Ski deals & discounts for 2015

With weekend / holiday lift tickets topping $80 at many of the large eastern ski areas (Stowe comes in at a whopping $108), it’s more important than ever to find ways to keep skiing affordable. If you’ve got at least some flexibility in your schedule, there’s no need to pay full rate. Listed below are the top deals and discounts I’ve found for 2015. All information is accurate at the time of publication, but be sure to check each ski area’s website for additional details.

Gore Mountain: 12/27/2014

Holiday crowd lining up for Ruby Run

A quick report from skiing Gore on Saturday. The bad news first: rain on Christmas eve and warm temperatures since then have hammered our snow pack. Cold temperatures will return for the coming week, but the chances for significant snow in that timeframe are slim. The good news: trails with snowmaking have retained a decent base. There's a significant amount of terrain available (Gore's trail count is around three dozen). There are some thin spots here and there, but for the most part the coverage is excellent. And if you skied in the past few days, you enjoyed soft spring-like snow and temperatures that were more like late March than late December.

Sleeping Bear

Gore Mountain: 12/21/2014

Winter solstice. First day of winter and shortest day of the year. For skiers, it’s the end of early season skiing and the start of prime time. The best skiing of the year lies ahead of us.

It certainly looked like full-on winter this weekend at Gore. Aided by the 1 to 2 feet of dense snow that fell earlier in the month, trail counts are ahead of where they usually are at this point in the year.

Gore Mountain: 12/13/2014

This is what winter’s supposed to look like. Winter storm Damon delivered, with snowfall amounts ranging between 1 and 2 feet throughout the Adirondacks. Gore reported 14 inches from the multi-day event, but that measurement surely under-reported the amount that fell in the upper elevations. The snow came in perfect pineapple-upside-down-cake fashion, with dense snow at the onset of the storm followed by increasingly lighter powder. As the snow totals mounted, Gore dropped the ropes on a huge amount of terrain, resulting in the best early season conditions in as many years as I can remember.

Whiteface: 12/10/2014

My trip up to Whiteface on Wednesday almost didn't happen. The same storm that brought 1 to 2 feet of snow to the Adirondacks knocked out our power at home Tuesday night, cancelled school for the kids on Wednesday and turned area roads into a white knuckle adventure. Nonetheless, with luck on my side I pulled into Whiteface's parking lot at 9am with 9 inches of new snow on the ground and more on the way.

Gore Mountain: 12/05 & 12/07/2014

Despite a mixed bag of winter precipitation that impacted the Adirondacks on Saturday, I was able to enjoy two of the nicest ski days of the season so far on Friday and Sunday at Gore. Friday was a “professional development” day for me – a rare chance to hit the slopes rather than report to the office.

Foxlair all to ourselves on Friday

Gore Mountain: 11/28/2014

Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the ski season, and like many other skiers we chose to observe Black Friday by sliding on snow rather than jockeying through crowds at the mall fighting for deals on stuff we don't need.

Gore Mountain: 11/22/2014

It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and we’ve already got a second weekend of skiing in the books, thanks to early season cold weather that has allowed the snowmaking crews to get a jump on the season. Knowing that a warmup was in store for Sunday, we made sure to get out on Saturday to take advantage of the nice snow that’s been piling up under the guns.

Gore Mountain: 11/16/2014

First runs of the season, Sunway

In a way, ski season caught me by surprise. Sure, my gear’s been tuned and ready to go for at least a month, but last week’s 60-degree weather had me thinking more about mountain biking than skiing. I mentally pegged Thanksgiving weekend for my season opener and never really adjusted my thinking until Friday’s announcement (thanks Gov!) that Gore and Whiteface would open for the season on Sunday, two weeks ahead of schedule. And just like that, ski season is here.

2014-2015 Ski Season Preview

If you’re a skier or snowboarder, the best time of year is almost here. With overnight temperatures dipping below freezing, ski areas around the region have begun firing up their snowmaking equipment to prepare for the start of the 2014-15 ski season. Crews have been busy with projects all summer and fall, here’s a look at what they’ve been up to.

At Gore, the big news for this season is the replacement of the Adirondack Express triple chairlift with a new, state-of-the-art, high-speed quad. The Adirondack Express II will feature padded seats and eight fewer towers, providing skiers with a quicker, more comfortable ride than its predecessor. Just as importantly, the new AE2 will operate more reliably than the 30-year old lift it replaces. Mike Pratt, Gore’s general manager, explains: “The original Adirondack Express was the oldest high-speed lift in North America. While it served Gore skiers and riders well for many years, the cost of maintenance finally reached a point where it made more sense to replace it.” Final steps are being completed in the AE2’s installation, and Gore expects the lift to debut shortly after the mountain opens for the season.

Support Needed for Backcountry Skiing on Forest Preserve Land

The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is soliciting comments regarding their plan to amend the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (SLMP), the document which governs management of the state-owned “forever wild” lands of the Adirondack Park. It’s the first time the SLMP has been amended in more than 25 years, and represents a critical opportunity for advocates of backcountry skiing.

Among the changes that are being considered is a proposal from the Adirondack Powder Skier Association (APSA) to explicitly allow for the creation and maintenance of designated backcountry ski touring trails on Forest Preserve lands classified as Wild Forest and Wilderness.

Jay Mountain: 10/20/2014

I finally got the chance to tick Jay Mountain off my must-hike list on Monday. The 3,600’ peak has long been a favorite among experienced hikers for the panoramic views along its open summit ridge, but it remained relatively unknown because it lacked a marked and maintained trail. Until two years ago. That’s when the DEC opened a new 2.5 mile trail to the ridge. The new trail is certainly attracting more hikers, but Jay Mountain still remains a relatively uncrowded alternative to the more popular hikes elsewhere in the High Peaks.

Thomas Mtn and High Nopit: 10/11 & 10/12/2014

With family visiting for the weekend, we took advantage of two Lake George Land Conservancy preserves so that we could stay close to home base in Bolton Landing.

Nearby Thomas Mountain is my go-to hike for times when I've got just an hour or two to squeeze in a hike or trail run, and I headed up late in the day on Saturday with my brother to catch the sunset.

Last of the sun's rays illuminate the viewpoint ledges

The sun just about to dip below the horizon behind Crane Mountain

Mt. Van Hoevenberg: 10/05/2014

Years ago, when I was young and single, I was all about the High Peaks. When I finished my first round of the 46, I re-hiked many of my favorites, often via slides or bushwhack routes. If a hike was less than 10 miles and 2,000 vertical feet, I didn’t have much interest. I still love the High Peaks (and in fact am currently suffering from High Peaks Deficiency Syndrome), but hiking with my family in recent years has allowed me to discover some of the gems I missed. Like Mount Van Hoevenberg.

Buck Mountain: 09/28/2014

As anyone who's been outdoors this weekend can attest, the fall foliage season has been progressing rapidly. Where there were just hints of color last weekend, the hillsides are now sporting brilliant yellows, oranges and reds.

Even though we only had Sunday afternoon available, it was simply too beautiful not to hike, so we made the 50-minute drive up to the Shelving Rock / Hogtown trailhead to hike Buck Mountain. The Pilot Knob trailhead for Buck may be more popular (I'll never understand why), but the route from Shelving Rock Road (4.6 miles round-trip, 1100' vertical) fit perfectly into the time we had available.

Gore Mountain Leaf Cruncher 5K: 09/21/2014

Not too many leaves got crunched in Sunday’s Leaf Cruncher 5k trail race at Gore as there’s just a bit of color and so far all the leaves are still on the trees. And with temperatures in the low 70s, fall seemed pretty far away.

The course was altered this year to eliminate some of the more difficult trail segments, substituting a long lap through the parking lots past lift towers and other components staged for the new Adirondack Express II high speed quad chairlift. As a result of the easier course, I took more than two minutes off my time from last year.

Whiteface Mtn uphill footrace: 09/13/2014

There’s not much that I haven’t already said about the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Footrace (2013, 2012), except that if there’s a race that I have to run each year, this is it. Because it’s New York’s fifth highest peak, because of its Olympic heritage and skiing history, because of the pure challenge of running 3600 vertical feet uphill in 8 miles.

Two runners crossing the finish line just below Whiteface's summit

Moreau Lake trail 15K: 09/07/2014

Beach starting area at the Moreau Lake trail 15K

Chalk it up to training (doubtful), experience (maybe) or just good luck (more like it), I ran a successful race at Sunday’s Moreau Lake 15K trail race, put on by Green Leaf Racing. By successful, I mean that a) I didn’t get lost, b) I didn’t get hurt or suffer any spectacular falls, and c) I beat my time from last year’s race by 6 minutes, finishing in less than 2 hours. Not getting lost or hurt might seem like odd criteria for “success” in a race, but this is no ordinary race, even by trail running standards. Featuring lots of rocks and roots, big vertical, downed trees and the infamous “staircase of death,” the Moreau Lake 15K course is known as one of the toughest around.

Rafting the Hudson Gorge: 09/02/2014

Ever since our hike in – raft out trip to OK Slip Falls earlier this summer with Square Eddy Expeditions, we’ve wanted to return to the Hudson Gorge. Of course we wanted to see the parts of the gorge that we missed, but there’s also something compelling about the gorge that draws you back. Part of that draw is the natural beauty, the alternating stretches of calm water and rapids hemmed in by steep, wooded slopes. And part of the draw is the adventure of the paddling itself, with a new challenge around each bend of the river.

Stashes

Earlier this summer, Gore announced the addition of four new glades for the 2014-15 ski season. Ordinarily, any terrain expansion is welcome news, but in this case I have to admit that I’ve got mixed feelings. Here’s the announcement from Gore’s website:

Gore is introducing FOUR NEW GLADES! Abenaki Glades, which connect Barkeater Glades on Burnt Ridge Mountain to the Pipeline Traverse; The Narrows, which offer skiers a lively alternative to the Headwaters trail; Birch Bark Alley, which links the Lower Cloud Traverse to the Woodchuck trail and The High Peaks Chair; and MacIntyre Glades, which is loaded with balsams and connects Cloud to Upper Steilhang.

It turns out that 3 out the 4 new glades are locals’ stashes that are being added to the trail map (Abenaki appears to be entirely new).

Fire roads and foot trails: Mountain biking in the Cape Cod National Seashore

Some people are beach people, some are mountain people. I'm most at home in the mountains, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy some quality beach time too. Just put me in a place where there's large chunks of natural landscape and I'm happy. Luckily we've been able to find just that at the Cape Cod National Seashore, where we've spent a week of summer vacation 6 out the last 7 summers.

Floodwood Mountain: 08/03/2014

If you’ve spent much time in the Adirondacks, certain places have special meaning. My short list includes Lake George, Mount Marcy, Gore and Whiteface. But ground zero for me is an obscure mountain in the northern Adirondacks named Floodwood.

Black Mountain: 07/26/2014

It almost seemed like cheating. Climbing Black Mountain from the east got us to Lake George's highest summit with only half the vertical that an "honest" climb from the lake shore entails. But when you're hiking with kids, there's no such thing as points for style - a hike's a hike, a summit's a summit.

Hackensack Mtn: 07/19/2014

Saturday morning the kids and I had a window of a couple hours to fit in a hike. Hackensack Mountain in Warrensburg fit the bill perfectly. Even though the summit is lower than many High Peaks trailheads (just 1,357'), Hackensack's got a lot to offer: an interesting trail network, easy access, and a great view from the summit.

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: Gore energy efficiency

Some readers know that while I'm a skier in "real" life, I'm an accountant in my "other" life. I guess that makes me something of a numbers nerd, and explains why the page below, from ORDA's recently released 2013-14 annual report, caught my eye.

(click the picture to enlarge)

If the image is too small to read easily, here's the data from the chart:

	2012/2013	2013/2014	change
Lift days*	1071	1209	+13%
Gallons of water pumped	270 million	305 million	+13%
KWH consumed	13,646,411	13,539,776	-106,635
Total revenue	$8,956,910	$9,646,160	+7.7%

*One lift day is the equivalent of running one lift for one day. For example,one ski day with 10 lifts in operation is equal to 10 lift days.

Vanderwhacker Mountain: 07/05/2014

Vanderwhacker Mountain feels remote before you even get out of the car. Located midway between Minerva and Newcomb along Route 28N, the trailhead lies at the end of a single lane dirt road that penetrates three miles into the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest.

Vanderwhacker's fire tower

From the trailhead, it’s less than 3 miles to Vanderwhacker’s 3,385’ summit. The short distance served us well on Saturday, since we had a crack-of-noon start (2pm actually). I had spent the morning trying to convince family members to go hiking, but in the end it was just Beth and me. Our kids elected to stay behind in Bolton Landing with cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles for an afternoon of waterskiing and lake activity. A good rule of thumb is to never “force” kids to hike (or ski), and I can hardly blame them for choosing lake fun over hiking.

OK Slip Falls, hike in - raft out: 06/28/2014

OK Slip Falls has been at the top of my hiking to-do list ever since it opened up for public access late last year. This spring, when I found out that Square Eddy Expeditions would be offering guided hike in – raft out trips, I dropped some not-so-subtle Fathers’ Day gift hints. Lucky for me the hints worked, and we coordinated a date for Beth, Daniel and me to do the trip (Sylvie’s too young for the rafting part of the trip).

Now, I’m not the kind of guy who hires a guide at the drop of a hat. I’ve hiked, skied, climbed and paddled all over the Adirondacks for the past 30+ years. I don't need someone to show me the way around the woods. But this is the kind of trip you can’t pull off on your own unless you’ve got a river raft, a way to get your raft halfway down the Hudson Gorge to OK Slip Brook, and the experience to safely paddle the remaining 6 miles through class 3 and 4 rapids to North River (my whitewater skills are zero). On top of that, I’ve known Square Eddy owners Lori Phoebe Benton and Linc Marsac for years, so being able to do the trip with good friends as our guides sealed the deal.

Fifth Peak, Tongue Mtn: 06/22/2014

Well known for its varied trails and spectacular views of Lake George and surrounding peaks, the Tongue Mountain trail system is something of a southern Adirondack hiking mecca. Nearly 20 miles of trails criss-cross the Tongue Mountain range, but the most popular destination of all is Fifth Peak.

Don't let Fifth Peak's low summit elevation (just 1,800') fool you. Since Lake George's elevation is less than 400', Fifth Peak sports a vertical relief that's comparable to much taller mountains. In fact, I picked Fifth Peak for our hike on Sunday partly because it falls right in the sweet spot for our family: the six mile round-trip with 1500' of vertical is a good match for our kids' current abilities.

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: 2013-14 season

Buoyed by an early start and five consecutive months of colder than average temperatures, attendance at the state-owned Adirondack ski areas increased by more than 7% over last year. Handily beating the national (down 1.3%) and regional (up 0.6%) trends cited in the National Ski Areas Association's preliminary report of the 2013-14 ski season, those results should bring smiles to the faces of skiers, business owners in North Creek and Lake Placid, and ORDA board members alike.

Here are the numbers:

Crane Mountain: 06/01/2014

Crane Mountain is one of those hikes that’s on everybody’s list of the best hikes in the Adirondacks. I’ve got at least a half dozen guidebooks that include Crane, but my favorite description of Crane’s trails is in my 25+ year old Discover the Southeastern Adirondacks guidebook by Barbara McMartin, aka “the Rand McNally of the Adirondacks.” McMartin enthusiastically dubs Crane the “Super Mountain” of the southern Adirondacks for its variety of trails and bushwhacks, its alpine pond and its expansive summit views.

Yup, the trail's that steep

Riding out the back door: May 2014

After a slow start to my mountain biking season, May has turned out to be a pretty good month. I’ve been getting out two or even three times a week all month, mostly on the trails out my back door. I’ve logged a couple rides on the Luther Forest trails (three actually), but haven’t hit Spier Falls or SMBA yet (that should change this week).

Season passes: How about an Adirondack Alliance?

Last week, in my post about season passes, I made note of the increasing prevalence of multi-mountain passes and partnerships. Not only do these pass products deliver significant value to the passholder, they help the ski resorts expand revenue and build skier loyalty. I wondered if there might be an opportunity here in the Adirondacks, but didn’t provide much in the way of specific ideas. Well, here’s what I’d do.

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: Season Passes

The 2014-15 ski season is more than 6 months away, but now is the time to consider purchasing a season pass if you want to take advantage of early purchase discounts. The decision is easy for our family: we want the flexibility of skiing on holidays and weekends, and we know we’ll ski at least double the number of days it takes to break even on the cost of our passes. So we’ve already plunked down our cash to take advantage of the best pricing on next winter’s Gore-Whiteface-Belleayre Ski3 passes.

Pricey? You bet. But considering the fact that we’ll get enough use out of our passes to drive our per-person per-day cost down to about $20, I consider it a good value. And compared to season pass pricing in Vermont, our Adirondack passes are a bargain.

Season Pass Breakeven, 2014-15

	Daily lift ticket	Season pass	Breakeven # of days
Whiteface	$85	$759	9
Gore Mountain	$75	$759	10
Titus Mountain	$45	$449	10
West Mountain	$45	$399	9
Willard Mountain	$40	$325	8
Oak Mountain	$36	$290	8
McCauley Mountain	$30	$259	9
Killington, VT	$89	$1099	12
Sugarbush, VT	$89	$1049	12

First ride

The first ride of the season, like the first ski of the winter, is more than just a shakedown outing. It’s the symbolic start of a new season, the closing of one chapter and opening of another. Ski season was great, but I’m ready to move on to mountain biking where just about every day can be a powder day.

There’s no better place for the first ride of the season than my backyard trails. There might be more exciting places to ride, but these are the trails I know best. No drive to the trailhead, just a glide down the driveway and 60 seconds of pavement pedaling leads to “my” 8 miles of single track. The trails here are rolling and flowy with a few twists and turns, fast and fun, perfect for logging a bunch of base miles, perfect for a quick weekend ride, a mid-week night ride, or a first ride of the season.

2013-14 ski season wrap-up and highlights

The winter of 2013-14 will likely be long remembered by both skiers and non-skiers for its persistent cold weather. Monthly average temperatures for the entire November - March period registered several degrees below the long-term average, and the term “Polar Vortex” seemed to filter into everyday conversation. The emduring cold gave skiers a season spanning six calendar months, with Gore and Whiteface logging their earliest-ever openings in mid-November. Gore closed last Sunday, April 20, but Whiteface may hang in for a record late closing in May. Stay tuned.

Early season packed powder with a view of the High Peaks. Gore, January 4:

Gore Mountain: 04/05/2014

Sunny, soft spring skiing remained elusive at Gore on Saturday. Occasional glimpses of the sun and short breaks of blue sky failed to get temperatures out of the 20s on the upper mountain.

Gore Mountain: 03/29/2014

No longer winter, but not yet spring. The mid-winter conditions we’ve enjoyed the last couple weekends almost made it to the weekend, but rain Thursday night and Friday put an end to that. Conditions on Saturday ranged from a wet granular “pre-corn” on the upper mountain to mashed potatoes down below. The mountain remained shrouded in fog and clouds until late morning, but the day stayed dry.

Pea soup visibility up top