Tag Archive for: Snowshoeing

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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Nov. 20)

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SPECIAL EDITION: MAKE MORE TRACKS!

Credit: Trapp Family Lodge

Focus On Nordic, Snowshoeing, Fat Biking: Rationale, The Market Forecast, Videos: How To XC, Snowshoe, Fat Bike, Hidden Gem XC Resorts, Lesson Advice, Mystery Nordic Star, Trail Preferences.

There’s more to winter besides downhill skiing. This issue will explore additional ways you can Make More Tracks.

Let’s be clear at the top: We love Alpine skiing, the thrill, the speed, the grace, and all that. We always will, so don’t think this Special Edition of SeniorsSkiing.com devoted to alternative winter snow sports is an abandonment of the mainstay that almost all of our readers have been participating in for years.

However, this year, we anticipate that while our readers will at first enthusiastically head to Alpine resorts, reserve online, gear up in their cars, mask up, social distance, eat a bag lunch, and all the rest, many will grow weary of those restrictions. Or become frustrated. Or not bother going at all.

But, since we know our readers love winter and snow, we also anticipate that they might be open to alternative snow sports that might be new to them or to which they may be returning. Like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.  These are accessible, easy to learn the basics, affordable, safe (social distance built in), and good for body and soul.

Since the beginning of October we have been publishing a series of articles named Make More Tracks. These include instruction, resort reports, clothing advice, and the like.  In addition, we’ve compiled a Make More Tracks Resource Guide with a compendium of articles about the alternative winter snow sports, covering gear, destinations, technique, and how to dress, and much more.

Co-Publisher Mike Maginn on wooden skis, circa 1970.

We are dedicating this entire issue to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and Fat Biking. Hopefully, you will read something that might stir you to think about getting into other winter sports. We’ve been loving cross-country skiing since the early 70s. So much so that we still (occasionally) get out our wooden skis, wax, four-pin bindings, and take a loop around the farm across the street. On a bluebird day with perfect snow, the right wax combo, and a Heineken in your backpack, there is nothing like it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are extending our special introductory classified ad offer until Dec. 4th. That means you can post a classified ad for 30 days from the date you post for just $1. We’re hoping you take advantage of this opportunity to find ski buddies, share rides, rent condos or apartments, and sell gear and collectibles.

We’ve been contacted by several readers who are frustrated by having to re-enter their name and email on the subscription pop-up. We know this can be frustrating. Here’s what you can do to eliminate the problem: TURN ON “ENABLE COOKIES” IN YOUR BROWSER ON EACH DEVICE YOU USE TO ACCESS SENIORSSKIING.COM. We’re working with our IT resource to make enabling cookies more clear as a way to avoid constantly re-entering name and email.

This Week

SeniorsSkiing.com’s cross-country editor and publisher of XCSkiResorts.com  Roger Lohr explains what XC means to him. Our thanks to him and cross-country journalist and consultant Jonathan Wiesel for their support and contributions to the Make More Tracks series. Click here.

Our Mystery Glimpse picture this week is a Nordic competitor who may be the greatest xc racer of all time. We predict some of our readers will get this one right away; others will have no clue. Such is the fate of Nordic celebrity in the snow sport world.  You will also learn the name of that odd parka from last week. Click here. 

“Au naturel” trail across Appleton Farms field. Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

This week’s Question For You asks our reader’s preference for what kind of XC ski trail they like best: groomed and groovy or no grooming. Our choice is actually a little of both. Click here.

We have a short video about a cyclist making his first fat bike ride on a chilly day. We learned that keeping toes warm is a project. Click here.

Kelly Davis is a noted snow sports industry market researcher. We met her several years ago when she was director of research at SIA, the industry trade group. Currently, she runs Snow Sports Insights, a consulting company that brings information to decision-makers about the changing market place. Here’s her view of what’s happening this year in the Nordic/Snowshoe market space. Interesting stuff, and thanks to Kelly for allowing us to reproduce this article which first appeared on the Cross Country Ski Area Association website. Click here.

Credit: LL Bean group lessons

Snowshoeing is the easiest alternative for those who want to get outdoors in the winter without a learning curve or significant outlay of cash. It is also the most grandchild-friendly choice. Here’s a short video that explains the basics of How To Snowshoe from LL Bean. Click here.

Cross-country editor Roger Lohr offers his inventory of XC ski resorts that he considers “hidden gems”, tucked away from hustle and big areas. These resorts offer extraordinary opportunities to enjoy a socially-distanced vacation in snow country. Yes, you can! Click here.

Methow resort has lots of ways to make more tracks. Credit: XCSkiResorts.com

Cross-country journalist and consultant Jonathan Wiesel expounds on when and how you might take XC lessons: Group or private.  Trust us, we’ve been xc skiing since the 70s and we took a brief lesson last winter from a former Olympian and US Ski Team member Sue Wemyss at the Great Glens Trails Outdoor Center in Gorham, NH. Amazing how quickly you can improve your stride with a few simple moves. Click here.

For those readers who have never tried to cross-country ski or who might have tried to learn on their own, here’s a short video from REI that is a clear and really helpful guide on How To Cross-Country Ski. Click here. 

Finally, the Skiing Weatherman Herb Stevens explains how the winds of November will favor some regions and not others. Click here. 

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

Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA. Trails are groomed by a volunteer group. Credit: SeniorsSkiing.com

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?

 

 

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.

Roger Lohr

Seniors Snowshoe At Alpine Resorts

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Snowshoeing—Fun, Easy, Safe—Steps Into Ski Country. Find Out Where.

Snowshoeing lets you enjoy winter at a different pace. Credit: Ski Utah

Snowshoeing lets you enjoy winter at a different pace.
Credit: Ski Utah

Not everyone who visits a ski resort wants to or is able to ski or snowboard, so resorts offer other activities. Among those options, guests can explore and enjoy the outdoors on snowshoes. These snowshoe outings at ski resorts range from guided naturalist tours to nearby destinations to athletic fitness treks reaching the top of the mountain. Snowshoeing options at ski resorts are booming and becoming ever more creative.  This is especially important to seniors who want to enjoy the outdoors at a different pace than downhill or even cross-country skiing. Snowshoeing is also a great opportunity to spend time with grandchildren on the snow.

Smuggler’s Notch Resort, a prime Vermont family destination, has one of the most comprehensive mixes of snowshoe programs available. There are snowshoe treks for families with young kids, and outings for adults or families with older kids, who want a bit more in terms of the length of the trek, the topography covered, and the insights shared about the natural world and outdoor skills.

Snowshoeing at Smugg's. Many different tours are offered at Smuggler's Notch. Credit: Smuggler's Notch

Snowshoeing at Smugg’s. Many different tours are offered at Smuggler’s Notch.
Credit: Smuggler’s Notch

Special family snowshoe programs that are easy include the S’mores Snowshoe Tour, which is a guided snowshoe trek on Wednesday’s 6-7:30 PM through the woods to a rustic pavilion and bonfire. The Sugar On Snow Snowshoe Trek is where you learn about Maple Sugaring. Back at Smuggler’s Nordic Center, enjoy a sweet treat of Sugar on Snow, a Vermont tradition. Smuggler’s Notch also hosts a dramatic dining feature atop Sterling Mountain for adults, who ride the Sterling lift to a mountain cabin lit only by candles. There’s a gourmet meal served with appetizer, salad, choice of main course, and dessert. After dinner, those calories can be burned off with a 40-minute snowshoe down to the Base Lodge.

Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, CO, has a variety of snowshoe tours via the Strawberry Park Express chair lift. There are guided naturalist snowshoe tours for two hours that include the gear and a map at $175 for two people. The group tours are $73 per person. On certain days the three-hour Fit Tour is available and there’s also the Wine Excursion Snowshoe Tour. On Fridays, there’s the Fondue & Snowshoe Tour and on Wednesdays the Women’s Walk and Wine is offered. The Family Tour is 4-5:30 with a guide, hot cocoa and snacks. The private guided snowshoe tours include the two-hour outing at $285, the half day at $395, and the All Day Snowshoe Tour is $600. Following each tour, the Osprey Fireside Grill welcomes guests into its slope-side, mountain-modern elegance—where Executive Chef Conor Shedor presents decedent culinary and wine pairings befitting of a post-snowshoe hike. Click here for Beaver Creek Resort.

At Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, MI, there are daily guided snowshoe tours and evening moonlight snowshoe tours. One of the popular treks is to the Michigan Legacy Art Park, which is a 30-acre preserve on 1.6 miles of hiking trails within Crystal Mountain. The Art Park features over 40 sculptures (20 in the winter), poetry stones, an outdoor amphitheatre (open in the summer). Click here for Crystal Mountain.

Stop by the Base Camp at Big Sky Resort in Montana for snowshoe adventures. They have a two-hour snowshoe tour on the Moose Tracks Trail for up to 10 people at a time led by two guides. There are designated trails for snowshoers to go out on their own, but they are asked to pay a $5 trail pass. Click here for a video about the guided snowshoe tours that are available at $50 for guests at Big Sky Resort.

Back in Vermont, a resort that presents a different option is Mount Snow where snowshoe tours are available via Grand Summit Hotel lodge’s NatureSpa. There are planned and marked trail routes at the ski area and the unique “Guided Snowshoe Tour & Massage,” that includes (for $185) a guided snowshoe tour followed by a sorely “kneaded” massage after returning to the spa. Trail loops can take an hour or two and snowshoes are available to rent. Click for a link to the NatureSpa.

Snowshoeing a Mt. Snow where you can tour followed by a massage. Credit: Mt. Snow

Snowshoeing a Mt. Snow where you can tour followed by a massage.
Credit: Mt. Snow

Guided snowshoe tours take about an hour for $45 per person including the snowshoes, poles and a group guide. There are also private tours available and outings offered to people who are more athletic and looking for a fitness workout on snowshoes or an environmental tour with a local Vermonter talking about animal tracks or local geography. Trail maps for snowshoers are available at Mount Snow Sports, where snowshoe rental equipment and a trail pass can be acquired. The trail pass is $10 per day and rentals are $25 per day or $15 per afternoon.

It was necessary this year for some of the Smuggler’s Notch snowshoe treks to be on the alpine slopes due to low snow in the valley. Snowshoers used the lifts to access a high elevation tour and a backcountry tour. The Smuggler’s Nordic Director commented, “When the skiers saw the people snowshoeing on the slopesides, they wanted to get out of their skis to come and try it.”