Short Swings!

If you’re accustomed to US prices, Canada offers great skiing value. The current exchange rate guarantees it.

Skiing in Japan also is reasonable, but there’s the cost of getting there. Some clubs have reasonably priced all-inclusive packages. This one to Japan organized by the Baltimore Ski Club looks like it will be a lot of fun.

And skiing the Italian Alps is a great bargain. I just checked non-stops from NY and Boston for mid February. The prices are under $500. Chicago, Philadelphia and Salt Lake cost more, but they’re still reasonable.

When you book with Alpskitour, the rest of your trip – transfers, hotel, skiing, guides, some meals, equipment, lifts, transportation to different resorts – will be around $3500 per person. My wife and I went with them last season. It was one of the two best ski experiences we ever had. 

We stayed in a nice hotel in the center of Saint Vincent, a small, scenic city in the Aosta Valley. From there we took a scenic ride each day to different resorts in Italy, France, and Switzerland. 

Alpskitour puts together small groups of intermediate and advanced skiers and takes them for five days of skiing in the best resorts in the Aosta Valley. Mauro Cevolo and Andrea Jory, who run Alpskitour, guide you in Breuiel-Cervinia, Zermatt, Monterosa, and Courmayer, among others. 

They choose the best conditions and most empty slopes for each day.  If it’s foggy at one end of this spectacularly scenic valley, they’ll take you to a resort where it just snowed. Ditto if one is too crowded. There are so many areas to choose from that every day offers fantastic conditions.

And they know all the right places to stop for a snack or for lunch and all the right people to assure a warm welcome wherever you’re skiing.

The other best experience was a few hours east in the Dolomites. There, we joined an Inspired Italy Ski Safari. Inspired Italy is run by a small crew headed by Tim Hudson. He and his team are intimately familiar with Dolomiti SuperSki, the vast, interconnected ski circuit with hundreds of miles of runs, served by every conceivable uphill lift and dotted with restaurants and refugios, the small mountain hotels known for their cuisine and wine cellars. Inspired Italy also specializes in small groups. The cost of a seven day trip, not counting airport transfers and lunches, is about $2500. I just visited the Inspired Italy website to check availability. One slot is left for 2020. If you’re interested in this fantastic skiing experience, book soon for 2021.

Reasonably priced trips to Europe, Canada, US resorts and, next summer, New Zealand, are available through 70+ Ski Club. Groups tend to be larger — a great way to meet and ski with other older skiers. 70+ was started in the Seventies by Lloyd Lambert, the famed Northeast ski journalist. At one point, his son joined the operation. Now, Richard Lambert, Lloyd’s grandson heads 70+ Ski Club. There’s a modest membership fee, which provides access to many well-organized and equally well-priced trips throughout the season.

The 5 Habits of Smart (Adventure) Travelers

Global+Rescue, which provides medical evacuation insurance and other services, recently issued this guidance for “smart adventure travelers.” 1) Know Your Limits: This includes a link to the (humiliating for me) interactive Mont Blanc Guides Fitness Checker. 2) Willingness to Adjust plans, itineraries, etc. 3) Collecting Information from Multiple Sources (i.e. not relying on one expert’s advice). 4) Selecting Guides Carefully. (I’ve had good and pretty bad guide experiences). 5) Practicing Non-Stop Awareness. This applies wherever we roam. For the complete report, click here.

Highest Eastern Areas

I always assumed that the highest Eastern ski areas were in the Northeast. Of the ten highest areas on the East Coast, the top four are in North Carolina. They are Beech Mountain (5506’), Cataloochee(5400’), Wolf Ridge (4600’), and Sugar Mountain (4432’), The next highest area is Whiteface in Lake Placid, NY, topping out at 4396’.

NW Sales Connection

Unfortunately, we neglected to link the NW Sales Connection ad to its website. That’s now corrected. The company is a terrific resource for reasonably priced women’s skiwear from XS to 6X. The site also features men’s big and tall ski pants and parkas and many options for children’s skiwear. Click on the ad or here to visit the website.

Perfect Gift For Senior Skiers

As we approach the season, keep The Bootster in mind for yourself and older skiers on your gift list. It’s a $25 device that effortlessly helps foot enter ski boot. Nicely designed and handmade, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Haunted Ski Resorts

Charlie Leocha’s work was brought to my attention by Jocelyn Curtis of the Baltimore Ski Club. He spoke to the group about “haunted ski resorts.” Given that Halloween has just passed I’m sharing this article Charlie wrote some years back. It’s less about the areas themselves than the spirits occupying their lodges.

Silly Skiers Toy

A few weeks ago after reading a piece here on the Silly Skiers toy from the Seventies, Jan Brunvand, retired University of Utah professor and frequent SeniorsSkiing.com contributor , found one in his basement. He fixed it up and sent this video. Note his SeniorsSkiing.com hat. Thanks, Jan!!!

Nice Video From Salomon

Almost everything Salomon does is done well. The company’s skis are generally terrific. It’s clothing is nicely styled and lasts forever. And its promotional videos are interesting. This one, featuring skier Cody Townsend, takes us to a mountain in the La Sal range east of Moab, Utah. He goes with a few Native Americans, who explain their intimate and ancestral relationship to the mountains. Watch here.

Dave Barry on Skiing

Humorist Dave Barry wrote about his first skiing experience in 2004.  An updated version was published by The Miami Herald in 2012. Like much of his material, it presents an amusing point of view. Click here.