We all have preconceived notions about skiing. There’s no ski resort in Mexico. Actually, there is one: Bosques de Monterreal and when there’s no snow, people use a dry, bristle surface. There’s no place to ski in South Africa: There is. It’s called Tiffindell and it receives ample natural snow. The American South doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to skiing. WRONG.[Read More…]
Growing up in Troy, N.Y., my friends and I often rode our bikes to Oakwood Cemetery, where we’d visit the tombstone of Samuel Wilson, aka Uncle Sam. One cold day, a pond had frozen in a way I never forgot and never saw again. For some reason, the ice had formed thousands of vertical tubes. Oddities like this happen throughout[Read More…]
Confronting The Offender. [Editor note: SeniorsSkiing.com is collecting stories from readers about incidents and accidents that they have experienced. We intend to review these for patterns and themes and use that data to influence the safety policies of resorts and other stakeholders. The following is the second article submitted by a reader in our new feature “Incidents and Accidents”. If[Read More…]
Uphill Without a Lift? In this age of technological disruption, it’s time to consider the growing number of alternatives to rope tows, chairlifts, gondolas and trams. Self Powered Starting at the most basic level, there’s the growing practice of uphilling, the use of skins on skis to help the more fit and energetic work their way up. Long a European[Read More…]
Secrets of the Ice is a Norwegian website dedicated to archaeological discoveries in melting glaciers and ice patches in Norway and elsewhere. Glacial archaeology is a developing science as the planet warms, and objects from mummified people to ancient skis melt out of the ice. In Norway, one ski was carbon-dated to 650BC Another ski, from 750AD, was found with a[Read More…]
OK Boomer If you haven’t already heard about it, the term “OK Boomer” has gone viral. It’s the Millenial and Generation Z way of giving the older generation the middle finger for complaining about younger people’s behavior and commenting on issues such as the environmental crisis that will be left for them to solve. It’s a term that smacks of ageism.[Read More…]
How many of you remember the days when you got to the mountain early, skied all day, and quit when the lot was empty? I didn’t fully appreciate it then and look back on those times with nostalgia. Youth is wasted on the young. But what if we could be out there a bit longer and ski a bit stronger?[Read More…]
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[Read More…]
More doctors may be prescribing outdoor recreational therapy instead of Xanax if the proposed Federal legislation entitled the Outdoor Recreation Therapy for Veterans Act (HR 2435) passes. Studies are showing evidence that outdoor recreational activities can be therapeutic. I met Veterans Ray Gilmore and David Binford recently at a ski industry meeting, and they were engaging anyone who would talk[Read More…]
Imagine an extensive road network in which single and double lanes merge with big highways. No stoplights. No speed limits. Highway patrol rarely issues tickets. Driving these roads doesn’t require a license. Anyone willing to pay the steep toll gets on. Vehicles aren’t safety checked. Tickets issued at the tollbooth carry a well-lawyered statement about individual responsibility for safety when[Read More…]
Big bargains await older skiers this season at 157 North American ski areas. Fifty-two allow them to ski free. The rest have heavily discounted the cost of skiing. But it all depends on your age. The comprehensive list includes season pass prices, age requirements, and links to each area’s website. To access, click “Community” on the menu bar, then click[Read More…]
A subscriber recently brought to my attention the SnowSport Safety Foundation, a non-profit, with the mission to encourage and enable ski area safety improvement through research, education and public access to reliable safety information. It was conceived by Dan Gregorie, after losing his adult daughter in a terrible snowboard accident at Alpine Meadows. Dan, a Physician Executive, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, set up the[Read More…]
If there’s a skiers’ Hell, its boot room will be full. Many of you have written to complain that your boots don’t provide good support; they’re too cold; you have to tighten them until your feet go numb. They have you thinking about ending your skiing careers. There’s no other piece of equipment that stimulates as much discomfort[Read More…]
Based on the overwhelming number of reader responses about on slope hits and near misses, it’s probably safe to say that skiing has become a contact sport. Body armor products aren’t far behind. Most of us got our first taste of protective gear when we donned helmets. I resisted a few years. Then word of head injuries started circulating, and I[Read More…]
Doug Coombs was one of the most celebrated steep and deep skiers of the ‘80s, 90s, and 00s. Many of you will remember his film exploits and his steep skiing camps at Jackson Hole and in Tinges and elsewhere in Europe. He died in La Grave France in 2006, when he slipped off a cliff on skis trying to find[Read More…]
What about that Big Dump last week in the West!!!!!! If you’re like me — waiting for the first signs of Winter — the season is now on its way. These areas plan to open in October: Wolf Creek, CO – 13th October Killington, VT – 19th October Sunday River, ME – 19th October Arapahoe Basin, CO – 20th October Loveland,[Read More…]
Each year, SeniorsSkiing.com collaborates with Realskiers.com to inform its readers about skis that allow older skiers to turn more easily and to ski longer without tiring. Women’s skis – sometimes engineered for female size and physique – are included. To find the list on the site, a) click “Community” on the menu bar, b) click “Subscriber Only Content” in the dropdown box, and[Read More…]
Sharpen Your Skills To Get The Most Out Of Your Skiing. [Editor Note: UK-based Bob Trueman is a long-time ski coach and instructor who will contribute occasional articles on technique for the older skier. He is the author of Ski In Control where he describes the skills needed to master “any piste”. He will soon be publishing a series of[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…]
With 450+ lifts, the Dolomiti in northern Italy is the largest ski region on the planet. This UNESCO World Heritage site is beautiful, historically and culturally interesting and overall, outstanding. DOLOMITI SUPERSKI represents the area’s twelve regions, some quite famous (A portion of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo),[Read More…]
This morning only the silver slice of moon interrupted the pure blue sky. The landscape here in south central Utah is exceptional. My summer grounds are at the base of Boulder Mountain, not far from Capitol Reef National Park. Boulder Mountain is the eastern end of the Aquarius Plateau, the highest plateau on the continent. The mountain peaks at 11,328’[Read More…]
Advice From The Marketing Head of Powder Mountain. Reader Ellin Jaffe asks: I’m curious about Powder Mountain near Eden, Utah, and wonder if there are any ski-in ski-out condos there? Here’s the reply from J. P. Goulet, Director of Marketing, Powder Mountain: Powder Mountain has ski-in ski-out luxury homes for rent. There also are many condos available in Eden only[Read More…]
The most important equipment we need to maintain is our bodies. Cardio and weight training are essential to getting the most out of ourselves. My wife is great at exercise: persistent and consistent. Hardly a day goes by when she’s not swimming or doing yoga, weights or other gym stuff. It helps that she enjoys it. I, on the other[Read More…]
We’re about to switch from publishing weekly, as we have since October, to our once-a-month off-season schedule. Many of you are back on the golf course or in your boats. The next time you’ll see SeniorsSkiing.com in your in box will be May 31. SeniorsSkiing.com had a record season. In November we celebrated our 5thyear of publication with a party[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…]
