Ski Area Review: Aspen, Colorado

Aspen has four mountains for skiing. All are owned by the Aspen Ski Corporation and are accessible with one ski pass. Aspen has transformed over the years from a locals place to a jet setter's resort. However, if you know where to go, you can enjoy this wonderful natural resource without going bankrupt.

Aspen Mountain rises out of the town of Aspen and is often thought of as a place for expert skiers. There are beginner and intermediate trails, but the mountain is challenging. Buttermilk is the easiest area with many forgiving, cruising slopes. It is located several miles from town. Aspen Highlands has some very steep back bowls for experts only. Snowmass is the biggest of the four areas. It is situated 9 miles from the center of Aspen, and like all the areas, it is connected by a free shuttle which runs all day and much of the evening. Snowmass has trails for all levels of ability along with lodging and restaurants on site.

Here are some cost-reducing tips for visitors to Aspen.
1.  Share a condo with friends.
2.   Don't eat lunch on the mountain. Go back to your condo to eat or pack a lunch. Food in a mountain restaurant is very expensive.
3.  There are many reasonable restaurants in Aspen and Snowmass. Research them.
4.  Drive to Aspen and save on the airfare.
5.  Book your lift tickets ahead and get a reduced rate.

A President

Man of courage,
You sang amazing grace,
In a church of tragedy,
So full of loss,
You opened your soul,
And your heart,
When hope was fading,
In a troubled time.

You spoke the names of those fallen,
Making them known to a weary world,
Shining a light on their lives,
In the warmth of summer's time,
In the season of falling snow,
Across the mountains and lakes,
To the far oceans of our land.

Boulder Oaks

If you want to play a funky golf course try Boulder Oaks in North Escondido. It is longer than an executive course but shorter than a regulation one. It is possible for the average golfer to be on most of the greens in regulation if he hits the ball straight. Many of the holes require precision shot making, not unlike  Mt. Woodson, although the course is easier.

Boulder Oaks is rarely crowded during the week. The rates are reasonable, the staff is very friendly, and there is a nice bar-restaurant for post golf refreshments.

Golf and Superstitious Thinking

What is superstitious thinking?  As opposed to rational, cause and effect thinking, superstitious thinking is associational. A player has a good round wearing red sox, and the clothing gets some responsibility for the low score. From then on the player wears red sox while playing golf. This is particularly so if several good rounds occur shortly after the program is initiated. Suppose the player forgets to wear his red sox one round. It goes poorly and the high score reinforces his illogical paradigm. What might have happened was that he felt anxious about not wearing his socks, and that anxiety disrupted his normal game. His poor performance had nothing to do with the red sox.

Most people have some minor superstitions, and they are not a problem. However, for some people, such behavior can gain too much control over their lives. Rituals designed to ward off anxiety and bring success become a burden. Golf is a hard game which can produce anxiety. Some rituals which are designed to bring shot consistency can be functional, but too many multiple rituals can easily become rigidified and non-purposeful.

So how do you get rid of superstitious behavior when it gets in your way. The answer is easier than you think. You have to stop the behavior and fend off the resulting anxiety by looking it in the face and moving on. Ignore that part of your brain telling you to wear red sox, take some deep breaths, and put on tan sox! Eventually, you will  gain your freedom back.

                                                  A Vacation in the Orkney Islands

Some years ago Vicki and I flew to London from Boston. After a few days of sightseeing, we took another plane to Inverness, Scotland where we met our hiking group and leader from Wilderness Scotland, an adventure Travel Company based in Scotland. Our destination was the Orkney Islands a few hours north.

Initially, I wasn't sure about the trip, since it was not the rigorous hiking trips I was accustomed to in the Alps or Himalayas.  My doubts were quickly dispelled when we checked into our quaint hotel in one of the larger towns in the Orkney's. With over 250 single malts, great seafood, and quaint rooms, our hotel was perfect.

 Our days consisted of taking ferries to different islands that make up the Orkneys and then hiking 6 or 8 miles. In Scotland, all lands are open to the public, so we walked freely across any field we desired. Most of our hikes were along the North Sea, which always looked forbidding.
                                                                       

Our group interacted very well. In addition to the leader, there were two people from England and six Americans. Everyone was friendly and interesting. The staff at our hotel were very accommodating, and it was fun after a long hike in drizzly weather to come back to the hotel for scotch and wonderful food.

A walking trip is a good way to see the Orkneys. Our guide in addition to selecting interesting routes knew a great deal about the bird life and fauna there, and our walks were continuous learning experiences. Following the trip, Vicki and I stayed for a few days in Inverness, where we enjoyed the local culture, before flying onto Rome.

Ski Review:  Big Sky. Montana



Big Sky and the adjoining Moonlight Basin, which have recently merged, is now the biggest ski area in the United States. Both areas have challenging terrain with lots of shoots to run and cliffs from which to launch, but Moonlight overall is easier and more forgiving. The intermediate terrain at Big Sky might be expert in other areas, but don’t let it scare you away. The mountain is terrific! It is rarely crowded, the staff is friendly, and the scenery is beautiful.

From San Diego fly to Salt Lake and then Bozeman. Take one of the shuttle buses to Big Sky which is about an hour away. If you are staying in the village, where there are restaurants and hotels, you don’t need a car.




Big Sky is less commercialized than most ski areas. The upside is that it is very western and scenic. The negative is that there are not many restaurants from which to choose, and night life is limited.

Taking up Golf

If you see a golfer with a smooth, natural-looking swing, chances are that he or she took up the game as a child. So where does that leave us people who want to learn the game as adults? 

Most people have more fun doing activities when they do them well. Golf is no different. Anyone can hack their way around the course, but is that person feeling good about their experience? Probably not! Here are some ideas about taking up golf.

Before you do anything, think about if you want to commit the time, money, and effort to learn a game that most would agree is very difficult. If you decide to move forward find a teaching pro and begin with lessons. Let the pro help you figure out what clubs would be best for you to buy. Once you have your clubs, continue with lessons. It is very difficult even for very athletic people to master the different phases of the game without instruction. Most of the pros continue to take lessons throughout their careers. 

I would recommend starting out on some par three courses. These are shorter than regulation courses and are more forgiving. Go with someone who can help you learn golf etiquette and rules. You will be expected by other golfers on the course to know how to conduct yourself.

Have your pro set out a learning program for you with goals and methods. You must practice if you expect to get better. Most people end up at the driving range, and that is fine, but it is important to practice other parts of the game like pitching, chipping, and putting. 

My teaching pro, Clark Renner, calls golf, "chess on grass." Once you learn the fundamentals you can begin to savor the intellectual challenge the game provides. Though it may look dull on television, as a player, it never is!

Ski Area Review:  Beaver Creek, Colorado

Beaver Creek is ten miles west of Vail on highway 70 in the small town of Avon. It is an upscale area with fun trails and numerous lifts. In the afternoon when the lines get longer, ski over to Arrowhead, an intermediate area that Beaver Creek bought some years ago. It has miles of fun trials which are rarely crowded.

If you want more action take the shuttle us in the morning to Vail and ski the back bowls. I like Beaver Creek because it is less crowded and more relaxed. I like to stay at the Comfort Inn in Avon. It is reasonably priced and a short free shuttle ride away from Beaver Creek.

Seven Seconds

 

Netflix: Seven Seconds


This one season series is gritty and realistic.  At times it is hard to watch as the suffering of the characters is intense. A black teenager is killed by a cop, and the story unfolds from there. Themes of corruption and deception are interwoven into a dramatic presentation that is gripping and compelling. All the main characters are flawed and struggling to find truth or to protect themselves. The story is relevant to life in the United States today.