Skiing in Montana 'till 80 & Beyond

Skiing is, in my opinion, the ultimate outdoor experience—fresh air, exercise, and socializing all rolled into one exhilarating sport.

When I first learned to ski, I was no spring chicken. At the ripe old age of 28—which, believe me, is considered late to start—I took on the challenge.  

All I can remember from that first day is tumbling down the slopes, gripped by fear and completely out of control. I was with a group of friends who were avid skiers. They felt sorry for me as I crashed time and time again, my body seemingly dismantled piece by piece. These guys had been skiing since they were in the cradle.

Looking back, I probably felt sorry for myself too, convinced I would never conquer this sport. How in the world do you stay upright on skis? It seemed impossible—and quite frankly, “unnatural”—for human beings to glide downhill on two sticks.

But my stubborn will refused to let me quit. If others could do it effortlessly, I was determined to learn.

After about a week of trial and error, I finally advanced to blue runs (intermediate). By my next ski trip that same season, I had progressed to black diamonds (advanced).

Although I felt I had achieved something remarkable, it was only the beginning of a long love affair with downhill skiing. It took many more years to refine my style and rhythm to the point of becoming a decent skier.

Now, at age 72, with 44 years of skiing behind me, I proudly take advantage of my senior discount—an honor in itself. My goal? To ski for free at 80 and beyond.

Moving to Montana has been one of the best decisions of my life. The ski resorts and mountain terrain are plentiful and within a short distance from home. I used to travel all over the U.S. and the world in search of the best snow conditions. I’ve lost count of how many mountain resorts I’ve skied—somewhere past 60—but I can say with confidence that Montana ranks among the best for both snow quality and terrain.

These days, ski lift tickets are the size of a credit card. When you purchase your ticket, you receive a permanent card that can be reloaded with a season pass or single-day tickets.

I use my new prototype aluminum, ACM Wallet 3.0 to protect all my cards from damage. Thinking it would be the perfect holder for my ski pass, I soon realized that the ACM 3.0’s RFID protection absolutely prevents the pass from being scanned at the lift. The simple solution? I keep the pass under the money clip in my pocket. That way, the scanner can still detect it through my clothing. Once the ski trip is over, I return it to the ACM slot for safekeeping.

I love skiing and hope to continue until my goal is met—80 and beyond!