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International
Report From Chile: The COVID Season
What We Can Learn From The Ski Season In Chile During The Pandemic Only four ski areas opened in Chile this year, due to the pandemic, all in the last third of the normal season (late August). The country was in the midst of a severe drought when the entire metropolitan region of Santiago shut down in May. An “atmospheric[Read More…]
Pandemic Skiing In Australia
Impossible Or Just Tricky? Resort skiing in Australia is in the Australian Alps straddling the border between our most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, with capitals in Sydney and Melbourne. The season officially opens in early June and closes early October. NSW’s biggest resorts—Perisher (acquired by Vail Resorts in 2015) and Thredbo (Mountain Collective and Ikon links)—lie in[Read More…]
Ski Canada And Covid
Ski resorts are still trying to figure out what the next season will look like. We heard from a few Canadian ski area representatives and whatever finally happens, next year your favorite resort won’t look like what you remember from the past. Many resorts opened for a revised summer season that several called “a great dress rehearsal” for next winter.[Read More…]
Apres Ski: Artisanal Cocktails At Silver Star
Smoky Cocktail Better Than A Beer And Chips? The food and beverage manager over at the Den calls it classic cocktails “with a twist.” And, indeed, these are not your usual Old Fashioneds or mojitos in the Den & Bar Bistro at Silver Star Mountain in British Columbia, Canada. Downstairs in the basement, below Coffee+ cafe, along Silver Star’s main[Read More…]
Can You Do This?
Another Caption Contest. This is Tobi Heinle, ski guide, Voekyl-Marker-Dalbello pro athlete, doing his thing on Zugspitze Mountain, Garmisch-Partenkirchen. More on Tobi, click here. Click on arrow to see video. And try to caption it. Write your entry below. [Editor Note: Thanks to Snowbrains.com for originally posting this.]
Canadian Cuisine? Sun Peaks, BC, Has Poutine Plus
Poutine Is A Huge Comfort Food. Add That To A Mighty Bloody Mary And You Have Dinner At A Cozy BC Resort. Yes, poutine is one of those things that requires an excuse to eat. We’re talking the massively popular comfort food that is Canada’s answer to Mac and Cheese. There isn’t an easy way to rationalize a dish that[Read More…]
Non-Snow Activities: Senior Divin’
Something Else That’s Cool For Seniors. Are you ever too old to dive? What concessions might you make? I’ve been diving since I was in college, back in the 60s. On the concession front, these days I am happy to cavern dive. My days of dragging reels and half a dozen lights into the bowels of a cave are behind[Read More…]
My DIY Dolomite Ski Adventure
With 450+ lifts, the Dolomiti in northern Italy is the largest ski region on the planet. This UNESCO World Heritage site is beautiful, historically and culturally interesting and overall, outstanding. DOLOMITI SUPERSKI represents the area’s twelve regions, some quite famous (A portion of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo),[Read More…]
SeniorsSkiing Guide: La Parva, Chile
La Parva Is A GS Cruiser’s Heaven. As a first installment on the Three Valleys of ski fame in Chile, I’ll write about La Parva. One hour and a half from the Santiago airport, La Parva is perched up at 8,700 ft on the front side of the Andes, and overlooks the city. The road up involves 40 switchbacks and[Read More…]
Ötzi the Ice Man: Three Millennia Older Than Mel Brooks
He may not be the world’s oldest skier, but at more than 5000 years, he is the world’s oldest and best-preserved wet mummy. Given his advancing years, Ötzi is in particularly good shape. Named for where he was found in 1991 by two hikers on the Italian-Austrian border, Ötzi now resides in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in the[Read More…]
Spring Ski Safari in the Vast Dolomiti Superski
The Dolomite Ski Safari we recently completed started and ended in Cavallino d’Oro, a small hotel near the historic market square of Castlerotto, a village in the South Tyrol. Cavallino d’Oro has been a hostelry for more than 700 years. Today it is beautifully appointed, comfortable, and welcoming. The Dolomite range in the northern Italian Alps is a UNESCO World Heritage site,[Read More…]
Ski Safari in the Mighty Dolomiti
We just completed a six-day Ski Safari in the Dolomites. It should be on every serious skier’s bucket list. The Dolomites, or as the Italians say it, Dolomiti, is a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Italy. It received the designation because of the natural beauty and unique local culture. The region, also known as South Tyrol, is the[Read More…]
SeniorsSkiing Guide: Silver Star Update
I hadn’t been to Silver Star Mountain in probably two decades. I remembered a mellow, family resort with an Old West theme and very easy runs. Boy, has Silver Star in British Columbia, Canada’s interior grown up. Yes, the main street still has a bit of Old West, 1900s mining town vibe. But that’s where the original Silver Star ends.[Read More…]
More from the Italian Alps
There are places you don’t want to leave. For me, Italy’s Aosta Valley is one. My wife and I just completed a week of skiing magic, visiting five fantastic resorts with tour operator, Alpskitour. Despite 6+ decades of passion for the sport, I wasn’t aware of this valley’s skiing treasures. It cuts across the Alps, giving surprisingly easy access to[Read More…]
How BC Resorts Show Love For Senior Skiers
Big White, Sun Peaks, Silver Star Create Programs For Seniors. Ok, one thing most senior skiers—those folks in their 60s, 70s, 80s and even beyond— do a lot is ski. They love snow, they love winter, they love all things ski. In fact, nearly two thirds of all season passes bought at Silver Star Mountain in Canada’s British Columbia go[Read More…]
Reporting From the Italian Alps
Italy’s Aosta Valley is rich with history; even richer with places to ski. The Romans used the valley as a route to Gaul. In the intervening centuries, more than 100 castles were built. Starting in the early 1930’s, the Italians, the Swiss and the French started building ski lifts. They haven’t stopped. The valley provides easy access to some of the[Read More…]
Tuscany and Umbria on E-Bikes
To be on an E-Bike is to experience the joys of cycling while having control over the amount of effort you put into it. Last year, at a high elevation and on a steep uphill road, the E-bike I was using required very little from me. I could have adjusted the settings to get a better workout, but I didn’t[Read More…]
SeniorsSkiing Guide: Japan’s Hakuba Valley
A Senior’s Introduction To Some Of The Best Skiing In Japan. The Hakuba Valley sits three hours west of downtown Tokyo and boasts some of the best skiing in all of Asia. Host to the 1998 Winter Olympics, Hakuba offers a unique combination of diverse terrain spread out over 11 resorts, 12 meters of annual snowfall, world class facilities, and[Read More…]
The Italian Dolomites: Skiing Perfection
There are times when I crave beautiful mountain scenery and the pure joy of skiing groomers. This March, my wife and I will spend a week or so cruising through the magnificent Dolomites; staying along the way in pretty lodges with spectacular views. The World’s Largest Ski-Pass NetworkWe’ll be with the outfitter, Inspired ITALY, on Ski Safari in the world’s largest ski-pass[Read More…]
Chile 2018 Ski Season Wrap Up
Finding Good Days In A Disappointing Snow Season In The Southern Hemisphere. The 2018 season started on time in June, after a serious drought, but sputtered out before it ever really got going. The Chilean Central Zone ended with a 54 percent precipitation deficit, despite ENSO-neutral conditions. For a ski area in Chile not to get to the Sept 18[Read More…]
Ice Fishing Time Coming Up
Other Things To Do In Winter For Seniors. Some folks fish for sport. Some for relaxation. Some to “just get away.” I fish to eat. If I can’t eventually put it in a fry pan, I’m not really interested. So enter Elevated Fishing Adventures, near Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Canada, where you get all three. Especially the eating[Read More…]
Dreaming of Skiing the Alps? Follow Warren Miller’s Advice: Don’t Delay.
Warren Miller has been gone for less than a year, and his wisdom about not postponing your next ski adventure has been on my mind. There’s one experience in particular that beckons. It is based in the beautiful ancient village of Saint Vincent in the Aosta Valley in the western Alps, close to Mont Blanc, Zermatt, and Monte Rosa. Organized[Read More…]
SeniorsSkiing Guide: Portillo, Chile
Ride The “Va et Vient” Lift Up The Steeps, Ski With Ski Teams, Enjoy The Vistas Of Remote Mountains. There Is Only One Portillo. Editor Note: Casey Earle has written several articles for SeniorsSkiing.com, introducing Norte Americanos to skiing in the Southern Hemisphere. Also click here for advice for neophytes . Portillo hosts international ski teams in training during the summer[Read More…]
More Ski Chile: What To Expect From A Chilean Ski Trip
Some Adjustments Necessary To Ski The Legendary Mountains Of Chile. For many, a typical Chilean ski trip will seem a bit like traveling back in time to the USA 30 or 40 years ago. Some of the lifts date back even further than that! While the ski areas around Santiago are progressively upgrading their infrastructure, snow making, grooming, and security,[Read More…]
