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Articles by Harriet Wallis
How Wheaties Affected The 1936 Olympics
Publishers Note: It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of one of our most popular contributors, Harriet Wallis. This is one of her many articles we are republishing this season. Wheaties Ad 1936, Courtesy of Alan Engen Legendary extreme athlete Alf Engen, known as the greatest all-around skier ever, was a champion soccer player, skier and ski jumper. During the 1930s, he set ski jumping world records.
Five Things You Should Know When a Skier Crashes
Publishers Note: It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of one of our most popular contributors, Harriet Wallis. This is one of her many important articles we are republishing this season. “Stop! Don’t do that. Don’t move him”, I screamed. My husband had misjudged the slope, crashed, and landed in a heap in the middle of the trail. He was also out cold. We were skiing with his good buddy Lars when it happened.
Three Holiday Gifts Senior Skiers Wish For
Publishers Note: It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of one of our most popular contributors, Harriet Wallis. This is one of her many wonderful articles we are republishing this season. A surprise awaits and it’s not fruitcake. Credit: Harriet Wallis Idea #1. A private lesson: A gift of confidence and fun. You know you’d love to have the undivided, one-on-one attention of a skilled instructor to refresh your skills or move the needle a little bit further on your skiing.
How Okemo saved Thanksgiving
Publishers Note: It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of one of our most popular contributors, Harriet Wallis. This is one of her many wonderful articles we are republishing this season. “Quick. Look over there. Do you see what I see?” The fog was as heavy as a wet blanket. I’d already been driving for 3 hours and most of it was in the pea soup as I headed north up the Connecticut River Valley. High beams were too much. Low beams weren’t enough. Just stay on the road.
US Ski & Snowboard Team Race Suits Have Climate Message
in Other News — by Harriet Wallis — March 6, 2023 Goodbye traditional red, white and blue suits. Hello race suits with a climate message. It’s a whole new concept in race suits. The blue and white pattern is based on satellite photos of icebergs breaking up and floating in the ocean. The design is intended to draw attention to climate change.
Five Things You Should Know When a Skier Crashes
“Stop! Don’t do that. Don’t move him”, I screamed. My husband had misjudged the slope, crashed, and landed in a heap in the middle of the trail. He was also out cold. We were skiing with his good buddy Lars when it happened. Lars skied to him and dragged him by his right arm until his body flattened out. Meanwhile, I was screaming at Lars to stop. But he didn’t stop. By the time I side-stepped up the hill to the scene, Lars said, “I had to straighten him out.
At Some Ski Areas, the Flavor Really Lasts
in Other News — by Harriet Wallis — November 24, 2022 A rag-tag snowboarder with a ratty-looking mop of hair held the door open for me. Then he graciously acknowledged my thank you. A staff wearing a headband with jiggling Thanksgiving drumsticks raced by to check on something. I burst out laughing.
How Okemo saved Thanksgiving
“Quick. Look over there. Do you see what I see?” The fog was as heavy as a wet blanket. I’d already been driving for 3 hours and most of it was in the pea soup as I headed north up the Connecticut River Valley. High beams were too much. Low beams weren’t enough. Just stay on the road. Destination: Killington, Vermont. We left home in Connecticut in the middle of the night with the intention of being first on Killington’s slopes.
When an Avid Skier Faces a Life Threatening Challenge: a Perspective
Aging comes with health issues — sometimes life-threatening health issues. Body parts wear out and disease happens. I often jest that it would take five or six seniors to have enough good parts to assemble one complete person. But in spite of fused spines, mechanical joints, heart stints and disease, we ski. We ski for the fresh air, the whole body motion, and the camaraderie with other senior skiers.
Finding a Senior Ski Buddy / Part 2
Finding out about senior ski groups is like sharing tales around a campfire. A few words whet our interest and we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for more. As we build a list of senior ski groups, we have some exciting clues that really whet our interest, and we’re on the edge of our seats. So let’s throw another log on the fire, and help us fill gaps about the groups and add new groups to the list.
Meet 96-Year-Old Ski Legend: Junior Bounous
Ski industry icon Junior Bounous, 96, is a mover and shaker whose passion is to keep people skiing throughout their lives.
Finding a Senior Ski Buddy
Finding someone to play with was easy when we were kids. “Can Johnny come out and play?” But as seniors, it’s not easy to find someone to ski with. Ski friends drop out, move away, or go to the great beyond. SeniorsSkiing.com is an amazing source of information. Here’s what happened recently: A skier emailed me saying: “I saw your stories in SeniorsSkiing.com and I want to connect with senior skiers in the Salt Lake area when I’m out there this winter.
Move it or lose it
Moving seedlings at Brighton In a sheltered, out-of-the-way spot, a tree nursery suddenly popped up at Brighton, the ski area gem at the end of Salt Lake City’s Big Cottonwood Canyon. That’s where 266 saplings are adjusting to life in pots until they’re big enough to be planted back onto the mountain. Mother Nature inconveniently sowed seeds on ski trails where they took root. But the young trees didn’t know they’d get mashed down by heavy snow grooming machines or mangled by skiers and boarders.
Trailside Porcupine Becomes A Celebrity
That’s one sharp porcupine. Credit: Laurie O’Connor Skiers nimbly dodged a porcupine as he wallowed through deep snow to cross Alta’s ski slope. Some stopped to watch the prickly fellow tumble into a tree well and then start to climb. That’s all there was to see. The show was over. He was as prickly as the evergreen so his camouflage was perfect. He virtually disappeared. But porcupine puns spiked when someone asked: “Why did the porcupine cross the trail?” “He was looking for love,” said one.
Don't Tell Me To Stay Home
How I Was Reinvented As An Athlete. Riding the rope. Harriet’s daughter Alison, 5, in leather boots and wooden skis on Jiminy Peak’s rope tow. Credit: Harriet Wallis I learned to ski on a dare. Actually, it was a threat. When my husband announced he was going to learn to ski, I gulped. I thought skiing was something crazy people in the other side of the world did, but not here in Connecticut. “You’re going to do what?” I asked.
Say 'Yes' to the Dream
Stephanie Nitsch on the slopes. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Nitsch Stephanie Nitsch is an athlete, snowboarder, business owner and promoter. She does it all just by being herself. Stephanie bursts with energy, enthusiasm, and success. And she wants other young women to know they can set their own course in life by following their heart and their interests. “I always say ‘Yes’ to things that excite me,” she says. What kinds of things excite her? Right now she designs snowboards for women.
102-Year-Old Powderhound
YOU CAN'T CURE A POWDERHOUND Words by: Harriet Wallis George got off the lift and his first words were: “Where can we find some powder?” He's addicted. It's in his DNA. He's hard-wired to seek powder. Even a little patch of powder will do. A week-old patch of sun-kissed snow is just fine. Any kind of fluff is perfect. He launches into it and makes rhythmic turn after turn. He's 102! He skis like he was born to ski. But it wasn't all that easy.
Alta's Wild Old Bunch: the 100-Plus Members Are Bonded by a Love of Life and the Love of Skiing
The Wild Old Bunch thrives on the passion for powder, fresh air, and friends. Photo by Dung Hoang. Skiing is a way of life for Bob Murdoch. As a youngster, he took his wooden skis with a single leather foot strap and slid down hills at the local golf course. Now he skis Alta’s slopes three days a week. “I ski for the thrill of it. I used to ski the steepest slopes and the deepest powder, but I don’t do that anymore,” Bob says, admitting he has slowed down some.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Alta hosts bird watching on skis
It's on the top of that tree! / photo: Harriet Wallis Monday, March 12 is the day for bird watching on skis at Alta. Skiers can join Tracy Aviary’s expert birders and search out what feathered friends call Alta home. Surveys are 9:00 am - noon the second Monday of each month. Help Alta expand its list of birds by participating in the bird surveys. I just happened to ski by the group last month and stopped. Everyone was looking up and I was curious what they were all looking at.
Ski & Snowboard News / Carpool to Brighton and earn rewards
Big Cottonwood Canyon gets clogged with too much traffic. The parking lots gets jammed, and there's no place for skiers and riders to park. Here's how you can help solve the problem. And it's wn-win for all. Vehicles that arrive in the Brighton parking lot between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. -- on weekends and holidays -- with 4 or more people in the vehicle -- will receive a “Brighton Rideshare Token” from the parking lot attendants. One token per car. Collect the Tokens, and redeem them for nice rewards.
Ski & Snowboard News / 2018 Olympians named. Nearly 1/3 have ties to Utah.
The USOC (United States Olympic Committee) named 242 athletes to compete in PyeongChang, South Korea, next month. Nearly a third of them -- 77 athletes -- have ties to Utah. There are 16 native Utahns. And 61 others train here. Teams have been named. But the official announcement will take place in a couple weeks.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
Ski & Snowboard News / Ski slopes have good cover, fine grooming
Natural snow on Golden Needle trail near Brighton's summit on New Year's Day / photo: Harriet Wallis It's a La Niña year. There's no snow in the back yard, and this early season is the lowest on record in 30 years. It happens. In spite of La Niña, the resorts have been working miracles with the lower than usual snowfall. Between beefy snowmaking systems and high-tech grooming techniques, the slopes are in good shape. Really. La Niña is a naughty child.
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