Snow On Halloween! Skiing Weatherman Predicts, Resort Options Question, Mystery Air Ride, Nordic Exercisers.
This year is unprecedented in many ways. Perhaps another oddity to add to how unusual things have become is that we have snow forecast for the Boston area on Halloween. Well, the evening before Halloween, but still. If you know anything about statistics, you have probably heard of a “Black Swan” event, something that happens that goes beyond so-called normal variances and which has heavy consequences. This year, we have a bevy of black swans.
What will the early snow mean? It’s that old “Go” signal to skiers everywhere, but with a new direction, scurrying people to buy any new gear they can find in their local ski shops.
Why?
Last spring, when the hammer came down, retailers saw a rush of last minute buyers for end of season, on sale stuff. Kind of like the toilet paper phenomenon but with skis, boots, and gear. This fall, according to Freeskier, backcountry gear is currently selling out. Uphill traffic is predicted to explode. Expect to see a new emphasis on avalanche awareness and condition reporting, guide services and instruction, and new back country ski packages hard to find in retail outlets. In that mix is the cross-country ski and boot you can use at your local golf course. Hot cakes, they are. If you want some, “Go” now!
In the Alpine world, the virus hit just as retailers were about to place orders for the upcoming season’s equipment. Factories shut down, orders were cancelled. With on the shelf inventory depleted and a recent fire in the largest ski factory in Europe, according to Pugski, you’ve got to buy it now or not this season. Forget about demos and consults with shop experts about what choices you might have. It’s a different swan this year.
Classified Hints
You can post a classified ad for 30 days for only $1 until Nov 12th. It’s easy. Tips:
- Post a picture with your ad. You can actually post a “gallery”, or number of pics. It really helps.
- Include details of the deal, including payment options, shipping, who pays for what, etc. in the description.
- Your headline will make readers click on your ad. Think about how to frame your wording.
This Week
Skiing Weatherman Herb Stevens returns with his prediction for the upcoming snow season. Herb has looked at that La Nina out in the Pacific, cooling the atmosphere above the west coast of South America. Find out what kind of weather he says that will bring to your favorite ski resort.
Our Mystery Glimpse this week shows us a really different and, thankfully, quick-passing fad in ski gondolas. Tell us what this is, where it was in operation, and what you think? Would you like to ride up a mountain in a flying saucer look-alike?
Our Question For You takes a serious tone this week. We ask what you would do if ski resort management and a goodly portion of your staff turns up positive for COVID. Not a pleasant thought, but one has to plan. What would you do?
We had a lot of responses to our previous question for you about advice re: joint replacements. Many responses were well-thought out and extremely useful to anyone facing that kind of procedure. We decided to analyze the responses to see what bubbles up and forms a clear message. We want to thank all our readers for responding so conscientiously.
Finally, there are still several months to go before the snow starts to build up into serious accumulation. You can continue to get into shape using a variety of Nordic exercise equipment for both inside and outside use. Check correspondent Steve Hine’s advice on what is available.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Tell your friends, and remember, there are more if us every day, and we aren’t going away.
