This Issue Short Swings! starts with some contrarian thoughts about the Beijing Olympics. It’ll be interesting to see if you agree with Jon’s observations. They’re followed by news and other curiosities related to the world of skiing. Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, explains why snow is happening in some sections of mountain country and what to expect, weather-wise, over the coming[Read More…]
The Skiing Weatherman 2/18 Pattern in flux means some snow for much of the U.S. Since my last posting, I have only managed a couple of days on snow. One at Sugarloaf after an 8 inch overnight and then a brisk day at Killington earlier this week on some of that cold, styrofoam that the NBC announcers have been referring[Read More…]
For many of us, skiing through the aging process means no longer going places we once skied without thinking twice. Now, approaching my 80’s, my mantra is never to overstep my capabilities and always watch out for the other guy! I’ve always loved skiing in the trees and still do on occasions when conditions are right, and I’m feeling up[Read More…]
This fast-paced, short video from Don Burch combines several artistic techniques, including some fleeting Mondrian-like moments. I think it’s fair to say that Don is developing a new genre of ski video. Watching it evolve is a treat.
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. This story is from Carole Gray of the United Kingdom: Just under twenty years ago we invited our friend Kath on a ski holiday to La Plagne, France. In[Read More…]
Captured these four plates last week in the parking lot of Park City Mountain Resort. Note that SKI LEX is on a Lexus. At first I thought the 1 in SKI UT1 was an I. Maybe the plate of a skiing urologist? We’ve selected some of the cleverest plates for the new “Licensed to Ski” poster. It is available as[Read More…]
Today, we start passing the fund-raising hat. Your contributions allow this shoestring operation to send you 8-10 original articles and other content, every-other-week, free-of-charge. We’re requesting a minimum contribution of $14, or $1 per issue; more if you can. All donors will receive the new Senior Skiers Rock! stickers. Donors of $50 or more will receive the Licensed to Ski[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…]
Stormy Midwest and East…West getting hungry for powder… I had a couple of days on the snow early this week…a terrific day at Sunday River and a very disappointing day split between Wildcat and Attitash. You can add me to the list of those taking Vail to task for the manner in which they are operating their eastern resorts and[Read More…]
In the past couple days many of you have read about two skiing tragedies: one affected multiple lives (a 5-yr old girl who was killed by an out-of-control skier), and the family she leaves behind, plus the alleged “killer,” a 40-yr old skier who has been charged by French authorities with manslaughter. As always would love to hear your thoughts[Read More…]
I recently was part of a conference call of U.S. and Canadian cross country ski area operators. The conversation touched on who our guests are, their wants and their needs; whether we’re in a growing business (short and joyful answer: yes!); and what we need to do to create new skiers and to retain past visitors. The questions are all[Read More…]
FINALLY, the East Coast got hammered. Although this newest addition to the Don Burch ski video canon was produced before the big storm, everything about it – color, sound, scenes – expresses its title: Breezy Days Skiing the Ice Coast.
Finding out about senior ski groups is like sharing tales around a campfire. A few words whet our interest and we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for more. As we build a list of senior ski groups, we have some exciting clues that really whet our interest, and we’re on the edge of our seats. So let’s throw another[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…]
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. Generally, the pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit. Note: this picture is not from a ski museum. Look closely and you’ll see that these dogs are towing a very large tire. It was not being sledded[Read More…]
We’ve selected some of the cleverest plates for the new “Licensed to Ski” poster. It is available as a gift in our annual SeniorsSkiing.com fundraiser which starts now and runs for the next three issues. Click here to donate.
Last issue, a handful of readers had difficulty accessing articles. If you find yourself in that situation, please see the guidance at the end of this document. Several weeks back, we introduced LUV2SKI, the photo gallery of of skiing-oriented license plates. So far, we’ve collected about 100 of these clever combinations of letters and numbers gracing vehicles around the country.[Read More…]
East stays stormy…snow returns to the West As we approach the approximate halfway point in the skiing/riding season, the slopes in all regions of the U.S. and adjacent to Canada are in good condition, with the western half of the continent still benefitting from the astounding amounts of snow that fell in late December. This season got off to a[Read More…]
It has been decades since I’ve skied the East. Once I discovered Western skiing, I traded the long flight for the long drive, eventually moving to Utah to shorten the time to the slopes. But Don Burch is giving me second thoughts. He’s developed an appealing alternative ski video genre (shot largely at Eastern areas). His most recent, “Fun Times[Read More…]
Editor’s note: Spend enough seasons skiing and most of us will get into some form of trouble. Last issue, I explained how I got into hot water by inadvertently becoming end-of-day Pied Piper to a bunch of kids who followed me on a long winding trail, while their parents anxiously waited their return. A few readers emailed their tales of[Read More…]
Each issue of SeniorsSkiing.com has a picture to help test your skiing knowledge. The pictures are from collections in a variety of participating ski museums, which we encourage readers to visit. The object pictured here was made in the kitchen, but its nothing you’d want to eat. It was available throughout New England in the 1960s and 70s. One more[Read More…]
Just added a few new plates to the gallery. A terrific original poster of these and other skiing license plates will be the premium for the annual SeniorsSkiing.com fundraiser starting next issue. Enjoy the gallery (and please continue to send in pictures).
Unfortunately, Covid continues to impact our lives…even on the hill. Jon’s Short Swings! column explores the different ways two neighboring Utah ski areas – Park City Mountain Resort and Alta – are handling Covid. He also describes the time he was banned from a ski area in the 1970s. Don’t miss the link to an informative critique of the trails[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…]
New Year…New weather pattern… The 2021 holiday period provided epic snow conditions across most of the West with trails counts and surface conditions rather sketchy over the eastern half of the country. While storm after storm nailed the West, a typical La Nina upper level ridge over the southeastern states was enhanced by a sudden spike in the output of[Read More…]
