The outdoor industry is big business: 57 million Americans engage in outdoor activities, generating an estimated $887 billion in revenue and creating about 7.6 million jobs. Snowsports, which account for about $20 billion in annual revenue in 38 states, rely on Mother Nature for cold and snow. A study conducted ten years ago by Protect Our Winters (POW), the Natural[Read More…]
Park City, Utah started as a mining camp in the 19th century, transferred business from silver mining to skiing in the early 1960s and never looked back. These days Park City Mountain Resort, owned by Vail Resorts, has about 1,200 miles of underground tunnels and shafts and mining structures all over the mountain that you ski by and over along 348[Read More…]
The origins of the Professional Ski Instructors of America’s (PSIA) harmonized approach to ski instruction in the United States can be traced back to Alta. When skiing was first taking hold as a participation sport around the Intermountain region in the mid- to late-1930s, ski instruction was informal; limited to tips provided by anyone who had been on a pair[Read More…]
Editor’s Note: Deciding how to experience a day on the hill can be as simple as skiing familiar terrain or as thrilling as seeking hidden stashes of untracked powder. What you do is based on who you are, where you ski, and what you want to accomplish. I have a friend content with skiing the same green run after run.[Read More…]
As serious skiers gain years and experience, many become interested in the history of their sport. And a lot of us are also better positioned economically to savor that heritage by checking into some of the country’s more historic ski settings. A budget bunker motel beside the access road might be OK, but it’s surprisingly easy and affordable to set[Read More…]
Editor’s note: Virtually all of us have amusing or near-miss skiing stories. Send in your stories and we’ll publish the most interesting…along with an original Mike Roth cartoon depicting the event. Reader Michael Hudson writes: I was a ski patrolman at Mt Hood, Oregon, back in the 60’s. I helped rescue a young lady whose long hair got twisted into[Read More…]
Over the past 50+ years, John “Morty” Morton has cross-country skied around the world, been an international-caliber racer and coach, and, as far as I’m concerned (this is homage from a friendly competitor), is the premier Nordic ski trail designer in North America. Morty has seen dramatic evolutions in the sport – from wood skis to synthetic, wool to spandex,[Read More…]
When was the last time this happened to you on the mountain: you’re skiing down one of your regular trails, having fun, where you know every turn by heart, and then, as you approach a trail sign for a more difficult run than you’re used to, you think maybe it’s a good time to try it…but then you keep on[Read More…]
Several responses to a recent article under the same heading suggest I left the wrong impression on some readers. That’s anathema for a coach, so this is an attempt at clarification. The sketch is my attempt to explain the direction in which the skier’s torso is best oriented; not the direction your skis will be taking. In reality, every[Read More…]
There are two trips around Walden Pond near Concord, MA. The first is a ski tour through a picturesque New England landscape, with sharp and steeply wooded hillsides surrounding an ice-covered, lambchop-shaped lake. Around the same pond is a second trip, a pilgrimage that passes the cabin site of Henry David Thoreau, “self-appointed inspector of snowstorms”, conjuring the spirit of[Read More…]
Hello readers, super great comments and questions on my “Secrets for Your Best Ski Season Ever” piece. Also spoke with two readers in follow up. I can sense everyone’s excited for this ski season – me too. Shoot me your thoughts or questions and I’ll reply. Previously I mentioned my good friend (60+) who improved bigtime from only four group[Read More…]
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…]
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…]
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…]
Not Quite Spring Yet. More Snow In The Forecast. While the resorts in the Midwest and East got a solid taste of spring this week as temperatures soared well above normal for a few days, the winter weather action picked up in the West. A cold trough spun its way down the coast from B.C. to SoCal, depositing wonderful low[Read More…]
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Is It Time To Address Ski Slope Collisions? How? [Editor Note: This summer, we published a little play about the speeding, out of control skier and what the ski patrol can do about it. You can read it here. Bottom line: It’s not their job, at least, that’s the party line. They are there to maintain the lines, help injured[Read More…]
Chase The Snow To Summer’s Skiing Headquarters In The Southern Hemisphere. Come May, you have probably set your skis into hibernation and begun patiently waiting for the snow to fly next fall. But you really don´t have to wait! Southern America’s greatest mountain range starts getting snowed on in May, and by June the ski areas are normally in full[Read More…]
A Veteran Real Estate Agent Shares Tips You Might Not Have Thought Of. [Editor Note: See Joan Wallen’s earlier article: Commute, Rent, Or Buy? for advice on renting.] Want to buy a home in snow country? Perhaps you’ve rented and now decide that a second home is right for you. Or maybe you’re ready to take a leap of faith[Read More…]
The Best Way To Enjoy Your Ski Time. While some snowsports enthusiasts are fortunate enough to live and work in ski country, most skiers and riders have to commute from their homes, often two, three or more hours from their favorite mountain. For the frequent skier—those who want to spend every weekend, plus vacation weeks on the slopes—their commute can[Read More…]
[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…]
Subscribers Want To Know. Here’s Where To Find The List. On December 15th, we simultaneously announced our new list of skis for seniors, created in collaboration with realskiers.com, on Huffington Post and SeniorsSkiing.com. Since then, we have received a number of inquiries as to where to find the list. If you are a subscriber, simply go to the top navigation bar, click on[Read More…]
Holiday Cheer. Enjoy this short, uplifting, award-winning video. Cozy snowbound cabin. Illuminated skis and poles. Powder. Moon. What a joyful pleasure! Moonline
108 Ski Resorts In North America Recognize Seniors With Free Lift Tickets. SeniorsSkiing.com’s co-publisher Jon Weisberg has another article on Huffington Post, this time describing where seniors can ski for free or for very little money. [NOTE: You can only download this list from SeniorsSkiing.com. There is no download link in the Huff Post[Read More…]
