The Ski Season in Photos #12

Bumpin Riley • Plattekill Mtn • March 19, 2012

After the snow gods delivered a solitary week of winter across the northeast, a cruel blow was served: the winter hating heat wave. In mid-March temperatures soared to mid-summer levels reaching in the 70s and 80s for nearly two weeks.

Already limited snowpacks began to vaporize and mountains across the state scrambled to figure out how they could cram in the normally extended party that constitutes the spring farewell to the lift-served season.

Plattekill bumpfield

The jump from winter to summer coincided with St Patrick’s Day and many mountains scraped together whatever snow they could find and scheduled parties for the weekend of March 19, 2012.  Plattekill unveiled an new annual event — a mogul competition — to take place at midday on St. Plattekill’s Day.

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The Ski Season in Photos #11

Hiking Mittersill at Cannon MountainMadPat Hikes Mittersill • Cannon Mtn • February 27, 2012

All season it seemed that eastern skiers were waiting for the start of winter. When temps got cold in early February, the pattern failed to deliver any significant precipitation. Finally, late in the month, forecasters predicted a coincidence of cold air and moisture.

In some ways, the first day of the Northeast Ski Blogger Summit in the White Mountains was a microcosm of the season.  We skied at Cannon and we worked for everything we got. We battled the weather and for our efforts we found pockets of satisfaction and natural snow.

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The Halfway Brook Trail

The Halfway Brook Trail was another traditional path through the Garnet Hills, in the Southern Adirondacks. It was used by locals for decades prior to the land’s inclusion into the Forest Preserve. In the 1930s, it was traveled by mine workers moving from their North River living quarters to the mine each day. In the last 50 years, the trail has been used mostly during the winter by backcountry skiers.

William Blake Pond.
William Blake Pond

Halfway Brook Trail now officially extends all the way to the old farm road, absorbing (and shortening) a trail that had been called “Overlook” on the Garnet Hill trail map for years. I was never sure if Overlook was actually a new name for part of the Halfway Brook Trail, or something truly distinct.  To further complicate things, the first section of the trail, became known as the William Blake Pond Trail — another result of the way lodge guests used the route.

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