Morton D loved to ski, but his fiancee did not like the cold. To show she was a good sport, Elly finally joined Mort on a February vacation at a Utah ski resort. She took "never-ever" lessons (for adult nonskiers) and did well until she rode a chairlift. At the top she fell off instead of skiing off. Struggling to her feet, she removed the skis, walked down the hill and never attempted the sport again. Now that they are married, he goes off once each winter with his buddies to ski (utilizing senior discounts), while she goes off on her own to for warm-weather pursuits.
It doesn't have to be that way. Today's big winter resorts have developed a multitude of diversions for women -- or men -- whose spouses are not as keen as they are about downhill skiing.
Spas, Massages, Indoor Workouts
First choice for nonskiing women, a random poll suggests, is going for the full spa experience: massages, zumba, swimming, facials, manicures.
First choices for nonskiing men, according to interviews with several spa and resort directors, are sporting activities: indoor tennis, and even indoor cardio workouts, such as stationary cycling classes,.
"Massages are becoming more and more popular with our male guests” when they experience the relief from “conditions such as lower back pain, tension headaches, stiff shoulders and neck that a deep tissue, Swedish or combo session can bring, " said Alexandra Sharpe, spa director at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont.
Pampering - The Most Popular Indoor Sport
Said April Bingham at Vail Cascade Resorts Aria Spa in Colorado, "Massages are by far the most popular attraction here" for women. But kids who come with grandparents and don't want to go to ski class love to shoot hoops on the Cascade fitness center's basketball court, while grandads with sore knees tend to forget the hurt when they are on the squash or racquetball courts.
Spa directors say that pampering is never the wrong call no matter the gender or attitudes of the partner who does not ski. However, there are even more extensive options beyond the slopes in most major mountain resorts such as Vail and Stowe.
For example, said Sharpe, Topnotch now offers gourmet cross-country ski and snowshoe tours, which appeal to both men and women. The resort can line up a guide to teach snowshoeing to those new to the sport and can design custom evenings for groups from 4 to 14 people.
From Pilates to Indoor Water Parks to Ziplines
In Vail, the huge (78,000 square feet) Aria Spa is roomy enough for small classes in Pilates and yoga, as well as an indoor running track, private sessions with personal trainers, plus the Biospace Body Composition Analyzer, which makes accurate measurements of the body fat, protein, mineral, and fluid (the four components of the human body) of an individual within two minutes – the first step in a personalized weight-loss program.
At the new Hotel Jay at Jay Peak in Vermont, a $199 suite package includes four passes to the Pump House indoor water park with its Flowrider surf wave. At Okemo, another leading Vermont ski resort, there’s an indoor golf training center for spouses who just don’t get the joy of cold-weather outdoor recreation.
Zip lines – cables that allow you to “fly” hundreds of feet across a forest while safely strapped into a harness - are becoming part of the landscape from British Columbia’s Whistler to New York’s Hunter Mountain.
Ice Skating at Maine's Sunday River or Yellowstone National Park
Finally, ice skating is popular at mountain centers from Maine’s Sunday River Resort to Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, where free skates are available to guests at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, each of which has an outdoor rink.
Sources
Interviews with Morton and Elly (names changed to protect privacy), Alexandra Sharpe at Topnotch, April Bingham at Vail Cascade.
Press release 2012 from Ski Vermont
Okemo, Jay Peak, Whistler, Hunter Mountain, Sunday River, Yellowstone websites and personal visits by author.
Grace Lichtenstein - I prefer "seasoned" to "senior" but whatever term you use, I have been an outdoor adventurer for most of my adult years. I am a cycling ...
