Short Swings!
The Kindness of (Young) Strangers Last...
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This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 20)
Discount Reminders, Season Thanks, Washing Down, Stowing Gear, Abandoned Ski Area Movie, -30- This amazing season hangs on. Even as we write this on April 19 snow is falling in New England, in fact, right outside our window on Boston’s North Shore. We know that the Sierras and Rockies are also seeing spring snowfalls. It will be the last weekend[Read More…]
Short Swings!
The Kindness of (Young) Strangers Last weekend Pam and I went canyoneering in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the vast expanse of public land between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Canyoneering may not be the correct term, as it generally describes the exploration of remote canyons requiring technical equipment and skills. Our destination was two popular slot[Read More…]
Mystery Glimpse: First US Winter Olympic Medalist Was A Ski Jumper
Only Two Guesses, One Was Correct. Apparently, our last Mystery Glimpse of the season was fairly esoteric. We salute reader Patricia Gottshalk for identifying Anders Olsen Haugen, the US Ski Team member who was the first American to win a Winter Olympics medal. He won medals in the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and the 1928 games in St. Moritz. In[Read More…]
Putting Away Your Skis And Stuff
It Pays To Spend A Little Extra Effort On Your Gear. Here’s How. [Editor Note: Don Burch’s article on storing your gear was published last 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…]
How To Wash Your Down Jacket At Home
Season’s Over; Isn’t It About Time You Get That Puffy Back To Clean? Not only are your season-dirty down jackets, vests, and even sleeping bag dirty and smelly, if you left them that way, they would lose their heat-insulating properties. It is easy to destroy your down gear if you don’t follow some basic rules when washing them at home.[Read More…]
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 13)
Looking Back, Mystery Glimpse, Spring XC Skiing, Riding With The Cats. It’s hard not to get a bit philosophical at the end of a season. And yes, we know that there are those who are still finding newly fallen snow out there, but we are done. Highlights for us: We re-discovered our interest in ski history, launching the Mystery Glimpse[Read More…]
Short Swings!
IKON changed its Mammoth Mountain benefits package. Purchasers of the $599 Ikon Base Pass now have full access with the exception of certain blackout dates. When originally offered, full access (no blackouts) was available only with the $899 Ikon Pass. Purchasers of the $599 Base Pass were entitled to 5 days at Mammoth. Alterra, the resort company offering the IKON[Read More…]
Mystery Glimpse: He Was The First
This Well-Dressed Athlete Was The First Of Many. Thanks to the Colorado Ski And Snowboard Museum for sending this picture along. We’re reaching deep here, dear readers, and if you can get this one, we will be really impressed. Who is he and what did he do that gave him a place in ski history? Last Week This is a[Read More…]
XC Skiing In The Spring Is The BEST!
Even In Mid-April You Can XC Ski; You Just Have To Find The Snow. As the cross country (XC) ski season winds down, most XC ski areas close because of lack of skiers rather than lack of snow on the trails. The sun comes out, the temperature rises, and the XC skiers quit. Why? Are we infected with winter fatigue?[Read More…]
Ridin’ With The Cats
What’s It Like To Groom Trails At Night? They come out at night and do their job. You can see their lights progressing across the ski slope and occasionally hear their roar. And the next morning, they’ve left this delicious set of corduroy tracks across the ski hill. I’d always wanted to go on-slope with a snowcat groomer. And so,[Read More…]
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 6)
Season Hangs On, Cross-Country Lessons, Apex Boot Highlights, Bob Beattie, Fun & Games, Mystery Train. Click Here To See Where Snow Fell Day By Day From Oct 5th to March 26th. A glance at the map shows where the season’s snow accumulated and where it didn’t. Clearly, the Far West, Upper Rockies, (and Canadian Rockies not shown), parts of the[Read More…]
Short Swings!
Sunday at Snowbasin was the last day of my season. The end-of-season emergence of earth shedding its winter coat is bittersweet. The joy of Winter is being replaced by the joy of Spring. Every year on my last run, I say a prayer of thanks for having completed another season and a prayer of hope for the next. Having reached[Read More…]
Mystery Glimpse: Choo-Choo!
Where Are We And What’s Happening? Thanks to the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum for providing this picture from ski history. The CS&SM is in the process of undergoing a $2.4 million renovation. The first of several exhibits, “Climb To Glory”, featuring the story of the 10th Mountain Division is now open. Other exhibits will be open at the end[Read More…]
Grand Targhee: Deep Powder and a Friendly Vibe
It had been snowing three days when I arrived at Grand Targhee. By morning the new snow total was 55″. A guy from Denver suggested signing up for Early Tracks. For $89 members of the ski school guide you at 8AM, an hour head start on the public. Next morning, I skied 1 1/2 hours on untracked terrain, guided by[Read More…]
Cross-Country: Lessons Are The Best Way To Out-Think Your Feet
To Make The Switch To Cross-Country, Please Start With A Lesson And These Tips. In the early 1970s, in a visionary but totally wrong-headed move, the fledgling Nordic ski industry declared that, “If you can walk, you can cross-country ski.” It would have been a lot more helpful to say, “If you can walk, you can learn to cross-country ski.[Read More…]
