Is 45 Over the Hill?  That is how old you need to be to join the Over the Hill Gang at Copper Mountain.  If your spouse is younger, that is ok as they can still join too.  Only one person in the couple has to meet the age requirements. 

The Over the Hill Gang, or OHG, as the refer to themselves, is a ski club at Copper Mountain.  A similar group, called Over the Hill Gang International, skis at Breckenridge and Keystone, but they are two separate clubs.  The group at Copper skis on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Guides who are members of the Copper Mountain Ski School.  That allows the members to be able to ski through Ski School lift lines which are much shorter during busy periods.  The Guides offer Gang members clinics and workshops on a regular basis, in which members are able to participate for a small fee.  When not sking in clinics, the members and Guides ski in small groups on terrain that is comfortable for everyone in the group. The group "No Worries Mate" skis green runs at a comfortable rate of speed for beginning skiers, or skiers who are rehabilitating from an injury.  Many of the members ski with replacement knees and hips and are not willing to stop for something so minor!   They might slow down temporarily, but the "No Worries" group does not often have anyone skiing in it! 

"True Blue" skiers stay on groomed blue runs, with their preferred terrain often being under the Timberline chair where the snow is usually better and the crowds less.  Many of the members in this group are looking to learn how to ski bumps and perhaps some steeper, black runs.  With clinics and encouragement, most of the skiers in True Blue  move up to "Groomed Zoomers".  Skiers in this group like a little more speed, but they often break up into sub groups to ski either bumps or just grooomed runs.  Their favorite runs are Triple Treat and Golddigger when freshly groomed. 

The top group of skiers go by the name of "Club Incline", and to ski with this group you must be able to ski anywhere on the mountain.  They might ski Tucker, Resolution Bowl or any of the gladed trees runs at Copper, and perhaps that would be after starting out in Spaulding Bowl.  If the snow is good, you will find them there! 

If you are not quite ready for anything thrown at you, but are a confident skier who skis 'almost' anywhere then you want to join the group with the largest membership, which is "Club Decline".  They ski bumps, powder, grooomed, ungrooomed, bowls, trees and steeps, but perhaps not at full tilt like Club Incline.  They are still better than 90% of the skiers on the mountain, and when you realize that most of these skiers are over 55, you know that they are not opting for rocking chairs as they get older!  The majority of skiers in OHG are bikers, hikers and are extremely active, physically fit people year round. 

To join the club, which is headed by Joe Quarantillo of Copper's Ski School, ohg@coppercolorado.com all you have to do pay your dues and buy your pass.  You will find all the information at http://www.coppercolorado.com/lessonsrentals/ohg/index.htm  Not only do they ski in the winter, but the club offers many summer activities, plus social opportunities.  It is a great way to meet other people with similar interests.  I have guided for OHG now for about 14 years, and constantly admire the fitness level of the members.  There is no getting them down.  We have many members well into their 70s and even a few in their 80s who ski 100 or more days a year.  How is that for a goal?  After I started skiing with OHG, it became one of mine.