The Saratoga Skier and Hiker

Gore Mountain: 02/25 & 02/26/2012

2012-02-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

* * REVISED TO ADD SUNDAY 2/26 * *

Cave Glade - felt great to be skiing one of our favorites

What a difference a half foot of new snow makes. In addition to re-surfacing the entire mountain, the new snow over the past couple days has allowed Gore to expand the trail count to near 100%, notable exceptions being the Ski Bowl and a few glades. With soft surfaces just about everywhere, a full trail count, and the woods finally fully in play, this weekend was perhaps the nicest of the season to date.

Beth and Daniel in Chatiemac Glade Saturday morning
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Mount Van Hoevenberg XC: 02/23/2012

2012-02-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

One of the things I’ve missed in this nearly snowless winter has been the ability to grab my XC skis and head out for an hour or two in the woods that surround our house. In recent years, those out-the-back-door tours have made up a significant portion of my nordic skiing, as dragging the kids along for a full day outing to a place like Garnet Hill Lodge or Lapland Lake doesn’t fit our family well – at least not yet.

Whiteface Mountain: 02/20/2012

2012-02-21T23:08:00.241-05:00

Whiteface and Gore skiers love to debate which is the “better” mountain: Gore has its glades and the most skiable acres in New York, Whiteface has its Olympic heritage and the biggest vertical drop in the East. The debate will never be settled, and that’s fine with me since a season pass at either mountain gives full access to the other. That interchangeability has been a real bonus for us this season, with Monday being our fourth ski day at The Face.

Bright sun made it a fine day to ride the chairlifts
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Gore Mountain: 02/18/2012

2012-02-19T23:00:00.006-05:00

Snow - remember?.. it's that white stuff that falls from the sky - made today a bad day for pictures but a good day for skiing. Just an inch or so fell, but it was enough to soften the trails and add a wintery feel that's been missing for much of this snow-starved season.
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Gore Mountain Snow Train: 02/11/2012

2012-02-12T23:00:00.003-05:00

A dusting of snow at the Saratoga train station Saturday morning

When the Saratoga North Creek Railroad announced that they'd be running Snow Trains from Saratoga Springs to Gore Mountain this winter, we knew we'd have to give it a try. We set our alarm clocks to get up early Saturday morning, and arrived at the Saratoga Springs train station about 15 minutes before the 7am departure.

Coach and dome car at the boarding platform
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West Mountain: 02/08/2012

2012-02-10T14:00:00.001-05:00

Ski conditions Wednesday night at West were pretty far from ideal: very firm hardpack (it ain’t ice unless there’s fish underneath). About the only soft “snow” on the hill was the sugary loose granular piles along the very edges of some trails. I had been hoping that we might be skiing under the snowmaking guns, but temperatures were just a degree or two below freezing – marginal for snowmaking - when I pulled into the lot around 6pm. I certainly can’t fault West Mountain, they generally do an excellent job with snowmaking and grooming. Ski areas all over the northeast have suffered not only from the lack of snowfall but also from a lack of consistent cold temperatures for snowmaking operations, and I’m thankful that there’s any skiing at all this winter.
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Bromley Mountain: 02/05/2012

2012-02-07T23:05:00.001-05:00

Bromley's summit view

With a Price Chopper Ski Any 3 coupon book burning a hole in my pocket and a forecast for another day of brilliant blue sky, we decided Sunday would be a good day to head to Bromley, Vermont’s “Sun Mountain.”

Easy logistics: Bromley's unloading area, base lodge and high speed quad chairlift are all located within less than 100 feet of each other.

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Gore Mountain: 02/04/2012

2012-02-04T23:30:00.001-05:00

It's an interesting sensation to ski through a blizzard with sunny blue skies overhead, but that's exactly what we had today on Gore Mountain's summit trails. Snowmaking guns piled up soft snow on the summit black diamonds, making Hawkeye and Lies the place to be.

Beth and Daniel skiing Hawkeye under the guns
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Gore Mountain: 02/02/2012

2012-02-02T22:29:00.002-05:00

I don't often get to ski mid-week, but I had the opportunity to connect with a group of friends to ski at Gore Mountain today. When you ski almost exclusively on the weekends, it's easy to forget how nice it is to have the mountain almost entirely to yourself on a weekday. And since the guys I was with are strong, enthusiastic skiers, we packed a lot of skiing into the day.
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Gore Mountain: 01/28/2012

2012-01-29T22:57:00.000-05:00

Sunny skies and grooming helped to make Saturday a surprisingly good ski day, despite two rain / thaw events last week. The snowmaking and grooming crews must have been working overtime following Thursday night's rain, because there was plenty of good skiing just about everywhere on the mountain except for the summit black diamond trails.

Grooming made all the difference on Wild Air
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NELSAP’s Jeremy Davis to Speak at Alpine Sport Shop, 02/01/2012

2012-01-27T07:30:00.015-05:00

On Wednesday night, February 1 at 7pm, the Alpine Sport Shop will host a presentation by local author and founder of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, Jeremy Davis. Davis will talk about his past books and give a sneak peak of his third book, “Lost Ski Areas of the Southern Adirondacks,” due to be published in August.
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West Mountain: 01/25/2012

2012-01-26T13:00:00.032-05:00

In “you don’t know if you don’t go” fashion, conditions last night at West Mountain turned out to be better than I had expected. To be sure, I hadn’t expected much: recent rain and warm weather killed any hope for great conditions. But coverage is fine, and surfaces last night were reasonably edgeable and soft enough for a couple hours of fun skiing with friends.
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Gore Mtn: 01/21/2012

2012-01-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

The level of excitement at our house over the couple inches of snow that recently fell is testament not only to how much our family loves snow, but also to how meager the offerings from Ullr have been this winter.

Since we hadn't skied at Gore Mountain since two weekends ago, we were curious to see current conditions first hand. The big news for skiers this weekend was the opening of the Burnt Ridge trail pod, with Echo and Sagamore now online.

Sagamore and the Burnt Ridge Quad
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World Cup Moguls Competition Results from Whiteface Mountain: 01/19/2012

2012-01-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

Whiteface Mountain hosted the FIS Freestyle World Cup moguls event yesterday, Thursday. I was particularly interested in this year’s competition since we had just skied Whiteface on Sunday and Monday and observed preparations underway on the Wilderness Trail, the site of yesterday’s competition. In typical rollercoaster fashion for this winter, the arctic temperatures we had during our days on the mountain were followed by rain Tuesday night. Then, returning cold temperatures turned the trails to boilerplate and high winds knocked out power and forced the closure of all lifts on Wednesday. Course workers must have put forth a monumental effort to restore the course to safe, competition-ready condition for Thursday’s events.

I was a bit surprised to find no coverage of the competition in this morning’s Times Union, Saratogian or Post Star. I guess that just means I’ll have to go up next year and cover the event myself. Following is the press release from ORDA / USSA.
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Whiteface Mountain: 01/15 & 01/16/2012

2012-01-17T23:25:00.002-05:00

It can be hard to impress a 7-year-old. You never know for sure if you’re going to get a reaction of “Awesome!” or “yawn.” So even though Daniel is a very enthusiastic skier, Beth and I made a point of not building up his first-ever visit to Whiteface too much before our trip. With crisp blue skies, new snow, and temperatures well below zero for our drive up on Sunday morning, the stage was set. Daniel’s reaction to our first glimpse of the mountain was the same as virtually every other first-time visitor: “Whoa!”

First view of the mountain
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West Mountain: 01/11/2012, UPDATED 01/14/2012 WITH SNOWMAKING VIDEO

2012-01-12T14:00:00.023-05:00

Wednesday telemark night at West Mountain, week 2. While those who skipped last week missed out on a fine night of skiing, those who skipped this week probably made the right call. Loose granular snow over a hardpack base plus crowded slopes (mostly school groups) added up to less-than-stellar skiing. It’s still skiing though, and those of us who braved the slopes were all smiles by 9:15 (in the bar) as the first beers were poured.
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Gore Mountain: 01/08/2012

2012-01-08T23:24:00.000-05:00

Before I'm accused of being a complete shill, I'll tell you that the skiing on Gore's lower mountain today was not very good. We found uninspiring conditions on our warm-up lap down Wild Air: loose frozen granular ice shavings over a hardpack base. Given yesterday's warm temperatures followed by a (relatively) cold snap today, I wasn't surprised. It took just that one run down the front side to convince us that the summit was the place to be.

Lies
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West Mountain: 01/04/2012

2012-01-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

Cold temperatures and a generally lackluster start to the ski season kept away quite a few of our usual Wednesday night telemarkers. But cold doesn’t really bother me, and I figured the skiing would be pretty good under the guns at West Mountain. Too bad for those who skipped, because the skiing turned out to be quite good: cold temperatures over the past couple of days produced nice, silky manmade packed powder conditions last night.

Gore Mountain: 01/02/2012

2012-01-02T23:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's wet granular conditions are today's frozen granular surfaces. Sure, the skiing was better on yesterday's soft snow, but at least today the mountain felt like winter might return.
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Gore Mountain: 01/01/2012

2012-01-01T22:55:00.001-05:00

It was a classic case of "You should have been here yesterday!" Other skiers told us how yesterday's weather somehow defied the forecasts, with morning showers giving way to clearing skies and snow that softened all the way from the base to the summit. We had decent snow today too, but gray skies and a socked-in summit.
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XC Update: Lapland Lake and Garnet Hill now open for skiing

2011-12-29T12:42:00.000-05:00

Lapland Lake and Garnet Hill both opened for skiing today on limited terrain with thin, early season conditions. Kudos to Lapland Lake for offering a half-price ticket ($10) today, helping to take at least a little of the sting out of our lack of snow so far this season. Also, best of luck to Garnet Hill as they start the season under new ownership.

Mount VanHoevenberg in Lake Placid had been open earlier this week, but remains closed today following Tuesday night’s rain. Just a couple inches of snow should allow them to re-open some trails.

Be sure to check the websites of all three ski centers for updates on conditions:

I guess I no longer have an excuse for not training for the Loppett…

Photo: Lapland Lake Friday, 12/23/11

Gore Mountain: 12/26/2011

2011-12-26T23:50:00.001-05:00

If it's not going to snow, at least we've had weekend after weekend of sunny, crisp blue skies. That lack of snowfall must be keeping people away, because crowds were surprisingly light at Gore Mountain today, the day after Christmas. That's too bad, because there's good skiing on the mountain.

How YOU can help make it snow NOW!

2011-12-23T20:55:00.001-05:00

I've had it. The final blow came Thursday night, when the predicted 3-5 inches of snow overnight materialized as nothing but rain (note: at least Gore and Whiteface got a couple inches of snow). So, reprinted from Big Tupper's website, here is the secret of “how to get a snow day in 4 easy steps.”
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Gore Mountain: 12/17/2011

2011-12-18T14:16:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't blame you if took today off, thinking Thursday's rain and warm temperatures would mean marginal ski conditions. I wouldn't blame you (well, maybe a little) if you were just too busy on the final weekend before the holidays to ski. I wouldn't blame you, but you would have missed an excellent day on the ski hill.

Cold, windless and clear. A bluebird day.
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Whiteface Mountain Media Day: 12/14/2011

2011-12-15T23:44:00.002-05:00

On the second run of the day at Whiteface yesterday, my right ski became suddenly and strangely no longer attached to my ski. Unlike traditional alpine skis, the telemark gear I use doesn’t actually release from your boots if you fall. If it does release, it generally means you've got a major problem. So when my ski released for no reason near the top of Victoria (aka Lower Cloudspin), I wasn’t surprised to discover that the binding cable had snapped. But instead of being a day-ender, that equipment failure proved to be the catalyst for a great ski day. More on that in a minute.
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Gore Mountain: 12/11/2011

2011-12-11T23:30:00.003-05:00

Today was the kind of day you just had to be outside: blue skies, temperatures in the upper 20s, and a coating of snow on the mountain to brighten the landscape.

I wasn't sure what to expect at Gore this weekend. We had taken last weekend off because the expected conditions (basically a repeat of opening weekend) didn't really seem to warrant rearranging our family's schedule to squeeze in a day of skiing (now that's not something you'll hear me say often). Since we've finally gotten into a several day stretch of favorable snowmaking temperatures, it seemed like Sunday would be the pick of the weekend, allowing the mountain to get in an additional day and night of snowmaking. That strategy paid off with nice skiing surfaces, great weather and minimal crowds.
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Ski Train: January 1991, Winter Park, CO

2011-12-09T23:35:00.008-05:00

The Saratoga North Creek Railroad's Snow Trains are set to begin rolling later this month, and recent press coverage (Saratogian, Times Union, and Post-Star) about the railroad's success during its first several months of operation prompted me to dig out photos from my January 1991 trip aboard the Denver to Winter Park, Colorado ski train. The combination of spectacular scenery with fun and relaxing travel (coffee and pastries in the morning, cocktails in the afternoon), plus a great day of skiing, was fantastic. The fact that I'm something of a train buff put the experience over the top.
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Double H Ranch's Adaptive Skiing Program

2011-12-08T06:00:00.010-05:00

If you've lived in the Saratoga - Glens Falls region for any time at all, you've undoubtedly heard about Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne. Double H receives universal praise and wide community support for their Summer Camp, Adaptive Winter Sports Program, and Spring and Fall Family Programs for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Co-founded by Charlie Wood and Paul Newman in 1993, Double H has served thousands of children, all completely free of charge.

But the part of the Double H story that caught me by surprise is the overwhelming enthusiasm of its volunteers. You can learn more about Double H's Adaptive Winter Sports Program, including how you could volunteer, in this short article that I wrote for Adirondack Almanack earlier this week.

Photos courtesy of Double H Ranch.

Turkey Trot (11/24/2011) and the end of running season

2011-12-04T23:05:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving Day may be synonymous with overeating, but there's no guilt attached when the turkey is preceded by a morning race. The Christopher Dailey Turkey Trot has become a Saratoga Springs Thanksgiving tradition, and a record 3,000-plus participants turned out for the 10th annual running, including Beth and me.

Gore Mountain Opening Weekend: 11/26/2011

2011-11-27T11:01:00.002-05:00

Plenty of snow on the ground from Tuesday night's storm

Thanksgiving weekend is of course the traditional start of the ski season, and the 10 inches of snow that fell at Gore Mountain Tuesday night helped to whet our appetites for more than just turkey. But November hasn't been kind to skiers: warm temperatures have made snowmaking operations marginal to non-existent.
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Gore Mountain Snowmaking Tour: 11/18/2011

2011-11-22T06:00:00.024-05:00

If you’ve seen Gore Mountain’s announcements this fall or read my Adirondack Ski Season Preview, then you already know about the 130 new high-efficiency tower guns that have been installed on Sunway, Sleighride, Quicksilver, Otter Slide, 3B, Sagamore and Wild Air. The new guns are a big deal: they represent the single biggest upgrade to the snowmaking system since tapping the Hudson River 15 years ago. On Friday morning I met with Mike Pratt, Gore Mountain’s General Manager, to talk about Gore’s snowmaking operations and take a tour of the mountain, just as crews were shutting down the guns following the first night of snowmaking operations.

Mike: Last night was our first night of snowmaking. We ran more than 80 guns on Topridge, Sunway, and Quicksilver. We’re shutting the system down for now (9am) because the temperatures are warming up, but we’ll start back up late this afternoon and run through the night again.

Jeff: What’s the plan for opening day?
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Cross-Country Season Preview

2011-11-18T06:00:00.011-05:00

Ski season is just around the corner, and over the past couple weeks I checked in with many of the region's cross-country ski areas. My Adirondack Cross-Country Ski Season Preview appears here, on Adirondack Almanack. If the snow this winter is anywhere near as good as last year, the backcountry options look great too. Here are some additional resources for trip planning this winter:

Phil Brown takes a look at new slide routes in the High Peaks created by Tropical Storm Irene in his article New Adirondack Slide Guide on Adirondack Exporer.
New backcountry ski trails have been created in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness area around North River over the past couple of years. Bill McKibben writes about the new routes here in Adirondack Life.

Also be sure to also check out this interview with Ron Konowitz, the only person to have skied all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks for some inspiration.

Street & Nye Mountains: 11/12/2011

2011-11-13T23:47:00.001-05:00

View of snow-dusted Street & Nye Mountains from Heart Lake

It's probably fair to say that Street and Nye aren't climbed by anyone but aspiring 46ers. There's no maintained trail, and both peaks have wooded, viewless summits. Nye isn't even a "real" 46er: its summit is now listed at just 3895'. But a beautiful, crisp pre-winter day not only made the hike interesting, it gave us some great unexpected views to boot.

Pre-dawn departure from Bolton Landing

Hiking at this time of year poses some real difficulties: shortened daylight hours, cold temperatures, trails that are often more ice than snow. With those challenges in mind, Beth and I had been holding Street and Nye as a late fall hiking option since its relatively short distance (just 8 miles round trip) made it easily doable in a short day.
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Should New York State be in the Ski Business?

2011-11-08T13:00:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm not really asking the question. Rather, the question mark in the title is simply a recognition that New York State's ownership of Gore Mountain, Whiteface and Belleayre is a controversial and multi-faceted topic.

The Post-Star raised the question in an editorial last month, and suggested that taxpayers might be better served if New York's state-owned winter sports facilities, including Gore and Whiteface, were privatized.

In my view, taxpayers and Adirondack residents are better served by finding ways to make the existing state ownership - through the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) - more successful. My counter-point to The Post-Star's editorial can be read here on the Adirondack Almanack, and here as a guest essay in the Nov. 6 Post-Star.

October Snow and Season Goals

2011-11-03T18:52:00.002-04:00

The image below, widely circulated last Thursday, stoked the hopes of eastern skiers for the start of the 2010-2011 season:

Snowmaking on Rime, October 28, courtesy Killington
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Season Preview Outtakes: Whiteface

2011-10-31T06:00:00.029-04:00

Following is the fifth and final Season Preview Outtake. In this post, Whiteface Mountain's General Manager, Bruce McCulley, and ORDA’s Public Relations Coordinator, Jon Lundin, expand on some of the topics that we covered for my Season Preview article on Adirondack Almanack.com.

Jeff: I know you’re doing quite a bit of work in the base lodge this year.

Bruce: We changed the food in the J.Lohr café last year, it’s really high quality food but the kitchen is kind of marginal, so we’re renovating that. We’re bringing in new Rossignol skis from for the rental shop that will use rocker technology, and putting in a whole new racking system to organize the rental area better. We’re completely renovating the retail shop, it had been old and outdated, kind of dark.

Jeff: How about snowmaking and grooming?

2 Wheels for my Quiver

2011-10-27T23:06:00.006-04:00

This is the time of year when skiers start posting pictures of their ski quiver, like this,

Season Preview Outtakes: Willard Mountain

2011-10-24T06:00:00.030-04:00

Following is the fourth in my series of Season Preview Outtakes. In this post, Chic Wilson, owner and General Manager of Willard Mountain, talks about social media and summer operations, among other topics.

Jeff: What kinds of changes are in store for skiers this winter?

Chic: We’ve significantly re-graded the Bunnyhop trail. I can’t even begin to guess how much dirt we’ve moved to eliminate the flat section in the middle and make the trail more skiable. We’ve shifted the whole trail over to skier’s right and built it up by about 10 feet. It should make a big difference this winter, and we’ll do more work on it next year too.

With all that work on Bunnyhop, we thought it would be a good opportunity to come up with a new name. So we reached out to our friends on Facebook with a contest, and the overwhelming consensus – 60% – was to keep it as Bunnyhop. Facebook has really allowed us to communicate and interact with our customers, to keep them engaged and feel like they are involved with Willard in the off season. That’s one reason why we’re New York’s Coolest Little Ski Area.

Jeff: How about snowmaking?

Upcoming Fall Events: Flicks, Swaps and Shows

2011-10-20T06:00:00.020-04:00

Flicks
Warren Miller’s 62nd winter sports film "…Like There’s No Tomorrow," hosted by skiing icon Jonny Moseley, is your annual reminder that winter is on its way:

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Season Preview Outtakes: Hickory Ski Center

2011-10-17T06:00:00.019-04:00

Bill Van Pelt's investment in Hickory Ski Center two years ago breathed new life into the ski area, allowing it to re-open after having been shuttered for four winters. In the following interview - the third in a series of outtakes from my Season Preview that ran in Adirondack Almanack last month - I talk with Bill about the progress that's been made at Hickory over the past two years, as well as where Hickory is heading.

Jeff: There have been some really significant, visible improvements at Hickory since 2009, but the one question at the top of everyone's list is whether there will there be snowmaking at Hickory. That could be a real game-changer. I understand that you have approval to draw water from the Hudson River.

Owl's Head and Roaring Brook Falls: 10/09/2011

2011-10-13T06:00:00.003-04:00

It turns out that one of the nicest weekends of the summer fell in mid-October. With bright skies and temperatures in the 70s, the peak autumn foliage (at least at lower elevations) was just icing on the cake.
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Season Preview Outtakes: West Mountain

2011-10-10T06:00:00.025-04:00

Following is the second in a series of interviews with Adirondack ski area personnel. In this post, I talk with Mike Barbone, General Manager and owner of West Mountain Ski Center in Queensbury.

Jeff: Last year you installed the new SnowDAG electronic ticketing system, how has that worked out for you?

Mike: Some people resisted the idea of spending $5 on the card, but most people went along with it fine. It gives us a lot of opportunities going forward to make skiing convenient for our customers. For example, somebody could come over, park at the triple chair and make a couple runs – the RFID will allow us to do stuff like that. Why should somebody have to buy a full ticket when all they want to do is make a couple of runs? A lot of Canadian areas already use the RFID ticketing systems to do skiing-by-the-hour or even skiing-by-the-run. Now that we’ve got the system, we’ll move towards options like that. It’s all about convenience for the customer.
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Teaser from Sunday River, Maine

2011-10-06T21:18:00.000-04:00

For the past four seasons, Sunday River has been the first Eastern U.S. ski resort to open, and it is looking as though they will extend that streak. Last night and this morning, Sunday River fired 50 snowmaking guns in a pre-season test. If this short video clip doesn't get you stoked for the start of ski season, nothing will!

Season Preview Outtakes: Gore Mountain

2011-10-03T06:00:00.016-04:00

Following is the first in a series of interviews with Adirondack ski area personnel. In this post, I talk with Gore Mountain's marketing manager, Emily Stanton. I've intentionally omitted the parts that have already appeared in my Season Preview article on AdirondackAlmanack.com.

Jeff: The snowmaking improvements this year are really impressive. Can you give an update on the status of the 30 additional guns that are slated for Showcase and Wild Air?

Emily: They have not been ordered, however they have been prioritized. There is still time, and we are hoping that order gets approved.

Jeff: What details can you give on the new terrain at the Ski Bowl?

Emily: There will be two new black diamond glades located north of the Hudson Chair. The northernmost glade will be named Ski Bowl Glade. The glade closer to the lift line will be named Hudson Glade. It will follow some of the historic Ski Bowl terrain, and will also provide a by-pass to 46er. They’re both going to be really nice, clean glades.

Jeff: Speaking of 46er, will that trail get snowmaking for this winter? You have the pipe on hand, right?
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2011-2012 Ski Season Preview

2011-09-29T06:00:00.002-04:00

With ski season less than two months away, I checked in last week with many of the region's downhill ski areas to find out what's in store for skiers this winter. My preview of the 2011-2012 ski season appears here on Adirondack Almanack.

I ended up with much more material than I could use in the Almanack article, so I'll be posting a series of "outtakes" from my interviews here over the next several weeks. The first of those should be up within a couple of days.

As ski season gets closer I'll also have a nordic preview, so stay tuned...

Cliff Mountain: 08/11/2011

2011-09-15T06:00:00.004-04:00

We had a bit of a backlog of trip reports to clear, but the following is a short fifth report in a series on women hiking the High Peaks. To keep things moving, I agreed to write this report, even though I wasn't along for the hike. -Jeff

Marcy at the Lake Colden outlet dam

The original plan for this trip was to climb both Cliff and Redfield in a day, since both peaks use the same approach. Four hikers (Beth, Marcy, Judy and Judy's friend) met early at the Upper Works trailhead to begin the long hike via Flowed Lands and Lake Colden to the Uphill Brook lean-to, located just below the start of the herd paths to Cliff and Redfield at around 3200’ elevation.
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Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

I may not have been the very last American to learn of the attacks on 9/11, but it felt that way. I was in the middle of a trip to climb the Grand Teton, and learned the news at about 9pm that night, in the dark, at our campsite on a remote, windswept saddle below the Grand Teton, at 12,000 feet elevation. A full account of that experience can be read here, though it’s really more of a mountaineering story than a 9/11 story.

Because of our remote location, only the sketchiest of information reached us at all, leaving far more questions than answers. By the time we made our way back down to civilization, nearly two and a half days had elapsed since the attacks, and uncertainty had grown into full-on worry about family, friends, and the world beyond the trailhead.
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DEC to reopen some High Peaks trails

2011-09-07T20:49:00.002-04:00

Phil Brown is reporting in his Adirondack Outtakes blog this evening that DEC will reopen many of the trails closed following Hurricane Irene tomorrow. Important highlights include:

All trails from the Adirondack Loj trailhead, Garden trailhead, and Cascade Mountain Trailhead, among others, will reopen.
All trails accessed from the Adirondack Mountain Reserve trailhead remain closed.
All trails in the Dix Mountain Wilderness area and the Elk Lake trailhead remain closed.
The Roaring Brook and Ridge trails in the Giant Mountain Wilderness area remain closed due to the continued closure of a section of Route 73.

Note that the above list is not comprehensive, please refer to the DEC advisory published in Phil's blog and linked above for specific openings and closures. The DEC's High Peaks Trail Information web page will also be updated as trails are reopened.
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Colvin and Blake Mtns: 08/27/2011

2011-09-02T21:30:00.000-04:00

It’s always a treat to hike through the Ausable Club / Adirondack Mountain Reserve lands in Keene Valley. Although there are restrictions prohibiting camping, swimming, off-trail travel and dogs (sometimes overzealously enforced), and parking is more than a half mile from the trailhead, the benefits are worth the trade-off: easy access to the interior via the Lake Road, and well-maintained trails through some of the most beautiful old-growth forest in all of the High Peaks.

When Beth and I left home Saturday morning, we had intended to hike Nippletop, but kept open the option of hiking Colvin and Blake instead. The approach is the same, with the trail splitting at about the 5-mile mark in Elk Pass: Nippletop to the left, Colvin and Blake to the right.
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New slides in the eastern High Peaks

2011-08-31T23:24:00.001-04:00

Without a doubt, any of us would reverse the course of events that devastated New York and elsewhere on Sunday if only we could. The losses and pain inflicted by Irene are real, significant and widespread, and nothing can detract from that devastation.

However, Irene is also the most dramatic and stunning example of the dynamic nature of the Adirondack environment in our lifetime. Literally overnight, dozens of new slides have been created in the eastern High Peaks region, dramatically altering the landscape.

Earlier this evening, John Warren reported on Drew Haas' overflight of the High Peaks region in Adirondack Almanack, with additional images on Drew's Adirondack Backcountry Skiing blog. Both posts, linked above, are sure to be of interest to readers here.

Photo: Trap Dike on Mount Colden. Courtesy of Drew Haas, Adirondack Backcountry Skiing

Irene: How you can help

2011-08-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

Benefits and relief efforts targeted for specific communities and specific victims of Hurricane Irene's destruction are sure to be organized in the coming days and weeks, but the most effective and immediate way of contributing to the relief effort right now may be through the Red Cross:

The Red Cross needs immediate volunteers for storm relief in northeastern New York, and is offering fast-track disaster relief training to volunteers who can assist in various aspects of the relief effort.
Donate online to the Red Cross and specify that your contribution goes directly towards Hurricane Irene releif in northeastern New York.
Text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Visit the Red Cross' website or contact one of their local chapters for more information:
- Adirondack / Saratoga Chapter (Glens Falls): (518)792-6545
- Northeastern NY Chapter (Albany): (518)458-8111

High Peaks trails closed following Irene

2011-08-29T23:29:00.002-04:00

With so much bad news about Irene's devastation in places like the Catskills, Schoharie valley and Vermont, not much news has filtered into the Saratoga / Capital District about the heartbreaking damage in the North Country. I'm re-posting a handful of links that summarize some of Irene's impact in the Adirondacks:

Beth and I were hiking in the eastern High Peaks region (Colvin and Blake) on Saturday, the day before Irene, and our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the storm in the Adirondacks, in New York, and beyond.

Camp Saratoga 5K Trail Race Series wrap-up

2011-08-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

Monday night was the final race in the Saratoga Stryders' Camp Saratoga 5K trail race series. Before the race even started, I knew I had essentially no chance of winning the Ironman Award for the fastest cumulative time over the 5 races. I was in sixth place after 4 races, and even though attrition plays a big role, I would need the 3 or 4 fastest guys to stay home to have even a fighting chance. But the Ironman Award was never my goal anyway – like most runners my only real goal was to run my best time.

Truro Hills trail run, Cape Cod Nat'l Seashore

2011-08-22T23:30:00.001-04:00

This is our fourth year of taking a week-long family vacation on the Cape, and each year we've rented in Truro, near Provincetown, on the outer Cape. The Cape Cod National Seashore encompasses much of this part of the Cape, in fact 70% of the land area of Truro is National Seashore. Our rental house this year backs up to National Seashore lands, and I was determined to find a way directly from the backyard through a hilly mile and a half of pine and scrub oak forest to the Atlantic.
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Santanoni "Express" Circuit: 08/03/2011

2011-08-16T22:10:00.001-04:00

Following is the fourth post in a series about women hiking the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. An early start and use of the "new" Santanoni Express route allowed Beth, Marcy and Judy to complete a circuit of the rugged, trailless Santanoni Range in a 12-hour day.

Posted by: Beth Gelber

Following our Dix Range traverse last month, three of us planned an attempt at the three peaks of the Santanoni range. For Judy, with just 6 peaks to go towards finishing her 46, the Santanonis represented half of her remaining peaks. For Marcy and me, it was a chance to knock off another challenging group of trailless peaks.
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How I Survived Allen Mtn: 07/27/2011

2011-08-08T23:45:00.013-04:00

It doesn't happen often, but on Wednesday, July 27, the stars fell into alignment for Beth and me to have an entire day for outdoor activity together, without our 2 kids. The weather looked great, I scheduled the day off from work, and most importantly the kids would be at Grandma & Grandpa's house in Bolton Landing all day.

Beth: Let's hike Allen!
Jeff: Ummm... Or we could do Nippletop, you need that peak too!
Beth: No, I really want to get Allen done.
Jeff: Or... We could go rock climbing.
Beth: Allen.

Beth's enthusiasm and resolve to check another peak off her list of the 46 Adirondack four thousand foot peaks is common among asipiring 46ers. And I can only blame myself, having encouraged Beth to finish her 46. What's more, I've been through this before with friends, who got caught up in "46er fever" after I finished my first round of the 46, and dragged me back to peaks I figured I'd never re-visit.
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Five Dixes in a Day: 07/23/2011

2011-08-02T23:45:00.090-04:00

Following is another guest report from my wife, Beth. She is really racking up the peaks this summer! It is the third in a series of posts about women hiking the High Peaks of the Adirondacks.

Posted by: Beth Gelber

High Peaks panorama from Macomb

For years, a group of women from New Paltz, NY and their extended group of friends have descended upon Keene Valley for 2 nights in July, to share a day of hiking or other outdoor recreation in the High Peaks. What started out as a chance for a group of moms to get away for a weekend of camping and hiking has inspired many in the group to pursue climbing all of the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks. Now, each year, it seems that some of the women finish the 46, or at least get a little closer. I was lucky to join this group of women this year, and connect with a great group of hiking partners.
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Lost Ski Areas of the Adirondacks update

2011-07-26T23:21:00.002-04:00

Jeremy Davis checked in recently with an update on his forthcoming book, Lost Ski Areas of the Adirondacks. As previously announced, the book is expected to be in print about a year from now, and will focus on the estimated 50 - 55 lost ski areas within the Blue Line.

One of the challenges facing Davis is how exactly to define the Adirondack region. While there are a number of lost ski areas in areas just outside the park boundary, such as the Saratoga - Glens Falls region, Davis is holding to a cut-off at the Blue Line. As a result, Alpine Meadows will be in the book while Darrow's Farm Slope will not, at least at this point. Both areas are located just outside Saratoga Springs. "Alpine Meadows is an intersting case," Davis explained. "It's actually 200 feet outside the park boundary but I'll count it. Heck, it was even called Adirondack Ski Center at one point. Darrow's will not be in the book as it is outside of the park, but will likely be in a future book on Hudson Valley/Capital District areas."
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The Seward Range: 07/09/2011

2011-07-21T23:55:00.004-04:00

The following is a guest report from my wife, Beth, and represents the second in a series of posts about women hiking the High Peaks of the Adirondacks.

Posted by: Beth Gelber

Pictured L to R on Emmons' summit: Marie, Marcy, Judy, Beth, Helen, Carol. Not pictured: Elizabeth

My husband Jeff has been an Adirondack 46er for more than 20 years, and has re-climbed them all several times over. Last summer he encouraged me to “restart” my 46 with less than twenty summits under my belt. Since he would rather be in the High Peaks, in any weather conditions, than ALMOST anywhere else, he is probably very happy that I've recently met up with an extended group of women friends who are all aspiring 46ers like me. If he can’t be out there hiking the big peaks with our young kids, then at least he can be living vicariously through my trip reports!
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Kalabus-Perry Mountain Bike Ride: 07/14/2011

2011-07-15T13:52:00.000-04:00

I cheated on my wife today. No, not like that. I took the day off from work to catch up on a multitude of indoor and outdoor projects that needed attention around the house. She was home too, but left for a couple hours in the middle of the day to run some errands. While she was gone, unknown to her, I put down my paint brush, parked the mower and hopped on my mountain bike for a quick spin through the several hundred acres of county forest that starts at the end of our block.

Deer Brook Flume and Snow Mtn: 07/10/2011

2011-07-11T00:31:00.002-04:00

I keep a short list in my head of potential hikes to do with the kids. Some are hikes I've done before, but others are new to me. Snow Mountain fell into the latter category - I had known of the hike but had always bypassed it for bigger and (supposedly) better mountains. That was my loss, because it turns out that Snow Mountain has a superb view and an interesting trail that ascends alongside and sometimes through a beautiful brook chock full of waterfalls, pools and flumes.

One of many beautiful pools along Deer Brook
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Fourth of July, Bolton Landing NY

2011-07-04T23:43:00.001-04:00

Happy Independence Day

Camp Saratoga 5K Trail Race Series: 06/27/2011

2011-06-30T06:47:00.001-04:00

Monday night was the first in a series of five 5K trail races hosted by the Saratoga Stryders. Although I intend to run all five races, I don’t expect I’ll post a report after each one – this post is meant as a plug for the upcoming races as much as a report from Monday’s race.

80 to 100 runners typically show up for each race, and it’s about as fun and low-key as a race can be: no chips or bibs, a shouted “GO” for the start, a hand-held stopwatch for timing and numbered popsicle sticks for the finish. Monday evening’s event drew around a hundred runners.

Cat Mountain: 06/26/2011

2011-06-27T23:00:00.007-04:00

I really wanted to hike this weekend. Beth and I had planned to hike Colvin and Blake (two of the peaks Beth needs towards her 46) on Friday, but a dismal weather forecast caused us to scuttle those plans. Saturday was our rain date, but we cancelled that due to… more rain. The weather forecast was better for Sunday but we didn’t have child care, so I pushed for a family hike.

View of the Narrows from Cat Mountain
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Warrior Run, West Mountain: 06/18/2011

2011-06-20T21:38:00.000-04:00

I've been in a lot of races over the years, but never anything quite like Saturday's Warrior Run at West Mountain. Equal part trail run, obstacle course and party, the Warrior Run is as much an "experience" as it is a "race." As evidence of the growing popularity of this type of adventure race, nearly 1800 runners pre-registered for Saturday's event, a huge number of participants for a first-time event. Word of mouth and promotional material like the video trailer below got Beth and me curious when the event was announced several months ago:

Season pass math

2011-06-16T23:50:00.002-04:00

It may seem like ski season is a long way off, but early purchase discount deadlines are approaching and it’s time to do the math. For many, buying a season’s pass is a no-brainer, but for others the calculation may be a bit more involved. For our family, the decision is driven by 3 factors:

Number of ski days – Obviously this is the factor that drives most season pass decisions. Our family will likely ski 20 +/- days at Gore next winter, well above the break-even point of 10-12 days.
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Tabletop Mtn: 06/12/2011

2011-06-13T23:39:00.004-04:00

With reports of landslides, flooding and road closures in the news over the past month and a half, it's no surprise that this hasn’t been a great spring for hiking in the Adirondacks. But, despite a sketchy weekend weather forecast, Beth had a chance to hike Tabletop Mountain with two friends on Sunday, picking off another peak towards her 46.
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Covered Bridges Half Marathon: June 5, 2011

2011-06-06T22:57:00.000-04:00

One of my goals this year has been to bump up my running. I had been a pretty avid runner until about 7 or 8 years ago, when I took a break from running. My hiatus was partly due to other diversions, like getting married and starting a family, and partly due to a sense of "been there, done that." In any case, my interest in running lay dormant until about a year ago, when I bought a pair of running shoes and began running again.

The difference between a "jogger" and a "runner" is an entry blank, and races have always been a big part of my running. When I started running again last spring, I entered a local series of five 5K trail races. This year, inspired by my wife Beth who ran the Covered Bridges Half Marathon in 2010, we both signed up for the 2011 CBHM.

The race passes through the Middle Bridge in Woodstock
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Current Issues and Events

2011-06-03T20:09:00.000-04:00

Several issues of importance to those with an interest in skiing and outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks have been in the news this week.

Proposed ban of gasoline motors on Thirteenth Lake. Last week, DEC released for comments a proposed regulation banning gasoline powered motorboats on Thirteenth Lake. Under the proposed regulation, electric trolling motors would be allowed. The proposal represents an excellent compromise that preserves access for sportsmen and the mobility impaired, yet also protects nesting loons and enhances the environment of the lake and surrounding wilderness. You can add your voice to others in support of this proposed regulation by contacting the DEC prior to July 2.

Thirteenth Lake
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WWPP Update and Chat with the Executive Director

2011-05-30T07:12:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about living in the Saratoga / Glens Falls region is the easy access to outdoor recreation. The Adirondacks are just stone's throw away, but there are some amazing outdoor resources literally out the back door. If you live in or near Saratoga and don't already know about the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, its outdoor recreation opportunities and interesting ecology, you need to get introduced. The lupine is in bloom and the first hatch of Karner blue butterflies are emerging, so now is a great time to visit.

WWPP has been featured in several news stories recently, including pieces in The Saratogian and the Times Union about the restored fire tower that was dedicated recently, and a pair of pieces I wrote for Spirit of Saratoga (a monthly magazine published by The Saratogian) last month. The Spirit of Saratoga pieces don't link well, so they're reprinted below:

Oasis for Butterflies, Wildlife, People

Many area residents are familiar with the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park for its recreational opportunities, but some may not realize that those protected lands and open spaces owe their existence to the presence of a small, but strikingly beautiful, endangered butterfly. The Karner blue butterfly once inhabited a broad geographic range from Maine to Minnesota and north into Canada, but now exists in just a few locations in the northeast. In the mid-1990s, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Town of Wilton partnered to form the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park (WWPP) with the goal of not only preserving habitat for the Karner blue butterfly, but also providing recreational and educational opportunities for people. Since that time, approximately 2400 acres of land has been protected with 14 miles of trails for recreational use, and WWPP now supports the largest population of Karner blues in the northeast.
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On Distance Running

2011-05-24T23:20:00.012-04:00

Last night I ran a 12-miler, my final long run before the Covered Bridges Half Marathon on June 5. It's been nearly a decade since I ran that far, but having run a marathon each year from 1995 to 2001, I found myself in familiar territory. Make no mistake, there’s a world of difference between training for a half marathon and a marathon: the training commitment for a marathon is easily 3 to 4 times what’s required for a half. But at 13.1 miles, the half is long enough to require long training runs, and it’s those long runs that develop physical and mental toughness.
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Mountain Coaster and Zip Line planned for West Mountain this summer

2011-05-19T23:35:00.001-04:00

West Mountain received approval from the Queensbury Planning Board earlier this week to construct and operate a mountain coaster and zip line. This afternoon I spoke with Mike Barbone, owner and General Manager of West Mountain, about the plans.
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Mohonk Preserve: 05/13/2011

2011-05-15T23:35:00.001-04:00

Late afternoon sun while climbing in the Gunks

It looked as though our week-long stretch of beautiful weather was going to close out with a rainy weekend, so Beth made quick arrangements for us to meet up with friends in the Gunks on Friday for our first day of climbing this season.
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It's May and yes, there's still skiing

2011-05-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

Wanna ski this weekend? You can. As of this writing, Jay Peak expects to re-open for Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8. Go to their website for more information, including lift ticket and lodging deals. For a first-hand, skis-on-snow account of last weekend's conditions at Jay, check out this trip report from May 1.

Photo credit: Jay Peak Resort, April 30, 2011

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Upcoming Lake George Land Conservancy Events

2011-05-01T23:38:00.002-04:00

The Lake George Land Conservancy is a land trust dedicated to preserving the natural, scenic and recreational resources of the Lake George region. Among the parcels LGLC has protected is the Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve near Bolton Landing, one of my favorite local hiking spots. There will be a spring cleanup at Cat Mountain on Saturday, May 28, from 9-11am, and LGLC is looking for volunteers to help out.

Readers might also consider LGLC's Dine for the Lake event this Thursday, May 5 at the Adirondack Pub and Brewery, where 20% of the evening's dinner proceeds will go to LGLC. For more information on either event, contact the LGLC at info@lglc.org.

photo credit: LGLC

Gore Mountain circa 1986

2011-04-24T22:15:00.001-04:00

I recently unearthed these photos that I took at Gore in the mid-1980s, an era before snowboards, helmets and mammoth snowmaking operations. If you skied at Gore then, you will certainly remember the Old Red Gondola, featured in many of the images here. The pictures were all taken with a Pentax 35mm SLR using 100-speed print film. I scanned the prints to create the digital images. The photo above and the two below are from March, 1986.
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Jeff's Highlights: 2010-2011 Ski Season

2011-04-18T23:43:00.002-04:00

It’s been such a great ski season that I’m reluctant to call it “over.” You don’t have to be a skier to know that the winter of 2010-11 was longer, colder and snowier than recent winters. Although the ski season got off to a slow start, skiers were rewarded for their patience with a streak of snow and consistent cold that started in early January and ran well into spring. And once spring finally did arrive, you might argue that the skiing got even better.

Whiteface Toll Road, November 6

Skiing on Easter?

2011-04-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

In my last few reports from Gore Mountain, I've mentioned the striking contrast in the snowpack between last year and this year. Following are a few sets of comparative photos to illustrate that difference.

This year, April 9, 2011, Darby Woods

Last year, April 2, 2010, same location
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Gore Mountain: 04/09/2011

2011-04-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

Matt from Ski = MC Squared on Lies

As if last weekend's blockbuster spring skiing wasn't enough, skiers were rewarded with another weekend of near-perfect spring conditions. On second thought, drop the word "near."
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Gore Mountain: 04/03/2011

2011-04-04T19:08:00.000-04:00

Spring conditions have been elusive this year, but this weekend finally delivered the goods in spades at Gore Mountain. After a great ski day with the family Saturday, I got clearance for a solo return visit on Sunday.
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Gore Mountain: 04/02/2011

2011-04-03T07:18:00.000-04:00

The big April Fool's Day snowstorm turned out to be a joke, just a couple inches to frost the trees at Gore, but that was fine because what we all really wanted was a weekend of spring skiing. And that's exactly what we got.
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Stony Pond Ski Tour: 03/26/2011

2011-03-31T23:30:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday all of the elements came together for a great backcountry ski trip: blue skies, packed powder, a great group of friends, and a point-to-point through trip that drops nearly a thousand vertical feet. At the end, instead of taking off our skis and climbing into our cars, we all skied into Jim Hanley's and Michele Quirk's Falls Brook Yurts for an end-of-winter celebration. The full trip report and photos are posted here on the Adirondack Almanack.

Additional photos are below...
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West Mountain: 03/30/2011

2011-03-31T07:07:00.001-04:00

About a dozen of us showed up for what will probably be our final Wednesday Telemark Night at West this year. Despite temperatures that remained well above freezing all evening, snow surfaces were rather crispy and crunchy. All that may change with the possibility of yet another snow storm on Friday. There's plenty of snow already on the trails, so West will have no trouble maintaining good coverage for this weekend. Whether West remains open beyond the weekend is more a question of economics rather than snow, so check here and West's website for their closing date.

Gore Mountain: 03/27/2011

2011-03-28T00:12:00.001-04:00

Spring is currently on hold at Gore Mountain, with conditions today that felt more like mid-February than late March. There were no complaints from skiers though: bright blue skies and great snow put a smile on just about everybody's face.
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Just say NO to Spring!

2011-03-23T23:22:00.000-04:00

Cold weather and recent snowfall in the mountains are helping to extend the season at some local ski areas. Here's a quick update.

West Mountain's Slush Cup and Family Fun Day is Saturday, March 26, 10am to 5pm, with pond skimming contest, cardboard sled races on the Face Slope, scavenger hunt and outdoor BBQ. Word is that West is shooting to stay open into April.
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Mont Tremblant, Quebec: 03/17 & 03/18/2011

2011-03-17T19:06:00.071-04:00

Day 1: Thursday, St. Patrick's Day:

Summit fog, 8am

I've always wanted to take advantage of the First Tracks program that some ski areas offer. Apparently I'm not the only one, because all eight of my companions on a multi-day trip to Quebec's Mont Tremblant decided that First Tracks sounded like fun. I was skeptical last night that we'd all make it, but sure enough, all nine of us boarded the gondola in the fog at 7:45 this morning to head up to Mont Tremblant's summit.
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Gore Mountain: 03/12/2011

2011-03-13T12:33:00.001-04:00

It's too bad that the snow-to-rain event Thursday night and Friday had to bring an end to the outstanding conditions skiers had been enjoying all week, but such is the roller coaster of March. Conditions on Saturday were actually pretty good on the lower mountain, where grooming produced a surface that I'll call heavy packed snow: damp but carvable.

Gore Mountain: 03/08/2011

2011-03-08T23:12:00.001-05:00

I don't usually have the flexibility in my schedule to take a spur-of-the-moment, mid-week powder day, but I needed a day like today. Last weekend was my first non-skiing weekend since before Thanksgiving, with family committments on Saturday and a soaking rain in ski country on Sunday that made staying home - beleive it or not - a better option.
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West Mountain: 03/02/2011

2011-03-03T19:37:00.000-05:00

Sometimes “in like a lion” means cold and snowy, a good thing, and sometimes it just means cold and windy, not such a good thing. But having missed the last two Wednesday nights due to school break and a bout of bronchitis, I wasn’t going to let a little chilly breeze get in the way of my usual mid-week ski night.

Conditions were actually better than I had expected. Rain on Monday left surfaces firm and fast to be sure, but there was enough loose and edgeable snow to make for fun, but cold, skiing.

West Mountain has their annual pond skimming contest and cardboard sled races tentatively scheduled for March 26. The long-range forecast has some temperature ups and downs, but based on early season snowmaking efforts, good natural snowfall and solid base depths on the trails as of last evening, I’d say that date should be no problem.

Gore Mountain: 02/27/2011

2011-02-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe it’s the couple inches of snow that fell Saturday night. Maybe Gore’s wooded trails hold the snow a little better than Whiteface’s wider, steeper trails. Maybe it’s just being at my home mountain where I know the terrain better. Whatever the reason, the skiing at Gore on Sunday was a notch better than the day before at Whiteface. And for at least the third or fourth time this winter, I‘m declaring Sunday one of the best ski days of the year.

Light crowds, peeks of blue sky, and great snow

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Whiteface Mountain: 02/26/2011

2011-02-27T23:51:00.001-05:00

With a season pass that's good at both Gore and Whiteface, you'd think I'd get up to Whiteface more often, but the truth is that the last time I skied at Whiteface was three years ago, before the new Lookout Mountain terrain came online. But when 14 inches of new snow coincided with a kid-less overnight visit to Lake Placid, the lifts at Whiteface trumped our nordic skiing options for Saturday.

How big is your adventure?

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Dewey Mountain XC, Saranac Lake: 02/25/2011

2011-02-26T23:31:00.002-05:00

We had the chance for a quick overnight visit to the Lake Placid area, so after a semi-white knuckle drive through the tail end of Friday's snow storm, we arrived in time to head over to the Dewey Mountain cross-country ski center just outside of Saranac Lake for one of their Friday Night Ski Jams.

Snow!

2011-02-25T12:56:00.000-05:00

We woke up this morning to snow coming down at 1 to 2 inches per hour, and I wanted to get out on my cross country skis before the snow got too deep. I've been out on the Kalabus-Perry trail a few more times on skis and snowshoes since I wrote about it last month, and this morning I made a quick circuit past some interesting terrain that the K-P accesses.

Hardwood glade, about 150' vertical

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Willard Mountain: 02/24/2011

2011-02-24T22:56:00.000-05:00

Willard's side-by-side double chairs in operation

Since it's the February vacation week, we take a break from our usual Wednesday telemark nights at West Mountain, but I had promised Daniel that the two of us would go night skiing this week, so he and I headed over to Willard Mountain for a few hours this afternoon and evening.
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Gore Mountain: 02/20/2011

2011-02-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

Holiday crowds queue up for the gondola

The words "firm and fast" have not been part of my skiing vocabulary for most of the winter, but they are back in for this weekend. In all fairness, conditions today were much better than I had expected following Friday's thaw and flash freeze.
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Regional Roundup: Temperature Yo-Yo

2011-02-17T23:10:00.001-05:00

Whiteface, Feb 13

It’s too bad that our great stretch of winter weather is being interrupted this week with mild temperatures that will push the 50-degree mark all the way up through ski country tomorrow. The good news is that the warm-up will be brief, and won’t be accompanied by any significant base-destroying rain..
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Gore Mountain: 02/12/2011

2011-02-12T22:48:00.000-05:00

I know you were expecting a report from the Hickory Telemark Festival today. But today was the last day of Daniel's Mountain Adventure program at Gore, and we couldn't miss that. So we "endured" another day of peak snow conditions at Gore.

Whiteout on the Straightbrook chair
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Hickory Ski Center Telefest this Saturday, Feb. 12

2011-02-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

Hickory Ski Center in Warrensburg will host its 4th annual Telemark Festival this Saturday, February 12. Besides Hickory's legendary terrain and natural snow, there will be demos, clinics and a "Tour de Trees."
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West Mountain: 02/09/2011

2011-02-10T07:46:00.000-05:00

Once again a packed lodge and parking lot (high school racing) translated into near empty slopes. Maybe the cold (upper single digits by the time I headed home) kept people away, because only a handful of our usual telemark group showed up to ski. Snow earlier in the week has helped keep the slopes in very good shape, perhaps not as soft as other Wednesday nights this year but still very good. Too cold and too few skiers for any pictures other than this view of the lower slope as I headed in at the end of the night.

Ski Venture, Glenville NY: 02/06/2011

2011-02-07T20:59:00.001-05:00

Sunday afternoon, with both kids in tow, I had the chance to check out a small, local ski area that you’ve probably never heard of, even though it’s been in continuous operation for nearly 75 years. Ski Venture is a private club with its own ski hill and rope tows located in Glenville, about half an hour southwest of Saratoga Springs. Though small (110-foot vertical drop), there is a surprising amount of variety among the half dozen or so trails.

Main rope tow and intermediate slope at Ski Venture

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