Post Tagged with: "SeniorsSkiing.com"

Mystery Glimpse: First US Winter Olympic Medalist Was A Ski Jumper

Mystery Glimpse: First US Winter Olympic Medalist Was A Ski Jumper

Only Two Guesses, One Was Correct. Apparently, our last Mystery Glimpse of the season was fairly esoteric. We salute reader Patricia Gottshalk for identifying Anders Olsen Haugen, the US Ski Team member who was the first American to win a Winter Olympics medal. He won medals in the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and the 1928 games in St. Moritz. In[Read More…]

by April 18, 2018 2 comments Features
How To Wash Your Down Jacket At Home

How To Wash Your Down Jacket At Home

Season’s Over; Isn’t It About Time You Get That Puffy Back To Clean? Not only are your season-dirty down jackets, vests, and even sleeping bag dirty and smelly, if you left them that way, they would lose their heat-insulating properties. It is easy to destroy your down gear if you don’t follow some basic rules when washing them at home.[Read More…]

by April 17, 2018 1 comment Gear
Spring in Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA. Credit: Mike Maginn

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 13)

Looking Back, Mystery Glimpse, Spring XC Skiing, Riding With The Cats. It’s hard not to get a bit philosophical at the end of a season. And yes, we know that there are those who are still finding newly fallen snow out there, but we are done. Highlights for us: We re-discovered our interest in ski history, launching the Mystery Glimpse[Read More…]

by April 13, 2018 0 comments Features
Short Swings!

Short Swings!

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…]

by April 12, 2018 2 comments Short Swings!
Mystery Glimpse: He Was The First

Mystery Glimpse: He Was The First

This Well-Dressed Athlete Was The First Of Many. Thanks to the Colorado Ski And Snowboard Museum for sending this picture along. We’re reaching deep here, dear readers, and if you can get this one, we will be really impressed.  Who is he and what did he do that gave him a place in ski history? Last Week This is a[Read More…]

by April 12, 2018 5 comments Ski History
Spring cross country skiing can be found in high country and xc resorts. Credit: Mike Maginn

XC Skiing In The Spring Is The BEST!

Even In Mid-April You Can XC Ski; You Just Have To Find The Snow. As the cross country (XC) ski season winds down, most XC ski areas close because of lack of skiers rather than lack of snow on the trails. The sun comes out, the temperature rises, and the XC skiers quit. Why? Are we infected with winter fatigue?[Read More…]

by April 12, 2018 0 comments Destinations
Snow cat groomer making the ski run smooth for skiers the next day. Sun Peaks Resort, BC.

Ridin’ With The Cats

What’s It Like To Groom Trails At Night? They come out at night and do their job. You can see their lights progressing across the ski slope and occasionally hear their roar. And the next morning, they’ve left this delicious set of corduroy tracks across the ski hill. I’d always wanted to go on-slope with a snowcat groomer. And so,[Read More…]

by April 9, 2018 2 comments International, West
Mammoth Mountain extended the season after 16 FEET of snow in March. Credit: Unofficial Networks

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (April 6)

Season Hangs On, Cross-Country Lessons, Apex Boot Highlights, Bob Beattie, Fun & Games, Mystery Train. Click Here To See Where Snow Fell Day By Day From Oct 5th to March 26th.  A glance at the map shows where the season’s snow accumulated and where it didn’t. Clearly, the Far West, Upper Rockies, (and Canadian Rockies not shown), parts of the[Read More…]

by April 6, 2018 1 comment Features
Short Swings!

Short Swings!

Sunday at Snowbasin was the last day of my season. The end-of-season emergence of earth shedding its winter coat is bittersweet. The joy of Winter is being replaced by the joy of Spring. Every year on my last run, I say a prayer of thanks for having completed another season and a prayer of hope for the next. Having reached[Read More…]

by April 5, 2018 8 comments Short Swings!
Mystery Glimpse: Choo-Choo!

Mystery Glimpse: Choo-Choo!

Where Are We And What’s Happening? Thanks to the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum for providing this picture from ski history.  The CS&SM is in the process of undergoing a $2.4 million renovation. The first of several exhibits, “Climb To Glory”, featuring the story of the 10th Mountain Division is now open. Other exhibits will be open at the end[Read More…]

by April 5, 2018 4 comments Ski History
Grand Targhee: Deep Powder and a Friendly Vibe

Grand Targhee: Deep Powder and a Friendly Vibe

It had been snowing three days when I arrived at Grand Targhee. By morning the new snow total was 55″. A guy from Denver suggested signing up for Early Tracks. For $89 members of the ski school guide you at 8AM, an hour head start on the public. Next morning, I skied 1 1/2 hours on untracked terrain, guided by[Read More…]

by April 5, 2018 1 comment Resort Reviews
Credit: Ski Museum Of Maine

Cross-Country: Lessons Are The Best Way To Out-Think Your Feet

To Make The Switch To Cross-Country, Please Start With A Lesson And These Tips. In the early 1970s, in a visionary but totally wrong-headed move, the fledgling Nordic ski industry declared that, “If you can walk, you can cross-country ski.” It would have been a lot more helpful to say, “If you can walk, you can learn to cross-country ski.[Read More…]

by April 3, 2018 4 comments Features
APEX Ski Boot combines a removable Open Chassis with a walkable boot.

APEX Ski Boot System: Rethinking Ski Boot Design

History Suggests That Designing A New Boot Is A Multi-Million Dollar Gamble. Just the molds for a plastic shell boot cost a million dollars, and that doesn’t include engineering costs and other expenses. Then there is the need to make it profitable when annual manufacturing runs are in the thousands, not hundreds of thousands or millions. These and other factors[Read More…]

by April 3, 2018 8 comments Boots
Bob Beattie was a colorful leader and coach.

Bob Beattie, Legendary US Ski Team Coach, Dies At 85

Beattie, Who Coached The US Team For Nine Seasons, Was A Ski Competition Innovator. Bob Beattie, the coach who put the US Ski Team on the world stage in the 60s, has died on Easter Sunday in Aspen, according to his son, Zeno. For details, click here for the news story from The Aspen Times. 

by April 2, 2018 0 comments Ski Heroes
Find the Bear. Credit: Harriet Wallis

Spring Is The Time To Play Games

Try This New Game: It’s A Cross Between Where’s Waldo And A Scavenger Hunt. I was skiing at Deer Valley, and I was taking photos. I’m always taking photos. It’s what I do. I never know when I’ll need a certain shot to illustrate a story. The next time I skied Deer Valley, I was with a friend. I showed[Read More…]

by April 2, 2018 1 comment West
St. B points the way to a mountain hut. Credit: Bri-Tri

Senior Skiers: St. Bernard Is Watching O’er

St. Bernard, The Doggie’s Namesake, Is An Actual Saint. [Editor Note: This tidbit was submitted by LuAnn Snyder, a freelance writer from Maryland.] Here’s a bit of trivia about the Patron Saint and Protector of Skiers: St. Bernard of Montjoux. Little is known for certain about St. Bernard of Montjoux who was probably born in Italy, c. 996 and died at[Read More…]

by April 2, 2018 1 comment Ski History
Credit: FamilySkiNews

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (March 30)

Easter/Passover/Spring Arrives, Song Sample, Stumped-The-Crowd Mystery Glimpse, New XC Editor, Ski Boot History, Season Pass Quandary Redux, Big Sky Report, Big Party At Alta For 94-Year-Old Skiin’ Guy. This week is a milestone pivot point for the 2017-18 ski season; it’s Springtime in full glory, and ordinarily parkas come off, t-shirts abound, zaniness ensues, and the snow sport world looks[Read More…]

by March 30, 2018 0 comments Features
Short Swings!

Short Swings!

“Finding Meaning and Happiness in Old Age” is the title of Jane Brody’s March 19 Personal Health column in The New York Times. The article is about developing a healthy perspective on the aging process. It gathers information from two recent volumes on aging. She describes them as “inspired and inspiring.” One is The End of Old Age; the other,[Read More…]

by March 29, 2018 0 comments Short Swings!
Mystery Glimpse: Who, Where, And What?

Mystery Glimpse: Who, Where, And What?

Here’s A Classic-Looking Skier In A Classic Pose. Looks like an instructor demonstrating to a kids’ class. Check the straps around his boots, and you will get a hint about the era depicted here. Don’t you love that turtleneck? No, parka, hmmm. Looks a little like California-stylin’.  That’s enough of a hint for this one. Who is he, where did[Read More…]

by March 29, 2018 7 comments Ski Heroes
Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA

XC Skiing In Spring Is The Best

XC Ski In Shorts And T-Shirts This Spring: A Peak Experience! As the cross country (XC) ski season winds down most XC ski areas close because of lack of skiers rather than lack of snow on the trails. The sun comes out, the temperature rises, and the XC skiers quit. Why? Are we infected with winter fatigue? Is the lure[Read More…]

by March 29, 2018 1 comment Destinations
A Brief History of Why There Aren’t More Innovative Ski Boots

A Brief History of Why There Aren’t More Innovative Ski Boots

As a SeniorsSkiing.com reader, you may remember how much plastic inserts increased the lateral stiffness of your boots. Back in those days, if you were really cool, your boots were further stiffened when wrapped with a six-foot long thong. Then the plastic boot shell arrived, along with innovative designs from Rosemount, Scott and Hanson.           The[Read More…]

by March 27, 2018 15 comments Gear, Boots
Reader Opinion: The IKON vs M.A.X. Pass For Northeast Skiers

Reader Opinion: The IKON vs M.A.X. Pass For Northeast Skiers

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…]

by March 27, 2018 3 comments Features
Big Sky is big...really BIG!

Big Sky: Unpretentious. Uncrowded. Unbelievably Great Skiing.

Big Sky is not ritzy. It is not pretentious. It is not crowded. And, as one of country’s greatest ski destinations, it is not to be missed. With 4350′ of vertical and 5,800 acres, Big Sky justifiably calls itself “The Biggest Skiing in America.” The last time I skied there was before the acquisition of Moonlight Basin, a smaller adjacent[Read More…]

by March 27, 2018 5 comments Destinations, Resort Reviews
Bob's pal, Nick Looser, baked two special cakes for the party at Alta.
Credit: Harriet Wallis

It’s Birthday Party Time at Alta.

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Skier Bob Turns 94! You might say that 94-year-old Bob Murdoch is a “senior’s senior” skier. He represents many skiers across the country who are skiing into their 90s and enjoying their mountain friendships as much as the slopes. Ski friends matter. Skiers gave Bob a birthday card that said: Count your age in how many friends[Read More…]

by March 26, 2018 1 comment Ski Heroes, West