Tag Archive for: SeniorsSkiing.com

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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My Ski/Family Balance

It dumped in Utah a few days ago, and I decided not to go skiing.

It was a choice between playing in the snow with pre-school/pre-ski grandkids and deep powder. Being with grandkids won out. Granted, the weekend’s revelry left me a bit under the weather, and the wind and flat light were convenient excuses. In the past, fresh powder trumped (almost) every other draw for my attention. It was gravitational, pulling me to its seductive pleasures. But grandchildren are a more powerful force, and sledding with them on a small hill in a city park was a special joy. I’ve had many great powder days in my skiing career and hope to have many more. Being in the snow with grandchildren I only see from time to time is more precious than powder. Both experiences are ephemeral. Despite climate trends, the snow should continue to come. Small children, on the other hand, grow. Maybe, one day, if health continues and all is well, we’ll be able to ski powder together.

The Bleak Future of Winter Sports

Watching the Olympic Games is a peek into the future of winter sports. According to an article in the January 27 issue of The Economist, the popularity of skiing — declining in Western countries — is shifting to Asia. In China, the number of skiers and boarders is increasing 20% a year and 500 new resorts are expected to be built ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Accompanying the article is an excellent video explaining the history of modern skiing and projecting the future of the sport. Climate change is having a big effect. 

Odd But (Apparently) True

The disappearance February 7 of a skier at Whiteface Mountain at Lake Placid in New York’s Adirondack Mountains resulted in a massive but unproductive search involving multiple government agencies and ski patrols. Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis surfaced in Sacramento almost a week later wearing his ski outfit, helmet and goggles. It was reported that he was returning to Lake Placid to meet with the police.

New Hampshire

Cranmore Mountain will host its annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Weekend, March 9-11. Races on

Hannes Schneider

intermediate terrain will be held for several age categories. Past racers have ranged in age from 4 to 95. Hannes Schneider was an Austrian mountain soldier in WWI; his son, Herbert, was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. The Meister Cup pays tribute to American mountain soldiers with a special military race, in which active duty soldiers of the 10th and the Army Mountain Warfare School participate. The weekend features a welcome reception and buffet, opening ceremony, ice carving contest, silent auction, a wear-your-own vintage skiwear show, awards ceremony, and ski history presentation. A Torchlight Parade is scheduled that Friday.

Quebec

Mont Tremblant‘s Super Demo Days, Saturday March 3 is its final of the season. Next season’s skis, boards and accessories will be available. The resort’s SnowSchool hosts a variety of family-friendly programs March 3- 11. Click on SnowSchool (above) for details.

Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort will offer numerous on-mountain activities during Quebec Spring Break. Notably, Mont-Sainte-Anne’s Fulllmoon Descent, March 2, when participants of all ages don headlamps and ski. Stoneham’s activities include a playground, make-up  stand, arts and crafts, campfires, BBQs, winter survival workshops, and, March 6–9, pony rides for the kiddies.

Visit Happy Parents Package for special lodging deals with free tickets for kids as old as 17.

Utah

Presidents’ Day Weekend delivered the goods in Utah. 48 hour totals range from 23″ at Snowbird to 22″ at Brian Head, the state’s most southern resort.

Vermont 

Bromley will hold its Vertical Challenge, March 11. Skiers and boarders compete for medals. The Vertical Challenge is a northeast ski area favorite with participating resorts creating a festival atmosphere.

 

Salt Lake City
Jon Weisberg

Salt Lake City: Ideal Base for Skiing the Wasatch

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For many Western resorts this is the season when it’s best to stay on the groomed. There just hasn’t been enough natural snow to enter the woods with confidence.

The trail skiing I’ve done at the four resorts closest to Salt Lake City — Alta and Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon and Brighton and Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon — have more than enough snow coverage to keep most skiers well-entertained, especially those who decide to stay downtown or somewhere in Salt Lake Valley.

Staying at a single resort when conditions confine you to the groomed and semi-groomed can get redundant. Being centrally located and visiting different resorts each day can be a more interesting option. Downtown has a lot going on. For those not wanting to deal with a car, there’s inexpensive public transportation to each of the areas.

Salt Lake City markets itself as Ski City U.S.A. Other municipalities use “ski city” when promoting themselves as Winter destinations. Salt Lake City is the real deal. A Delta hub. At the base of the mountains. Thirty, forty minutes from downtown hotels to 36 lifts serving almost 7000 highly skiable acres. Not to mention the state’s license plate slogan, “Greatest Snow on Earth.” This season being the rare exception to that P.T. Barnum knockoff.

Since I lived in Salt Lake City for the past decade and frequented the four areas, I thought that readers considering a Salt Lake City-based ski trip would benefit from some local guidance, which I’ll dole out in this and another article next week.

Super Pass and Alternatives

If you plan to stay in town or in the valley and ski Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude, consider purchasing a Super Pass or staying in a hotel participating in the Super Pass promotion. The Super Pass provides good savings on lift tickets and is flexible as far as number of days you choose to ski. The Ski City U.S.A. website shows numerous hotels that include a Super Pass in the price of lodging. Residence Inn Downtown, for example, charges $129.50 per person for a suite with kitchen and living room. The price includes two Super Passes.

You’ll need to do the math, but If you’re 80, you’ll ski free at Alta and enjoy deep discounts at each of the other areas.

What to expect if visiting at the right time. Photo: Steve Griffin

If you’re 70, you’ll pay $104 at Alta ($88-$99, if purchased in advance online) and $59 at Snowbird (mid-week). Brighton and Solitude discount their tickets starting at age 65. Brighton costs $52 – $57, and Solitude costs $61. Go online a day in advance and you may find better bargains.

Every Super Pass comes with free public transportation to the resorts. Depending on where you’re located it may be by bus alone or bus in combination with light rail. These are good options if you’re on a budget or don’t want to be hassled with a rental car.

Waterfall House in Salt Lake City

And there’s always airbnb. A search for arrival on Saturday and departure on Wednesday for two people produced results starting under $50 a night. If you have a smallish group, one of the city’s most remarkable rental homes is Waterfall House, which sleeps 7 and averages about $330 a night. It’s filled with entertaining and beautiful features.

 

 

 

 

Next article will give food and entertainment choices.

Joan Wallen

Buying A Mountain Home? Ponder This.

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A Veteran Real Estate Agent Shares Tips You Might Not Have Thought Of.

[Editor Note: See Joan Wallen’s earlier article: Commute, Rent, Or Buy? for advice on renting.]

Condo on the mountain?

Want to buy a home in snow country? Perhaps you’ve rented and now decide that a second home is right for you. Or maybe you’re ready to take a leap of faith and go directly into ownership. What are some of the considerations you should take in to account?

Location is key. You may already have a favorite mountain or region that you like to ski. This makes it easier. If you don’t have a preferred area, think about what’s right for you and your family. Do you want to ski one mountain all the time or be in a location where you can reach several resorts? Will a specific resort be good for your family for future years? You don’t want to end up at an area that the kids will outgrow. Do you want to be slope side, in town or out in the countryside? Condo or single family home?

If you decide on a condo, investigate before buying. Is it a new development or an established community? If the development is older you would want to know the history of upgrades to the buildings and grounds, roofs, building siding, roads, etc? If there are amenities like a swimming pool or fitness room, what’s their condition? Are condo fees reasonable or so high as to feel like a second mortgage? Carefully review the condo association documents to be informed not only of their rules and regulations but also their financial status. The capital reserve fund should be adequate for both planned and unexpected maintenance costs so you don’t get hit with a special assessment.

House in the country?

Consider usage of the condo in the off season. If you won’t be coming to the mountains in the summer you may want to rent out the unit. Some associations enforce minimum rental periods of anywhere from two weeks to two months or more. This could impact your ability to secure a tenant. And if you want, or need, to rent it out, be sure it’s in a location where there’s a demand for summer activity.

Although condo fees add to the cost of ownership, there are advantages also. Outside maintenance fees cover snow removal, shoveling, lawn mowing and trash pickup.

Condo living is not for everyone, however. You may prefer the privacy of a single family home either close to town or in the country. But, you’ll have to arrange for plowing, perhaps someone to check on the house after a power outage and of course maintenance will be your responsibility. The advantages are privacy, perhaps a more tranquil setting and if you’re in the country you can likely cross country ski or snowshoe right out your front door. If you wish to rent it,  you’ll be your own boss, no association restrictions. And, more responsibility also. If something goes wrong, you can’t just call the office, you’re on your own to find a repair person.

Finally, does owning make financial sense? What will you do with the property in the off season? Is it in a location where you and your family will use it both in the summer and winter?

Buying a home in ski country is a big commitment but also can bring big rewards. As a gathering place for family and friends to enjoy the outdoors together, many lasting memories will be created. Family members who may not ski will still have a base from which to enjoy other outdoor activities, or to just hang out by the fire and read. And you don’t have to worry about making reservations, finding a place to stay after that two foot snowfall or lugging your gear and clothing back and forth. The home and your belongings are right there waiting for you.

 

Jon Weisberg

That Old Ski Poster on the Wall

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Vintage ski posters are a fixture in many ski chalets and lodges.

Since the late 1990s, their values at auction have increased. To learn more about their history and their values, we interviewed Nicholas D. Lowry, President and Principal Auctioneer of Swann Auction Galleries, and Director of its Vintage Posters Department . Swann is the world’s largest auctioneer of Works on Paper and New York’s oldest specialty auction house.

JW: Please provide a short overview of the ski poster’s origins, when they were in commercial use, and in which countries.

NL: By all accounts the earliest ski posters were printed in the 1890s. They were printed to drive tourism by train to the French mountains. They began to appear with some regularity in the first decade of the 20th century. Two of the most famous—and therefore most valuable— were Francisco Tamagno‘s image of a couple ski jumping, and Jules Abel Faivre‘s image of a female skier using a single pole. Posters promoting the new sport also began appearing in Switzerland. Some promoted competitions and purveyors of outdoor equipment and clothing.

The first American ski poster featured an image of a female skier. It was produced in1896 to advertise the Christmas issue of Truth magazine.

What is considered when determining their value?

The main factors in determining ski poster value are location advertised; artist; image; date; and condition. A poster from the early days of a prominent Swiss resort such as Gstaad or St. Moritz will command more than one touting a lesser known village. The image also is important. Many people are drawn to depictions of early ski equipment and ski wear.

Among the most famous artist’s names that aficionados and collectors appreciate are Roger Broders, a masterful French Art Deco poster designer; Sascha Maurer, who did a lot of work for the New Haven Railway, and prominent Swiss poster designers, Emil Cardinaux and Martin Peikert.

How would you characterize price trends of vintage ski posters?

The market for ski posters took off in the late 1990s and early 2000s when collectors, including Mason Beekley, recognizing this undervalued segment of the poster market, began to acquire them at auction. Prices attracted attention to the genre; they haven’t subsided.

What should people look for if interested in collecting vintage ski posters? How can readers determine if they have a valuable ski poster?

Our experience at Swann is that most collectors buy works to hang in their chalets or mountain homes. They focus on geographic location. For example, it’s unlikely that someone in Zermatt will be collecting posters advertising Sun Valley.

I would caution potential buyers to consider their source when acquiring a vintage ski poster. Many resorts offer decorative reproductions of famous images. The best bet is to find an accredited poster dealer, so you can have confidence in the authenticity of your purchase.

How can readers learn about upcoming Swann ski poster auctions?

Swann Galleries has been offering a selection of ski posters from around the world in our annual Winter Poster Auction since 1998. We hold at least four auctions of vintage posters each year. Our catalogues are online at www.swanngalleries.com.

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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We are seeking your financial support for SeniorsSkiing.com.

Currently, a handful of advertisers help us fund the project. What their fees don’t cover, our bank accounts do.

There are many expenses including technicians, designers, and other expenses associated with delivering SeniorsSkiing.com free each week and developing and publishing Subscriber-Only content. Next month, you will see a new section devoted to discounts on products related to your outdoor lifestyle. We plan to expand that over time.

Also, we’d like to start paying contributors and fund research that would inform resorts about ways to better cater to older skiers.

You can help by making a modest donation. We have considered charging an annual subscription fee, but prefer not to.

Some of you will ask if a donation to SeniorsSkiing.com is tax deductible. While we do not make a profit, we are not a non-profit, so (in the U.S., at least) gifts are not tax deductible.

We’ve tried to make it easy to give. Click here to reach a page with credit card options (or click Community on menu bar, wait for dropdown box to appear, and click Support SeniorsSkiing.com). Readers giving $15 or more will receive the new LIV2SKI patch and stickers, as well as the Old Man in the Mountain stickers.

For the next few weeks, a short request will be posted with each article.

We enjoy bringing you SeniorsSkiing.com weekly and, based on comments and other feedback, know that you enjoy receiving it.

Thank you!

Alpine Racing Suits

Spyder Wind Tunnel Test

The US Alpine Team in PyeongChang is wearing highly technical suits designed and made by Spyder. Each utilizes a combination of materials, placed and fitted for the specific needs of each racer. Apparently, no two suits are the same. Used for one race only, they then become hand-me-downs for junior development programs.

 

 

Paralympics

The 2018 Paralympics will happen March 9-18. Recently I met Nick Manley, an exceptional individual with multiple neurological issues. He told me that not too long ago he could get around only with a walker — an advancement from his time confined to a wheelchair. When we met at Copper Mountain, it was impossible to tell that he had experienced limited movement. He told me that his recovery was due largely to skiing. “Skiing saved my life,” is what I recall him saying. He sent this video summary of the 2017 Huntsman Cup event at Park City Mountain Resort. It gave me a new level of understanding about the grit and joyful will of adaptive ski racers. Thank you, Nick!

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Noticing more Tesla autos in ski area parking lots? Some areas are installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Here are a few I know about: Brighton and Snowbird in Utah; Crystal Mountain, Snoqualmie Pass, and Stevens Pass in Washington, Heavenly and Squaw in California/Nevada; Sunday River in Maine, and Jay Peak in Vermont. Know of others? Please include in Comments, and we’ll keep the list growing.

Colorado

Southwest Colorado got a 24 hour dump. Silverton received 24″, Wolf Creek, 22″, and Purgatory, 15″.  I-70 areas including Aspen and Vail reported a foot.

Montana

Montana’s resorts are getting lots of snow. Top gainer is Whitefish with a 10’+ base. Direct flights to Whitefish and Bozeman are available from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas. Visit the state’s tourism website for up to the minute snow reports.

Utah

Brian Head, in Southern Utah received 10″ and is expecting more. Eagle Point also benefited from the storm. Its web site indicates the area is thinking about reopening for President’s Weekend.

Skiing History Magazine

The newest issue has several articles about past Olympic greats. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers are entitled to a free digital subscription to this gem of a publication. For details click Community/Subscriber Only Content/Skiing History Magazine. While there, you also can sign up for a free subscription to the paper edition of Ski Magazine.

How to Carve Video

This video addresses three common mistakes when carving on skis. It is well presented and may help you make better, more controlled turns in a variety of conditions.

 Spirited Gift Item

G.Griffin Wine & Spirits in Rye, N.Y.  custom engraves liquor and wine bottles like the bourbon bottle pictured. Check with proprietor Doug Kooluris (914-967-4980) regarding pricing, quantities and shipping.

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Whose Olympic Medals?

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Silver And Gold Belongs To…

We stopped at the wonderful New England Ski Museum in Franconia, NH, the other day to check out their current exhibit on the 10th Mountain Division and the veterans who contributed to the ski industry.  Another small exhibit contained the medals of a famous Olympian, and since we are currently in the midst of the Pyeong Chang games, we thought we’d carry the Olympic theme forward and ask you to identify who these belong to and the events they represent. Please place comments below. Note the New England Ski Museum is about to open a brand new branch in North Conway on Feb 26. Keep growing NESM.

Medals. Whose?

Last Week

Thanks Vermont Ski And Snowboard Museum

Yes, indeed a hand warmer powered by lighter fluid. And as a commenter pointed out, put a flaming gizmo in our pockets to keep us warm? Ahhh, sure.

And yes, Zippo still sells a version of this. An original is considered a collectible to some.

What made reading the replies interesting was how many commenters noted they remember their fathers using this unusual device.  In fact, I remember my dad using this to keep his hands warm at Aqueduct race track where he played the ponies in the middle of winter back in the 50s.  I remember the little flannel bag and the draw string it came in.  Since I was a kid at the time, it was off limits for me.

According to Google, this was called a Peacock Hand Warmer that was made in Occupied Japan circa late 1940s to 1952.  Apparently, some GIs brought these home with them and others turned up in Army-Navy stores.

Many thanks to the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum for contributing this memory.

 

 

 

 

Harriet Wallis

100 Year Old Skier Inspires Us To Become Our Better Selves

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George Jedenoff, 100, Is In Love With The Mountains, The Snow, And Life. Everyone Who Meets Him Says, “I Want To Be Like George.”

The paparazzi chase George while trying to keep up.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

“Age is just a number,” he says adding: Don’t let age be a barrier. Do your best. Become your best. And keep on going. He’s a living legend at Alta.

He’s also quite a super skier who skis like a kid. He swings his feet on the chairlift. He cruises down steep trails. And when jumps into patches of powder he shouts with glee.

Two moguls meet. Alta’s new General Manager Mike Maughan welcomes George.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

To maintain his fitness, he works out every day for 45 minutes before breakfast. The workouts toughen him mentally and physically to keep him going even when life is unkind.

“Never give up,” is his motto.

On a chairlift ride, he leaned over to me and said: “People come up to me — sometimes with tears in their eyes — and tell me that I’ve inspired them to keep going and never give up. Of all the things to be remembered for, I’m so surprised that I’m being remembered for my skiing.”

But it’s more than just about skiing. It’s about life.

George stirs others to become their better selves — to try harder, to reach higher, and to never give up. While others are revered for their academic achievements, business success or community service, George is loved because he touches people’s souls.

Age is just a number even when it’s 100.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Back in 1960, George was transferred to Utah to be the general manager of the Geneva Steel Plant. He was athletic, and he learned skiing from the best: Alta’s legendary Alf Engen, Snowbird’s iconic Junior Bonous, and Earl Miller, the granddaddy of release bindings.

George grew to love Alta’s powder, and when he was transferred away in 1967, community leaders honored him with a gift that was sure to lure him back: a lifetime season pass to Alta. He’s still using it! He now lives in California but he returns annually to ski Alta.

He’s a celebrity and a living legend. Skiers cluster around him to have their photos taken with him. The digital images become reminders to reach higher, try harder, and keep going — just like George.

Ski Utah has produced annual videos of George. The very first one, when he was 95, is still my favorite. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoQ5IEUpKEA

http://www.skiutah.com/explore/videos/george-jedenoff-97-year-old-utah

https://www.skiutah.com/blog/authors/yeti/98-year-old-skier-george-the-powder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb23maq0rtQ

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

 

Harriet Wallis

The Back Story: Skiing With 100 Year Old George

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Missed Turns, A Slipping Helmet, And Being In The Wrong Place. It’s All In A Day’s Work.

Hey, George, wait up!
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Covering a ski race is easy. Racers will be on the course.

But shadowing 100 year old George Jedenoff on Alta’s ski runs had challenges. Furthermore, we had two different genres going: A Ski Utah crew was videoing him, and I was shooting still photos I needed to stay out of the way of their cameras. It’s already getting complicated.

Here are some of the funny things that happened to me on the slopes with George for two days.

Can’t outski a 100 year old. We started from the top of a lift and George was in the lead. When he paused, I bulleted ahead to position myself at the side of the trail to snap photos as he’d ski by.

I yanked off my gloves and grabbed my camera. But before I could point it … there goes George… and he was gone. Repeat. Repeat.

When you come to a fork, take it. Skiers love George. They see him on the slopes and gather around him to talk and take photos. He is so gracious.

While Ski Utah videoed an impromptu trailside gathering, I knew I had lead time. I left the group, skied ahead, and chose the perfect spot to get my photos. I was on a steep slope under a chairlift.. My camera was ready. I waited and waited, but no George.

Then the group called down to me from the lift overhead. I looked up — and my helmet fell down over my eyes. I was stuck in my helmet and could see nothing. I felt really stupid.

I pushed my helmet back into place and wondered how George got past me. The main trail had a fork, and he opted for the side trail. Missed him again.

Deep powder, but over there. Another wrong guess. This time, we separated on purpose. George and the video crew took the high road to video him skiing deep powder. I took the low road and positioned myself for the best still shots.

But George didn’t appear on the most likely open slope. He found the snow up there was worn out, so he moved on down the ridge — out of sight behind dense evergreen trees — in search of fresher powder.

He found the fresh snow he wanted. But I couldn’t find George. Missed him again. But George had a wonderful time. That’s what really counts.

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

Roger Lohr

Why Take An XC Ski Lesson?

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A Lesson?  But It Looks So Easy.

[Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com.  Thanks to Publisher Roger Lohr for providing it to SeniorsSkiing.com.]

Old expression worth heeding. “Nordic skiing is easy to do but even easier to do wrong.” Take a lesson.
Credit: XCSkiResorts.com

The vast majority of cross country (XC) skiers do not take XC ski lessons, but rather they start with friends or family, who are usually not trained to teach XC skiing. So, who needs XC ski lessons? Most of us do!

Starting with the basics, a XC ski instructor can help a skier choose clothing and equipment that is appropriate for weather and his or her skiing goals and abilities. Equipment selection can make a huge difference in a skier’s experience.

A ski instructor can gently guide any XC skier to better skills and match a skier’s pace to his or her level of fitness and interest, keeping the skier from working too hard. Interestingly, most people who do not XC ski perceive the sport as too much work. An instructor can show the proper way to balance, transfer weight from one ski to another, and how to use the poles. Learning to keep the body forward with appropriate ankle and knee bend can start a new skier with confidence.

The first time a new skier approaches a hill, whether going up or down, can be a make-or-break experience. A lesson can help one learn simple techniques to travel up a hill with confidence. Going down a hill on XC ski equipment can be challenging to any skier. Narrow trails, difficult snow conditions, rocks and trees are difficult even for experienced XC skiers. An instructor can make sure the initial down hill experience safe and comfortable by starting on the right terrain and practicing skills and techniques.

Can a Lesson Help Seasoned Skiers?

Alpine (downhill) skiers who are trying XC skiing for the first time will also greatly benefit from XC ski instruction because the equipment and techniques so different between the sports. Skiing uphill is a totally new experience for the Alpine skier and going down hills on XC ski equipment, which is lightweight and has a free heel can be more than thrilling.

An experienced XC skier can also benefit from a ski lesson. Most XC ski control and efficiency problems involve incorrect body movements or timing issues and these problems will waste energy. Even constantly looking down at the skis will distort good body position while XC skiing.

Years of incorrect technique can instill the wrong muscle memory and  correction requires a certified and experienced instructor.

Because many XC skiers use outdated equipment, instructors can be helpful in discussing newer, appropriate products. There are so many derivations of XC skiing, that it is imperative to get informed advice to match what someone wants to get out of XC skiing— gliding on a groomed trail or mastering the glades in untracked powder or other ski conditions.

Finding a Qualified XC Ski Instructor

To find a qualified XC ski instructor visit or call a XC ski area. Discuss skiing goals with the instructor and find out if they have been certified by the Professional Ski Instructors Association. Certification involves training and passing a test to teach XC skiing. The instructor should be a “people person” easy to talk to and offer positive feedback on a skier’s strong points and encouragement on how to do better. With enhanced skills and techniques, XC skiers can experience the fun aspect as well as enjoy the outdoors and fitness associated with the sport.

Thank you to Brad Noren, of NordicFusion.ski who is a PSIA certified level 3 Alpine and Level 2 Nordic ski instructor for information in this article based on his experience teaching since 1972 in northern Michigan.

 

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Feb. 9)

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Northeast Snow, Editorial On Senior Empowerment, A Senior Skier Person Zero, More Stuff For Car Safety, Discovering Beaver Mountain.

The blue is snow. Pretty significant coverage for the Northeast at last.
Credit: NECN

As we write this, the anticipation is mounting for a significant mid-week snowfall in the Northeast. From Maryland to Maine, it appears the region is going to get—to finally get—a nice covering that will add to the meh base and draw crowds for the coming weekend, President’s Day and beyond. The season has been up and down here with occasional rain mixing with dustings since Christmas. How’s your season going?  Please let us know where you are and what kind of conditions you’ve seen this winter so far.

This Week

This week we have an important editorial for our readers that indirectly stems from last week’s visit to the OR show in Denver.  Please read Tools For Empowerment. We outline our rationale for publishing the boot and ski for senior recommendations and all the other valuable assets we have created for our readers like the Where Seniors Can Ski Free directory. Basically, it is all about raising the profile of seniors in the whole snow sports—and outdoor recreation—industry and arming them with knowledge they can use to guide buying decisions of different kinds.  It also puts the onus on the industry to be aware of what needs seniors have and what kinds of gear fits those needs.  Let us know what you think.

 

We have a new Mystery Glimpse for you. Many respondents spotted the “hot hill” as Tuckerman Ravine, but the specific event and the date varied from reader to reader.  Curiously, some respondents noted that they were actually present at the event where the photo was taken. Find out the whole story.

Who is he? Why is he smiling? Credit: John Nelson

Correspondent John Nelson has skied with a 74-year old ski host at Big White in British Columbia who may fit the profile of the perfect senior skier.  Fit, retired, skis 120 days a season, works on a glorious ski hill, lives in snow country. Carlan Silha, the lucky guy, is the kind of all-year active senior that we admire and aspire to be. Meet him here.

Marc Liebman adds to his list of what to keep in your car for safety backup when you head to the snowy mountains. Does your car have any of this equipment? Consider the unexpected happens with unexpected regularity. Be prepared.

Finally, Utah’s Harriet Wallace discovers another hidden gem of a ski resort right in her back yard. Beaver Mountain, the “Beav”, lies in the opposite direction of the bigger Wasatch resorts.  As a result, she finds a charming area, comfy lodge, great terrain, and no crowds.  Virtual visit here.

We’re off to take advantage of some of that new snow up country.  We’ll report on what will be our first trip out this season.  Seriously.  Boot bag ready, skis sharpened, clothes about to be packed. Stay tuned.  New Hampshire here we come.

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

Beaver Mountain, Utah. This is uncrowded. Nice.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Skiing, boarding and other Winter sports are about to get their quadrennial boost as the world tunes into the PyeongChang Olympics.

Courtesy ABC News

In some parts of the world it will help grow the sport. I doubt that will be true in the U.S., where for 35 years the total number of annual U.S. skier/boarder visits has remained relatively flat.

Add in other factors like climate change, ticket cost, paying off student loans and mortgages, and robust competition for our leisure time, and things don’t look good for skiing’s future.

Many of us grew up at a time when popular media presented skiing as the paragon of glamor and cool. The sport was being discovered by the masses. Wherever there were nearby mountains, ski trains carried city slickers to their slopes and trails. Ski clubs were a major organizing factor. (Ski clubs are still a terrific way to enjoy good value and meet new friends.)

Skiing no longer holds the same cultural status, except, perhaps, for the spectacle of the Winter Olympics when mass marketers pay the sport’s superstars big bucks to jump on their brandwagons.

I hope this Olympics gives the sport a boost in the U.S. and worldwide. If would be nice to know that enough newcomers are at least making up for those who leave the sport.

It also would be nice if winters returned (at least in this part of the West) with greater force and more cold.

Whether or not that happens, tune in to the Games and enjoy them. Better yet, push the record button, leave the house, get to the mountain, and ski!

 

LIV2SKI Patch and Helmet/Ski Sticker

In December we asked for suggestions for our first patch. Several ideas were submitted, resulting in the patch pictured here. The closest suggestion came from Pavel Lia .We like it so much that we also had neat small stickers made. They’re perfect for helmets and skis. We’ll be making them available in the next few weeks.

 

 

 

Your Vintage Ski Poster May be Valuable.

New York’s Swann Auction Galleries produced high prices for vintage ski posters during it’s February poster auction. Top sellers included Palace Hotel St. Moritz, Zurich, 1920 ($11,400); Union Pacific / Sun Valley Idaho, circa 1940 ( record $10,800); Sun Valley / “Round House” on Baldy Mountain, 1940, (record $7,800), and several Dartmouth Winter Carnival images.

 

You and Friends in Your Own TV Show?

A reality TV casting producer in NY is seeking a group of 70+ friends who are “sassy senior citizens” for a new reality TV show. The company’s notice states “Think Real Housewives but slightly older and more fabulous. They’re looking for “loud, over-the-top personalities,” preferably in warm-weather locations. To throw hats in the ring email mckayla@crybaby-media.com with bios/pics.

 

Sustainability at Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows

Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows expects to be using 100% renewable energy by December. The resort is partnering with Liberty Utilities and Tesla on state-of-the-art battery storage for storage of surplus energy.

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: Shiny Gizmo

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Whatizzit?

This beautifully designed object comes from the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum. What’s it for? Have you used one? When was that, by the way? Let us know.  Scroll down to add your COMMENTS below.

Credit: Vermont Ski And Snowboard Museum

Last Week

Once again, it is clear there are some sharp-eyed ski historians out there in reader-land.  There were lots of very astute comments.

This photo comes from a SKIING Magazine Oct 1969 story by John Jerome.  His article reports on the revival of New Hampshire’s legendary Inferno Race on Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine in the spring of 1969, the event pictured here. Unfortunately, the article didn’t report the name of the racer in the picture.

According to Jerome, the last previous Inferno race was in 1939 when Toni Matt scared himself silly by schussing the headwall. Numerous debates have ensued about whether his run was a mistake or intentional. Regardless, Toni found himself deeply rooted in ski history lore.

Thirty years later, in 1969, the race was held as a “loosely controlled Giant Slalom”, hence the gate you see in the picture. [Dave Irons, you got that right!]  The idea was to prevent anyone from doing a Toni on the headwall which, by the way, has a 55 degree pitch.  The weather was miserable, temp rising from 13 degrees to mid 20s at race time with a wind blowing at 75.  For the record, here were the winners:  Veteran’s Category—George Macomber, Junior Category—Duncan Cullman of Franconia, NH.  But, Jerome reports, the bravest of all was 55 year old Adams Carter who, in honor of his participation in the three original Infernos in the 30s, foreran the course.

 

 

 

seniorsskiing

Editorial: Tools Of Empowerment

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Why We Publish Skis And Boots For Seniors Recommendations.

We don’t know the numbers in other countries, but in the U.S. one-fifth of all skiers and boarders are 52 or older.

Based on reader surveys, we, as individuals, have more time, ski more often, and make more frequent equipment purchases than the kids.

Four years ago, when we started SeniorsSkiing.com, we set about to create a community of similarly aged people with a shared passion for playing in the snow. Then, as now, our goal was to provide you with information about the sport through the lens of the older participant.

Part of realizing that goal includes publishing the annual SeniorsSkiing.com Best Skis and Best Boots guides for older skiers. We like to think of these guides as—excuse the phrase—tools of empowerment: information you can use to assess the advice from sales personnel when shopping for your next pair.

Top equipment reviewers at realskiers.com and at America’s Best Bootfitters make the recommendations based on criteria relevant to older skiers.

In our experience, professional boot fitters are great at identifying the best product for your feet and your ability. But finding store personnel who can recommend the best skis for older skiers is a rarity.

During the recent SIA/OR show in Denver, we visited a ski company with more than one product on this season’s Best Skis for Senior Skiers list. Everything about the company’s products and personnel is oriented to youth. Yet, testers at realskiers.com determined some of its products would be good for the older set. The marketing people we met with were unaware their product had made the list and had difficulty envisioning their product being used by older skiers.

It made us realize that we seniors need to guide the conversation about what is best for us. It’s not coming from manufacturers, and, with the exception of professional boot fitters, it’s not coming from retail personnel. But armed with the knowledge that we at SeniorsSkiing.com are providing about the best skis and the best boots for seniors, it can come from you.

Jon Weisberg, Mike Maginn

Co-Publishers

John Nelson

The Archetype Senior Skier? This Guy Sure Looks The Part

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74 Year Old Long Time Ski Host Books 120 Ski Days A Year At Big White. Jealous?

Ski Host Carlan Silha is fit and fortunate to ski so many days at 74.
Credit: John Nelson

It might seem strange that an American from the Spokane area knows this sprawling British Columbia ski resort better than just about anyone.

Carlan Silha has been serving as a snow host at Big White for 20 years, longer than anyone at the resort. The lanky 74-year-old still skis like a 24-year-old, kicking his heels when he takes a jump and issuing a frequent “Woo-hoo!” as he turns in powder.

The story of how Silha got to Big White starts in 1992, when he was a Boeing executive working in Europe. He and his wife Lin were looking for a condo at a ski resort, and a friend suggested Big White.

“We ended up buying because it was a great price,” Silha said. “Then we got here, and realized we really liked it.”

Silha eventually retired, moved from Seattle to the Spokane area, and then began spending every winter at Big White, where he became a snow host, showing visitors the ropes. Now he logs 120 ski days a year and relishes every minute.

“Let’s ski the Rat Trees,” Silha said as he showed around another visitor recently. The trees are so named because regulars have been hanging toy rats from a particular tree deep in the forest near Big White’s Powder Chair.

If you were Carlan, you’d have a big grin, too.
Credit: John Nelson

Silha then shot off, cranking precise turns through the trees in four inches of new snow. “Woo-hoo!” he shouted for perhaps the millionth time of doing this.

“Being outdoors keeps you young,” he said.

During summers, the Silhas spend their time fishing and camping, using Spokane as home base. They like to travel around the West, and Silha keeps fit by hiking and biking.

In winter, they hang out with ski friends who own condos at Big White, a large collection that includes Australians, Brits, Kiwis and, of course, Canadians. The snow host job—showing visitors around Big White’s 7,355 acres—keeps him busy and provides its own rewards.

“The main attraction is meeting people from all over the world,” he said. “And it makes you feel good to show people this mountain.”

Harriet Wallis

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Beaver Mountain—Utah’s Least Known Is A Delightful Surprise

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The “Beav” Has All The Goods But No Crowds And No Fanfare.

Cozy lodge is friendly and down home. Look elsewhere for fancy.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

For most vacation-seekers, Beaver Mountain falls off the radar because it’s farther than the 10 resorts that are within an hour’s drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. Beaver is about 100 miles—less than 2 hours from the airport.

Nobody knows about Beaver Mountain. Actually, lots of people know about Beaver Mountain, but they aren’t telling. They enjoy having the 8,600 foot high mountain with its 400 inches of average snowfall. Its skiers and snowboarders come mostly from nearby Logan and the Utah State University.

I’ve lived here for 25 years, and I’m embarrassed to admit I’d never skied Beaver until last week. A day there shattered all my stereotypes about it. Now I know it’s a gem of a mountain, and it’s very uncrowded. Repeat: Beaver is uncrowded.

And it’s an easy shot to get there: Take I-15 north, turn right to Logan, turn right up Logan Canyon, and you’re at Beaver Mountain.

What’s more, it has a friendly, down-home feel. For example: The sunny base lodge has a roaring fire stove and easy chairs for the ski-weary. That’s a touch that’s disappeared from most mega-resorts.

The cafeteria cooks up very good food at very reasonable prices. I loved the Reuben. But it was hard to resist the finger-likin’ ribs.

Corduroy courtesy of veteran grooming crew.
Credit: Beaver Mountain.

The mountain has a northeast exposure and gets the warming morning sun. Grooming is superb. I learned that the grooming crew is seasoned veterans who have groomed the mountain for years. It has plenty of challenging pitch. There’s an equal dose of mogul fields and off-piste tree skiing, a terrain park, and a magic carpet. The longest runs are 2 miles long. An adult day ticket is $50, seniors (70+) are $40. Seniors can also get a half-day ticket for $35.

I chatted with a couple that I presumed were locals. They weren’t. They live in Florida and travel and ski extensively. They’ve done the big name resorts and were thoroughly enjoying Beaver for the week.

I rode up the lift with Mountain Operations Manager Travis Seeholzer. He pointed to the ridgeline and said: “That’s the Idaho border.” Beaver is high in the northern-most corner of the Wasatch Mountain Range.

Because of its location, Beaver has a marketing problem. Lodging and big city amenities are 27 miles back to Logan or 13 miles ahead in Garden City, a popular summer destination on the shore of Bear Lake.

The flatlands surrounding the mountains are known as Cache Valley because mountain men and trappers cached their furs in secret places. Beaver Mountain is also a secret. Discover the secret mountain for yourself. Do what the locals do. Go “Ski the Beav.”

Other things you should know:

  • There’s no cell phone service at Beaver. People actually talk with each other.
  • Logan has tons of restaurants, car dealers, theaters, shopping, grocery stores, two hospitals, and more.
  • Garden City is primarily a summer resort area and has very little open in winter. There are several time share facilities, and that’s where the couple I talked with was staying. They bought their groceries in Logan as they passed through, and that’s what they recommend.

Click here for Trail Map.

Click here for Webcams.

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

This is uncrowded. Nice.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Feb. 2)

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Mid-Winter Is Here, Re-Discover Snowshoes, New Mystery Glimpse, Steamboat Museum, SeniorsSkiing.com’s Own Poem, Tribute To Warren Miller.

By Ground Hog’s Day, winter is half over. As we have noted before, you’d better have at least half your woodpile left.  At least that’s if the Ground Hog sees another six weeks of winter ahead.  It could be another six weeks of blah which is what we are wondering when we saw the latest Climate Prediction Center’s projection for February, March, and April. Precipitation chart (left) shows above average of water falling in the upper midwest and west and a drier band along the southern border. Temperature chart (right) shows below average temps in the upper midwest and west and not so much along the southern border and New England. Bottom line: Canadian Rockies, Montana, parts of Idaho, Washington are looking good. As with most predictions, don’t bet your 401k on the outcome. [Click on maps for more detail.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week

We returned from the Outdoor Retailers and Ski Industries America combined trade show in Denver with lots of ideas for SeniorsSkiing.com.  The vendors and retailers we met knew about our online magazine for senior snowssport enthusiasts and were very supportive of what we are trying to do for our readers. That felt very rewarding, indeed.

While at the show, we happened to meet a young poet selling poetry from a little hut on 14th in downtown Denver.  Here’s the story and “Knees”, the poem he wrote for senior skiers.

We noticed that snowshoes and snowshoeing had a noticeably big presence at the show. So, the article about snowshoes from correspondent Jonathan Wiesel is timely.  Snowshoes have indeed come a long way, and snowshoeing is a very spouse-friendly way to enjoy the winter.

Our Mystery Glimpse this week asks you to identify an event rather than a person.  There were fewer guesses about the previous week’s tennis playing ski racer.  Turns out, she was not only an Olympian, but a great humanitarian as well.

We love museums that celebrate snow sports.  Correspondent Tamsin Venn stopped by a classic in Steamboat Springs on a recent trip. Here’s her report on the unusually named Thread Of Pioneers Museum with some interesting archival pictures.

Finally, we found a fitting tribute to Warren Miller, who left us last week. There isn’t a person we know of a certain age who hasn’t been affected by Warren Miller’s films.

Coming Up

Next week, we’ll be exploring why you should consider taking XC lessons, more about what to put in the box in the back of your car, and other news.  Please note: We are working hard on our release of Ray Conrad’s The Cotton-Pickin’ Lift Tower.  We should be making that available to you very soon.

Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com.  Tell your friends, and remember, there are more of us everyday and we aren’t going away.

Ski resort version of Ground Hog Day? Is the moose trying to tell us something?

 

 

Northstar
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Unless you’re riding with people you know, ski lifts are public places, and conversational topics should reflect that.

Courtesy of Northstar

At least, that’s how I view the 8 – 12 minute ride with people who, if nothing else, have the sport in common. But experience shows that others may not share that sensitivity. How else to explain the ride on a triple where the night manager of a local hotel explained in detail how the owner was a drug dealer who used the property to launder money? Personal discretion must not have been a requirement for his job. That was a long time ago. More recently, on another triple, the man in the middle went on a racist rant for most of the ride. I told him he was using inappropriate language for a public place. He paused for a few breaths and resumed in a more obnoxious manner. I told him that based on what he said he was a racist. “No I’m not!” he yelled as we left the lift and he skied away. Regardless of age or status, lift conversation is our opportunity to bridge gaps and preserve the spirit of skiing.  Please make the effort.

IKON Pass Introduced. M.A.X. and Rocky Mtn Super Pass to be Retired 

Ikon is from Alterra Mountain Company and includes 23 resorts in the U.S. and Canada, many of which are part of the M.A.X. Pass, the Rocky Mountain Super Pass and the Mountain Collective. M.A.X. and Rocky Mountain passes will no longer be available and Mountain Collective will continue through 2018-19. The resorts include Mammoth, Squaw/Alpine, Deer Valley, Alta, Snowbird, Copper, Eldora, Aspen/Snowmass, Steamboat, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Killington, Sunday River, Sugarloaf , Loon, Tremblant and CMH. Ikon will announce costs at a later date.

Epic Pass adds Telluride

Telluride Ski Resort will be available on Epic Pass starting next season.

Winter Olympics

Courtesy, IOC

The South Korean games run Feb 9-25 in Pyeongchang, the name of a county about 40 miles from the DMZ. Opening and closing ceremonies will be held in a roofless five-sided stadium seating 35,000. South Korea is the second Asian nation to host the games. Korea’s Yongpyong resort has been the site for World Cup ski races four times since 1998. It has 14 lifts servicing up to 2,500′ vertical.

Warren Miller

Ski Utah posted this five minute edit of the1984 Warren Miller’s Ski Country. Hearing his voice narrate the film brings me back to another time.

Patagonia Environmental and Social Responsibility Report

This three minute video presents what Patagonia has done to improve the environment, preserve outdoor recreational areas, and contribute to improved lives in 2017. It’s an eye-opener.

Jonathan Wiesel

Lovin’ Snowshoes

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‘Shoes Have Come A Long Way.  Have You Looked Lately?

Old: Good for decorating rustic cabins.

Back in 1971, when I transferred winter affections from downhill to Nordic skiing (due to a spectacular fall in Austria that racked up one knee and stripped off my ski suit—but that’s another story), I also tried snowshoeing. After all, cross-country skis and snowshoes were both made of wood and quite beautiful; they’re both ways to travel over snow rather than wade through it; they’re both very low-impact sports.

But cross-country evolved into my lifelong true love, while snowshoeing became merely the affably boring cousin you contact every few years. Too much work; bindings were crappy (now you’re in, now you’re not—and your fingers are gonna freeze putting the damn things back on); ‘shoes didn’t slide like skis, except sideways downhill on crust; wood frames cracked; rodents enjoyed chewing the rawhide webbing in summer storage.

Modern snowshoes confirm the theory of evolution. They’re clearly descendants of the woodies but virtually a new species in design, materials, flotation, and fun.

I found this out one January about a dozen years ago, laying out ski trails at a resort in Montana. (Sadly, I hadn’t visited that cousin in almost 30 years.) The snow was too deep, buried underbrush and deadfall too catchy to use Nordic skis. So since slogging through waist-deep powder on foot was out of the question, what to do? Happily, intuition had suggested bring my new aluminum snowshoes along to test the frozen waters. They behaved magnificently, though I dumped a couple of times trying to back up, sinking the tails of the ‘shoes. (My style of absorbing knowledge always seems to be “education through error.”)

Modern: Light, durable, inexpensive. Credit: Tubbs

So what’s new about this next generation (or two – more on that shortly) of snowshoes? It may seem minor at first, but bindings have improved incredibly; they’re easy to use, they stay on, and they don’t stretch. The ‘shoes themselves are durable and have no food value to rodents, since they’re generally made with aluminum frames and synthetic decking that’s durable and gives great flotation.  That combination is light weight, so there’s less effort. The addition of bottom cleats gives you much better grip on crust and even side-hills, though it’s still smart to avoid those when possible.

What else? Modern models definitely aren’t as pretty, but it’s a trade off of aesthetics for dependability, longevity, and convenience.

Snowshoes are nowhere near as pricey as Alpine or even Nordic gear, but it’s still smart to rent before you buy to see if you like the sport. You can use hiking or snow boots with today’s adjustable bindings, or even sneakers with neoprene booties.

There’s a new kind of ‘shoe that came on the market this fall ago from Crescent Moon Snowshoes, a Colorado company. They’re made of foam (!) but from my destructive testing are not just light but also sturdy, incredibly maneuverable.  I backed up in them, did a 180 degree jump-turn for no good reason.  They have great binding and are setting the snowshoe industry on its butt.

There are a thousand more subtleties to fun snowshoeing—using poles, running vs. walking, clothing, etiquette, and the like. They’re mostly unimportant. Snowshoeing has become easy, and easy on your bones and joints. And even if you don’t glide, just repeat too yourself, “600+ calories per hour!”, enjoy the burn, and head for the dessert tray.

Most Modern: Foam ‘shoes from Crescent Moon.

Tamsin Venn

Tread Of Pioneers: A Blast From the Past

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Quaint Museum Reveals Steamboat Spring’s Rich History.

Ski Joring was the way to get around the valley when the snows came.
Credit TOP Museum

In 1947 an AP dispatch to 1,000 daily papers dubbed Steamboat Springs, Colo., “Ski Town, USA” with the declaration that of its 1,700 residents, 1,685 were skiers.

The others were children under the age of one.

Enthusiasm for skiing run deeps in this town. And you can learn all about it at The Tread of Pioneers Museum in downtown Steamboat. Native Utes, trappers, Yampa Valley settlers, ranchers, miners, farmers, cowboys, skiers, ski jumpers, snowboarders, outlaws, and lawmen, they all shared a part in the creation of this friendly town, sitting just below one of Colorado’s best loved ski resorts.

Famed Norwegian ski-jumper and circus star Carl Howelson arrived in 1913 and taught early residents of Steamboat Springs how to ski and ski jump. Suddenly, the valley’s ranchers were exploring the surrounding mountains on homemade wooden skis, school kids filled recess with downhill races, and locals became expert jumpers.

Billy Kidd, first American to medal in Alpine skiing, has lived in SBS since 1970. Here he is at 20.
Credit: TOP Museum

Favorite fact: Three Wire Winter is agricultural lingo used in the Yampa Valley to indicate that snow has reached the third strand of barbed wire on a four-strand fence, roughly 30 inches. A three-wire winter is just about right, with enough snowpack for spring run-off; more makes it difficult for feeding cattle in winter as well as damage to the barb-wire fences, according to Bill Fletcher, an Elk River Rancher.

The museum has an extensive historic photography collection, a few of which are included here. Go to the museum website to view and purchase online.

The museum is located downtown at 800 Oak Street. New exhibits this year include Staking Their Claim: Pioneer Settlement in the Yampa Valley highlighting early Yampa Valley settlers; Pioneer Kids Bedroom: Hands-on Discovery, letting kids dress up in historic clothes and play with antique toys; and A Legacy of Learning: Celebrating 50 Years of Colorado Mountain College and the Bud Werner Memorial Library exhibit, highlighting these two key local institutions; and the works of portrait and Native American photographer Edward S. Curtis.

The Museum Gift Shop has locally made jewelry, postcards, and photographs. Hours & Admission: Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $6 for adults, $5 seniors over 62, $2 children ages 6-12, under 6 free.

The Harbor Hotel sleigh picked up skiers from the train depot and delivered them to the popular hotel at 7th and Lincoln, circa 1957.
Credit: TOP Museum

mikemaginn

Skiing In Literature: Knees

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A Street Poet In Denver Writes An Impromptu Poem For SeniorsSkiing.com.

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com’s publishers visited the Outdoor Retailers/Snowsports Industries America Show in Denver last week.  Walking down 14th Street, we noticed a small hut lit by a lantern. Inside was a young man—D. M. Kingsford— sitting with a typewriter and a sign that said, “Pick A Topic, Get A Poem”. Our topic was “Senior Skiers”. Here’s the poem he tapped out in about two minutes:]

Poet D.Michael Kingsford receiving the muse.

Knees

By D.Michael Kingsford

Velocity doesn’t think in

Years, doesn’t

Edge towards stopping because

Decades have been stacked,

And snow

Is blind to

The candles perched solemn as a new

Bride the second time

Around:

 

 

 

You might ski

Thinking about wear and tear,

You might slope, but the

Mountain won’t mind:

 

You’re old enough to remember

Torn ACL’s and

Broken bones, but speed

And gravity

Have no memory for such things.

 

Breathe, and forget your age

Breathe

And count your age

In trees, whizzing by, instead of years.

 

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 26)

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Off To The OR/SIA Show, Mystery Tennis Player, Questions To Find The Right Instructor, Pat’s Peak For Hobbits, A Very Successful Senior Ski Club.

SeniorsSkiing.com co-publishers are heading out from various starting points to the great, big Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show in Denver’s gigantic Colorado Convention Center. We will be there to look for stories, product ideas for our readers, and to meet and schmooze with some industry friends. Our objective is to embed the message that the senior snow sports demographic is an unpolished jewel and to promote our growing online magazine.

This trade show combines the OR Show with Ski Industries America (SIA), and it looks like a mammoth undertaking. The list of exhibitors goes from Adventure Travel to Yoga/Pilates with just about every other outdoor activity to can think of in between. This promises to be a learning experience for us with demos, educational seminars, fashion shows, and special exhibits all revolving around active life style products and services.  It’s a chance for vendors to show off their new products to buyers from retail organizations of all kinds and sizes.

We are extremely impressed with the level of planning and tools provided to exhibitors, buyers and media. There are tools to help filter exhibitors whose products/services you want to see, maps which plot those interest points, direct email channels to vendors and lots and lots of public relations communications from the thousands of vendors and show promoters.

The whole industry has come a long way from the crowded hotel corridors we remember from the venerable Doc Desroches SIA shows of yore. In fact, we remember meeting the great mountain climber Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mount Everest, at the SIA Show in Chicago in 1970. Yes, it was a narrow, crowded corridor, so narrow in fact that Jim decided to proceed down the passageway with his hands on one wall and his feet on the other. True story.  We also shook hands with a very sun tanned Stein Erickson at the Chicago show.  SIA was the ski industry trade show that rotated through New York, Chicago and LA shows for many years.

So, we are ready, we’ve planned who we want to see and what we’re looking for.  So wish us luck, and we’ll report on progress next week.

Ski The World: Audi Hires Candide Thovex To Ski On Anything

Here’s a commercial from Audi  Quattro that will get your attention.  The “Flying Frenchman” Candide Thovex, extreme athlete, stuntman, adventurer, completely rips it up on grass, sand, rock, you name it.  This is for those of you who are still awaiting a decent base out there. It’s worth the five minutes.

This Week

A new Mystery Glimpse appears with a challenging photo of a ski racing notable from yesteryear. Can you guess who she is? Thanks to the United States Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame for contributing this week’s picture.

Only a few readers rose to last week’s stuffed animal challenge. See what significant event the rabbit, bear, and coyote represented.

Marc Liebman continues his advice on taking a ski lesson.  This week, he gives us five questions to ask an instructor before you sign up.  You may not be surprised to learn there is no universal, system-wide, standardized PSIA curriculum for teaching seniors. We know there are people who are very much interested in creating and promoting this idea. Seems like a long time coming.  If there was a senior-focused curriculum, we bet there would be more lapsed senior skiers coming back to snowsports of all kinds, not just Alpine skiing.

Sk clubs are a mecca for senior skiers.  In fact, you can find a ski club to join just by clicking through to the National Ski Council Federation.  Just click Find Ski Buddies Near You on the top menu box.  Correspondent John Farley brings us a report of a mountain-based ski club that sounds like it has a hardy mix of skiing and socializing.  They call themselves the Gray Wolves Ski Club, and they are based at Wolf Creek Ski Area in Colorado.  If you are looking for a model ski club to emulate, there are some ideas here for you.

Finally, correspondent Tamsin Venn shows us a really fine family-oriented ski area in New Hampshire that is the archetype senior-friendly area. Moderate-sized and modest facilities, Pat’s Peak has been a landmark since the early 60s.  And check out the retro-style base lodge.  What more do you really need, anyway?

That’s it.  We’re off to Denver. In fact, we’ll be there when you read this!  Thank you for reading SeniorsSkiing.com, and you know there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.

 

 

apres cocktails
Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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What are Your Favorite Apres Ski Cocktails?

“It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues,” Abraham Lincoln

In case you’ve been in Siberia or solitary, you may have noticed the return of the cocktail. Search “Skier’s Cocktails,” and you’ll find a variety of hot toddies, Irish Coffees and Mulled Wines. Some spike hot chocolate with whiskey, brandy, or peppermint schnapps. There’s even a fancy Crème Brulee Martini (Vanilla vodka mixed with Frangelico and Cointreau, shaken and served in a chilled cocktail glass with a crushed-graham-cracker rim.)

Before bed, following a day in the cold, I enjoy a combination of bourbon, honey, and chamomile tea. After a day of spring skiing, I favor pilsner and lemonade on the rocks.

Do you have a favorite mixed après ski drink? If so, send the recipe and its name. We’ll give each a try and, assuming the taster(s) recover, make it part of a SeniorsSkiing.com après ski drink guide. When submitting, let us know if you want your name included with your drink. We’ll do our best to provide proper credit.

While on the subject, the call for ski jokes is still open. We received a handful, but need more to publish a collection.

Send jokes and cocktail recipes to jon@seniorsskiing.com.

In closing, here’s W C. Fields on one of his favorite subjects: “If I had my life to live over, I’d live over a saloon.” 

R.I.P. Warren Miller

Warren Miller died Wednesday at his home on Orcas Island. He produced 500+ adventure sports films in his lifetime, narrating many in person on annual tours. As a kid in Troy, N.Y. I looked forward to his visit to the R.P.I. Field House, which filled to capacity with skiers whose laughing, hooting, and hollering added to the joyous presentations.  He was 93.

California

Mammoth Mountain is targeting entrepreneurial gig workers by providing work space and lift privileges at four resorts for $99 a month. The workspace is called The Fort, a satellite of the same type facility on L.A.

Colorado

The big SnowShow ski trade exposition in Denver is underway. It is the first time Snowsports Industries Association (SIA) and Outdoor Retailers (OR) have joined forces.

Crested Butte and other Western resorts are experiencing lower bookings, the direct result of poor snow conditions.

Japan

Twelve people, including eight soldiers, skiing on the slopes of a volcano near a hot spring resort in central Japan were injured earlier in the week by flying rocks from a sudden eruption. One soldier died.

Utah

Snow (finally) arrived. Alta got 24″, Brian Head, 21″, Snowbird, 21″ All other areas got from 15″ to 8″.

Vermont

Killington, Pico, and Tesla have joined forces to provide charging 45 electric vehicle charging stations.

seniorsskiing

Mystery Glimpse: Tennis, Anyone?

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She Also Skis Pretty Well.  Any Guesses?

This should be a challenge. No hints this time. Please write your response in COMMENTS below. Wild guesses welcome on this one.

Many thanks to the United States Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, Ishpeming, MI for providing this picture.

Credit: US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

Last Week

Some funny responses to this one from last week.

These three stuffed creatures are the official mascots of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Powder (rabbit), Coal (bear), and Copper (coyote) represent three resources which are abundant in Utah. They also symbolize the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.”

Not sure why a “Higher” is symbolized by a bear, or “Stronger” by a coyote.  We get the “Faster” for the rabbit.  Anyway…

Thanks again to the Alf Engen Ski Museum, Park City, UT. for the contribution.

Marc Liebman

Five Questions To Ask Before Taking A Lesson

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If You Haven’t Taken A Lesson In A While, These Questions Can Reassure You Are Getting What You Need.

Last week, we listed five scenarios when you should consider taking a lesson. The next logical question is how do I figure out whether or not the ski school and/or the instructor can help me? The bad news is that there is not really a good answer. However, any senior skier considering taking a lesson should try to find the answers to the following five questions that are listed in no particular order. And, the great thing about being a senior skier is that we have the experience to evaluate the answers and separate the truth from the B.S.

  1. Are you certified? Right answer: Yes, I’m level 2 or Level 3.
  2. Have you taken a clinic on teaching senior skiers? Right answer: Yes. Here’s the caveat. The Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) has not come out with a standard nationwide framework for teaching. Some of the PSIA/AASI regions have their own certification programs but most don’t. Among those that do, the content and rigor varies a lot.
  3. Does your ski school offer special instruction for senior skiers? Right answer: Yes. The problem is that there are precious few ski areas which do. There is a greater likelihood that you’ll find instructors who are senior skiers who have experience teaching their peers than ski areas who have specialized programs for seniors.
  4. How old are you (the instructor)? Right answer: I’m 50+. You want someone who can relate to you and who may share the same physical limitations and challenges facing all senior skiers. There are many instructors who have retired from the business world and work as ski instructors to stay active in the sport. Find them!
  5. How often do you teach senior skiers? Right answer: The best possible answer is, “I teach seniors all the time” or “I only teach seniors.” This is where your instinct comes in. If you get a BS answer, then you have a decision to make.

So those are the questions I suggest you ask. What else you can do in the way of due diligence and how you evaluate your answers is up to you.

 

 

seniorsskiing

This Club Oriented to Senior Skiers is Thriving

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Seniors Want To Get In Touch With Other Senior Skiers. A Club Is The Answer. Here’s One That Skis And Socializes.

[Editor Note: This article was written by John Farley, a Gray Wolf Ski Club member.  If you have any news about your ski club or advice to others about how to make ski clubs successful, please let us know.]

Red Solo Cup Day at the Gray Wolf Ski Club. Why not wear one or two on your helmut?
Credit: Gray Wolf SC.Some clubs catering to senior skiers are growing mightily. One great example of that is Colorado’s Gray Wolf Ski Club, whose membership has been steadily rising for a number of years and is now nearing 900 strong.

The Gray Wolf Ski Club is centered around the Wolf Creek Ski Area in the San Juans. Although the majority of the club’s members live in the Pagosa Springs, CO area, there are also quite a few members from communities such as South Fork on the opposite side of Wolf Creek Pass, and also a fair number of members from all over the country who vacation or have second homes near Wolf Creek.

The club’s mission is simple—to ski and socialize. And the club does a lot of both. Over the course of the ski season, members enjoy several club luncheons at Wolf Creek, each with a distinctive theme that members dress up for, like Red Solo Cup Day. Silly and fun.

To become a Gray Wolf, you must be 50 years old or better. Some are a lot “better” than 50, including Colorado Ski Hall of Fame member Charles Elliott who celebrated his 100th birthday by skiing.

Charlie Elliott celebrating his 100th birthday by skiing down an honor guard of club members.
Credit: John Farley  

Here’s Charles skiing, while Gray Wolves line both sides of the run: An interesting club tradition is that, once a year, members who turned 80 that year, and anyone else who wants to go along hike to the top of Alberta Peak (hike-to terrain within the Wolf Creek Ski Area) and ski down.

Members enjoy discounts on season passes at Wolf Creek Ski Area, and also at various businesses in the Pagosa Springs and South Forks areas. They also gather each Tuesday for a happy hour, which is particularly well-attended during the ski season but runs all year. That is but one of the many kinds of social events the club sponsors through the year, including an annual holiday dinner and dance and a pig roast during the summer. .

For more information about the Gray Wolf Ski Club click here.

SeniorsSkiing.com has partnered with the National Ski Council Federation to provide access to ski clubs across the US. To find ski clubs near you, click here.