Ageing Skiing Concerns – AKA, Ski...
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ICYMI for June
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 New Tram and Price Policy
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…]
A New Killington Village is Born
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…]
Letter to the Editor: Hidden treasure 80+ Northeast Value Pass
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…]
Snow Sports Museum in Northern California on Track for Completion
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…]
Letter to the Editor: Ageism in the Ski Pass Industry
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…]
ICYMI for May
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…]
Giving Back
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…]
Powder in the Glades
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…]
Add This Great Book About Skiing History to Your Bookshelf
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…]
Vail Resorts Introduces Season-Long Rental Program
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…]
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 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…]
Utah’s Best Kept Secret Slopes
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…]
Thoughts on Aging and Ageism
“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…]
Tips for Elder Cross Country Skiers
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…]
ICYMI for April 2023
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…]
The Skiing Weatherman March 24, 2023
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…]
Val d’Isere: Totally Over the Top
Everything about Val d’Isere, is over the top; the excitement of skiing on so many World Cup pistes, the snow, the lift system, the extensive possibilities from Le Fornet to Tignes, the restaurants, the traffic to and from Geneva Airport, the prices, the number of skiers on the pistes with you, and the skiing atmosphere in the village. In early[Read More…]
Jan Brunvand Turns 90!
Congratulations to SeniorsSkiing correspondent Jan Brunvand on schussing into his 90’s! Enjoy Jan’s top ten reasons he enjoys being a senior skier. (Originally published December 2017) #10. I have nothing to prove. I don’t need to ski bumps, steeps or crud. It’s challenging enough just skiing blues at age 84. #9. Skiing impresses my non-skiing peers. When folks ask “Are[Read More…]
When Errol Flynn Skied at Alta
Many famous Hollywood movie stars came to Alta to ski during the 1940s. Two of the best known were Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland, but most famous of all was Errol Flynn, the swashbuckling leading man. My uncle, the late Sverre Engen, was Alta’s Ski School Director in 1946 when the legendary action hero visited Alta for a ski outing.[Read More…]
Winter Sports at Aspen Snowmass Besides Skiing/Snowboarding
I’ve always said that life should be downhill in winter. But sometimes it’s fun to try something else besides skiing, riding, or even X-C skiing or snowshoeing. Here are five other winter sports available in Aspen/Snowmass, including one that is an Olympic sport. Curling If you’ve ever been bowling and thought, “we should be doing this on ice” then curling is for[Read More…]
IKON Pass for 2023/24 Season Offers Many New Benefits
Next season’s IKON Pass offers a new collection of discounts on travel and brand-name gear, along with free access to First Tracks programs and dropping reservations requirements, and more. It’s a long list of perks for the 2023/24 season, including for new passholders, who get spring season this season as part of the purchase. Passes go on sale Thursday, March 16,[Read More…]
Snowshoeing at Vermont’s Alpine Ski Resorts
Snowshoeing is an excellent way to get some outdoor physical and mental fitness in the winter and it can be a great warm-up for skiers or snowboarders. At alpine ski areas snowshoeing can be a great activity for those joining family or friends who may not want to ski at the resort. Recognizing a market when they see one, many[Read More…]
2023 24 Epic Passes Now on Sale With New Benefits
The only thing better than locking in a season pass is to do it now, at the lowest prices of the year. 2023/24 Epic Passes are on sale now, starting at $909 for a full pass and $676 for a local pass to dozens of Vail Resorts destinations in the US, Canada, Europe and beyond. New features for next season include[Read More…]
NASTAR Racing for Seniors
Have you ever tried ski racing? Maybe now is the time. Resorts throughout North America offer NASTAR, the world’s largest recreational ski and snowboard racing program. It’s not just for the young! Age groups in NASTAR run as high as 95+ and participation among us senior skiers is very high. The 70+ Ski Club participates in a popular race at[Read More…]
