Hold Fast, James Niehues Paints Mountains, Emily’s Poem To Spring, Ski Diva Perspective, Senior Group At Powder Mountain, Weatherman Says More Snow, Mystery Racer.
The irony is sardonic. The snow-starved Sierra is finally getting yards of snow, Easter will most likely have another coating in New England at higher elevations. And no lifts are turning. Normal is upside down.
Ski towns are discouraging second-home owners from taking shelter in rural areas, some resorts are giving out food to employees. Waterville Valley, NH, the last remaining operator in the Northeast, is finally closing down, despite their elaborate precautions. “Our continuing operations have been met with outcry by many who choose to misrepresent our efforts and have created an environment that has incited people to act irresponsibly to the point of becoming abusive and threatening to our staff,” says this week’s press release. What used to be a mecca for cheerfulness, easy-going-ness, and fun has turned rough with people rubbing each other the wrong way. Irony.
We know this period of time is unsettling, uncertain, ambiguous, and, to some, quite frightening. During this disruption, we feel it is critical to remember what is still important and always will be. For example, pay attention to your fitness. You might be doing some backcountry skiing, or skinning at closed ski areas. Please be careful and make sure you know what you are doing. First responders are pre-occupied these days. We’re taking long walks and doing yoga at home guided by a wonderful app called Down Dog, which will be offered free until April 1.
Another priority is to connect. We’re going to be isolated, dear readers. That is not a good thing for seniors in normal times, and even more stressful now. So, here’s what we propose. We are going to offer our readers a chance to connect with like-minded folks through a simple idea. We’re going to pose some questions you can respond to in the Reply Box for each question. Respond to the questions, to each other’s comments, start a dialogue, connect. What we’re trying to do is create a place for exchanging ideas, offering support, referring to resources, or whatever falls out. Please give it a go. We have no idea how this experiment will turn out, but it is worth a try. We already know our readers have lots to say. So, let’s hear from you.
Finally, folks, it’s Spring. Yes, it is snowing in places. But here we are, on the other side of winter. We saw our first robin on our walk yesterday. Look for yours.
Check out Jon’s comments in Short Swings this week for his perspective on dealing with the current crisis.
Hold Fast.
This Week
A poem from Emily Dickinson helps put spring in perspective. Welcome Spring and notice the crocuses coming up in your walks.
Our friend and colleague the Ski Diva has published an important summary of what’s going on in the ski industry since the advent of the virus. An important read.
Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, reports on snow coming for Easter. Oh well. You can probably go x-c skiing or snow shoeing if you’re living in the right places.
We feature James Niehues’ work, the Man Who Paints Mountains. Actually, he is an artist who has created ski maps for hundreds of ski resorts across the globe. He’s published a book of his work which, as you know if you’ve ever really looked closely at a trail map, is incredible.
Salt Lake City correspondent Harriet Wallis tells us about a special senior week in small groups run by a couple at Powder Mountain, UT. It is an interesting idea: great food, mountain-side lodging, kindred spirits.
Our Mystery Glimpse this week features a young woman who should be familiar to many readers. And those colorful gondolas? Crested Butte.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends about us, and, remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
How sad the crazies at Waterville Valley ruined an attempt by a ski area to practice common sense and let folks enjoy this wonderful sport. This is just another example of seemingly sane people over-reacting to a virus which, so far, is less lethal than the common flu, which, according to the CDC, kills an average of 40K plus people each year in the United States, alone, and is met with a collective yawn by our Society. What a joke!
( https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html )
I’ve been saying this for weeks. Flu stats (that are now a month behind)…so far in the US since October, 34 million have gotten sick, 350,000 hospitalized, 20,000 dead. From the seasonal flu. And yet, so many people won’t even get flu shots. I do understand the ‘flatten the curve’ situation…they don’t want, say, 350,000 hitting the hospitals with Covid at once. But still, there IS the seasonal flu and nobody pays much attention to it.
Just heard through Cross Country Ski Areas Association that a number of XC areas are still grooming, some absolutely free, some asking for online donations. No lodging, food, rental or retail or instruction — but skiing! The list can change rapidly but has been updated today (Friday, 3/20/20): https://xcski.org/2020/03/some-ski-areas-remain-open/