Ageing Skiing Concerns – AKA, Ski...
As I get older, skiing is still a thrill...
As I get older, skiing is still a thrill...
“Stop! Don’t do that. Don’t move...
To whom it may concern, As I get older,...
It Pays To Spend A Little Extra Effort...
Ikon Pass holders get to enjoy more than $1 Billion in new terrain, lifts, dining, skier services and more for the 23/24 season. It’s an impressive collection of improvements, including new destinations added, so let’s start with those. New Destinations Winter 23/24 offers pass holders new destinations – Alyeska in Alaska and Snow Valley in California. Also, two areas in[Read More…]
Who says drinking and “riding” don’t go together? They certainly do! We just came back from a week’s bike ride through part of the Loire Valley, drinking and riding. We had six days of easy riding, covering about 20 – 25 miles each day. Landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, we took the train to Tours, in the[Read More…]
My wife and I also love Montana in the summer, returning year after year to fish for the huge brown trout, rainbows, and cutthroats that fill the streams. This past July was no exception. We spent two weeks fly fishing many of the wonderful rivers that flow down out of the mountains, almost all filled with snowmelt and exceptional fish.[Read More…]
After 31 years of ownership, the Kemmerer family is selling the iconic resort to new owners who promise to keep Jackson Hole independent – one of the last world-class destinations which hasn’t been bought out by a multi-resort corporate operator. The Kemmerers have always said they wanted to keep JMHR (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) both locally-owned and independent. [Read More…]
Like many celebrities, Lindsay Vonn participates in charity fund-raisers, red carpet events, and also paid events that utilize their celebrity. The evening I shared with the gold medal Olympic and World Cup skier was one of those. She was part of a panel on performance – specifically how performance influenced and inspired their lives. The other panelists were Reggie Jackson, the Hall of[Read More…]
Summer is in full swing at our favorite ski/snowboard resorts, with scenic chairlift and gondola rides and a full calendar of events including outdoor concerts and food festivals. ICYMI (in case you missed it) is our monthly round-up of this and that from here and there, including news of new lifts for new seasons. Alyeska Joins Ikon Pass Alaska’s Alyeska[Read More…]
The Catskills resort has been purchased by two hospitality and resort development families with more than 100 years of combined experience, who promise to make further investments to turn Windham Mountain into a premium, year-round, world-class destination. Immediate improvements will focus on the following – improving skiing and riding with minimal lift lines, improving food and beverage program with redevelopment of current[Read More…]
Alterra Mountain Company, the guys behind the Ikon Pass, have added yet another resort to their collection of destinations they own and/or operate, bringing the portfolio to 17 year-round mountain destinations throughout North America. The agreement to purchase Idaho’s Schweitzer, further expands the company’s portfolio in the Pacific Northwest, joining Crystal Mountain in Washington, purchased recently. Schweitzer is the largest ski area[Read More…]
There’s always something happening at our favorite ski and snowboard destinations, with and without snow. There are plenty of outdoor concerts, food & wine festivals, vintage car shows, mountain biking, hiking, and ziplines and news about new lifts, too. Here’s your ICYMI for June, with tidbits of this and that, in case you missed it – Free Gondola Rides in Aspen/Snowmass[Read More…]
Big Sky celebrates its 50th Anniversary in the 2023/24 season with a brand new Lone Peak Tram and a new pricing policy for riding it. The old tram opened in 1995, big enough – or small enough – for only 15 passengers at a time, making it feel like an elevator with windows. On powder days, it could be a one[Read More…]
Killington finally is getting a real base area village center. In the March 2023 local election, residents of the town of Killington, Vermont, passed the TIF (tax increment financing) zone for a new village at Killington Mountain Resort. It will take up to $47 million and about four years to build infrastructure including a new water system and road reconstruction plus[Read More…]
To whom it may concern, Vail’s 80+ Northeast Value Pass for $ 45 (+ $4.95 shipping & handling) is a hidden treasure that is NOT on their website, is basically unknown, is VERY hard to get accurate info about, and ONLY is in effect to the “Northeast” Areas which includes Mid-Atlantic and Ohio!! People on the toll free line insist[Read More…]
Back in 1955, it took Squaw Valley co-founder Alex Cushing, just six months to nail down his Northern California ski resort near Lake Tahoe as the site of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. The building of the museum that will preserve the history of the games along with the broader history of Sierra Nevada winter sports is taking far longer. By the[Read More…]
To whom it may concern, As I get older, each year I have to reassess the value of purchasing an annual ski pass. And each year Alterra continues to practice ageism in its pass pricing structure! You offer NO SPECIAL PRICING for forgotten senior skiers and riders (many of whom are on a fixed income) over 70 years of age who[Read More…]
Even though this amazing snow season is winding down, there’s still some important news for skiers and riders. Here is our monthly ICYMI – in case you missed it – tidbits of this and that, including extended operating days at resorts in the US and Canada. Utah The state has received a record amount of what it markets as The[Read More…]
The definition of a “cohort” is a collection of people who share characteristics or experiences over time. It’s one of many descriptions of us skiers and riders. We seek and revel in the mountain life and its experiences and invite others to share in our reverie. Our life view is expansive, embracing all. Giving back to others is deeply embedded in[Read More…]
Glade skiing is not about speed and power, but about grace under pressure. It is dancing a ballet on snow crystals where a mistake can really hurt. It is that fine line where fantasy and reality meet, especially when you are knee-deep in a fresh blanket of powder that rests lightly between the trees. When you find that rhythm where[Read More…]
To Heaven’s Heights: An Anthology of Skiing in Literature It’s an eclectic mix of stories celebrating skiing as sport, transportation and more. It’s for anybody who loves skiing – even reading about skiing. Many of the selections are nostalgic accounts of learning to ski, or descriptions of ski treks of long ago and far away. Others are exciting accounts of accidents,[Read More…]
It’s called “My Epic Gear”, and it allows skiers and riders to reserve the same boots, skis or snowboard for an entire season at participating Vail Resorts destinations. Skis and boards are top models from top manufacturers. Boots are fitted with customized insoles and boot fit scanning technology. Everything offers free slopeside pickup and drop off, and there’s a new app to[Read More…]
It Pays To Spend A Little Extra Effort On Your Gear. Here’s How. [Editor Note: Don Burch’s article on storing your gear is published each year around this time. We are reprising it to help remind you that a little care for your stuff goes a long way.] Hopefully your ski equipment has taken good care of you all winter,[Read More…]
We all know there are many options to ski Utah – Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Park City, Snowbasin, Deer Valley. But none can hold a candle to Powder Mountain. Why is this, you might ask? Powder mountain boasts the largest ski/snowboard area in North America, with 8,464 acres of groomed trails and un-groomed of pure skiing pleasure. You are at an elevation[Read More…]
“You haven’t aged a bit.” “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” “Young at heart.” “So when are you going to retire?” “Still skiing at your age?” We’ve all heard, read or experienced comments like that, because American culture is grotesquely youth-centric. The notion is that it is sad to be old, that wrinkles are embarrassing and so on. There is[Read More…]
Herman Smith Johannsen also known as Jackrabbit Johannsen was known for cross country (XC) skiing at 102 years old. He was a man who popularized XC skiing in Quebec and later in America. He lived until he was 111 and was always inquisitive about what was on the other side of the hill. The Jackrabbit kids’ ski program in Canada[Read More…]
The days are longer and warmer, which means more sunlight to enjoy spring skiing and riding, and fewer layers. Some resorts have extended operating hours and even days, while others are closing despite an abundance of snow. Here’s our monthly ICYMI (in case you missed it) collection of this and that. The fun and games at season’s end includes pond skimming contests. Here’s[Read More…]
First of all, please accept my apologies for missing the last edition. After attending a hectic three day trade show near my home here in Rhode Island, I rushed home and packed my bags for a flight to the Netherlands, where my wife and I met our first grandchild…a memorable event that I will never forget. I simply had a[Read More…]