Articles by: Harriet Wallis

The University of Utah’s ski team won the NCAA Championship, and the ski team members have high GPAs.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Coveted Honors Awarded At Ski History Gala

Rossignol’s Top Executive And The University Of Utah Ski Team Earned Top Honors. The country’s largest ski history and research organization, Ski Archives, held its annual gala and fundraiser to help support its mission. In addition, the event honors individuals and organizations that set a high mark for their influence on the ski industry. This year, Ron Steele, philanthropist and[Read More…]

by November 16, 2017 1 comment Snow Sports Leaders
Caption: Here comes the snowmaking. Blandford’s lodges get facelifts and the slopes get upgrades in grooming and snow making.

Butternut Buys Blandford Ski Area; Rushes To Upgrade For New Season

Family-friendly Blandford in southern Massachusetts was poised for extinction or development, but Ski Butternut and its owner Jeffrey Murdock bought it Sept. 1 and saved it. It’s a rescue mission of historic proportions. Right now, crews are working furiously to renovate Blandford’s base lodges, upgrade the grooming equipment, and install new snowmaking to help smooth out fickle weather cycles that[Read More…]

by November 7, 2017 1 comment East
Senior Profile: WWII Survival Shaped Ruth DeSousa’s Resolve

Senior Profile: WWII Survival Shaped Ruth DeSousa’s Resolve

She Applies What She Learned To Life And Skiing. When the air raid sirens blared in Bingen, Germany, residents scrambled down into their cellars for protection. The town on the Rhine was bombed again and again by Allied forces. After each attack, Ruth’s mother would rush to the roof of their building to pick up the burning flares that had[Read More…]

by October 9, 2017 3 comments Features
Find out what Harriet thought about these tubeless, foam-filled tires. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Cycling Series: Update On “Arthritis Proof” Never Flat Bicycle Tires

I’ve Learned A Lot And Here Are The Lessons. If your hands are arthritic, you know how hard it is get a tire back on the rim after fixing a flat. Lightweight Tannus tubeless foam tires were recently introduced into the U.S., and I was quick to buy a set. They don’t take a tube, and since they are filled[Read More…]

by September 22, 2017 1 comment Features
Where O where art thou? Getting skis mixed up is too easy in this forest of fiberglass.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Confessions Of A Ski Thief

[Editor Note: This personal account by contributor Harriet Wallis makes me smile. It appeared in SeniorsSkiing.com January 2, 2015.] Start the Season Off Right: Know Where You Put Your Skis It had been a glorious day on the slopes. Toward the end of that day, skiers and riders were coming off the hill and settling onto the patio to enjoy[Read More…]

by August 17, 2017 3 comments Features, Home Top Box 2
The dealer installs tubeless Tannus tires onto my rims before the big charity ride.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Cycling Series: “Arthritis-Proof” Bicycle Tires—Flat No More

Get 5,000 Miles On These Airless Tires And Never Have To Wrestle With A Flat. If your hands are arthritic, you know how hard it is get a tire back on its rim after fixing a flat. Arthritic hands just don’t have the strength they used to have. But it’s impossible to get a flat with solid tires, so that’s[Read More…]

by July 17, 2017 2 comments Features
Birthday boy George Jedenoff flanked by old friends Junior and Maxine Bounous.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

George Turns 100 And Skis On His Birthday

Snowbird Made Special Arrangements So George Could Celebrate By Skiing In July. George Jedenoff became an avid skier 51 years ago when he moved to Salt Lake City to oversee the Geneva Steel Plant. He learned from the best: iconic Junior Bounous, legendary Alf Engen, and release binding inventor Earl Miller. At that time, Miller performed stunt falls to show[Read More…]

by July 6, 2017 4 comments Ski Heroes
Volunteers kept Blandford going and gave the small area a community feel.
Credit: New England Ski Industry

Historic Blandford Ski Area Poised To Bite The Dust

This Wonderful Family Area Is Simply Out Of Money. [Editor Note: According to the Westfield News, Springfield Ski Club’s members will be meeting on July 18 to approve the sale of assets to the owners of Ski Butternut. If two thirds of the total membership do not specifically vote yes, the ski area will close.] The website says: “May 28, 2017[Read More…]

by July 3, 2017 2 comments Ski History, East
Blandford has 3 chairlifts. When I learned to ski, it had 7 rope tows but only 1 chairlift. 
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Fond Memories Of Blandford Ski Area

Memories Live On Even If The Area Closes. Nothing can replace this family-based ski area in southern Massachusetts. But Blandford is now on the brink of being closed or sold. It has offered what mega resorts cannot offer. If kids got tired of skiing, they’d go off trail with their friends and build snow caves and ski jumps. When my[Read More…]

by June 19, 2017 3 comments Remember When?
Bud showing a some form.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Senior Skier Profiles: Two Kings Of The Hill

These Octogenarians Are High Spirited Role Models. Some skiers slow down as they get older. But Bud Temple (84) and Paul Jacobsen (89) pick up steam. Each has skied for more than 70 years. They each learned on primitive equipment in a city park. Meet Bud Temple Bud launched into skiing in an unusual way. While a student at the[Read More…]

by June 5, 2017 1 comment Ski Heroes
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Alta’s GM Onno Wieringa Retires

He’s Loved And Will Be Missed. Onno Wieringa has a passion for snow and for the soul of Alta. They have been his love and his career for 45 years. He arrived at Alta Ski Area in 1972 and landed a job as ski patroller. That was his day job. At night, he was a bartender at Rustler Lodge. After[Read More…]

by April 20, 2017 1 comment West
Favorite Memories Of Skiing New England In Spring

Favorite Memories Of Skiing New England In Spring

Back Road Scenery And Ski Slope Puddles Formed Indelible Pictures. I loved the scenic springtime drive to the slopes. Steam rose from little sugar shacks as the golden syrup was simmering inside. Horses stood motionless in frozen pastures and breathed clouds of fog into the frosty morning air. Christmas tree farms had fallen silent. Lichen-covered stone walls divided the winter-flattened[Read More…]

by April 10, 2017 1 comment Remember When?
Walk-In Orthopedic Clinic Opens Near Salt Lake City’s Resorts

Walk-In Orthopedic Clinic Opens Near Salt Lake City’s Resorts

Nobody wants to get hurt while on vacation, but sometimes it happens. Did you crash at one of the Wasatch Front resorts, think you were okay, but later decide to get checked? This new after-hours clinic treats what was hurt while skiing during the day. The University of Utah Health Care Orthopedic Center is one of only a handful of academic[Read More…]

by March 16, 2017 0 comments MedTech
Deer Valley Animals Delight Your Spirit

Deer Valley Animals Delight Your Spirit

Mischievous raccoons, rascal bears, and stately elk are trailside fun for all ages. Deer Valley is famous for fabulous dining, manicured slopes, superior guest services and posh amenities. But there’s more. Life size wood and bronze wild animals decorate the porches and roofs of trailside private homes along the Last Chance beginner run. Raccoons peek in a window at one[Read More…]

by March 6, 2017 1 comment Features
George at Alta this February.  He's an inspiration to us all.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

George Jedenoff, 99-1/2, Skis Like A Teenager

Powder Is His Passion, And His Daily Workout Keeps Him Fit. Let’s Grow Up Like Him. George is an inspiration. Watch him ski and you’d never know he’s over 99. He skis Alta or Snowbird every day when he’s in Utah, and he has a knack for finding patches of untracked powder days after a storm. George came to Utah[Read More…]

by February 21, 2017 3 comments Ski Heroes
Gorgeous view of Mt. Timpanogous.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Sundance Seniors Rock

Camaraderie and coaching with spectacular views. You might even catch a glimpse of owner and super star Robert Redford. Several times a month the Sundance Seniors meet and ski the mountain together. They’re ski buddies. They’re bonded by their love of skiing and their passion for Sundance. What’s more, Sundance Seniors get VIP care. Some ski days include a complimentary[Read More…]

by February 6, 2017 1 comment West
Mummified hand warmers can be revived for another day.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

How To Get Several Days From Your Shake-Em-Up Hand Warmers

Use These Two Sneaky Tips. The air-activated hand warmers keep your fingers toasty while you ski. Even when your legs fall off, your hand warmers keep going. Then what do you do with them? They have a lot of heat left. I used to give them away in the locker room. People would snap them up for themselves or their[Read More…]

by January 30, 2017 3 comments Accessories
Groomers finalize the steep course with its finish line right at the base of the mountain just a few steps beyond Solitude's Village. 
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Solitude Hosts Major FIS, NorAm Snowboardcross, Skicross Races

Jan. 19-22 Races Are A First For This Resort Located In Twisty, Winding Big Cottonwood Canyon. It’s a test event for the FIS Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships scheduled two years from now in 2019. So what? Don’t yawn. When Salt Lake City was chosen as the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the four resorts in Big and Little[Read More…]

by January 18, 2017 0 comments West
A mariachi band gets people dancing before the Outdoor Retailers show opens.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Hot Finds For Seniors At The Winter Outdoor Show

The Innovations Are Amazing. Here Are Three Top Picks For Seniors. Vibram – the company known for its hiking boot soles – has a new sole material it calls “Arctic Grip.” You can walk on solid ice and not slip. Really! To prove it, Vibram demonstrated on blocks of ice at its show booth. Arctic Grip is used by six[Read More…]

by January 16, 2017 1 comment Gear
Helo to cat, cat to snow fields, skiing  and glamorous camping, aka "glamping".
Credit: Whisper Ridge

Whisper Ridge: 100 Square Miles Of Snowcat Skiing In Utah

It’s New This Year And Something To Shout About. It’s the largest backcountry resort in the country: 3,300 feet vertical, 300+ average inches of snow, and luxury yurt “glamping.” Check your bucket list. Better add Whisper Ridge. Peace, quiet, the hush of snow, make your own tracks, and the vastness of mountain ranges virtually to yourself. Are you drooling? Whisper[Read More…]

by December 13, 2016 1 comment West
Are Smartphones an insidious barrier to socializing on the slopes? 
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Have Smartphones Ruined The Ski Experience?

We Used To Just Ski. And Ski Talk. What Happened? There we were, making turns in the soft powder as it dumped from the sky. The fluff was mesmerizing. Then my companion-of-the-day announced: “I have to stop.” Off came the gloves. Out came the phone. She began snapping photos. My mind said: “Take your photos, then let’s ski.” But the[Read More…]

by December 6, 2016 11 comments Features
New England Ski Museum Tells 3,000 Years Of Ski History

New England Ski Museum Tells 3,000 Years Of Ski History

From The Stone Age To Today. The tiny museum in Franconia, New Hampshire is located next to Cannon Mountain’s gondola base, and it’s a wonderland. Even before you enter, you’re intrigued by what you see just outside the door and you ask yourself: “What’s that thing?” The big red boxy thing is one of Cannon’s original tram cars from 1938.[Read More…]

by November 28, 2016 2 comments Ski History, East
Siri says alternative medicine returned her to real life.  
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Can Alternative Medicine Help You?

A Tragic Accident Turns A Ski Racer Into A Believer And A Healer. Siri Wieringa was born into a skiing family. It’s in her genes. By college she was an accomplished ski racer. But a horrific on-course accident tossed her down the hill, flipping her over and over, breaking up one side of her body and terrorizing her brain. When[Read More…]

by November 22, 2016 2 comments MedTech
Wooly Bear caterpillar may predict snow. Then again, they may not.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Snowy Winter Ahead? Ask A Wooly Bear

Some Say It’s Folklore. Some Say It’s Real. Wooly Bear caterpillars are cool dudes. Their fuzzy bodies are black at both ends and orangish in the middle. Winter enthusiasts examine that orangish band to learn what the coming winter will bring. A narrow band predicts a cold winter with precipitation. A broad band foretells a warm winter. The bug’s celebrity[Read More…]

by November 15, 2016 2 comments Features
Outdoor Retailers Summer Market is a huge trade show in SLC.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

Top Picks From The Outdoor Retailers Show

Improve Your Balance, Wear The Newest Fabric And Protect From The Sun. Outdoor Retailers Summer Market Tradeshow is the largest show of its kind in the U.S. where manufacturers strut their products and retailers place orders for next year. The massive show has over 1,500 exhibitors, and it covers acres within Salt Lake City’s convention center. A few passes are issued[Read More…]

by August 19, 2016 1 comment Gear