Like many of its patrons, Deer Valley is extremely well-groomed. Source: Deer Valley Deer Valley Resort is just easier. Easier to ski, easier to get to, easier to gear up for the day (free overnight ski and boot check). As a senior skier, I’m totally on board with that. A few minutes drive or free bus from ski town Park[Read More…]
A few years ago, Pam and I went on what was arguably the best ski trip of our lives. We spent six-days on Ski Safari in the Dolomites with Inspired Italy, a SeniorsSkiing.com advertiser. The updated account about this bucket-list experience follows: The Dolomites is the vast UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Italy. It received the designation because of its natural[Read More…]
Or, Do You Regret Shelling Out The Bucks? Here we are in mid-January. The Northwest has seen abundant snowfall, the West needs more, the East, well, there’s been some uneven days, and trail counts are down. And we have COVID restrictions in place, changing the experience for lots of visitors from getting to resorts to the hill experience. Even Pitkin[Read More…]
Boris and Ivan have been skiing across the frozen steppe for many days. After too long on the front, they’re finally going home. Boris spent hours telling his colleague what he intends to do when, finally, he arrives home: hug his family, down a hearty meal, paint the dacha, tend the garden. “Ivan, what is your plan?,” he asks. “My[Read More…]
I was in a place I shouldn’t have been. When I entered the gate, I thought I had been on this part of the mountain years earlier. But as I descended, nothing about it seemed familiar. It was steep beyond my comfort. There were bumps and trees, and the surface was getting icy. Signs on the trees warned this[Read More…]
In case you haven’t noticed, ageism hasn’t gone away. The only difference is that over the years we’ve become the object of this form of cultural disdain. That’s why I thought it would be good to pay respect to some really old timers. Last month, we hiked to a grove of Bristlecone Pines, the oldest trees on the planet. The ones[Read More…]
Older skiers have older eyes, and all skiers eventually experience decrease in snow contrast sensitivity. The most common culprit is cataracts, the cloudiness that forms on our lenses, causing the eyes to lose clarity and decreasing the quality of light focused on the retina. Cataracts can start forming when we’re in our 40s and 50s, though they’re more commonplace[Read More…]
Many thanks to those who responded to our February fund-raising campaign. Your decals, patches, and hats are being sent. There are delays in shipments because the patch supplier is behind schedule. Thank you for your support!!! Once upon a time, stores, malls and restaurants didn’t look the same. Places in different parts of the country looked and felt different, even[Read More…]
Here’s an idea that may be of interest to a handful of readers. As part of our month-long ski trip to the Alps, I will spend the week of March 10 with Alpskitour, skiing with a guide in Italy’s Aosta Valley. I’m inviting a handful of SeniorsSkiing.com readers to share the experience. Alpskitour is based in the small city of[Read More…]
I keep a list of the places I’ve skied since I was 10. In a few weeks, I’ll be 75. The list totals 85 areas, mostly the US and Canada. The others are in the French and Swiss Alps. One, an indoor area that no longer exists, was in Japan. That, and the recent addition of Canada to our annual[Read More…]
“Snow is the cosmetic of the Earth.” That’s one of many memorable lines from Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s masterpiece about one man’s obsession with the destruction of a gigantic white whale. Riding early morning lifts, especially on a powder day, brings Melville’s observation to life. The smooth, undulating surface conceals what’s below. My skiing dreams and day-dreams invariably show untouched[Read More…]
Editorial Regardless of whether the steady elimination of season pass senior discounts is personally insignificant or presents a financial burden, you should be aware of the lack of fairness and gratitude exhibited by this new policy. Through Vail’s EPIC Pass and Alterra’s IKON pass, the companies are advancing elimination of senior discounts, while acquiring more areas. In fairness, some localized Vail[Read More…]
Are older skiers the Rodney Dangerfields of the slopes? Sometimes it feels like ski resorts show us no respect. Consider that there are no Epic or Ikon senior discounts, and, in the case of some Ikon resorts, there no longer are local season passes and the senior discounts associated with them. Some of the big players are doing very well.[Read More…]
IKON changed its Mammoth Mountain benefits package. Purchasers of the $599 Ikon Base Pass now have full access with the exception of certain blackout dates. When originally offered, full access (no blackouts) was available only with the $899 Ikon Pass. Purchasers of the $599 Base Pass were entitled to 5 days at Mammoth. Alterra, the resort company offering the IKON[Read More…]
Compare Ikon and M.A.X. And Major Differences Are Revealed. To evaluate the Ikon Pass I’ll compare it to what it replaces, the M.A.X. Pass, and look at what it offers in and of itself. Because they are at similar price points I’ll be comparing the M.A.X. Pass with the Ikon Base Pass. While both passes include a variety of resorts[Read More…]
The MAX Pass offered skiers 5 days of unrestricted access to 44 ski areas ranging from local, family-oriented areas to large, destination resorts spread out evenly across the East and West. The MAX Pass was available through Intrawest and included 5 of its resorts. My understanding is that the Boston area had the highest concentration of MAX Pass holders, and[Read More…]
Living up to its reputation, at least across the West and Northeast, March is entering like a wild snow lion. SeniorsSkiing.com is heralding the arrival of March with a new discount service. It provides significant discounts on products Mike and I think will interest you. Some are specifically ski-oriented, others fit with the older, active, outdoors lifestyle. Each offering is[Read More…]
Unless you’re riding with people you know, ski lifts are public places, and conversational topics should reflect that. At least, that’s how I view the 8 – 12 minute ride with people who, if nothing else, have the sport in common. But experience shows that others may not share that sensitivity. How else to explain the ride on a triple[Read More…]
