Even though this amazing snow season is winding down, there’s still some important news for skiers and riders. Here is our monthly ICYMI – in case you missed it – tidbits of this and that, including extended operating days at resorts in the US and Canada. Utah The state has received a record amount of what it markets as The[Read More…]
The definition of a “cohort” is a collection of people who share characteristics or experiences over time. It’s one of many descriptions of us skiers and riders. We seek and revel in the mountain life and its experiences and invite others to share in our reverie. Our life view is expansive, embracing all. Giving back to others is deeply embedded in[Read More…]
Glade skiing is not about speed and power, but about grace under pressure. It is dancing a ballet on snow crystals where a mistake can really hurt. It is that fine line where fantasy and reality meet, especially when you are knee-deep in a fresh blanket of powder that rests lightly between the trees. When you find that rhythm where[Read More…]
To Heaven’s Heights: An Anthology of Skiing in Literature It’s an eclectic mix of stories celebrating skiing as sport, transportation and more. It’s for anybody who loves skiing – even reading about skiing. Many of the selections are nostalgic accounts of learning to ski, or descriptions of ski treks of long ago and far away. Others are exciting accounts of accidents,[Read More…]
It’s called “My Epic Gear”, and it allows skiers and riders to reserve the same boots, skis or snowboard for an entire season at participating Vail Resorts destinations. Skis and boards are top models from top manufacturers. Boots are fitted with customized insoles and boot fit scanning technology. Everything offers free slopeside pickup and drop off, and there’s a new app to[Read More…]
It Pays To Spend A Little Extra Effort On Your Gear. Here’s How. [Editor Note: Don Burch’s article on storing your gear is published each 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…]
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…]
“You haven’t aged a bit.” “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” “Young at heart.” “So when are you going to retire?” “Still skiing at your age?” We’ve all heard, read or experienced comments like that, because American culture is grotesquely youth-centric. The notion is that it is sad to be old, that wrinkles are embarrassing and so on. There is[Read More…]
Herman Smith Johannsen also known as Jackrabbit Johannsen was known for cross country (XC) skiing at 102 years old. He was a man who popularized XC skiing in Quebec and later in America. He lived until he was 111 and was always inquisitive about what was on the other side of the hill. The Jackrabbit kids’ ski program in Canada[Read More…]
The days are longer and warmer, which means more sunlight to enjoy spring skiing and riding, and fewer layers. Some resorts have extended operating hours and even days, while others are closing despite an abundance of snow. Here’s our monthly ICYMI (in case you missed it) collection of this and that. The fun and games at season’s end includes pond skimming contests. Here’s[Read More…]
First of all, please accept my apologies for missing the last edition. After attending a hectic three day trade show near my home here in Rhode Island, I rushed home and packed my bags for a flight to the Netherlands, where my wife and I met our first grandchild…a memorable event that I will never forget. I simply had a[Read More…]
Everything about Val d’Isere, is over the top; the excitement of skiing on so many World Cup pistes, the snow, the lift system, the extensive possibilities from Le Fornet to Tignes, the restaurants, the traffic to and from Geneva Airport, the prices, the number of skiers on the pistes with you, and the skiing atmosphere in the village. In early[Read More…]
Congratulations to SeniorsSkiing correspondent Jan Brunvand on schussing into his 90’s! Enjoy Jan’s top ten reasons he enjoys being a senior skier. (Originally published December 2017) #10. I have nothing to prove. I don’t need to ski bumps, steeps or crud. It’s challenging enough just skiing blues at age 84. #9. Skiing impresses my non-skiing peers. When folks ask “Are[Read More…]
Many famous Hollywood movie stars came to Alta to ski during the 1940s. Two of the best known were Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland, but most famous of all was Errol Flynn, the swashbuckling leading man. My uncle, the late Sverre Engen, was Alta’s Ski School Director in 1946 when the legendary action hero visited Alta for a ski outing.[Read More…]
I’ve always said that life should be downhill in winter. But sometimes it’s fun to try something else besides skiing, riding, or even X-C skiing or snowshoeing. Here are five other winter sports available in Aspen/Snowmass, including one that is an Olympic sport. Curling If you’ve ever been bowling and thought, “we should be doing this on ice” then curling is for[Read More…]
Next season’s IKON Pass offers a new collection of discounts on travel and brand-name gear, along with free access to First Tracks programs and dropping reservations requirements, and more. It’s a long list of perks for the 2023/24 season, including for new passholders, who get spring season this season as part of the purchase. Passes go on sale Thursday, March 16,[Read More…]
Snowshoeing is an excellent way to get some outdoor physical and mental fitness in the winter and it can be a great warm-up for skiers or snowboarders. At alpine ski areas snowshoeing can be a great activity for those joining family or friends who may not want to ski at the resort. Recognizing a market when they see one, many[Read More…]
The only thing better than locking in a season pass is to do it now, at the lowest prices of the year. 2023/24 Epic Passes are on sale now, starting at $909 for a full pass and $676 for a local pass to dozens of Vail Resorts destinations in the US, Canada, Europe and beyond. New features for next season include[Read More…]
Have you ever tried ski racing? Maybe now is the time. Resorts throughout North America offer NASTAR, the world’s largest recreational ski and snowboard racing program. It’s not just for the young! Age groups in NASTAR run as high as 95+ and participation among us senior skiers is very high. The 70+ Ski Club participates in a popular race at[Read More…]
Having celebrated my 80th birthday in November, 2022, I guess I’m an old skier, not just a senior skier. It was the pandemic which stopped me from skiing in 2020 and 2021, not age. In January, 2020, I skied a week in Chamonix, and then the pandemic nixed my downhill program for the remainder of the 2020 season, along with the[Read More…]
Goodbye traditional red, white and blue suits. Hello race suits with a climate message. It’s a whole new concept in race suits. The blue and white pattern is based on satellite photos of icebergs breaking up and floating in the ocean. The design is intended to draw attention to climate change. The new suits were showcased by the U.S. Team[Read More…]
The days are getting longer and warmer, which means more sunlight to enjoy skiing and riding, and fewer layers. If you are a fan of spring skiing – and who isn’t – put these slopeside and downtown events on your calendar in March. Here’s our monthly ICYMI (in case you missed it) collection of this and that. Extended Hours at Aspen/Snowmass/Highlands[Read More…]
By the time you read this, a significant snow and ice event will have moved through the Northeast, signaling the start of the pattern change that I alluded to in my last installment. The stratospheric warming event that I discussed in my last installment has matured and now it is time for us to reap the benefits. The polar vortex[Read More…]
On the recommendation of a dear French friend who lives in Grenoble, we booked two weeks at Monetier les Bains in the Serre Chevalier Valley, between Grenoble and Turin in Italy. It is less well-known and less crowded than such mega-resorts as Chamonix and Val d’Isere, which also makes them more low key. The Serre Chevalier Valley ski resorts are[Read More…]
Protecting your exposed skin, your eyes, and the rest of your body on the slopes in the strong spring sun is important at any age, and especially for us seniors who are more vulnerable to skin cancers, cataracts and dehydration. These tips and reminders are from the University of Utah Health Services. Snow can reflect up to 90% of sunlight and[Read More…]
