. It’s where Warren Miller spent his post-WWII years, and it was and continues to be home town for Olympic champions such as Gretchen Fraser and Picabo Street.

Sun Valley is the resort community adjacent to the town of Ketchum. There are two places to ski: Bald Mountain, in Ketchum, tops out at 9,150′ and has 2,054 acres of almost every type of terrain. At a lower elevation (6,638′), Dollar Mountain mixes terrain parks with blues and greens.

The day of my visit, I got an early start; parking at the River Run lot and taking a short, downhill stroll to the lodge. At the drop-off area there’s a fleet of fat tire wagons to carry equipment the short distance to base lodge. For the most part, Sun Valley’s day lodges are posh and serve excellent food. Restrooms are as nice as in a fine hotel; well-maintained, private stalls, and high-end fixtures. One minor downside is that typically they’re at the bottom of a flight of stairs.

The gondola goes to mid-mountain, where you have access to the rest. From there, I chose a chair that got me close to the top of Warm Springs, the face with more than 3000′ vertical.

About 6″ had fallen overnight and the run, first on black, then blue, was a great way to start. Back at the top, I headed down a ridge where sun-exposed snow was starting to firm. Several chairs and runs later, I stopped in Seattle Ridge Day Lodge to rehydrate and enjoy the great views.

Baldy is about to expand by 380 acres. Cold Springs Canyon, a steep pitch adjacent to Seattle Ridge, is expected to open next season with a new detachable quad.

The cost of skiing Sun Valley is a mixed bag. Seniors (65+) can purchase lift tickets in advance for $89 a day, significantly less than $135 for the youngsters. But there are no senior discounts for season passes. Sun Valley is a Mountain Collective participant. That pass includes two day passes and 50% off the price of subsequent days. If I planned to ski there five or six days, I’d probably use Mountain Collective, currently selling for $409.

I stayed at the newly remodeled Sun Valley Inn. My room was large and tastefully decorated. Off the lobby is the beautiful and understated Ram Restaurant. The menu is diverse, the room has a casual elegance, and the service is excellent. Hemingway could still be perched at the bar.

The Pioneer Saloon

In Ketchum, about a mile down the road, is The Pioneer Saloon, the classic bar and meatery that has been attracting locals and visitors for decades. One evening I met friends at Sawtooth Brewery for first-rate pub food and beer.

Delta, Alaska Airlines, and United have daily direct flights to nearby Hailey from Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Portland, LA, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City.

 

Sun Valley, America’s first destination ski resort, is a classic. I know it’s on a lot of bucket lists. But, like Warren used to say, “Why wait another year? You’ll only be that much older.”

Kingdom-Trails-Fatbike
Roger Lohr

Kingdom Trails: Vermont’s Fat Bike Mecca

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A New Sport Bridges Snow and Non-Snow Seasons: Fad Or Here To Stay?

On the Kingdom Trails in Lyndonville, VT. Credit: Herb Swanson

[Editor Note:  SeniorsSkiing.com is interested in bringing new activities to our reader.  In this story originally published on XCSkiResorts.com on biking with fat, balloon tires, publisher Roger Lohr does an explainer and reports the adventures of a group of neophytes on Kingdom Trails in Northeastern Vermont.]

Fat bikes, dubbed the “Hummers of the two-wheelers’ world” are proliferating with more than 150 cross country (XC) ski areas in North America that welcome fat bikes on their snow covered trails. These specially-made bicycles accommodate ultra-wide tires that can be run at very low pressure 4-8 pounds of pressure, allowing fat bikes to roll over soft, slippery surfaces like snow. XC ski areas and regional pockets across the nation from Vermont to Michigan and Arizona to California and Washington now have fat bike trails with single track groomed and signed trails, rental bikes, and special events.

Snow Sport journalists head off on a fat bike familiarization tour. Credit: Roger Lohr

A small group of North American Snowsports Journalist Association members were recently introduced to fat biking by the welcoming folks at Kingdom Trails in Lyndonville, VT. The group found the bikes easy to balance and maneuver. Similar to XC skiing, the fat bikes provide exercise when going on flat terrain with more effort required up hills, earning thrills on the downhills.

An industry source at QBP, manufacturers of fat bike brands Surleybikes and Salsacycles, boots, gloves, accessories and apparel recently reported that 150,000-200,000 fat bikes that have been sold since 2010. These bikes provide a great way for avid cyclists to stay in shape during the winter season, and they provide different recreational fun for people who are active or love the outdoors.

Fat biking at Kingdom Trails in northeastern Vermont is no small matter. It is the foremost mountain bike destination in the east with more than 40,000 day passes sold in 2017 (20 percent increase from the previous year), and they’ve quickly parlayed this notoriety into becoming a mecca for fat bikers in the winter. Kingdom Trails has 100 miles of bike trails, 30 of which are used in winter for XC skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking, and works with 80 different land owners. Kingdom Trails also hosts Winterbike, which is the biggest fat bike festival in the east. The organization conducted a survey of bikers showing that they are generally aged 45-60 and reportedly attract $8-10 million of business to the region!

At Darling Hill Road in Lyndonville, the Village Sport Shop has a trailside facility adjacent to the Kingdom Trails Nordic Adventure Center renting fat bikes for $55 a day and sells the bikes ranging from $1,800 to $2,800. Fat bike products include softgoods, accessories, and bikes available from companies such as Liv Bikes, Giant, and Pivot among others.

Bike in winter? Fatties make snow country accessible.
Credit: Herb Swanson

Another option for those who would like an introduction to fat biking is to have a guide at Kingdom Experiences take care of all the details. They’ve got certified instructors and want to help cyclists have an experience catered specifically to rider skill and ability levels offering kids camps, women’s clinics and getaways and more.

Kingdom Trails employs three paid groomers, who pack and maintain about 30 miles of trails. Day membership prices (day pass for trail access) are $15 a day for those aged 16-69 and $7 for youth aged 8-15. There are also year-round memberships available with an annual family membership priced at $150. Memberships and rules of fat bike etiquette can be found at the Kingdom Trails Welcome Center in East Burke or the Kingdom Trails Nordic Adventure Center on Darling Hill Road in Lyndonville.

Tamsin Venn

New Legends In The Making

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Ski Museum Of Maine Holds First Annual Seniors Race.

Medaling were left to right: Leigh Breidenbach (Turner). Ginny Bousum (Kingfield), Paul Rogers (Camden), Jill Gray (Farmington), Michael Becker (Winthrop), Tip Kimball (Cumberland Center)
Credit: David Eden

Just when the afternoon light was at its best, the Ski Museum of Maine hosted its first Legends of Maine GS Race at Sunday River. The goal was to benefit the growing museum based in Kingfield as well as to show racing for seniors is both doable and fun.

Off and running. Credit: David Eden

Twenty skiers, 50 to 80 somethings, were assigned decade-appropriate heats. Younger competitors presumably most able to handle the ruts went last. Everyone enjoyed a well pitched course, groomed to perfection by Sunday River officials on Monday Morning off Barker Mountain.

Many racers were veterans of Sunday River’s Wednesday race group clubs, but for some it was a step up from the usual NASTAR course.

Tip Kimball, the only male to enter the 50-59 category, was fastest overall. Maybe youth does still have some advantages. Greg Sweetser, Executive Director of Ski Maine, was only 5.34 seconds behind in the 60-69 division, not bad for an older guy.

Leigh Breidenbach of Turner and a manager for Sport Thoma ski shops, took first in the 60 plus category. She says she raced because, 1) she is a board member and 2) she was the director of the Ski Industries Program at UMaine, Farmington for many years under Doc DesRoches, so she supports the industry any way she can. Her husband, Bede Wellford, 64, was gamely racing “on a new hip.”


Beth Hodgkins in the 60 plus group.
Credit: David Eden

Wende Gray of Bethel and President of the Ski Museum of Maine, also took part. The last time she entered a race was in 1988 at Lost Valley for a ski association event. Her words of triumph after this race: “I did not crash, and I finished.” She took the gates wide to stay out of the ruts, enough to earn a bronze medal.

Top woman finisher in the 70 plus category was Virginia Bousum, 77, of Kingfield, and 13th overall.

Virginia was nervous despite her freshly tuned Dynastar GS skis, her “visualization” prep of Michaela Schiffrin running GS on YouTube, and not listening to the other “guys” warning each other about the tricky gates ahead. Her pre-race training had gotten sidetracked by teaching six-year-olds over the busy school vacation week at Sugarloaf. For moral support, she brought along her granddaughter who had taken the day off from school.

Ultimately though, “It was fun, just ski down, nothing tricky. It was a nice course. They set it up really well,” she says.

For the record, her last major race was a Bonne Bell suntan lotion sponsored race back in the 70s at Sugarloaf.

Bill Hayes, 82, placed third in the 70 plus category on his G9 GS skis. He continues to train at Sunday River with the kids from Gould Academy, where he used to coach. No slouch, he was also on the UNH ski team and coached the U.S. Ski Team. A downhill specialist, he came close to the 1955 Olympics in Cortina but an injured leg kept him out.

How was the race?

“Great, but I gave it too much room. What else am I going to do, sit at home?”

An awards ceremony following at the Barker Bar, with food and drink and Gray’s presentation of medals, plus two trophies, Centrum, ski wax, and Bandaids.

Going forward, plans are to move the race around to other Maine ski areas to spread the word. With any luck the race will take place at Sugarloaf next year with more legends in the making.

Jonathan Wiesel

Cross-Country: Tracks vs Touring

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Groomed XC Trails Are Becoming More Prevalent; Does That Ruin The Aesthetics Of The Sport?

The “natural” experience, just like it was meant to be…Or…

For the past 50 years or so, there’s been a generally amicable debate whether cross-country skiing on machine-groomed trails is preferable to making your own way over the fields and through the woods. The argument has a lot of angles, including “Free vs. Fee” and “Pristine, Silent, and Serene vs. Speedy, Social, Service-based, and Secure”.

…Groomed trails at Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA, easier and less tiring.
Credit: NS Nordic Assn

Clearly, you don’t have to choose one over the other – they’re both delights (and the world’s best exercise), in somewhat different ways. The thing is, as my increasingly complaining bones and joints frequently announce, groomed trails for classic and skate techniques have more and more going for them.

One huge differentiator is that if you want to take up the sport, you’ll be smart to start with one or two lessons from a professional instructor at a cross-country ski area, learning and practicing efficient movement. Undesirable options are learning by yourself off-track (I know someone who tried to do that while consulting a printed manual – results weren’t pretty) or getting often-incoherent suggestions from a friend while floundering in unpacked snow (‘nuff said).

Whether you’re a long-time practitioner or a newcomer, groomed trails make things easier, faster. For classic style, you’re riding on a consistent, packed surface, with your skis guided forward in compressed tracks. (It takes some effort to get lost that way too; whereas I’ve been known to ski in circles in fresh snow, totally convinced I was moving in linear fashion.) Gotta love it, especially if you have balance or vision issues, as I do.

Almost as important, your pole tips are digging into packed snow and no further; while breaking your own trail, the entire basket may sink, throwing off your balance and helping you to get up close and personal to the snowpack. And as many of us have discovered, getting up in deep snow is challenging.

Skate skiers need a packed surface even more than diagonal striders. Two or three inches of fresh snow even on a groomed trail are enough to grab an edge. It’s nearly impossible to skate in ungroomed snow except for spring crust-cruising (not the same as skiing on ice – you can set your edges), which is a joy – crust lets you go almost anywhere, speedily zipping along. Euphoria!

One of the delights of cross-country is that you can evolve from a groomed trail skier to a tourer, if you wish. You’ve developed good classic technique in the tracks; you know how to make your legs do the work and your arms help out – now you can apply those skills in a quieter setting, with shorter strides but still good balance.

Cross-country areas have services – anything from plowed parking to lodges with food and drink, heated bathrooms (also heaven on a brisk day!), rental, retail, even overnight accommodations. Also, groomed trails may have signs, maps, possibly ski patrol, probably snowshoeing – and if you’re wild for something different, increasingly there’s fat biking available.

If you’re taken by the charms of overnight tours, there may be Forest Service cabins in your area (bring your own food, clothing, sleeping bag…). (Editor Note: See Steve Hines’ article on skiing to the AMC Little Lyford Pond Camp in Maine.) And finally, for true adventure, there’s snow camping (bring your own stove, too). Touring with a pack in fresh snow is truly character-building (been there, done that, I happily leave it to today’s kids).

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (March 16)

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St. Patrick Brings Snow To (Much Of) Ski Country, Mystery Myth, The Snow Song, Bundled Pass Impact On Seniors, Maine AMC XC Lodge, Friendly Little Mountain In Idaho.

Brodie Mtn, MA, ground zero for St. Patrick festivities, circa 1970.
Credit: NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

The good St. Patrick might have driven the snakes from all of Ireland, but his advent this year has brought late winter snow into the resorts of the West and Northeast which have all been waiting patiently all season for some healthy depth. If you’ve been praying for snow, you got it.  Now also buy a lottery ticket.

Please Give Our Discounts For Seniors Page A Visit 

This week we’d like to feature two vendors who have joined our Discounts For Seniors page, where you can find a collection of offers of interesting products at steep discounts.

The Tea Spot, a purveyor of specialty-artisan teas and infusers, may seem like an unlikely participant for senior outdoor enthusiasts. But think about. The Tea Spot’s products are not just Lipton look a likes. Tea Spot’s products are loose-leaf teas and its innovative Steepware, designed to extract the full health benefits of tea. The company’s founder, Maria Upsenski, is a cancer survivor who was drawn to the health benefits of tea during her recovery. With a steadfast mission to foster health and wellness through tea, The Tea Spot donates ten percent of all sales in-kind to cancer and community wellness programs. To date, they have supported over 100 organizations and touched more than 10,000 lives. The Tea Spot is a Colorado-based, woman-owned and operated philanthropic business. So, that’s why they are with SeniorsSkiing.com.

Another terrific vendor we discovered at the OR show is OS1st which offers medical grade supportive compression sleeves for knees, feet, arms, elbows, and wrists. OS1st’s compression technology is designed to basically hold joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the right anatomically place. That supports and stabilizes the underlying anatomy is either speeds recovery or prevents common injuries.  Currently on the Discounts For Seniors page is a KS7 Knee Compression Sleeve Brace which we think many readers will find useful to relieve or a least mitigate knee pain.

Another product is the FS6 Foot Brace Compression Sock that is designed to prevent PF pain. If you’re an active senior who runs, hikes, skis, plays tennis, golfs, you know that Plantar Fasciitis can create foot pain that ranges from uncomfortable to miserable.  Here’s a product that might be helpful.

All these products are currently being or will soon be reviewed by readers and correspondents.  We’ll let you know their impressions.

This Week

After missing our deadline last week because of a power outage, we have a very challenging Mystery Glimpse this week. Readers who are steeped into the deep history of skiing might get it. Check it out here.

With all the snow in the East (and West) this week, we couldn’t help passing along a really funny song by a Maine journalist aimed at the perpetual grouches who think snow is the enemy. The production is fun, too.  Watch it here.

Correspondent Steve Hines visits a remote AMC hut deep in Maine via cross-country skis with a small crew of friends who have been heading into the woods annually for many years.  Here’s his report on the Little Lyford Pond Camp.

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg reports on his visit to Pommerelle—no, not a wine. Pommerelle is a small area east of Twin Falls, ID, the kind of area that is a magnet for seniors. Gentle terrain, accessible, not expense.  Read his dispatch from a great off-the-beaten track resort.

Next Week

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  And thanks for the contributions you’ve made that are really helpful in defraying expenses. It is gratifying to see the support we’ve received.

Visit our Discounts For Seniors page, tell your friends, and watch for a very special surprise next week having to do with ski songs!

Remember, dear readers, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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We need to adjust our skiing to our age.

Some readers will probably react with a “Mind your own business,” and that’s fine.

But I keep running into too many people beating themselves up on skis: either forcing old bodies to ski like they did when they were young, or not knowing how to adjust to a more age-appropriate technique.

Several years back I was skiing with a contemporary in her sixties. She skied like she did as a college racer. Impressive, but way to fast for my taste. I waited a long time at the bottom of a bumpy Snowbird trail where her husband met me after patrol had put her into the sled. Broken leg.

I tell everyone I ski with that I ski slowly. I turn a lot, aspiring to graceful form. There are two downsides: it can be tiring, and it makes me vulnerable to being struck by a speed demon. I frequently glance uphill. A few weeks ago while linking tight turns at trail’s edge, I glanced back and saw a youngish boarder on my tail. “Thanks,” she called out. “I enjoyed following your turns.”

Epic Pass Additions

The Vail-owned bundled pass has added Crested Butte, Okemo, and Mount Sunapee for next season.

Boyne Aquiring 6 Areas

They are: Brighton (UT), Cypress Mountain (BC), Loon (NH), Sugarloaf (ME), Sunday River (ME), and The Summit at Snoqualmie (WA).

Harlem Globetrotter on Skis

Globetrotter, Bucket Blakes took a lesson at Arapahoe Basin to promote the team’s March 16 – March 18 Colorado tour. The resulting short video is a refreshing treat.

Colorado

Copper Mountain will upgrade two of its Center Village lifts. American Eagle will become a combination gondola/chairlift. American Flyer will become 6-passenger high-speed bubble chair.

Winter Park will replace its Zephyr Express quad with a gondola.

Montana

Big Sky will replace its Ramcharger quad with North America’s first eight-passenger chair. The new lift, to be ready for next season, will have heated seats and blue bubbles. The older, high-speed Ramcharger will replace the much slower Shedhord double chair.

Quebec

Mont Tremblant will replace its Lowell Thomas chair with a detachable quad. Its main summit lodge, Le Grand Manitou, will be expanded.

 Vermont

Snow gods seem to be favoring the Green Mountain State. Six to seven feet have fallen since beginning of the month. Great time to plan a Spring Skiing trip. This weekend will be filled with green snow and green beer as Vermont areas celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Killington, part of the IKON pass, will continue to offer discounts on its season pass for seniors, 65-79. The pass for 80+ is essentially free (nominal processing fee required).

Stratton will replace its Snowbowl chair with a high-speed detachable.

High Fives Foundation

Jan and Judy Brunvand with their special edition Parlor Skis

Frequent contributor Jan Brunvand sent in this photo with his wife, Judy, holding her special edition High Fives Foundation Parlor Skis. Parlor gives 15% of its High Fives design sales to the non-profit which helps injured athletes reach their recovery goals. Jan is holding the trout skis Parlor made for the American Museum of Fly Fishing.

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: What’s The Story?

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Dire Straits Require Heroic Acts.

Credit: New England Ski Museum

This week, a historic event for Mystery Glimpse.  Can you identify the characters involved in the above picture? What’s going on? Where are they headed? Why? And yes, they are skiing.

Thanks to the New England Ski Museum, Franconia, NH, for hosting this jewel. Congratulations to NESM for opening its new branch in North Conway!

Last Week

Who, where, 1950.

Yes, Stein Eriksen is the racer and the event is the FIS World Championships at Aspen in 1950. This was the first FIS event held outside Europe when Aspen was open for only four seasons. Italy’s Zeno Colo missed sweeping all three events by losing the slalom by 0.03 seconds. Stein Eriksen placed third in the slalom.

 

mikemaginn

Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, This Is Maine, It’s Gonna Snow

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The Half Moon Band Delivers Truth About Living In New England.

It’s been snowing a lot around New England this March. Three Nor’easters in less than two weeks delivered plenty of snow and have basically rescued the spring skiing season for most resorts from Pennsylvania to Maine. But, there are people who think that snow is just frozen water that blocks them from getting to their flight to Aruba. Grousing brings a negative force field.  Embracing the reality of New England weather is healthy.  Proof?  Just watch this ditty by Bangor Daily News journalist Troy R. Bennett and performed by The Half Moon band. Relax, forget those power outages; it’s gonna snow.

Steve Hines

Little Lyford Pond Camps: Companionship, Adventure and Hospitality in the Maine woods

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Long-Time Friends Take To The Maine Woods On An XC Adventure.

Steve Hines (R) and his pals venture into the AMC’s wilderness camps every year.
Credit: R. Boucher

A fresh three-inch snowfall covered the winter parking lot as we arrived for our annual winter ski trip. We felt a quiet confidence as we loaded gear into the gear shed for transport to the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Little Lyford Pond Camps (LLPC). The camp is on the outskirts of Greenville, Maine. At about 9:30 that morning, we put on skis and shouldered day packs for the 6.8 mile trip from the parking lot to the camp. The four of us—ages 63 to 70—are all experienced outdoorsmen.

Head of the Hedge Hog Gate Trail into the LLPC. Credit: R. Boucher

Trips like this were not new to my group of friends. But, what makes people our age want to continue to take adventures like this? Hadn’t we all earned our rest? Shouldn’t we be shopping for “over 55” living arrangements? Perhaps the answers would be revealed during the week.

AMC owns three camps which are on land the club purchased near the Katahdin Iron Works region in north central Maine. The camps had been fishing and hunting camps for “sports” from Portland, Boston and New York, typically wealthier men looking for a respite from their harried lives in large cities. LLPC opened in 1873 during the so-called gilded age in America. These were the days of JP Morgan, the Rockefellers and the Carnegies. Now, the three camps: LLPC, Gorman Chairback, and Medawisla are all updated and modernized for 21st century adventurers.

LLPC was our destination this time, and the only way to get there is to ride a snowmobile or ski in on either Hedgehog Gate XC ski trail or the KI Road (logging road) to Upper Valley Road to the camps. Either way, the conventional wisdom is that intermediate skiers have the best time but beginners beware. Two of us decided on the trail and two on the roads thereby observing the “never ski alone” rule.

LLPC at twilight. The AMC maintains three wilderness camps in Maine. Credit R. Boucher

A few hours later, we four were reunited at the lodge at LLPC having lunch and telling stories. The staff at the camp were all on the job less than six months but were eager to please. In a short time, they’d become veteran innkeepers. Food at LLPC ranges from good to excellent, and we all found plenty to eat. The camp staff also accommodates special needs like vegetarians and gluten free. Trail lunches are provided as part of your stay.

The trail system around LLPC is extensive also ranging from comfortable “kick and glide” trails to challenging, ungroomed trails like Gulf Hagas.

Cross Country skiing isn’t the only winter sport enjoyed in the area around LLPC. Snowshoeing is also popular too. And the Lodge has snowshoes to loan.

While we had many conversations around our wood stove over the course of our stay, there were no clear answers to the existential questions listed at the beginning of this article. We did agree, however, that we all look forward to our next winter adventure.

Snowshoeing around the pond at LLPC. Credit: R. Boucher

Jon Weisberg

Pomerelle Mountain Resort: Vintage Family Area Named for a Favorite Wine

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I recently visited Pomerelle Mountain Resort, a smallish ski area in the Sawtooth National Forest, 75 miles east of Twin Falls, Idaho.

It’s about 25 miles from the Interstate. You get there driving through a long, flat valley and small villages (e.g. Albion, pop 300) before turning onto a road that climbs to the 8,000′ base. Lodge, lifts, and trails are easily accessible from the lot.

Pomerelle typically gets 500″ of snow! Even during this relatively meager season, it’s doing well. About a foot had fallen overnight. Two triple chairs provide access. A long magic carpet serves a dedicated beginners area. The mountain offers 1,000′ of vertical, mostly green and blue. There’s ample tree skiing.

Pomerelle Mountain Resort. Photo: OnTheSnow

There’s also an outstanding school which has taught tens of thousands of people to ski and board. “I tell my friends over at Sun Valley to be thankful for what we do here,” Barry Whiting told me. The 72 year-old has been Pomerelles’ Ski School Director for three decades. “It’s small areas like ours that introduce newcomers to the sport. They learn here and go on to explore Sun Valley and other larger resorts.”

Barry is probably correct, but I met numerous people who learned at Pomerelle and keep returning. In addition to lots of snow, the gentle terrain and lack of crowds appeal to families and older skiers. Prices are part of that appeal. If you’re 70, a day ticket is $25. Group lessons are $35 ($40 with rental) and privates are $60 an hour.

If I wanted to hone my skills with new equipment or following injury, Pomerelle would be on the list.

The lodge is sizeable with a kitchen serving really good basic food. It stays open late to feed night skiers. I didn’t visit the women’s restroom (obviously) but the men’s was clean and well maintained.

Displayed behind the cashier are three bottles of Pommerelle, a long-discontinued brand of fortified wine. The early developers liked it so much that they’d toss bottles in the snow. People who found them got to enjoy the fruity stuff. They decided to name the area after that tradition, dropping one of the ‘m’s.

Even though I didn’t find the terrain challenging, I did find it interesting. I can’t say that for most gentle slopes and trails in other places, but there was enough vertical for a good workout and enough acreage to keep my attention for the time I was there.

Drift Inn, Rupert, ID

There are places to stay in nearby Albion and in Burley, 28 miles away. I chose Drift Inn in the small town of Rupert. It’s in a turn-of-the century National Historic Register bank building across from the town square. Its six rooms and suites are tastefully done. On the ground floor is Henry’s, a full bar and restaurant. Across the square is Sophie’s Chatterbox, known in the area for breakfast.

There’s a certain magic associated with uncrowded, out of the way ski areas that get a lot of snow. Older skiers looking for interesting, gentle terrain, great value, and friendly, old-fashioned hospitality should visit Pomerelle.

mikemaginn

This Week in SeniorsSkiing.com (March 9)

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Many of you took advantage of the new Discounts for Seniors page.

New advertisers joined the program in the past week. We encourage you to visit the page and take a look. Jon and I are selecting advertisers we think you’ll like. To participate in the program, they commit to giving a decent discount.

For example, Wild West Jerky is a small, artisanal jerky maker in the tiny town of Levan, Utah. The community is supposed to be in the geographic center of the state. Knowing this, early Mormon pioneers wanted to name their town, Navel, but the more pious among them were reluctant to do so. Their compromise was to spell navel backwards.

According to Jon, who considers himself a jerky junkie, Wild West makes the best product he’s ever tasted. The company uses all organic meats (beef, pork, buffalo, elk, salmon), processes it by hand, and keeps everything purely natural.

Wild West gives SeniorsSkiing.com readers a 20% discount.

CP Visor Helmets, which makes stylish, practical helmets with a built-in visor that eliminates the need for goggles is selling its product to readers for 20% off.

And Tipsy Elves is offering15% off its selection of retro and silly outfits. If you want to stand out at an end of season party, click on the Tipsy Elves ad.

 

 

 

This week, Harriet Wallis profiles the very active 82-year old, Barbara Stewart, whose father founded Sundance, the Utah resort associated with Robert Redford.

Tamsin Venn tells us about Park City’s new silver mining history tour on skis. Included is a short video of the ore train the resort used in its early days to transport skiers to the bottom of a 1,700′ elevator ride after which they’d get on a chairlift!

Marc Liebman explains how High Fives Foundation is helping skiers and other severely injured athletes get through recovery.

Jon gives his picks for Salt Lake City restaurants that many visitors to Ski City USA may not know about. He also reviews Pebble Creek in Southeast Idaho, a good place to visit with wonderful hot springs nearby.

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We want to thank all of you who donatied to help us publish this free magazine. If you have not yet done so, consider making a modest gift. All donors will receive the new LIV2SKI patch, several stickers, and a hand written note.

Someone mentioned more than 10,000 Boomers retire every day. An unkown percentage of them must be skiers. Twenty percent of all US skiers and boarders are 52+. We’re an important force in skiing, and we’re not going away.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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The first rule for skiing powder is to get to it before anyone else does.

NO FRIENDS ON A POWDER DAY???

It skis best when untracked, and it doesn’t stay untracked for long. The other day at Grand Targhee in Wyoming, I bought a ticket that gave access to the lifts an hour before opening to the public. The other option would have been pricier cat skiing. As it turned out, eight runs in untracked were more than adequate. Once the others arrived — especially the boarders — the snow got cut up quickly and the skiing, while still nice, was no longer the same. It’s a joy to look down a slope devoid of tracks, to drop in, and have that bottomless experience so difficult to convey to those who haven’t. In your wake is a series of cursive turns that are yours. Warren Miller referred to them as your skiing signature.

Speaking of Warren Miller, someone in Montana mentioned he had seen a bumper sticker with this: Thank You, Warren.

Skiing History magazine Honors NASTAR’s 50th

International Skiing History Association (ISHA) will honor NASTAR’s 50th anniversary Friday evening, March 23, in Squaw Valley. The occasion will be featured during ISHA’s 26th Annual Awards Banquet, which also will honor the year’s best creative works of ski history, including books, films, websites and other media projects. Click here to purchase tickets.

 Melting Western Snowpack
A just-published snowpack study by Oregon State University and UCLA shows reduced snowpack since 1955. It’s not snowing less; snow in higher elevations is melting earlier in the season.

Canada

EPIC Pass has added these Canadian resorts for next season: Fernie, Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Nakiska, Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham. EPIC now provides access to 61 resorts worldwide.

Mont Tremblant is introducing its new Tonik Pass which gives 118-day access to the mountain, including 28 weekend days. It’s on sale until April 9 for $449, plus provincial taxes. A $75 add-on gives first track access, gear tune-up, $200 gift certificate at Boutiques Tremblant, other benefits.

New Hampshire

Cranmore Mountain will host its 22nd annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race, March 9 – 11, honoring the founding father of ski instruction who joined the resort in 1939. Event includes Friday night uphill race, welcome reception and Dual GS Race; vintage skiwear contest and silent auction, Saturday afternoon. Proceeds to benefit New England Ski Museum. Free spectator admission.                                     

Utah

Winter had a late start across the West, but March came in like the proverbial lion. Some Utah resorts received 120″ in the last 30 days!!!

Deer Valley 2018-19 season passes are available. Purchased before Oct 15, the adult price is $2365. Senior (65-71) is $1205, and Super Senior (71+) is $1,100.

Vermont

Killington will install a new 6-person high speed bubble chairlift at South Ridge.

Visit skivermont.com for up-to-date conditions for the state’s 20 alpine ski areas and 30 cross country ski centers.

Grants to Enable Injured Athletes

David Weiner is being helped by High Fives Foundation

In January, the High Fives Foundation granted $30,678.00 to ten US athletes seeking to reach their recovery goals. One of the grants went to David Weiner, an experienced skier who lost control on black ice and hit a tree. Started in 2009, High Fives has helped 188 athletes with living expenses, insurance, travel, health, healing network, adaptive equipment, winter equipment, etc.

Jon Weisberg

Pebble Creek: A Locals Area That Deserves A Visit

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Many readers have expressed interest in learning about lesser-known areas.

When I mentioned that to a representative of Visit Idaho, he suggested visiting Pebble Creek and Pomerelle, both in the southern part of the state.

First stop was Pebble Creek, 2,200′ of impressive vertical not far from Pocatello. I skied there two days and stayed nearby in Lava Hot Springs, at the Aura Soma Lava.

Pebble Creek has about 1,100 acres of green, blue, and black in the Caribou National Forest. The base sits at 6360′. It’s a wonderful place with terrific trail, bowl, and glade skiing served by three chairs. I was fortunate to visit right after a dump, because at the time, the area, like others in the region, was behind reaching its typical 250″ total.

For almost seven decades (2018-19 will be its 70th season), Pebble Creek has been the teaching and gathering place for residents of Pocatello and the surrounding area. It has a friendly vibe. I was there on a Friday and Saturday. Friday is when kids from far and wide arrive in school busses for a day of instruction. Under the guidance of Mary Reichman, longtime owner and GM, the program has introduced skiing to children of all economic backgrounds. Because of the area’s generosity, many children from challenging circumstances have learned how to ski or board.

On the road to Pebble Creek near Pocatello

A new owner recently entered the scene. Shay Carl is a 38 year old who made a bundle in an Internet venture, returned and bought his hometown area. He has the resources and plans to introduce upgrades. His brother-in-law, Mike Dixon, is the new GM.

I have a recommendation for readers who want a low key, off the beaten path experience: Fly into Pocatello (flights from Salt Lake City and elsewhere), rent a car, stay at Lava Hot Springs or Pocatello (I tried both), and ski a few days at Pebble Creek. It’s a real bargain. If you’re 66, the day pass is $32. Stay at any hotel in Lava, and you’re entitled to two passes for the price of one!

Lava Hot Springs at night

 

Lava has a state park with multiple odorless mineral water pools, one hotter than the other. Sit there for 20 minutes and any ache or pain you brought from home or hill disappears. If the pools don’t do it, the massage services at Aura Soma Lava or other places in town will. While there, dine at Port Neuf Restaurant or River Walk Thai. For breakfast, the Chuckwagon is outstanding. Pocatello is bigger and with more lodging and restaurant options (the new Fairfield Inn and Suites sits on a hill overlooking the city). It’s also the home of the Museum of Clean, a 75,000 square foot facility dedicated to the history of cleaning. A quirky idea, well worth the visit.

Outside its Pocatello fan base, Pebble Creek is not well-known It has terrific terrain and, except on Fridays when the kids descend, you’ll have the place to yourselves.

I’ll cover Pomerelle Mountain Resort next week.

Jon Weisberg

Eating Salt Lake City

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Staying in Salt Lake City (or Valley) is an excellent option to explore Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton. Ski City USA offers good value (many hotels include a Super Pass with the room), public transportation to the resorts, and a broad range of restaurants and entertainment venues.

Here are some favorites. Check websites for hours and addresses.

Breakfast

For a quickie on the way to the mountain, Tulie Bakery or Eva’s Bakery, downtown serve excellent baked goods.

Sweet Lake Biscuits and Limeade is more leisurely. Egg dishes with house made biscuits and gravy are worth the visit.

Lunch and/or Dinner

Spitz serves fresh and substantial salads and first-rate doner kebab.

Most repeat SLC visitors head for Red Iguana, the venerable and superb Mexican not far from downtown. The downside is no reservations for small parties and long waits. Go around 8:00PM to avoid crowds.

On weekends Dim Sum House serves dim sum that stands up to similar places in San Francisco and New York. It’s large, loud and delicious.

For Vietanmese pho and banh mi sandwiches try one of the Oh Mai locations. One of the better Thai places is Skewered Thai.

Scattered around the valley are numerous local counter-service fast food hamburger places with names like Hires and Astro Burger. A favorite is Crown Burgers.

No one leaves The Copper Onion unhappy, unless they had an overly long wait. Avoid the line with a reservation. The American cuisine is consistently excellent. A block away is Taqueria 27 serving gourmet Latin street food and tequilas.

Several Japanese restaurants are available. My favorite is Kyoto. It has a friendly and fresh sushi bar.

For wonderful Indian or Nepalese food in an attractive location visit Himalayan Kitchen.

Among the pizza places, Settebello is within walking distance of most downtown locations. The Pie near the University of Utah requires a car. It is underground and abuzz with students.

If you’re in the mood for a beer and burger, Lucky 13 is one of several options. It’s a dive bar where you’ll get a glimpse of a colorful segment of locals. The Garage is a set on the edge of the gasworks on the north edge of town. Interesting bar food and live music.

Entertainment

There’s a lot of it in SLC, a stop for most touring groups. When checking listings for downtown venues, don’t overlook free Thursday evening concerts at Gallivan Center. The Excellence in the Community series showcases local talent. I’ve never been disappointed.

Tamsin Venn

There’s Silver In Them Thar Hills!

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Park City: Visit Silver Mining Museum Sites On Skis.

California-Comstock mine shaft entrance
is on the tour. Credit: Tamsin Venn

Led by Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort guides, the new Silver to Slopes tour skis you to various relics of the mining history scattered throughout beautiful scenery. More than 1,000 miles of tunnels lie beneath the slopes here.

We ride up the McConkey Express with our amiable guide Jim Brown. He notes the tunnels buried beneath the lift once served to drain water from mining operations. Yikes.

“There are some things that can go wrong when you are skiing Park City, Utah, but falling down a mine shaft is not one of them,” says Jim reassuringly. (They are all capped. EPA tests the tailings every summer.)

Brown, an effortless skier and keen historian, has brought along a briefcase of old photos to further illustrate the tour. He is one of those transplants (from Florida) who skied Park City on vacay and never left. Ditto our sweep, Debrinne Ferguson from Los Gatos, Calif.,

In 1963, United Park City Mines, the last active operation in Park City, opened Treasure Mountain Resort on the 3,700 acres it owned. Relying on mining engineering know-how, it put up J-bars, a gondola, and even a Skier’s Subway. The segue from silver mining to ski mecca is evident all around you.

First stop is the Silver King Mine’s Head Frame Building, at the base of the Bonanza Express, closed in only 1953. Miners started digging the 1,450-foot-deep shaft in 1890. The only female mine owner, socialite Susanna Bransford, alias the Silver Queen, made her fortune here. You can ski her nearby namesake trail.

Next stop the King Con Mine Ore Bin sitting to one side of Claimjumper. The Silver King Consolidated Mine, not to be confused with Silver King Mine, built the 1,800-foot deep Bogan Shaft here. The nearby King Con lift serves an intermediate’s paradise and is named for the mining company, not the giant gorilla, as many think.

We ride the Silverlode Express past the Quicksilver Gondola, which has linked Park City to The Canyons as part of Vail Resort’s recent $57 million upgrade. At the new Miner’s Camp restaurant here, The Pickaxe Pub displays authentic ore picks, in keeping with the general theme.

Next we ride McConkey’s Express to access the Georgeanna trail that follows the ridge past one of the best views on the mountain: Mt. Timpanogos (11,753 feet), Heber Valley, the town of Park City, the Uinta Mountains, and the top of Deer Valley’s Lady Morgan chairlift.

Mid-Mountain Lodge was once a boarding house for miners (1897) and relocated from the bottom of the mountain to save it from demolition.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

We stop at Mid Mountain Lodge, once a boarding house for Silver King miners (1897), next used by the U.S. Ski Team (1973-75), now a popular lunch spot. Scheduled for demolition, a group of locals had it hauled up the mountain to this spot in 1987. Hurray for recycling.

At the bottom of Thaynes lift is the famous California-Comstock Mine and 1,700 feet below via the Thaynes Shaft is the West End Tunnel where skiers used to ride the Skier Subway to access the Thaynes lift in the early days of Treasure Mountain. The ride took about 25 minutes. Most skiers did it once for the novelty, once for the kids, and that was it, notes Brown. Here’s a video of what has to have been the most unusual lift in ski country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1aUSYfvehE

The two-hour tour takes place on intermediate trails and departs daily from the Eagle statue in Park City Mountain Village at 10 a.m. and from the Bonanza Summit trail map at 1 p.m. Just show up. The tour also helps you get oriented at this mega resort. Donate to preservation efforts at  Friends of Ski Mining History.

For more information, ParkCityMountain.com

The Pickaxe Pub with display of vintage tools is a good place to wrap up the tour.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

 

Marc Liebman

Seriously Injured? High Fives Has A Program For You

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A Community That Can Help You To Get Back To Athleticism.

What if you suffer a life altering brain, spinal or physically limiting injury and want to ski again? Where do you turn? One place is the High Fives Foundation started by Ray Tuscany who was a ski racer who broke his back.

After his injury, he founded High Fives to help create a community to get a skier (but it could be anyone or any athlete) through the recovery process. Tuscany is emphatic when he says High Fives doesn’t have clients or customers, they have athletes!

According to Tuscany, once you have clearance from your doctor and are in the best shape possible, they will help find the funding to get you back on the slopes. The foundation works with the rehab staff to create a plan and a budget for each athlete. To help achieve the athlete’s goals, it provides the financial support—typical grants average around $5,000—to help cover the expenses for adaptive equipment, training, and other bits and pieces to get you skiing again. The foundation pays the providers directly so they can accurately track and report back to their donors where and how the money was spent.

The organization is certified to operate in all fifty states and is headquartered in Truckee, CA. It has offices in Reno and Sugarbush, VT as well.

High Fives also has another program to help disabled vets learn to ski. Through its Military to the Mountains program, each year twenty-two injured veterans are selected by the Adaptive Training Foundation in Dallas and taken through a nine-week program to restore, recalibrate and re-deploy these injured warriors. Many become Paralympians.

For more information, contact Roy Tuscany at the High Fives Foundation at www.highfivesfoundation.org or at (530) 562 4270.

For vets who are interested in what the Adaptive Training Foundation has to offer, their web site is www.adaptivetrainingfoundation.org or you can call them at 214.432.1070.

Military To Mountains participants are ramped up for event at Squaw Valley.
Credit: HighFive

Barbara Stewart Anderson
Harriet Wallis

Barbara Stewart Anderson: A Woman Ahead Of Her Time

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At Age 82, She’s Athletic And Adventuresome. And She’s The Legacy Of Her Ski Pioneer Father Founder Of Utah’s Sundance Resort.

Barbara Stewart Anderson keeps going at 83.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Barbara Stewart Anderson is like the pink Duracell bunny. She keeps going and going. She lives by her philosophy: “If I can do it today, then why not? I may not be able to do it tomorrow.”

Her accomplishments prove her philosophy. She scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef, completed seven treks in Nepal, rode a yak in Tibet, heli-hiked in British Columbia, and reached the summit of 13,679 foot high Mona Loa in Hawaii. What makes it remarkable—she did it in her 60s.

Looking back, Barbara grew up in the era of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s when women observed strict gender roles. But she was never strapped by the expectations of society. Instead of feeling suppressed or confined, she picked up speed. She has always been a woman ahead of the time.

Her list of accomplishments keeps growing. Just 5 years ago, she sky dived, and she also summited 19,341 foot high Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the African continent. She was 76.

Growing up loving the outdoors

Her passion for unbridled outdoor adventures began when she was a youngster.

Her family homesteaded in the beautiful North Fork of Provo Canyon. Her dad, Ray Stewart, built a little cabin near the base of Mt. Timpanogos. During the summers, Barbara and her siblings roamed the hills and hiked to the waterfalls. It inspired Barbara to a life of over-the-top outdoor adventures that continues to this day.

WWII changed the course of lives and skiing

During WWII, the little Stewart cabin became headquarters for training the Civilian Defense Ski and Mountain Corps—sort of a civilian version of the military’s 10th Mountain Division. In addition to first aid and other skills, ski pioneer Stewart taught the recruits how to ski. And that fanned their enthusiasm to continue skiing after the war.

Barbara with photo of dad Ray and Robert Redford.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

When the war ended, Stewart, along with legendary skier Junior Bounous and others from the Defense Corps, cobbled together a rope tow. Stewart bought 1,200 feet of new manila rope for $61 and an old truck for $125 to power the tow. Using written instructions, he learned how to splice the rope into a loop — and it worked. It was the first ski tow in the area.

The tow created new challenges for the whole family. As the oldest child, Barbara was often called on for help. The tow was powered by car batteries, and nine-year-old Barbara helped her dad the lug heavy batteries on and off the mountain so they wouldn’t freeze at night and lose their charge. She also learned to run the snack bar, punch ski tickets and help skiers onto the tow. It was all part of growing up in a ski pioneering family.

As skiing quickly became popular, they built a 50-meter ski jump and raced on the Mt. Timpanogos glacier in the summer. In 1948, famed skier and Olympic coach Alf Engen set the Giant Slalom course on the Timpanogos glacier. The event drew notable racers including Jack Reddish, Dev Jennings, Corey Engen, and Olympian Suzy Harris.

Ray Stewart modified skis so young, energetic Barbara could ski on the glacier too. By the time she was 12, she was winning junior ski tournaments in Downhill, Slalom and Cross Country.

The burgeoning little ski area grew, and it was named Timp Haven. Years later Robert Redford bought it, and it became Sundance.

Stewart was inventive and creative with a passion for tackling the difficult and never giving up. Today, ski pioneer Ray Stewart’s name lives on at Sundance. The main lift is named for him: Ray’s Lift.

Now at 82, Barbara is an icon of taking on challenges and achieving results much like her dad did. She skis regularly with the Sundance Seniors, walks three miles a day, works out at the gym, took first place in a 5K race, and is active in her church and community. Nothing stops her. Many would be exhausted trying to keep up with her.

Over the years, Barbara built a collection of more than 600 miniature skier figurines that are on a rotating exhibit at the Alf Engen Ski Museum at the Olympic Park in Park City. Visitors can also learn about avalanches, sit in a real bobsled, try their knack at interactive ski jumping, and more.

The $10.5 million museum was funded entirely by private donations, including donations from Utah’s famed and philanthropic Quinney and Eccles families. There is no admission charge. Visit and enjoy the museum.

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

Barbara sky diving. Quite a selfie.
Credit: Barbara Anderson

 

Seniors Skiing
seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (March 2)

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Introducing NEW DISCOUNTS FOR SENIORS, Mystery Pic, Smuggs Resort Review, Injury Lesson, Women XC Gold.

This week, SeniorsSkiing.com is very happy to introduce Discounts For Seniors, a new feature that brings real savings to our readers.  All our research surveys have revealed a constant finding: Senior snow sports enthusiasts—our readers—are looking for discounts. Knowing that, we have curated a number of vendors who have agreed to offer interesting products at 15-20% and more discounts to our readers.

From the beginning of SeniorsSkiing.com, we have recognized that our readers are not just winter sport participants; our readers are active all year round—hiking, kayaking, sailing and lots of other sports in non-snow months.  You also have grandchildren.  So our select collection of vendors is eclectic, presenting ideas for products you can use as well as for gifts you can buy for friends and families.

To access our Discounts For Seniors page, click here.  Note the discount code on the ad and click through to the vendor’s site to order.

We are quite excited about this new offering to our readers.  Please let us know what you think.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS DISCOUNTS FOR SENIORS

This Week

Big, high, dry, up in the sky: That’s Taos. Credit: Val E.

Another Mystery Glimpse to puzzle over. This has proven to be a popular feature, highlighting historical photos from ski museums across the country. However, for the first time, we had a submission of a mystery photo from a reader.  Perhaps you have a curious old picture from the past or about ski lore you might want to post.  Let us know.

Correspondent Val E. reports on Taos, the high country ski area in New Mexico which seems to cast a spell on people who ski and live there.  Perhaps it’s the altitude. Click here to read his Taos review.

In another Resort Review, correspondent Tamsin Venn tells us about Smuggler’s Notch, way up in Vermont, next to Stowe. She reports on intermediate trails that range from mountain top to bottom which offer seniors a chance to ski confidently. At the same time, did you know that Smuggler’s has the only triple black diamond in the Eastern US? Lots of variation for families.

Unfortunately, correspondent Yvette Cardozo had a “routine” fall that turned into a significant injury.  She opines on recovery and reflects on lessons learned.

Finally, XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr offers his thoughts on the amazing first gold Cross Country Olympic medal for the women’s team sprint.  His prediction: Cross Country racing is going to get a big boost from this historic victory.

Thanks to all readers who have offered to financially support SeniorsSkiing.com. Your response is gratifying; we very much appreciate your help in defraying costs.

On to March. We hear the Sierras are getting big snow at last; let’s hope the crowds come out.

Meanwhile, tell your friends about us.  There are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

There are lots of blues at Smuggler’s for cruising seniors.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Living up to its reputation, at least across the West and Northeast, March is entering like a wild snow lion.

SeniorsSkiing.com is heralding the arrival of March with a new discount service. It provides significant discounts on products Mike and I think will interest you. Some are specifically ski-oriented, others fit with the older, active, outdoors lifestyle.

Each offering is presented at Discounts for Seniors. Once there, simply click on any ad, and it will take you the company’s website. If you decide to make a purchase, enter the code on the ad, and you’ll receive the specified discount.

A few examples:

  • Apex Boot Systems is waiving the $25 demo fee at its 11 demo centers.
  • Stabil slip-prevention shoe attachments are 20% off. Every senior should carry a pair in the car.
  • CP Visor Helmets (I’ve skied with it. Comfortable, stylish, VERY nice!!), also 20% off.
  • Brilliant Reflective stick on/iron on reflective tapes (essential for nighttime safety) 25% off.

We’ll be adding to the discounted product list over time. If you have suggestions for products or services that you’d like to see on the list, send them to jon@seniorsskiing.com and/or mike@seniorsskiing.com.

100 Year Old Skier Explains His Passion

George Jedenoff is 100+ and still skiing!

Many of you commented a few weeks ago on Harriet Wallis’ excellent articles about George Jedenoff, the 100+ year old who still skis. Ski Utah just issued this video of George discussing skiing. It is uplifting!!!

 

 

 

Paralympics and the Rest of Us

With the PyeongChang Paralympics (March 9-18) about to get under way, Mike and I have been thinking about skiers we’ve met who ski despite serious health issues. Many have used their love of the sport as motivation to return to the hill. We’re learning of programs utilizing winter sport as a form of rehabilitation. If you or someone you know has recovered or improved though skiing, boarding, X-C. snowshoe, etc. and want to share that story with our readers, please let us know.

2018-19 Season Passes

Mountain Collective just added Big Sky to its offerings. The early price is $409 which gives two days at each of 16 resorts plus 50% off all additional days. For each adult pass purchased, a pass for children 12 or under cost $1. That includes grandchildren!

 

Ikon Pass goes on sale March 6. It comes in two flavors, both giving access to 25 destination resorts. 

  • The $899 version gives unlimited to 12 resorts and up to seven days at each of the others.
  • The $599 version gives unlimited access to 10 destinations and up to five days at each of the others.

Vail Resorts introduced the $99 Military Epic Pass in recognition of the Vail founders who served in the 10th Mountain Division. All active and retired US, Canadian and Australian military personnel and their dependents are eligible for the pass which provides unlimited 2018-19 access to Vail’s 14 owned and operated resorts. A separate Military Epic Pass will be available for all other US, Canadian and Australian veterans and their dependents ($499 for adults; $269 for children). Vail also will donate $1 the Wounded Warrior Project for each 2018-19 Epic pass sold. Based on this season’s sales that should total $750,000.

Massachusetts

Jiminy Peak will host a Cardboard Box Derby and pond skimming contest March 17-18. The mountain’s STRIDE Great Race is the same weekend. It recognizes accomplishments of skiers/riders with physical or developmental disabilities (stride.org).

Montana

Fifty-year-old, Rob Leipheimer recently seta new record for laps on Big Sky’s Lone Peak Tram. He completed 35, breaking the previous record of 31 set in 1998.

New Hampshire

Cranmore Mountain will introduce its Flannel Festival March 24. Show up in your best flannel, enter your beard in a contest, music, etc. Details at Cranmore.com.

Quebec

Quebec Spring Break is March 3 – 11. Many of the province’s resorts will be celebrating with festivals, races, live music, etc.

Saturday, March 3 is Super Demo Day at Mont Tremblant. Next season’s gear will be available to try.

Vermont

Bromley will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Scavenger Hunt and other festivities. Find the pot of gold at the top of the mountain and trade it for a 2018-19 season pass. Follow the resort on Instagram for location hints.

            
Ski for MS, Sunday March 11, is a one-day Pico fundraiser benefiting people with multiple sclerosis. People from around the country — including Olympian Donna Weinbrecht — will gather to benefit people with MS and their families.

The private Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain is on the brink of foreclosure. Three notes for $17.1 million went into default. Club members may take over ownership.

Val E

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Taos—High, Dry, And Full Of Culture

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Some People Say The Best Four Letter Word About Skiing Is “Taos.”

Big, high, dry, up in the sky: That’s Taos. Credit: Val E.

When I looked up at the main slope, I was speechless, then the words came—steep, moguls, trees. Wow. At 12,000 ft, Taos’ Mt. Kachina is close to the top of the World.

The resort is located in northern New Mexico, which one seasoned skier described as “a mix of a desert and mountains, unusual and beautiful.” The Blake family discovered, founded, developed, and an Taos Ski Resort since the mid fifties.

In 2013, new management built new lifts, hotels, and other facilities. The result is a cute, small, Euro-style village with an obvious French-Swiss touch and a huge mountain with well groomed slopes, moguls, cornices, glades, and trees almost up to the very top. Snow is quite dry there because of the altitude. Taos is a breathtaking resort in more ways than one; the town is the highest municipality in the US.

Secret Knowledge

Note single chair on left. Credit: Val E.

Kachina Peak is the highest peak reachable by a triple chair in the North American Continent.

Resort lodging options include hotels, condominiums, and bed and breakfasts. The new jewel of Taos is the luxury Hotel Blake, named for the resort founders. The interior is elegant, the restaurant is high-end, and the rental area looks like a high tech lab.

The Ernie Blake Snowsports School is one of the highest rated ski schools in North America. Ski instructing services for groups, especially for ski clubs, were quite reasonably priced.

One of the best parts, besides the slopes and snow, is super friendly employees. Ski lift operators and ski patrol people were waving and smiling like old friends. One ski resort host kindly ride with me just to introduce to the mountain.

Community

During my week stay at the resort, I talked to a few local skiers, some of them were from the 50+ category.

Here is what an expert skier, originally from Hollywood, said: “I moved to Taos after 16 years in Los Angeles in the film business. Taos is a ski town which has world class skiing and an ancient cultural heritage—one of the oldest in the US. It’s also an artist’s town and has dozens of galleries. Taos gives you access to a wider choice of restaurants and apres ski activities. It is great for couples where one doesn’t ski or who like cultural activities.”

A very confident female skier shared: “We came to live in Taos from NYC after years of skiing here. My husband doesn’t ski anymore. He wanted to retire in a friendly community with a synagogue. Now I ski Kachina peak almost every day.”

Another young looking retiree told me: “I am from St. Louis, flat country. I ski in winter and hike in summer. People come to Taos because you can be whoever you want to be, and nobody is asking questions here.”

Taos Ski Valley is a rugged mountain, pioneered by people who put skiing first and all else second. If Virginia is for lovers, then Taos is for skiers!

Taos By The Numbers

2.5 hours by car/bus from Albuquerque International airport

4 espresso bars, including one ski in, ski out

15 lifts

25 miles to Colorado

$105—one day adult ski ticket (18-64); $85—one day senior ski ticket (65-79); 80+ year old – ski free

$408 ski pass for 6 days (65-79); shorter day pass combinations are available

110 trails 55 for beginner/intermediate and 55 for advanced/expert skiers.

305 in—average annual snowfall

7,000 ft—Taos city altitude

9,207 ft—Taos Ski Resort

12,481 ft—Kachina Peak

Click here for Trail Map

Click here for Taos Ski Resort Website

Trees up to the top are a trademark of Taos. Credit: Val E.

 

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Who And Where?

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Hint: 1950

Can you spot who this is dashing through the poles? Might be easy. But where and what event and what’s the significance? That’s the challenge. Note your replies in Comments, just scroll down.

Thanks to the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum for contributing this photo.

Who, where, 1950. Credit: Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum

Last Week

Credit: John Emery

Yes, a rope tow gripper. We’ve never used one, we just grabbed the twirling rope. But, many readers certainly have. It is significant that memories of using this device—from the 60s!—are so clear to our respondents.  John Emery, a reader who submitted this picture, says, “There used to be a heavy belt which the clamp was attached to via the short rope. It had a pouch that the clamp fit into when not in use. You would grab the tow rope with one hand and close the two halves of the clamp over the tow rope. The clamp was attached to the belt, and you would just lean back and enjoy the ride—one-handed even.”

Using this device took a bit of concentration.  From what we’ve read in the Comments section, it was getting it off at the top that was tricky.  It is a long way from a rope tow gripper to quadruple, high-speed chairs, and an impressive number of our readers have seen the transition from one to the other.

 

 

Tamsin Venn

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Smuggs Not Just For Kids

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Smuggler’s Notch Feels Like Way-Back-When But With Up-To-Date Conveniences.

There are lots of blues at Smuggler’s for cruising seniors. That’s Stowe in the distance.
Credit: Tamsin Venn

Smugglers’ Notch is the well-known kid-friendly ski area in northern Vermont. That same dedication to fun also makes it a good area for seniors.

Start with the intermediate trails winding off the two upper Mountains—Madonna, 3,640 feet, and Sterling, 3,040 feet. They urge your skis to turn as they follow the mountain’s contours in delightful turns and drops.

Smuggs has the only triple black trail in the East—Black Hole— with a 53 degree slope angle.  But there are also many ego-boost blues like Madonna’s Upper Chilcoot and Drifter, where you turn where the trail turns, and Sterling’s Thomke’s, Rumrunner, Hangman’s, Treasure, FIS, and Black Snake.

Doable glades include Red Fox, Three Mtn., and several “variations” of the trail you are on. The goal here is to always let you have access to the woods should you so desire. Bring them on!

Glade skiing is well known here. When you ride up Sterling, you see Madonna’s wooded flank dropping into the ravine below. All those glades are skiable or snowboardable, says Public Relations Director Mike Chait enthusiastically.

Furthermore, all trails are well defined from top to bottom so no worry about ending up on a black diamond trail by accident and all trails funnel to their respective base areas for pro-choice group skiing.

Meanwhile, The Village Center at Morse Mountain is served by four lifts and 99 percent beginner terrain where you can ski at a peaceful pace.

Views? From the Catwalk, you can look across the Notch to Mt. Mansfield’s trails at Stowe. Remember when these two resorts were connected?

The experiences kindle feelings of New England skiing way back when, but with all the up-to-date conveniences. By not being overdeveloped, Smuggs maintains a nostalgic feel.

Somewhat remote (although only 30 miles from Burlington), midweek is quiet, and the powder stashes linger.

Seniors are looked after. The Smugglers’ Notch 55+ Club is a 26-year-old club that meets every Wednesday for skiing and camaraderie. It has more than 100 members, and about 30 to 35 skiers show up each week. Coffee at 9 a.m., followed by Alpine or Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, then a 1 p.m. program. Membership is $30 for the season, which includes continental breakfast, 50 percent discount off lift tickets, and other discounts.

Most members are Vermonters who live within an hour radius of Smuggs with a wide range of skiing ability, including ex ski patrollers and instructors. Guests and new members are warmly welcomed, says Deborah Pomeroy, club president.

New this winter is FunZone 2.0, a 26,000 square foot indoor playground, a $4.2 million investment reflecting the area’s decades-long focus on family fun. Laser tag anyone?

The Facts

Vertical Drop: 2,620 feet.

Total Trails: 78. 300 acres of marked and patrolled terrain. Plus 700 acres of unmarked and unpatrolled terrain. 19% easier, 56% intermediate, 20% expert, and 5% extreme.

Snowmaking: 62 percent

Total lifts: 8.

Longest run: 3 miles, from the Madonna summit to the Village.

Places to eat: Village Center, Morse Mountain Grille & Pub for salads, soups and burgers. Music: The Friendly Pirate

Lift tickets: Senior 65 and older, $58 day, $64 holiday. Season Pass: (ages 70+) $70

Click here for Trail Map

Click here for Smuggler’s Notch website

 

 

Yvette Cardozo

Learning From Injury

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Correspondent Ends Her Season In “Routine” Fall, Provides Us With Lessons Learned.

[Editor Note: We’ve heard correspondent Yvette Cardozo’s story numerous times, especially the part about immediate post-incident denial. Perhaps there is some biological reaction, perhaps a form of shock, that masks the pain of more serious injury.  In any case, her advice is well worth heeding.]

Igor, the medical boot, keeps the broken ankle stable.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo

I don’t remember exactly how it happened. It was the bottom of the last run. I was tired.  The snow had devolved into slick slush, and it was snowing and foggy. I caught an edge and before I knew it, I was on my back, one ski released, the other leg bent awkwardly. A few more turns on the trail, and I would have been within sight of the lodge.

A ski cliche if there ever was one.

My ski buddy came up and got my left ski off. I was sure that was an injury down there and knew enough not to try and stand. So we called the patrol. They came, strapped me into a toboggan and down we went.

Me, head first, on my back. If I could have gotten to my cell phone, I would have videoed the trip down. The view was like being in a soupy blender.

At the lodge, we got my boots off and decided the injury was to my right ankle—probably a bad sprain. I went home, actually driving myself. And went to a business event in downtown Seattle that night. Driving. In the rain. I still thought it was just a sprain.

Two days later, I gave up and went to a doctor. Indeed, it was not a sprain. It was a break. He called it a distal fracture. All these years skiing, all these crashes and I had never broken anything before. And this was an ankle. I didn’t know that was even possible with modern ski boot tech. Ankle breaks are the stuff of 1950’s ski lodge pictures —a guy in front of the fireplace with his leg in a cast, resting on a pillow.

But, I had just left a message for my boot fitter days before, saying my boots were getting loose. He came back into town and said, “Yup”. And also, yup, you certainly can break an ankle today skiing. He’s got three pins and a plate in his ankle to prove it.

The good news is I’m not in a cast, not on crutches, didn’t need surgery. I’m just wearing a medical boot (I’ve named it Igor) for six weeks. The bad news— my ski season was over three days after it began.

Yeah, at age 73 I don’t bounce like I used to. And yeah, I’m grateful it wasn’t a knee. Ankles heal. Knees are another matter.

I canceled one ski trip but am doing another where I will be writing about all kinds of non-ski activities as a non-skier and trying out something called a “snow limo” that gets non-skiers up on the hill, and also down, via a run at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Canada.

So there are a few lessons learned:

1. Don’t get sloppy about your gear. If you think your boots need re-fitting or your bindings need a check or your skis need tuning, do it NOW.

2. If you just want to do “one more run” and you are tired, DON’T.

3. Don’t assume you know what the injury is. If it’s swollen and getting black and blue, it may very well be a break. SEE A DOCTOR.

4. And don’t grind your teeth too much or overthink this. Get back into the gym or on your bike or walking or whatever when you can and get back into shape.

Snow Limo: Non skiers get up the mountain and down a ski trail.
Credit: Sun Peaks Snow Limo Tours.

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Feb. 23)

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Losing The Mind Game: Confidence Versus Competence, Mystery Device, SLC As Ground Zero, Buying Mountain Home Advice, History Ski Poster Explainer.

Thanks to those who have offered financial support to SeniorsSkiing.com. We very much appreciate it.

White Mountains, Franconia Notch, Cannon Mountain?
Artist unknown

Like you, we’ve been checking into the Pyeong Chang Olympics, watching the Alpine, Nordic and various snowboarding events with considerable admiration. Some performances were nothing short of heroic, and, in the case of US Womens’ Cross Country and Hockey medals, historic. We were in awe of the skill and grit these competitors showed the world.

We remember in the “old days” when we used to sit on our couch watching those Olympic events, the slalom, the giant slalom, and others, thinking to ourselves, “With a little practice, I could do this.” Well, maybe not the downhill. Admit it, you thought so, too, didn’t you?

In those days, we had confidence in our competence.  Of course, it was a bit of hubris, but we felt we could handle it. That was then.

We got into a discussion last week at the base lodge of a classic New Hampshire ski hill with an 80 year old gent who was skiing his first day of the season.  To many of us in New England, the late start was not unusual; the weather has been saw-toothed, up and down in temperature and mixed luck with precipitation.  Regardless, this man was a good skier, but he had some doubt about going out and that doubt cracked his confidence. He stuck to the Learning Zone, tight, apprehensive, reluctant to head up to the most gentle of greens that started at the top of the mountain.

Losing the mind game may be one of the biggest reasons seniors drop out of winter sports. Fear of injury, susceptible to cold, fed up with lousy conditions all contribute to wondering if you still had the chops to “do it”, leading to perhaps sitting out a season and then dropping out.

But this doesn’t have to be so. Perhaps the answer is to recognize that doubt is changing your attitude about snow sports, then return to the basics by taking a lesson, focusing on technique by practicing a lot on simple trails, and then practicing again. Performance research going back to psychologists Skinner and Thorndike show that good performance adds to confidence. Starting small, practicing skills over and over and then over again, builds confidence.

There are some implications here about how well ski instructors are prepared to deal with seniors who are tentative about their competence. We wonder if anyone has really designed a lesson in confidence and taught it throughout the PSIA.

Have you ever had doubt about your competence? Perhaps at the beginning of the season, perhaps after an injury, perhaps after a particularly bad set of days on the snow?  How did you deal with getting back? Or did you? We have an intuitive feeling this is a phenomenon many seniors experience but don’t talk about.

Share your story with us, please.

This Week

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg looks at Salt Lake City as base camp for exploring the Wasatch, rich with diverse snow sports opportunities. He also has a really interesting interview with Nicholas Lowry, president and principal auctioneer of Swann Auction Galleries, about vintage ski posters. Contributor Joan Wallen, a veteran real estate broker, offers advice on buying a mountain home.  Finally our Mystery Glimpse reveals whose medals were at the New England Ski Museum and challenges you to identify a strange device.

Consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking the banner above.  You can also support us by telling your friends about us.  And remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.