SnowSportsNA.COM Features Archive
Ski Sundown - little mountain with big-time amenities
Early last season, Mother Nature sent a memo to Ski Sundown in New Hartford, Conn.
"Cold coming ... get the snow guns ready."
Sundown WAS ready and made plenty of snow.
And then it made some more snow.
And more.
A huge machine-made base became even more solid as the natural snow came.
Translation - from December through March, Sundown had good conditions.
So what did the mountain do to celebrate?
It upped the ante on its snowmaking capabilities.
For the 2009-10 season, Sundown has increased its water pumping capacity by 40 percent. Crews have reconfigured the mountain's water delivery system so more water can get to the to snowmaking guns as weather permits.
"This will allow us to take full advantage of short weather windows of opportunity making more snow in a shorter period of time," Sundown Marketing Director Dotty Craig says. "In addition, the snowmaking industry continues to advance energy efficient technology and Ski Sundown will be testing out new snow guns this season that use two-thirds less compressed air."
New this season is a reconfigured Welcome Center, that houses ticketing and group services. Lodge renovations include a spruced-up apres' ski bar/lounge named Bottom of the Barrel (Ski Sundown's signature trail, the steepest in Connecticut, is Gunbarrel). It adds to what Sundown already has - the Sunnyside Kitchen, Waffle Corner, and Sundown BBQ on the mountain view deck. A banquet center is also available for corporate meetings, weddings and family gatherings in-season and during the off season.
Here are a few other Sundown highlights for the season:
- The customer service staff includes 60 guest services volunteers that have been known to carry equipment or even assist a youngster with a lift ride.
- Terrain - Sundown features a separate learning area with carpet lift, seeded moguls, racing venue, terrain parks, both big and small with a dedicated park crew that keeps elements well-maintained and interesting for both skiers and snowboarders.
- Snowsports School/Programs - Weekend and vacation ski and snowboard programs are offered for young people ages 4 and older. The Mountain Explorers program is offered for those 11 to 17 with advanced skills who want to discover all that the mountain has to offer - moguls, freestyle elements in the terrain park or training in the gates. The new Race Team Development program is designed for those 6 to 17 who are interested in learning and developing racing skills and improving overall skiing technique. At the end of the 8-week program students will be assessed as to their readiness to pursue competitive ski racing.
- Advanced Mountain Skills Training - The program is a selection of clinics and programs for upper-level skiing and snowboarding adults. It includes a night program on Thursdays, master training clinics, race clinics with coaching and individualized private coaching. Women-specific programs include weekday Women in Motion clinics and the Women's Evening Club. Both are for women from novice to expert levels and taught by female instructors.
- First-Time programs - Ski or snowboard packages are $74 for day sessions and $67 for the 6 to 10 p.m. session. The clinics include a 90-minute group lesson, equipment rental, and lift ticket.
- Adaptive Lessons - Ski Sundown is the only area in Connecticut affiliated with STRIDE, Inc., a nonprofit adaptive skiing and recreation organization for individuals with disabilities. Specially trained volunteers (STRIDE requires 20 hours of training, both indoor clinics and on-snow clinics) offer ski and snowboard lessons to individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. Lesson categories include visual impairments or blind skiing, all types of developmental disabilities, two, three, and four track skiers and snowboarders and mono- and bi-skiing.
- NASTAR Racing - Ski Sundown is the only area in the state to offer National Standard Racing. NASTAR is the largest recreational ski and snowboard race program in the world. Through the development of a handicap system, racers of all ages and abilities can compare themselves with one another regardless of when and where they race. NASTAR course hours in January and February are Sundays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m.
Several special events are slated for this season. They include The Main Event Series Snowboarding Championship presented by Burton on Jan. 16; Winter Carnival on Jan. 24; a "Bump or Bust" Mogul Competition on Jan. 30; Wild West Day on Feb. 7; the Friends & Family Winter Games on Feb. 14; the Wearin' o' the Green Celebration on March 13; and an annual spring event, Ski Sundown's Super Stupendous Spring Saturday Spectacular.
Ski Sundown offers four- and eight-hour lift and rental tickets that can be purchased anytime during the day. It also offers specially priced night tickets from 6 to 10 p.m. every night of the week. A two-hour ticket is offered for $31. A Once-A-Week Pass allows direct access to the lifts once a week, Monday through Friday, non-holiday between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. for $229.
Ski Sundown offers multi-week programs at discounted rates and single visit day or night discounted rates to groups of 10 or more.
The mountain has expanded its Web site and offers with online purchasing for lesson programs, passes, and discount cards and gift cards. For details, visit:
Diamonds can be a Boomer's best friend
Photos courtesy of Michael Brands
Bumps can be fun ... just ask Joe Nevin.
Nevin knows that many Baby Boomer and seniors consider heading gracefully down a black-diamond, mogul-strewn run is a distant memory. That's why the former Apple executive and Colorado resident founded Aspen-based Bumps for Boomers, the first mogul and powder skiing program in the U.S. designed to teach those from that generation and before to ski longer and safer.
"Boomers who may have become cautious of their physical ability and stamina choose to stick to the groomed intermediate runs rather than skiing more challenging slopes for fear of injury," Nevin says. "Bumps for Boomers clinics impart revolutionary skills and techniques aging skiers need to take on challenging terrain."
The Baby Boomer generation - today's seniors - made skiing popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and it is still one of largest market segments in the snowsports industry. Nevin says the program is designed by Boomers and taught by Boomers.
The lessons are designed to get older skiers to "think differently." Boomers will learn new techniques designed to offset slowing reflexes.
"In fact, you will learn how to ski moguls without the need for fast reflexes," he says. "You will learn the most important 20 percent of the information that you need which will make 80 perfect of the difference in your mogul skiing."
Instructors will offer the four different ways to ski a mogul run - and which is the safest and most controlled way.
Bumps for Boomers clinics emphasize the three essential skills for skiing moguls - control, balance and tactics. After an introductory course on mogul terrain, older skiers also learn how to simplify and plan mogul runs. Nevis says the coaching method incorporates "novel" techniques that help reduce knee stress and fatigue using "skiboards" (mini-skis approximately 3 feet long) to help skiers achieve better balance and learn how to maintain speed control.
Exclusive to Aspen/Snowmass, the Bumps for Boomers program is offered this season from November through April. Boomers can participate in a four-day clinic for $1,196 per person, or choose to take private lessons for $699 per day. Private lessons are limited to one or two participants. The cost does not include skis or lift tickets unless a combined clinic and life ticket package is purchased.
Space can be reserved by calling 970-989-2529 or by visiting www.bumpsforboomers.com.
"Our goal is to enable Boomers to ski for life by facilitating their ability to reach peak performance and extend the longevity of their skiing years," Nevin says. "As you age, your reflex speed and balance tend to decline. We use a traditional coaching method, but incorporate ski-board training to help Boomers quickly learn the new techniques and skills needed to ski moguls and powder runs no matter how steep the terrain. As a result, Boomers leave their fear at the top of the run and embrace the new found freedom to ski the entire mountain."
In addition to the ski program, Bumps for Boomers offers ski enthusiasts complimentary weekly skiing tips and an online ski fitness training series developed by Bill Fabrocini, a world-class Aspen instructor.
 by Dick Butler |
Summer Adventure at Catamount |
Think summer in the mountains can't be a rush? Think again. Shortly after its opening this June, I visited Catamount Adventure Park, approximately 50 miles south east of Albany, on a great morning to see what all the excitement is about.
The Park is located off Route 23 in Hillsdale NY, on the grounds of one of the oldest ski areas in America: Catamount Ski Area. This aerial forest adventure park, designed by Swiss engineers, claims to be the largest of its kind in North America. It will be open spring thru the fall.
Located a short hike up the mountain amidst a canopy of tall hardwood and conifer trees, it is a challenge for the entire family. Dappled by muted sunlight, the forest environment here offers great protection from the summer sun. The Park consists of a series of eight courses, all off the ground at varying heights. The courses are graded in 5 levels of difficulty much like ski trails, i.e. starting at the easiest Yellow, and moving up in difficulty through Green, Blue, Black and Double Black. There are 2 yellows, 2 greens, 2 blues, 1 black and 1 double black.
Cable plank walk
The Park is very friendly to the environment with no hard surfaces. Soft bark covered paths connect the courses. Benches of native lumber provide a good viewing location and short rests between courses. Ingeniously, a hollow large tree stump serves as a trash container.
Upon arrival participants are given a safety course in the base lodge that includes how to use carabiners, (metal couplings with safety closures used mostly by rock climbers). A harness is fitted snugly to your waist and thighs. The harness has a heavy-duty loop for connecting your pulley to one of the several the cable (zip) lines that connect stations. Two carabiners on your harness are always connected to a safety cable, except when changing connections between stations of the course. Leather palmed gloves are also used to safely handle the cables and assist in controlling zip line speed. Athletic shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Heels can provide a good secure feeling when climbing on cables.
All staff is highly trained in park safety.
Users must be 8 years of age or older and not weigh more than 275 pounds. For those with rather large waists there are even special harnesses. Wear appropriate clothing for the day's weather. Pursuing the courses can be real a workout.
Plan on spending at least two to three hours to fully appreciate the park and start with the easiest courses and work your way up in difficulty.
This place is a great test of balance and coordination. The truth about being in the trees is that once you are there, you are so focused on the cables and the tasks at hand, you don't notice that you are up in the air.
Each course has zip lines but primarily they [the zips] are "bridges" between sturdy tree platforms. The real test of your strength and agility comes from traversing a variety of rope, cable and wood configurations creating unique challenges strung between the towering oaks and maples. You will develop skills, endurance and confidence as you progress up through the levels of difficulty during your time in the Park.
The "Black Storm" course is the highest at approximately 60 feet above grade. On the easiest yellow courses the minimum height is about 8 feet.
Call ahead (518 325 3200) if the weather looks uncertain. The park will close during periods of thunderstorms and heavy rain.
For a preview of the action at the Park, check out http://www.catamounttrees.com
For a three hour pass adults pay $43 and Juniors (8-13) pay $29.
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