Short Swings!
Would you pay an additional $49+ not to...
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This Issue
Years ago, a fellow I knew in the fitness industry commented, “You don’t ski to get in shape. You get in shape to ski.” I didn’t always agree, but as I’ve aged, I’ve realized that it really does require considerable training to prepare for the season. This issue has some good advice from Pat McCloskey about similarities between mountain biking[Read More…]
Short Swings!
Would you pay an additional $49+ not to wait in the lift line? Express lines have been available for years for members of exclusive clubs and for skiers accompanied by instructors. Now it will be available for a fee on a day-by-day basis at Snowbird (UT), Killington (VT), Copper Mountain (CO) and Mount Bachelor (OR), all areas owned by Utah-based[Read More…]
The Skiing Weatherman-October 15, 2021
A bit of a false start… In the past week, some significant early season snow has fallen over portions of the western U.S. and far western Canada. The season is off and running…at least for now…as Wolf Creek Pass in southern Colorado will open this weekend with limited terrain. I wish I could say that it is a sustainable plan[Read More…]
How to Get Fit for Ski Season
Originally published in the 2020-21 Masterfit Buyer’s Guide Getting fit for ski season doesn’t take a fancy gym membership. What it does take is general cardio training– biking, hiking, running, or even vigorous walking–with some specific strength training that will improve your performance on snow. Just ask Tyler White, who runs iSport, a training facility at Killington that’s a branch[Read More…]
How Mountain Biking Improves My Skiing
There are many similarities between mountain biking and skiing aside from the fact that both sports engage the same type of people. I love to mountain bike, but I use it primarily as an exercise to keep me in shape for skiing. I don’t take any chances. I ride to ride another day. But it is good exercise and keeps[Read More…]
Test Your Skiing Knowledge
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. The pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage you to visit and to support. This image was submitted by New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame and New Mexico Ski Museum, located outside Albuquerque, at the base of the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway.[Read More…]
A Down-Under Skier Reminisces About His 2019-20 Canadian Road Trip
I was inspired by (SeniorsSkiing.com contributor) Yvette Cardozo and her excellent missives re skiing Canada and the world. Her unique turn of phrase will inspire some to write, but mostly will move others to keep skiing when they can. Those three words, ‘when they can’ are important. COVID has jolted us to the here and now, prompting many to get vaccinated.[Read More…]
Yellowstone’s Winter Magic
In 1991, while guiding a small group in Yellowstone National Park, I tried to describe walking outside as the sun rose one February morning near Old Faithful: “Morning light pours over the hills, reflecting off the frost in a blinding cloud of diamonds. Elk and bison shake snow off their backs, stirring after a long night’s chill. Duck and geese[Read More…]
Secrets for Your Best Ski Season Ever
Over 11 seasons I’ve probably taught 500-600 kids and adults as a part-time instructor at Stratton/VT & Butternut/MA. “Never-evers”, experts, 4-yr olds to 80-yr olds. Me: flipping through trail names like a deck of cards, choosing the best run for the task at hand and my eager, anxious learner. Here’s the huge thing I’ve learned: Anyone can become a better[Read More…]
This Issue
Welcome back, fellow Senior Skiers!!! This is the first issue of SeniorsSkiing.com for the 2021-22 season. As usual, there’s a lot of original content. Ski instructor and contributor John Gelb offers excellent advice about taking lessons at the beginning of the season. Day 1: ski around and take notes on what you want to strengthen or improve. Day 2: Have your[Read More…]
ShortSwings!
This is to thank the 3000+ of you who completed our August reader survey. We learned that on average, those of you who did not take last season off skied an average of 26 days. That’s down from a few seasons back when the average was more than 33 days. But, when you figure that the national average is 6.5[Read More…]
Skiing Weatherman: 2021-22 Outlook
Even though we are just a few days past the first day of astronomical summer, I find myself already taking a peek at the northern Rockies when I am working on forecasts for my golf course clients. Why? The skier/weather nerd in me comes out as I look for the first weather station reporting snow in the air. Like you,[Read More…]
Older Skier? Here’s a list of the Best Skis for You
When it comes to skis, buying without trying can be confusing. I prefer demo days or demo-ing from shops at or near the mountain. Reading how a ski performs can provide helpful guidance in your selection process but using those skis – especially on familiar terrain – really helps in deciding how to make the best purchase. That said, we’ve[Read More…]
Planning Your XC Ski Vacation
Let’s say you’ve decided to take a cross country ski vacation. That’s a great idea because it’s a wonderful way to escape city stress. But there are a lot of other good reasons. You can ski your brains out or veg out, get a tan, see new country, ski but avoid midwinter cold, eat incredible meals, enjoy a romantic interlude,[Read More…]
Last Season
Don Burch is a frequent contributor of interesting ski pictures and videos. He put together this 2-minute video of highlights from his 2020-21 season. If you want to stoke your imagination for the coming season, click here and enjoy!
Test Your Skiing Knowledge
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com will have a picture to help you test your skiing knowledge. The pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage you to visit and to support. This image was submitted by The New England Ski Museum, a non-profit based in New Hampshire with locations at the base of the Cannon[Read More…]
Tukino Skifield, Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Tukino Skifield (www.tukino.org) is a Club-operated field (“skifield” is the down-under term for ski slope) on the eastern slopes of Mt Ruapehu (9175 ft/2797 m), a live volcano and the highest mountain on the North Island of New Zealand. It is located within Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage Area, encompassing two other large volcanic cones (Ngauruhoe and Tongariro) plus[Read More…]
Summarizing Skiing History Magazine’s Sept-Oct 2021 Issue
Skiing History magazine, a project of the International Skiing History Association (ISHA), is published six times a year. Its collection of articles is always interesting. Click on ISHA’s “Take A Run With Us!” advertisement and register for a free digital issue. Better yet, support skiing history and ISHA by becoming a member! Membership is a terrific gift for any older[Read More…]
Look Back: Sunday River
For the record, early morning skiing was just the best at Sunday River, Maine. We skied this reliable, late-season spot over Easter weekend with two gorgeous sunny days, happy the travel restrictions into Maine had eased for us at last. Better late than never. Count SR’s season-long commitment to snowmaking (90 percent coverage) as the insurance that makes the late[Read More…]
The Year in Review
El Nino, Stay South. La Nina, Go North. If you haven’t already done so, it’s close to the time when the skis and snowboards get tucked away for summer hibernation. Between Covid-19 restrictions, National Forest leases, and Old Man Winter calling it quits prematurely in much of North America, forces have conspired to end the season for the majority of[Read More…]
Make More Tracks: A Personal Note At The End Of The Season
XC Has Grown In Participation. Hopefully, Make More Tracks Played A Role. The Make More Tracks Resource Guide and series of articles in each issues since October was conceived to provide readers of SeniorsSkiing.com with information to expand their options in the winter of the pandemic. It was intended to provide info and perspectives about mostly XC skiing. As someone[Read More…]
Top To Bottom: Park City Last Day 2021
Three Costumed Spring Skiing Characters Put A Cap On The Season. Our Vicarious Vacation series winds up in Park City, UT, on April 12 this year, the last day of the season. Our three characters head down from Cloud Dine to the Tombstone Lift on the “canyon side.” We’ve never skied Park City, but this run follows trails which look[Read More…]
Anyone Lose A Moriarity Hat 35 Years Ago At Beaver Creek?
We Have It For You. Here’s a note from Shelley Canalia, a reader, who has come into possession of this old hat with numerous pins from resorts and events. My brother is Anthony Isham West. Great guy, comes from a Nordic ski family on his Father’s side. In 1985-86 he was working at Beaver Creek in Vail. He found[Read More…]
Look Ahead: Report From Australia
The Virus Is Contained, Resorts Anticipate Regular Openings. We, the skiing public here in Oz, are quietly excited about the prospect of finally skiing again after a year off. While we wait for government decisions and confirm opening dates at Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and Mt Buller here in Victoria and similarly for the resorts in NSW at Perisher and[Read More…]
Look Ahead: Despite Challenges, Chilean Resorts Are Preparing
Areas’ Marketing Campaigns Are In Full Swing, But Will The Weather Cooperate? For 2020, the ski season revolved around the multiple ills Chile has been suffering, including the ongoing drought that affected the skiing. This year would seem to be a continuation of those ills, including social and political unrest, economic suffering, and plague. In spite of all that, last[Read More…]
