It Pays To Spend A Little Extra Effort On Your Gear. Here’s How. [Editor Note: Don Burch’s article on storing your gear was published last year around this time. We are reprising it to help remind you that a little care for your stuff goes a long way.] Hopefully your ski equipment has taken good care of you all winter,[Read More…]
Tell Us About Your Season, Pondering The Last Turn, Mystery Horse, Snowbasin Report, E-Biking Coming Up. Signs of the season winding down include ads and promotions for next year’s season passes. The time is now to get the bargains. One development to note is that Arapahoe Basin COO Al Henceroth said that the resort is ending its 22-year relationship with[Read More…]
There’s a difference between skiing and a skiing experience. Confused? Let me explain. With just a few exceptions most of my 65-seasons have been spent skiing. I can’t remember every day or every run, but riding up and skiing down so many places and in so many conditions has been wonderful. Small areas, enormous areas: in retrospect they were variations on a[Read More…]
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…]
Make It A Good One. The last turn of the last run on any ski day is a bittersweet moment. If it’s the last day of the trip, it is sad if not melancholic. On one hand, I’ve spent the day or days enjoying my favorite sport and on the other, there’s no more skiing until the next trip that[Read More…]
Horses And Skiing Have A History. Yes, skijoring. But where, who, when? Anyone ever skijor? What’s it like? Many thanks to the Alf Engen Museum, Park City, UT, for contributing this spirited photo of skijoring in (hint, hint) the West. The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation was established in 1989 with a mission to preserve the rich history of skiing[Read More…]
First Fat Bikes, Now E-Bikes. The Cycling World Is Spinning Up Innovation. An interesting phenomena has started to surface in the cycling industry. From July of 2016 to July of 2017, there was a 95% jump in sales of E-Bikes in what industry regulars say is currently a $65 million segment of the cycling business. Sales have been booming and[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…]
Take Away Senior Discounts? Epic vs Ikon, Italy Update 2, Mystery Cable Car, Mammoth And Jackson Hole In Spring. Glancing through the Boston Globe last Monday (April 8), our eyes locked on a front page story: ” ‘I’ve earned it.’ Or have they? Are senior discounts deserved?” The point of the article is that while seniors figure they’ve “earned” discounts[Read More…]
Considering a ski trip to the Alps? Here are a few suggestions from our four-week journey in Italy. They may make your trip a bit easier. Travel light: We didn’t, and we regret it. Unless you’re going for the entire season, take one parka (possibly a shell), one pair of pants, and a variety of fast-drying layers. I took two parkas,[Read More…]
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…]
Spring Skiing Paradise Editor Note: As of April 12, even more snow has fallen on the Sierra Nevada since this report was written. Mammoth is known for its late closings, generally after Memorial Day, but this year, closing is scheduled for July 4th! On April 1st, the snow depth at the top of the 11,059 ft. mountain was a 230[Read More…]
The First Week Of April Brings “Gapers” To JH And A Different Skiing Experience Editor Note: We are quite pleased when readers submit articles for publication in SeniorsSkiing.com. David Barnes is a long-time reader who sent us this account of a yearly ritual at the venerable Jackson Hole. Thanks David. Jackson Hole. Two words that strike double-black-diamond terror in the[Read More…]
Where? When? What’s Special? Thanks to the New England Ski Museum for this picture of a unique moment in skiing history. The NESM has recently opened a new branch on North Conway, NH. Last Week This is a “10th Mountain Whisk”, designated by government purveyors as “Brush, Mountain”. It is a stiff brush particularly useful to 10th Mountain Division troops[Read More…]
Maple Syrup Time, Dolomite Ski Safari Update, Resort Reviews, Miss Tweedie, XC Lessons There is clearly a disparity between snow conditions in the East and the West. New England areas are starting to wind down, with some closing this weekend and others hanging on a week more. Exception: Killington will strive on until May, as usual. Out West, the snow[Read More…]
