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…]
After an early start to the ski season here in the East that I would describe as less than stellar, I went west, to Reno, Nevada to seek better conditions. My goal was the smaller ski areas within a short drive from Reno, not the larger and well-known ones on the side of Lake Tahoe in California. Our the first[Read More…]
With the La Niña weather pattern developing thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean for the third consecutive winter, the Northwest should expect a cold, wet winter with heavy mountain snow. That means another great ski and snowboard season in Idaho. It’s not just the snow – for the first time in history, SKI Magazine named three Ski Idaho[Read More…]
As always, resorts were busy over the summer replacing lifts and improving or adding terrain. Here’s a quick rundown to whet your appetite of what’s new and noteworthy in several states West of the Mississippi. In alphabetical order, by state – California Palisades Tahoe – For a second season under its new name, there’s a brand new Base-to-Base gondola. It connects[Read More…]
So many resorts, most of them within 45 minutes of the Salt Lake City airport. And so many new lifts, trams, on-mountain dining, and more, this season. Here’s a short swing around what’s new and notable on the snow in Utah, in alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way: Alta Ski Area – The Sunnyside fixed-grip triple has been[Read More…]
Don Burch recently returned from his first ski trip to Colorado in almost 50 years. He titled this video summary of his time at Beaver Creek, Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge and Vail, “Come Ski With Me.” It’s another fine example of Don’s refreshing new genre of ski video: brief, graphically interesting, and easy to watch.
Like many of its patrons, Deer Valley is extremely well-groomed. Source: Deer Valley Deer Valley Resort is just easier. Easier to ski, easier to get to, easier to gear up for the day (free overnight ski and boot check). As a senior skier, I’m totally on board with that. A few minutes drive or free bus from ski town Park[Read More…]
Source: Travel Crested Butte The first thing one notices about the terrain at Crested Butte is the jagged, arrowhead shaped mountain peak thrusting into the sky. The base of the mountain is 9,820’, and lifts take you to a notch, several hundred feet below its 12,162’ summit. There’s lots to like about skiing Crested Butte: beaucoup, well-groomed beginner, intermediate and[Read More…]
Sometimes life exceeds expectation. That’s what I’ve found with winter ranches in the Rockies. In summer, hundreds of dude ranches draw thousands of visitors. They’re crazy-diverse: homespun and elegant; private and heavily peopled; mostly self-service or with staff at your call. You’ll find Spartan working ranches as well as places with canapés and kidney-shaped swimming pools. The few ranches open[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…]
Three Costumed Spring Skiing Characters Put A Cap On The Season. Our Vicarious Vacation series winds up in Park City, UT, on April 12 this year, the last day of the season. Our three characters head down from Cloud Dine to the Tombstone Lift on the “canyon side.” We’ve never skied Park City, but this run follows trails which look[Read More…]
Here’s A View Of A Quad-Busting Run At A High-Altitude Colorado Classic. Our Vicarious Vacation series heads west to the major destination resort with a Victorian mining town heritage and lots of mountain to ski. At 8,750, the town sits at the base of mountains that range to 11,000 feet, making some of the highest, longest ski runs in North[Read More…]
A Network Of Trails Run By Community Foundation Offers Multi-Use Recreational Activities. The motto above is the moniker of one of the most interesting trail systems I have seen to date. Round Valley, near Park City, UT, is a paradise for cross country skiers, fat bikers, hikers, and dog walkers. The well groomed trails encourage multi- use and 25 kilometres[Read More…]
Small Ranch Resorts And Large Scale Nordic Centers Span The State. [Editor Note: This article by Pete Wilson first appeared in The Nordic Approach.] In this state of mile-high life, opportunities to elevate your outdoor activities abound. Taking a page from the book of their Alpine resort neighbors, these cross-country ski areas center their offerings around the spectacular peaks of the[Read More…]
Take A Vicarious Vacation On A Beautiful Blue Run. Here’s a long (15 minute) run down the front side of Vail on a really nice blue. For those who haven’t been there, seeing wide, groomed slopes at Vail may be different from the mental model you’ve had of what it’s like at the fabled resort. This is not the Back[Read More…]
Visitors To These Destination Resorts Send First Hand Report. [Editor Note: This article first appeared in The Chronicles of McCloskey, March 1, 2021.] How is the skiing experience in different areas around the country you might ask? We all have heard about the long lines in Colorado and Tahoe and even locally the lines have been robust. I am thinking[Read More…]
Take A Virtual Vacation And A Long Run On Us. Ok, so no Aspen for you this year. But here’s a video of a run from the top of Aspen Mountain all the way to the bottom. Sounds like scratchy snow, and, come to think of it, where is everyone? Last season, SkiCo topped 1.5 million visits to Aspen Mountain[Read More…]
Our Traveling Australian Skier Recalls Characters, Odd Places, And Skiing In The US/Canadian West. [Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] Have you been to Curlew, WA? We try several routes in an attempt to exit the USA, having already skied at Schweitzer Ski Resort. When I say skied, I use the term advisedly.[Read More…]
A Major US Destination Resort Implements Its Virus Plan. Here’s An Early Report Card. The biggest challenge ski/snowboard resorts face this season just may be lunch. Covid-19 restrictions limit lifts to 50 percent capacity, but indoor dining restrictions are even less. That means many skiers will not be able to find a place to sit to eat, even if they[Read More…]
A Report From The First North American Ski Area To Open. After the big snowstorm that dropped two feet of snow at Wolf Creek from Sunday, October 25 through Tuesday morning, October 27, Colorado’s Wolf Creek became the first ski area in the United States to open on Wednesday, October 28. I skipped the first day to avoid the likely[Read More…]
Key Take-Away: Know Before You Go. In these uncertain times, one thing is sure: Utah powder. As of this writing (mid-November), several Utah resorts had bases of two feet or more. Here are some updates of what you will see at Utah ski areas this winter. In Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta is limiting the number of parking spaces, on a[Read More…]
Here’s An Example Of What You Can Expect When You Make Your First Visit To Your Favorite Local Resort. This comes from The Summit at Snosqualmie. The video below introduces the program. Thanks to SeniorsSkiing.com correspondent Yvette Cardozo for passing it along. Face Coverings Required. Keep your mask on – both inside and outside – while at your home mountain. [Read More…]
There also are dozens of trails and cirques for the rest of us mere mortals. I’ve been skiing here since I was locked into that famous and frustrating “intermediate plateau” and took a chance on defying Jackson’s reputation for experts only. Besides, the town sounded like fun, with wooden sidewalks and real cowboys coming into town from the ranches that[Read More…]
[Editor Note: This article first appeared in the Cottonwood Heights Journal on May 18, 2020. The situation unfolding in Utah is similar to what is happening in other regions of North America.] A Season Pass Is A Complicated Decision. Gone are the days of one deadline, one price. This year, season passes are a jigsaw puzzle. It’s complicated by[Read More…]
Plan Now For Next Winter Gary and Sandy Nielsen have run Road Scholar programs in Utah for about 20 years. They’re experts at planning and organizing week-long programs including Hopi pottery, dinosaurs and rock hounding in summer—and the very popular senior ski program in winter. But several years ago as the demand for more senior ski weeks kept growing, Gary[Read More…]
