Risk management for older skiers

As we grow older, our suspension doesn't work nearly as well and when something break, it might take more time to heal, so it's no wonder if older skiers tend to slow down considerably and stay off dangerous terrain.

Then the question arise as to how much we (older folks) should tone it down as years pile up and that dilemma gets my undivided attention. I'd tend to see a bunch of answers to that interrogation. First, there's the good old instinct, of course, that peaks as we mature.

Then, there is the importance of keeping up with practice, and this will involve difference forms of “pushing the envelope”, like going as fast as sanely possible, not shying away from tough terrain and snow conditions, plus skiing as often as possible.

Finally, there's the big deal; the psychological threat, that is not to get intimidated by anyone and never lose one's resolve or composure as a result of it. That form of fear is the most damaging one, the hardest to isolate and quantify, so never let it ruin your abilities!

So much to do, so little time!

Quite often, my friends ask me how I spend all of my free time and when it happens I don't always know what to respond.

If there is one implacable truth it is that I don't have enough time to stay current on my “to-do list”.
This of course begs an important follow-up question: How did I managed to do all the things I did when I still was working?

A brighter view of Brighton

Yesterday, I went to ski Brighton, a small ski resort that is less than 7 miles from home, as the crow flies, but stands 43 miles away by car and takes almost one hour to get to. The weather was very cold and mostly sunny, with some new powder that had fallen the day before.

I first started by getting oriented on the mountain and then ran into Ben, a 40 year old nurse, on his day off, that took me through the trees like a bat out of hell and I really surprised myself following him as well as I did.

He took a few spills on his way down, got me into a hole where hit the powder, but in the end, we all survived. I just think that for his own sake and longevity, Ben should slow down a bit, but I'm grateful that he provided me with superb guidance and entertainment.

Sure, Brighton offers 1,740 feet of vertical, is fairly flat and quite small, but that latest experience raised the dismal opinion I still had of that small resort only 24 hours ago! 

Let's go greet the marmots!

Less than 1.5 miles from our home is a large marmot colony, near a strip mall, that's providing us with guaranteed entertainment during our daily walk.

As we get out of the wooded trail, we hear their warning whistle, and as we get in view of their boulder habitat, they all start running for cover of freeze in place, hoping to blend-in with their background.

Much more so than moose or deer, Park City is a marmot-capital of sort, at least while the critters aren't busy hibernating...

How good was the weather forecast?

On Friday, October 20, 2017, I presented on this blog, the NOAA's, America's climate prediction center forecast for the upcoming winter. Yeah, long-term stuff.

Back then, they put everything on the back of “la Niña” saying that Utah would see higher average temperatures and more precipitations. I was just worried that we might get too much rain and not enough snow, but still believed NOAA's predictions.

Well, we now know the results. The weather was a bit warmer in January, but soon turned cold in mid February to remain frigid through most of April. Worse yet, no serious trace of snow until February 19 with all the precipitations going to Canada.

Something not seen for most than 40 years. So, just keep NOOA's precision in mind when you'll discover its creative narrative for the 2018-19 winter, next October!

Skiing: Hardware or Brain?

Depending on who you listen to, there is always “one most important element” in the sport of skiing. It can be your skis or your ski boots or even your physical preparation. One could call this “hardware issues”, but in my opinion, “software issues” like technique, concentration, speed and mileage are even more likely to make a lasting difference in one person's experience over the long run.
 Technique is the foundation of sound skiing, but it takes times, it's boring and most skiers don't enjoy the drill of learning it. Yet, it's the live ammunition that is used on a daily basis to lessen efforts and fatigue.

• Concentration is a huge perquisite, because skiing is essentially counter-intuitive as a sport and demand constant attention, especially as terrain challenges increase. Absent concentration, the skier reverts to the instinctive “bad moves” that spell trouble.
• Speed could be associated with courage or audacity. Since skiing is a sport of gravity, the faster one goes the easier it gets, but paradoxically, a certain level of speed or momentum demands gut and that often turns into a vicious instead of virtuous cycle! 
• Mileage, finally, is the secret ingredient that fine-tunes technique and also turn certain counter-intuitive moves into life-long habits while providing skiers with a treasure trove of experience that will come in handy the next time the going gets tougher. 

When all of these conditions are fully satisfied, it might be a good idea to worry about the “hardware”...

Delayed spanking

It will have taken a long time for the “coalition of the willing” to strike Syria for its chemical attack on civilians.

I only see that like, when spanking was acceptable, delivering the corporal punishment ten days later following the offense, would have been tantamount to insanity on the part of the enforcer.

The recent protracted action against Syria shows how dysfunctional and woefully incompetent our political leaders are.

There should always be a pre-arranged plan between allies, that automatically triggers some action as soon as it appears who the culpable party is.

Government, time to grow up!