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BANG FOR THE BITE
Nearly 75% of ski resorts have endorsed the National Ski Area Association's Environmental Charter, and eco fleece and heat packs are widely available and won't break the bank.
COCKTAIL FACT
Although its origin is obscure, skiing was a vital means of transport in Scandinavia, where skis 4,000+ years old have been discovered.
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home › tip library › Eco Ski Resorts
Can you hit the slopes without beating them up?
The Bite
Yep. More and more, ski resorts are adopting green practices, and on the trails, eco-friendly fleece and heat packs will keep you toasty warm.The Benefits
- Reducing electricity use, providing shuttles, and encouraging recycling, US resorts have reduced CO2 emissions big time. Efforts have the collective benefit of 13 million trees being planted.
- Waste not. Fleece produced with recycled soda bottles warms your body and your conscience.
- Skip the microwave. Self-heating, non-toxic, reusable heat packs are ready to go when you are.
Personally Speaking
Heating pads aren't just for the slopes; Jen uses them post-horseback riding on her lower LOWER back, and Heather uses them all over after intense yoga sessions.Wanna Try?
- Find a green ski slope near you.
- Mini-Green Tags - reduce your eco-footprint: purchase skiing impact offsets ($2).
- Eco-Fleece Hoodies - contoured and made entirely from two liter pop bottles, these will warm up your inner snowbunny ($85).
- ReHeater - these amazing heat packs produce heat up to 130 degrees, last about two hours and are made from food-grade salt and water. And the best thing? They are completely re-usable ($8).
- SWAG ("Sharing Warmth Around the Globe") - redistributes unwanted ski uniforms to chilly bodies around the globe.
Jan 12,2006
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Stockholm Syndrome and Sliding on My @%$
A few years back, in Jackson Hole, I signed on for a group ski lesson in order to bone up my skills (which are sadly lacking) at the start of a week of playing in the powder. I can't for the life of me remember the instructor's name, but he was about 23 years old and outdoorsy-cute, and I've always been a sucker for a good flirt with a young guy, so the class (which was a bit beyond my skill level, let's be honest) made tons of sense. At the time.
By the end of the afternoon, a few people in our group all decided we were going to do a longer run - the hardest of the day. It didn't occur to me that doing the hardest run at the end of the day was a dumb idea. I was apprehensive, but enthusiastic, and lifted up to the top of the mountain with excitement tempered by a little trepidation.
About halfway down the second really challenging face, I bit it. Wiped out spectacularly. Got up. Went a few more turns. Blew out again. By the time I got up again, my quads were pumping up and down like a sewing machine needle and I couldn't get my legs to move in the right direction. Up, turn, phew!, turn, wipeout. Up, turn, wipeout. All in all, at some point, after at least ten more tumbles, I found myself in the middle of the mountain, skis off, heels dug into the snow to keep me from sliding the rest of the way down the face, waiting for the St. Bernard sled dog from the cartoons to make his way to rescue me, hot whiskey in a little barrel on his throat.
God bless No Name instructor, waiting at the bottom of that particular part of the run, patiently waiting for me to make my way down the hill. By the time I got to the bottom (um, about 45 minutes later) - I had a complete Stockholm Sydrome-esque crush on him. It was his fault that I was beyond terrified, but I wouldn't leave his side, since I was certain he was the only person who would ever be able to save me from that beast of a mountain.
By the end of the afternoon, a few people in our group all decided we were going to do a longer run - the hardest of the day. It didn't occur to me that doing the hardest run at the end of the day was a dumb idea. I was apprehensive, but enthusiastic, and lifted up to the top of the mountain with excitement tempered by a little trepidation.
About halfway down the second really challenging face, I bit it. Wiped out spectacularly. Got up. Went a few more turns. Blew out again. By the time I got up again, my quads were pumping up and down like a sewing machine needle and I couldn't get my legs to move in the right direction. Up, turn, phew!, turn, wipeout. Up, turn, wipeout. All in all, at some point, after at least ten more tumbles, I found myself in the middle of the mountain, skis off, heels dug into the snow to keep me from sliding the rest of the way down the face, waiting for the St. Bernard sled dog from the cartoons to make his way to rescue me, hot whiskey in a little barrel on his throat.
God bless No Name instructor, waiting at the bottom of that particular part of the run, patiently waiting for me to make my way down the hill. By the time I got to the bottom (um, about 45 minutes later) - I had a complete Stockholm Sydrome-esque crush on him. It was his fault that I was beyond terrified, but I wouldn't leave his side, since I was certain he was the only person who would ever be able to save me from that beast of a mountain.
Severe attachment to No Name Boy aside, the decadence of the week overwhelmed me a bit. I've been lucky - in my later-age adoption of skiing - to have skied in some truly incredible places. But the energy use, product waste and unnecessary decadence of it all strikes me to this day as silly. So - seriously: check out green slopes, steer clear of chemical Thermacare heating pads (which burn the slope faces with their caustic innards) by using natural ones, and make sure you help up the stranded girls with their heels dug in the snow (like the nice guy from Brooklyn who eventually stopped easily, picked me up and helped me get my skis back on).
And if you can find a hot little ski instructor to take you hostage, all the better.
-Heather... off to bemoan the fact that I have no ski trips planned this year...
Biter Comments...
Just figured I would add a personal endorsement for Clif Bar's pioneering work in greening our ski Slopes. Check out the following article and kudos to companies that "push things forward."
Cheers,
Chris
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=29110
Interesting that the National Ski Areas Association will be making the green slope award this year. And, keep in mind that skiing will always involve thousands of people driving SUVs hundreds of miles to their luxury vacation homes built on pristine, sensitive habitats.
I checked out the website for that Ecogroovy reheater. I was disappointed to read that every time you've used it, you have to reactivate it by putting it on the the stove in a pot of water and boiling it for *20 minutes*. So in terms of grooviness and ready-when-you-need-it, the reheater sounds good... but in terms of long-term energy use, I'd say microwavable heating packs might have an edge.
I have bought and my mother is already using almost the exact same product as the ecogroovy reheater--but it's called the Thermo Pad (found at http://thermo-pad.com/ ) They also sell a fleece cover for the most common size.
While I agree with Penny as to energy consumption, for someone who doesn't own or use microwaves, I find this product great, and my mom says it stays warmer much longer than the microwave bags. Also, the microwave bags start to get "burned out" over time.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Beth | January 12, 2006 at 07:16 AM