Author: Harvey

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

Ski Day 16: Like a Local

Posted on by Harvey

Ski Day 16: Saturday started normally. We woke at our usual time, me at 6am, and the girls at 6:45. We played it like a Sunday with Zelda sitting it out. Neve and I were at Gore by 7:45, and we got in one of the first Gondi cars to load.  Same as it ever was.

Sunrise in North River

We skied a mix of pure corduroy and ungroomed manmade snow on the lower mountain. The cord was decent, and the little drifts of windblown manmade were a total blast. The bottom mountain was cold, but calm.

Neve was pushing to go to the top. On our second run, the rope was down and we dropped into Pine Knot. A slight breeze and colder temps made it very chilly at the summit.

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Tagged: Adirondacks11 Comments

Home to Ski in North Creek NY

Posted on by Harvey

I had a crazy cool weekend. My plan was to drive to North River Friday afternoon, ski a day at Gore and a day in the woods. But for me, a weekend in the Adirondacks requires a 2pm Friday departure, and I just couldn’t swing it at work. When I got off work at 6:30 Friday night, I walked home, and pondered my options.

Gore Mountain in North Creek, NY.

I drove to Plattekill early on Saturday morning, with no set plan for Sunday. While riding the lifts I tried to work out my lodging and skiing plans on my phone. My goal was my first ever ski day at Greek Peak. With all the recent discussion about the mountain’s future, I wanted to finally experience the hill and see Hope Lake Lodge to better understand the big picture.

But it was after all a holiday weekend and I couldn’t find a place to stay close to the hill. While there was extra driving involved, the math on my Gore season pass, and the simplicity of staying in North Creek, drew me back to our home away from home.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Gore Mountain14 Comments

Return to Plattekill Mountain

Posted on by Harvey

In the early days, ski areas were high elevation places, where snow accumulated and trees were cleared to create an open slope where people climbed up, and skied down.

Plattekill Mountain

In the mid-1930’s, enterprising individuals — like Carl Schaefer — pushed the ski area concept to the next level. By using an automobile drivetrain attached to a pulley and rope system, they towed skiers up the slopes. Not limited to the amount of vert they could sidestep, skiers could get several runs in a day. Later in the decade another noted New Yorker, Averell Harriman, pioneered the first chairlift at Sun Valley Idaho. Skiers traveled uphill in relaxed comfort.

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Tagged: Catskills, Plattekill9 Comments