Rafting the Hudson Gorge: 09/03/2016

My friends Linc Marsac and Lori Phoebe Benton, chief guides and owners of Square Eddy Expeditions, like to say that they get double the fun out of every snowflake that falls: first skiing the woods and mountains around North Creek and Indian Lake, and then paddling the runoff when it all melts in the spring. We weren't paddling spring runoff on our trip down the Hudson Gorge with Square Eddy over Labor Day weekend, but the double-the-fun rule seemed to be in full effect anyway.

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.

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.

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.

Moxham Mountain: 10/20/2013

Our hike up Moxham Mountain on Sunday afternoon had a decidedly autumnal feel with bare trees and a cold, steady wind. But the crisp air, the few remaining colorful leaves, the open woods and wide ranging views left us feeling that fall may indeed be the best season for hiking.

View of Gore Mountain from the first lookout

Skiing the historic 1930s trails of North Creek and Thirteenth Lake

Skiing has a long history in North Creek, with roots in the early 1930s. Early “Ride Up, Slide Down” skiers arrived by train and then rode in flatbed trucks to the Barton Mines property on Gore Mountain where a network of ski trails led back to North Creek. The trails were immensely popular, with hundreds of skiers arriving in North Creek on weekends with good snow conditions to ski trails like Halfway Brook, Raymond Brook, Pete Gay and Rabbit Pond. Those early trails even gave rise to the first Ski Patrol, experienced skiers who assisted injured skiers with first aid kits and toboggans and swept the trails at the end of the day. Eventually World War II intervened, interest shifted to development at the North Creek Ski Bowl, and the old Ride Up, Slide Down trails fell into disuse. Until Steve Ovitt came on the scene.

Snow Train: good news, not-so-good news

Good news: According to a recent Post-Star story, Saratoga North Creek Railroad’s ridership rose an estimated 60 percent this fall compared to the fall of 2011. Last fall, nearly 12,000 people took trains while this fall the number was close to 20,000, said Steve Torrico, SNCRR’s general manager. “In the month of October our ridership basically doubled and we were thrilled by it,” he said.

North Creek summer 2012 update

The Saratoga North Creek Railway recently announced their summer operating schedule for 2012. Daily passenger service will begin this Saturday, May 26 and continue through late October. SNCR and its parent company, Iowa Pacific Holdings, expect ridership this summer could approach 24,000 passengers – double last summer’s number - due to a longer season and expanded schedule.