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…]
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…]
There are places you don’t want to leave. For me, Italy’s Aosta Valley is one. My wife and I just completed a week of skiing magic, visiting five fantastic resorts with tour operator, Alpskitour. Despite 6+ decades of passion for the sport, I wasn’t aware of this valley’s skiing treasures. It cuts across the Alps, giving surprisingly easy access to[Read More…]
Italy’s Aosta Valley is rich with history; even richer with places to ski. The Romans used the valley as a route to Gaul. In the intervening centuries, more than 100 castles were built. Starting in the early 1930’s, the Italians, the Swiss and the French started building ski lifts. They haven’t stopped. The valley provides easy access to some of the[Read More…]
There are times when we can benefit from some extra help, especially as we age or develop chronic medical conditions. Nick Manley, a remarkable athlete with a degenerative neurological condition, swears by the Ski-Mojo knee bracing system. The product’s shock absorbing springs reduce the load on his knees, allowing him to continue to race and ski for the entire day[Read More…]
The Grand Mesa in western Colorado is the world’s largest flat-topped mountain. Six-thousand feet higher than surrounding terrain. In places, it ascends to 11,000’. You drive through high desert, ranchland, tiny villages. Then you climb to the heights of Powderhorn Mountain Resort. Many of you have expressed interest in lesser-known ski areas. To those not in the neighborhood, Powderhorn qualifies[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…]
To be on an E-Bike is to experience the joys of cycling while having control over the amount of effort you put into it. Last year, at a high elevation and on a steep uphill road, the E-bike I was using required very little from me. I could have adjusted the settings to get a better workout, but I didn’t[Read More…]
Many thanks to each of you who has generously responded to SeniorsSkiing.com’s fund raising campaign. We soon will be sending out decals, patches and hats. The campaign will run through February. The Things We Carry What do we really need for a week or two on the hill? Answers will vary depending on whether we’re flying, driving, or returning to[Read More…]
Before I get into this week’s topic, I’d like to thank each of you who donated to SeniorsSkiing.com. This is the second week of our second annual fund raiser. The response has been enthusiastic. Your gifts will help us get closer to covering expenses. As important, they are telling us that this effort to form a community of older snowsports[Read More…]
At first glance, Steamboat is the ideal senior skier resort. It’s big. It’s predominantly intermediate. It’s anchored by a substantial town with hot springs, shops and many good restaurants. There are lodging options, galore. But Steamboat also has its challenges. If you’re not part of the IKON Pass, a day ticket can cost $129-159 (advance online). And reaching the lift[Read More…]
Why aren’t skis designed for and marketed to the 20% of the U.S. skiing population over the age of 52? In other words, is the industry ready for a senior’s ski? I’m asking now, because this is the week ski manufacturers write orders for next year’s crop. They’ve gathered at the Denver Convention Center for the Snow Show, the industry’s[Read More…]
Ask An Expert is the new SeniorsSkiing.com feature that answers your snow sport questions with responses from experts. Send in your questions, and we’ll find the experts to answer them. The feature will appear as frequently as we have your questions. We start the series this week with this question from reader, Terry Kureth: While skiing with a friend not[Read More…]
Have you ever been in or near an avalanche? Big Mountain skiers everywhere are accustomed to hearing and feeling the reverberations of bombs and other technologies used to dislodge slides, making the areas safer. A few years ago, Taos added a chair to improve accessibility to Kachina Peak. Last week, following inspection by patrol, a slide there killed two. At the[Read More…]
Magic Mt. Has $29 Tickets On Thursdays! We are zipping down Wizard, a 1.6-mile-long intermediate trail that hugs the West Side, in seven inches of new snow with lots of woohoos and yippees. At many areas, this trail would be flattened by now. Not so at Magic Mountain in South Londonderry, Vt. Groomers will leave the snow to powder hounds[Read More…]
For a laid-back, inexpensive, Western ski vacation, perhaps with grandkids learning to ski or board, look into the southern comfort of Brian Head.
There’s a pattern to most chairlift conversations. I usually start mine by asking: “Are you local?” My other go-to intros are a comment if it’s cold as hell or if it’s a bluebird day. Use any of these ice-breakers, and most people drop into the groove as easily as a needle on an old 78 (remember them?). A double or[Read More…]
I write this column every week to share information and ideas about being in and on the snow. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of being there this season. It’s still a week or so off. Sometimes it’s clear what I’ll write about: there’s a new survey; we’ve published one of our annual lists; Big Skiing, Inc. is systematically removing[Read More…]
We Get This Question From Time To Time. Here’s What Happens And How To Solve This Problem. If you are being asked to re-enter your email to confirm your subscription to SeniorsSkiing.com, you might be a bit annoyed. We don’t blame you, but there is an explanation. You are accessing SeniorsSkiing.com through a device that is different from the one[Read More…]
Some interesting comments on last week’s Short Swings! asking if older skiers and boarders are invisible to the people making business decisions about skiing. Reader Rich Spritz, a Breckenridge instructor, wrote that seniors don’t spend money and it makes sense that, resorts, being businesses, don’t give seniors their attention. There’s no question that the group he describes exists. I see[Read More…]
Cozy Feet. Happy Skier. That’s the headline for the APEX Ski Boot System advertisement at the right of this article. It’s worth taking notice…especially with the unusual, limited time 20% discount to SeniorsSkiing.com readers. In a reader survey from a few years ago, we asked which new equipment you intended to purchase in the coming season. 25% of you responded[Read More…]
Here’s a picture of the birthday cake that, along with a lot of other things, surprised me last weekend. The side you don’t see had pine trees around the bottom. Looked good and tasted delicious. If you have a ski-related cake or other confection you’d like to share with the SeniorsSkiing.com community, send a picture to jon@seniorsskiing.com or mike@seniorsskiing.com.
Are older skiers and boarders invisible to the people making business decisions about skiing? Unless, you’re a marketer selling reverse mortgages, extended care facilities, pharmaceuticals, or walk-in bathtubs, most companies ignore our market segment. In the world of skiing corporate ski area consolidators are eliminating senior discounts, and ski makers haven’t bothered to present a product designed and presented for[Read More…]
If you’re still looking for something different and/or special for older snow enthusiasts, the following suggestions are discounted for SeniorsSkiing.com followers and can be ordered online. APEX Boot System is offering 20% off retail for SeniorsSkiing.com readers. This is the boot many olderskiers are talking about. It’s a good performer, comfortable, and let’s you walk with ease. No issues getting[Read More…]
