Paddling Lake Welch in Harriman State Park

Lake Welch in Harriman State Park is a frequent paddling spot for me. There are multiple reasons for that. It is right off of exit 14 on the Palisades Parkway, making it supremely accessible. It has a dedicated parking area for paddlers behind a locked gate so even on the park’s busiest days I am almost guaranteed to be able to find a spot. It’s big enough to get a modest workout and do a little exploring so I don’t get too bored with the scenery.

Lake Welch boat launch

All the lakes in Harriman are compromised as pure nature experiences. The place is just too popular and too close to the city to find true solitude.

Continue reading

Piermont to Irvington by Kayak: Back in the Zone

Last week, I had an idea of driving up to Vermont for a day or two of spring at Killington. As I got to the actual planning stage though, I had second thoughts. Taking off would leave important chores undone and after a ton of windshield time for work and traveling up to Plattsburgh for graduation last week, I was not looking forward to hours of driving.

I made the decision to skip Superstar this year. I spent Saturday mowing grass and taking care of the yard. When I was done, I put some effort into organizing my garage, which had the added benefit of locating all my kayaking gear, PFDs, paddles, bilge pumps, everything.

Continue reading

Holiday Mountain Opens in 2024

Regular readers of NYSkiBlog already know we think the turn around at Holiday Mountain is one of most exciting stories in New York skiing this year. When Mike Taylor bought Holiday last spring, he attacked the problem of repairing, updating and expanding the ski area.

South Lodge

New skis and snowboards for the rental fleet? Done. New carpet, tables and POS system for the lodge? Done. Need some new groomers? Done. Well, not new per se, but new to them. A new lift? It’s happening. Actually, buying and installing a ski lift isn’t that easy. Mike decided to get the double chair — sitting unused for years — back into service this season.

Continue reading