The cherry blossoms and pine boughs are waving and the view across the Salt Lake Valley is more obscured every time I look out the window. Last week, people were walking their dogs in T-shirts and shorts (the people, not the dogs), and I made it up to Alta for several end-of-season runs. The North-facing trails didn’t soften-up until early[Read More…]
A few bizarre developments from ski country: Source: American Museum of Natural History Did you see the recent article about the frozen fish blizzard in the Altai Mountain region of China? It’s the same region where for thousands of years, indigenous people have been navigating winter on homemade skis. Apparently, a tornado-like waterspout touched down in Kanas Lake, picked up[Read More…]
This edition of Short Swings! is dedicated to the many readers who generously donated during the fundraiser. The funds will help us continue to send you, free, original articles and other content created specifically for older snowsports participants. Thank you! —————————————————————————————————————————————- As in other areas of our culture, we older skiers become less and less visible as we age. You[Read More…]
There’s a weird age game I often play with myself and others. Simply take your age and subtract it from the year you were born. In my case, born in 1943, it takes me to 1865. It’s a bit of a mind-bender, providing a different perspective on our number of years and, at least in my case, honing my awareness[Read More…]
It was pretty cool watching skiers race that tough Olympic course in falling snow. Their power, speed and control were remarkable. I only wish they were being cheered on with shouts and cowbells. I’ll confess that the head-spinning ski and snowboard gymnastic events fascinate and confuse me. No clue of how they and most other events are scored. I prefer[Read More…]
Each season, at this time, we pass the fund-raising hat. Your contributions, modest and generous, help keep SeniorsSkiing.com arriving to your inbox free of charge. Please click here to access our fundraising page. We’re requesting a minimum contribution of $14, or $1 per issue. Readers contributing $50 or more will receive Licensed To Ski, the original 28” x 22” poster[Read More…]
I don’t mean to be a bummer, but I really need to get this off my chest. Does anyone else out there get the feeling that things, in general, are falling apart? You call a company “help” line and wait for 15-20-30 minutes to speak with someone…that is, if you’re not disconnected. All that while being told “your call is[Read More…]
This is the first issue of SeniorsSkiing.com of 2022. I wish all readers good health, happiness, and peace for the New Year. But Covid’s omicron variant is challenging that wish for good health. It’s spreading fast, even among those who have been triple vaxxed. For most of the infected, it appears to be less taxing than Delta or earlier iterations. One[Read More…]
Yes, age does give many of us some advantages. Wisdom is often cited, but, I, for one have made enough errors in judgment to be exempted from checking that box. I’m probably not alone. Financial well-being is another frequent citation. Fortunately, along with about two-thirds of SeniorsSkiing readers who say they’re financially independent, I’m okay in that category. But I[Read More…]
We live in what some call an attention economy. Those who attract attention – regardless of how they go about it – appear to be the victors in our narcissistic new world. The companies making skis and related gear are no exception. One of their primary ways of competing for attention is producing short videos of pro skiers using their[Read More…]
Many in the ski resort industry harbor an image of older skiers taking up otherwise profitable space in day lodges while consuming their bag lunches and lingering over a cup of coffee. I take offense at that stereotype. I prefer a cup of hot tea to coffee and I take my own teabag from home. Clearly, the facility makes more[Read More…]
Every industry benefits from a mix of offerings. The ski area industry is no exception. I find it enjoyable to ski big corporate resorts as well as independently-owned areas. Some, like Alta, Big Sky, and Jackson Hole offer both big terrain and an attractive level of smaller resort intimacy. It may surprise you that, according to the National Ski[Read More…]
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…]
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…]
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…]
Last week was the single deadliest avalanche week in the US since 1910. Avalanches claimed 15 lives: five in Utah, four in Colorado, three in Alaska, and one each in California, Montana and New Hampshire. To date, this season, 21 people perished. According to avalanche.org, all but five of the fatalities were skiers or boarders. Experts attribute the dangerous conditions to the thin[Read More…]
This week’s Short Swings! message is straight-forward: If you enjoy receiving SeniorsSkiing.com, please support us financially. Many of you have been generous in our past February fundraisers. This month, we hope to expand the number of donations by asking more of you to donate a minimum of $10; not much considering the cost of a hot chocolate or a bowl[Read More…]
Pam and I got our first shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine last Sunday. It was a big relief. The second round is scheduled for Valentine’s Day. She estimates spending about 20 hours over the previous weeks trying to get the appointment. That involved phone calls to places listed on New York State’s Covid website and to area hospitals. It also[Read More…]
A segment of the population is getting out of hand. We saw it at the Capitol, and we’re reading about it on airlplanes, in restaurants, and, now, of all places, ski areas. Pent up anger and resentment, stoked by misinformation and lies, is erupting in public places. It’s ugly, and it’s upsetting. Unfortunately, it’s not going away. Most ski[Read More…]
Friends in Vail recently got their Covid vaccinations. Colorado is making them available to people 70 and older. If we were in Utah where we have a place, my wife and I would be able to get shots on Monday, January 18. But we’re in NY where, over the past few days, the Governor announced that people 65+ are now[Read More…]
My deadline for wishing people Happy New Year is getting shorter. Centuries ago, when I worked in an office (remember when people worked in offices?), it seemed like New Year’s greetings extended through at least the first week of the year. You’d bump into a colleague and offer the obligatory phrase. Once, many weeks after the New Year, I said[Read More…]
This is our final issue of 2020. We’re not saddened to see the year go. Whatever your holiday of choice, please enjoy it safely. And celebrate the arrival of the New Year. It’s time to turn the page on so many things. Here’s wishing you a great season and many bright and promising days ahead! What Do Vaccines and[Read More…]
Last week’s column highlighted responses to a question posed to several friends: How much vertical footage is needed to have a satisfying day on the hill? For this week’s column, I posed the same question to all readers. Your input over the past several days says a lot about your passion for the sport. Not enough room to include all[Read More…]
This season will favor those living close to the mountain. Older skiers who aren’t a short walk or reasonable drive away probably will avoid the hassle and risk of commercial flights to get there. They’ll spend more time on local slopes. Currently, we’re in our place several miles north of New York City. The closest reasonable skiing is about 2.5[Read More…]
This week I participated in a media briefing about the coming season. It was organized by Ski Utah and featured presenters from most of the state’s areas. They confirmed what most of us already know. This will not be a normal season. Resort skiing will require more advance planning than we’re used to. Some of the details, as presented in[Read More…]
