Author: Harvey

Skier, Blogger, Ski Blogger. Editor-in-chief NYSkiBlog.

Belleayre Opens 2015

Posted on by Harvey

While I’m certainly not “there” yet, I’m starting to get more organized. For the first time ever I’d say, the basement at HQ South, is really set up as a ski adventure staging area.

groomers

It’s possible that the general lack of cold and snow has actually created an opportunity, giving us time to improve our capability to capitalize on cold and snow. Now, all we need, is cold and snow.

At the same time, somewhat quietly, Belleayre had gone all out, on one trail, t2b: Onteora. The mountain opened last Friday for the season, and after I completed the Saturday Chore Olympics, I was sprung, for a run to the Belle on Sunday.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills4 Comments

El Niño Thanksgiving

Posted on by Harvey

I’ve gone into this season flat footed, not really ready in any way. Life was especially difficult this offseason and without significant blasts of cold air to focus my attention, my preseason prep was non-existent.

Gore Mountain opening day 2015

The car thermometer read 61 degrees driving up Route 28 towards Gore on Friday. I almost didn’t care. One benefit to my lack of prep: I’d left my mountain bike up at the cabin, and it paid off. The trails were in great shape.  We rode and walked after we settled in.

Saturday morning was foggy up high in North River. The afternoon had the potential to get sunny and I wondered, for a moment, if we should wait to let things soften up.  As is my way, we headed over early and it was the right call.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Gore Mountain6 Comments

I Love My Little Sister

Posted on by Harvey

I want to apologize upfront for posting this piece on the front page of NYSkiBlog. I certainly doesn’t “fit” here, as we have consciously decided to focus our homepage on eastern mountain sports.

MB-in-Arosa

But I just can’t find a way to process this without writing about it. Early Sunday morning, my little sister Marybeth, or MB as we knew her, passed away after a long, valiant battle with cancer. She was 53 and asked for no memorial until next spring, when a small garden will be dedicated in her honor, in Jersey City, NJ.

Nearly three years ago MB was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called GIST Wild Type. Unlike most cancers, this strain develops in between organs in your abdomen. When it was discovered there was some hope, but it quickly faded, as experimental treatments yielded no positive results.

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Tagged: Ski Life42 Comments