From Silver Mines to Olympic Gold

The Utah Mining Association reminds us that every day we are in contact with the products of mining.  From the smartphones in our palm to the vehicles we drive, nearly everything we touch in our modern world contains minerals and metals that have been mined—and Utah has an especially rich mining history.  The best way to observe and appreciate it is to go skiing!

green marks show the old bucket towers next to the new chair lift

One of the charms of the Park City ski resort in Park City, Utah is the In-Town lift which really does begin—in town!  Its route up the mountain, alongside the towers that once carried buckets of ore down the mountain, serves as a natural history lesson.  The City was discovered in 1868 by soldiers stationed in Salt Lake City looking for silver.  It was incorporated in 1884.  The town grew quickly—partly because of the modern conveniences it boasted:  electricity and running water.

Luckily for skiers, within 50 years silver ore mining began to dwindle, just as the winter sports industry began to gear up.  The first ski jump was installed on an old mine dump in 1930, and in 1963, with the help of a federal redevelopment grant, the town began to reinvent itself.  The J-bars, gondolas and chairlifts that would sweep people up to the summit were imagined and installed. Thanks to the miners, there were already routes through the mountains—following towers that ran cables for the ore buckets and cuts along the ridges where narrow gauge railroads had operated. By 1966 Sports Illustrated recognized a Park City (Treasure Mountain) slope as one of the best in the country. Old trail maps record the development of Treasure Mountain, Deer Valley and The Canyons, now all morphed into the giant Park City Ski Resort of today.  While mining silver ended in 1982, the town has thrived by hosting skiing and arts events ever since—the Olympics were held here in 2002 and the international Sundance Film Festival has been going strong since 1978.

The transcontinental railroad brought miners  dreaming of silver—today airlines bring skiers from around the world who channel gold medal runs on the slopes of Park City resorts.

Sundogs and Shot-skis

Surprisingly, ski club bus trips can be more than just an efficient way to get to a mountain—the comradery on the bus can be fun—especially on the way home.  Knowing that a pro will be at the wheel at day’s end means a stop at the base lodge bar does not carry the guilt of irresponsibility.  But on this day in Quebec, it was the early morning bus ride that brought the bonus.

Riding high off the road, about half an hour outside of Quebec City, New Haven Ski Club passengers were graced with AMAZING sundogs which led the bus all the way to Le Massif!  The seats full of (mostly) senior skiers exploded with childlike wonder at these atmospheric phenomena which lasted into the afternoon, albeit eventually reduced to a single “dog.” Formally called parhelia, sundogs are concentrated patches of light that appear about 22 degrees to the left and/or right of the sun (sometimes there is only one) and are caused by the refraction of sunlight off tiny crystals of ice suspended in the atmosphere.  They can be seen anywhere, during any season, but are most common when the sun is near the horizon and the air is cold. They can be like white mock suns, but sometimes they appear as pieces of a rainbow—red toward the sun and blue on the outside.

What a way to start a day! Club members had endured an 8-hour bus ride from New Haven, CT and then a frozen shut bus and white-out conditions that closed most lifts at Mont St. Anne’s the day before. They boarded the bus that morning chomping at the bit, anxious to ski!  Conditions turned out to be fabulous, and though negative temps made a chilly day, they warmed up with rounds of maple whiskey from the shot-ski and north country beers at the most welcoming of resort pubs!

For  sundogs, sunny slopes and shot-skis; Merci, LeMassif!

(with thanks to Jozzi Pizzo)

Memories Live for Ever--and so do skiers

The recent death of my mother, just as ski season was beginning in the northeast, made me an orphan.  I’ve heard that’s a common status for someone approaching retirement age.  But still, my parents put me on skis when I was two years old and mom and I had managed to ski together, downhill or Nordic, every season since then until last year.  I will forever miss her on the slopes and in the winter forests.

Jeanne Schofield, c 1970

Just for fun, or maybe because I wondered what my own expiration date might be, I looked up “life expectancy of skiers.”  Results were sorted by relevance with the first one reporting on how long ski boots should be expected to last, then skis, next bindings, and then ski equipment generally.  Finally, after the articles about clothing, skiing people were cited—or at least, people who live in Colorado and might ski, are mentioned.  The actual context of the article was a study done that examined life expectancy against United State residency and found that people who lived in the ski country of Colorado outlived those in certain rural areas of South Dakota, Mississippi and the Appalachian region by over 20 years, with average life spans of 86 vs 66 years.When the data were parsed, findings confirmed what we all know in our hearts—that “smoking and obesity are the major culprits when Americans die too young.” (who lives longer?...) Skiers are generally fit non-smokers.

When I dig a little more about a connection between skiing and health there is a lot of evidence about the benefits of the sport—everything from improved proprioception, increased cardiovascular endurance and improved flexibility and balance to the strengthening of bones, joints, core and lower body muscles.  Preparing to ski generally brings a renewed consciousness about the power of food and a day on the slopes improves mood and promotes deep sleep.  (Top 10 health benefits of skiing)

More than one article used the phrase “sunnier outlook” as a benefit of the sport.  It’s true that physical activity amidst magnificent natural beauty makes it impossible to sustain a bad mood.  There is evidence that skiers suffer less than non-skiers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  Finally, to the extent that relationships with family and friends promote long life, the bonds that form among people who ski together are lifesaving.  Meeting the challenges of the slopes (and the lifts) then gathering to warm up, reminisce and laugh together about the day’s experience builds a catalog of life long memories.

Al Schofield, 1953

Those memories of skiing with my parents, and then with my children—and often with all of them together—will sustain me long into old age.   Incredibly, the research indicates that just having built those memories will actually boost my chances of living a long life!