This is to thank the 3000+ of you who completed our August reader survey. We learned that on average, those of you who did not take last season off skied an average of 26 days. That’s down from a few seasons back when the average was more than 33 days. But, when you figure that the national average is 6.5[Read More…]
Last week’s column highlighted responses to a question posed to several friends: How much vertical footage is needed to have a satisfying day on the hill? For this week’s column, I posed the same question to all readers. Your input over the past several days says a lot about your passion for the sport. Not enough room to include all[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…]
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…]
I rode a chair last season with a couple who got upset when they saw a dead porcupine on the trail below. They “knew” the animal from skiing there for several months. It looked like it had been attacked. I’ve seen a lot of animals while skiing over the years. Nothing larger than the moose who frequented part of The[Read More…]
The Kindness of (Young) Strangers Last weekend Pam and I went canyoneering in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the vast expanse of public land between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Canyoneering may not be the correct term, as it generally describes the exploration of remote canyons requiring technical equipment and skills. Our destination was two popular slot[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…]
We are seeking your financial support for SeniorsSkiing.com. Currently, a handful of advertisers help us fund the project. What their fees don’t cover, our bank accounts do. There are many expenses including technicians, designers, and other expenses associated with delivering SeniorsSkiing.com free each week and developing and publishing Subscriber-Only content. Next month, you will see a new section devoted to[Read More…]
An Urban Legend From The World Of Skiing. Editor’s Note: Jan Harold Brunvand is a frequent contributor to SeniorsSkiing.com. An avid skier, he is a retired American folklorist, researcher, writer, public speaker, and professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah. Jan is best known for popularizing the concept of the urban legend, a form of modern folklore or story telling. Urban Legends[Read More…]
To Our Readers It’s cold where I’m writing this. I drove several hours yesterday to get here. One hour of it was through flurries; at least one-half hour through blizzard. I got the stoves working, changed into warm clothes and had a few sips of single malt. Then I started reading the hundreds and hundreds of answers to our survey[Read More…]
End of Season House Cleaning We’re moving out of Salt Lake City. Anyone who has gone through the exercise knows about getting rid of stuff. You categorize three ways: stuff you need; stuff you think you need; stuff you know you don’t. Which brings me to skis, boots, and clothes. I have seven pairs of skis and enjoy all of them.[Read More…]
Sometimes Coming Up With Content For This Weekly Column Is Challenging…Especially Now That The Season Has Ended. In season, resorts and others seeking publicity provide us with a steady stream of options to consider. That’s dried up. So this week, I went through the ski-related photos I’ve snapped and forgotten about…until[Read More…]
Most areas have turned off the lights on ’16-’17. Nonetheless a few places in North America are still operating. They include Blackcomb Mountain, Snowbird, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Mt Bachelor, and the place that skis 12 months a year, Timberline Lodge. Over the years I’ve heard about sand skiing. The following are associated with sand boarding, but I’m sure if you[Read More…]
A WOW Ski deal for Senior Skiers! The day before Alta closed for the season, a few ski companies were set up to demo products. One was Liberty Skis, a Colorado ski maker specializing in bamboo. I tried the Variant 87 and now own a pair. The “87” indicates the width of the ski under the boot, considerably narrower than[Read More…]
For me, this has always been a melancholy time of year. Most North American lifts stop running, and the joy of winter shifts to summer diversions. Some people use the time to push their limits. Years ago, I’d drive to New Hampshire to ski Tuckerman’s Ravine on Memorial Day. It was an Eastern skier’s rite of passage. When older and[Read More…]
Contributor Harriet Wallis snapped this pic on her way down one of the Cottonwood Canyons connecting Salt Lake City with several resorts. Mountain goats are visible from the road this time of year. They maneuver the narrowest ledges like they’re strolling Main Street. Thanks for the picture, Harriet! CALIFORNIA Dennis Quaid’s band, The Sharks, will kick off Squaw Valley’s Toyota[Read More…]
February is National Bootfitting Month. Boots! You either love them or you hate them. If yours give you grief, take heart. February is National Bootfitting Month, and the folks at America’s Best Bootfitters are encouraging skiers to visit one of the America’s Best Bootfitters shops to improve boot performance, comfort, warmth, and fit. Skiing Magazine Folds. The buzz during last[Read More…]
