All Hail Elderhostel Skiers

Posted by Grace Lichtenstein Feb 5, 2007

I just returned from a wonderful Elderhostel ski trip to Winter Park, Colorado. It is one of the "icebox of the nation" spots that last week truly bumped up its BRRRR-reputation.... By Friday the dials on the mountain registered 40-below F at the top of Parsenn Bowl.

But hey, I braved the fridge-fest so you won't have to... I hope. This week promises to be positively balmy -- temps today are in the 20 to 30 F range, with just a nip of a wind to keep you honest as an adventure geezer.

How do you feel about that term "geezer" by the way? My feeling is, let's reclaim it... make it a badge of honor. After all, as my Aunt Helen likes to say, "Growing older is not for sissies."

But what about those arctic temps? What about frostbite? What about dem cold, sometimes brittle bones? Again, let me quote a sage -- my cycling pal Trudy -- who says: "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing."

In other words, if you're skiing in really really chilly-willy weather, put on an extra layer-- light longjohns for the first layer, light fleece for the second, heavy fleece for the third, then a shell jacket.. Wear a face mask (I did. OK, so I look like a small dark animal in the group fotos) Cold fingers and toes? Those hand and foot warming thingies that I call "teabags" only cost about $3 and they work.

My Elderhostel colleagues could have cared less about the recorded temperatures. Ranging in age from 55 to 80, a few were on line at 8:30 a.m. for the first chairlift of the day. Inspirational!