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…]
A Veteran Skier Can’t Find Ice On His Visit To Taos, Angel Fire, Ski Santa Fe. The past three times I skied here in the East the skiing was good. That means the trails were all skiable but every run you would encounter different conditions. Most mornings after a cold night, you will find nice groomed corduroy which had set[Read More…]
[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.] Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here. ______________________________________________________ Want Steep? Chute 4 Has Steep. Deer[Read More…]
[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com is asking our readers to contribute to support our online magazine. Yes, we have grown in the number of subscribers and advertisers. But our expenses have also grown. You can help us defray some of these expenses by helping us out with a donation.] Support SeniorsSkiing.com by clicking here. ______________________________________________________ 500 Inches Of Snow, 8,000+ Acres, And[Read More…]
Hydration and Stretching: Two Things You Must NEVER forget to do before you hit the slopes. If you’ve taken to heart the advice in a previous seniorssking.com article of Paul Petersen, president of Bear Valley Cross-Country in California, on the best way for seniors to get in shape for skiing, you’ve developed and faithfully followed a fitness regimen focusing on balance,[Read More…]
Convincing Reasons Why Two Generations Love Deer Valley. We recently returned from our annual January family trip to Utah, with our 20-somethings joining us. Utah is currently experiencing record snowfall with more than 300 inches and more on the way. Aside from snow, here are reasons why two generations love Deer Valley, ranked consistently as one of the top ten[Read More…]
Any one living in or visiting Salt Lake City can escape the heat and enjoy the remarkable wildflowers at Alta. Contributor Harriet Wllis reports that the Alta’s wildflowers are blooming like crazy right now. The meadows and slopes are like Persian carpets — covered with color!
From Yodeling To Yippee-ing, Yvette Rides The Range. I’m not sure if skiing gets you into shape for horseback riding or vice versa, but, yes, a lot of the same muscles are at play. Either way, both take strong legs. I confirmed all of this at White Stallion Ranch just outside Tucson, AZ at the end of last ski season. [Read More…]
Uncrowded, Beautiful Views, Variety Of Terrain, No Hotels. Older skiers would really like Snowbasin outside Ogden, UT. You have nearly 3,000 acres in which to avoid other skiers and 3,000 vertical feet to get some rhythm going. A remotish location keeps lines short midweek. Lifts whisk you up to the top of six scenic, craggy peaks: two high-speed gondolas, three[Read More…]
