The New Trail on Burnt Ridge

On a summer day in 2010, I was in Mike Pratt’s office, learning about plans for Burnt Ridge. The Gore GM had a drawing of the area on his desk. It was a topo map, all in done in black, except for one trail, drawn in red pen. It was labeled Barkeater.

Gore Mountain access road

Mike told me that the trail wasn’t going to be cut right away, for the time being it was being cleared as a glade.  Over the years Barkeater, and all the glades on Burnt Ridge, have become classic favorites among skiers who thrive in zen-long tree runs with moderate pitch. Some of us, likely a minority, loved Burnt Ridge the way it was: a bit inaccessible with a beautiful high speed lift and four mile-long glades.

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NY Skiing: Financing the Future

This spring ORDA approved a plan to invest $91.7M in Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre and Mount van Hoevenberg. Funds were appropriated for a variety of projects including new and improved lifts, lodges, snowmaking and other infrastructure. The most high profile projects include a $19.7M lodge at the North Creek Ski Bowl and a $16.5M two-stage detachable quad at Whiteface.

Artist rendering of new North Creek Ski Bowl Lodge courtesy ORDA

This is the latest in a series of transformational infrastructure upgrades for New York’s state-run ski areas that has spanned decades, dating back to the 1960s. Since that time, marquee projects have included gondolas, lifts, lodges, snowmaking, new terrain, and access to water from the Hudson River.

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Gore Mountain: May 1 2022

In March, when I first heard rumors of Gore’s plan to spin lifts on May 1st, I didn’t think it would happen. The base looked deep and the forecast was cold, but May Day was a far off destination. If nothing else, the now famous leaked ops calendar convinced me of ORDA’s commitment to the effort.

Route 287
North to NY

Holding up my end requires some commitment too. It’s a challenge to get up for a long drive north, whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of the day. It’s especially hard to get into the right mindset when I’m packing the car in shorts. Either way, it all makes sense after I arrive in the mountains.

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