Drumlins: Syracuse’s Lost Ski Hill

Mention the word “drumlin” to most people and the response will at best be a blank stare.

In Syracuse, however, it’s a familiar geological term describing the long, rounded hills left behind by glaciers during the last Ice Age that shape much of the region’s landscape.

Drumlins Country Club ski hill

Drumlins aren’t unique to that part of the state (they’re found throughout New England and the Upper Midwest); however, conveniently for this article, the term also lends its name to a well-known country club in the area with two golf courses — one public, one private — and a distinctive 1920s clubhouse.

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Killington: The Beast for Beginners

For someone who’s been skiing the Northeast for 25 years, I have an embarrassing admission – until this week, I’d never skied at Killington. The biggest ski area east of the Rockies, a place that looms large in every East Coaster’s mental map, had always been on my list, but somehow never happened.

view of Killington Peak

I’d skied nearby at Pico, read countless trip reports, articles, and lively forum threads about Big K, but never experienced it firsthand. That finally changed last week, though not in the way I would’ve expected, as my family’s four-day road trip to Vermont was designed for my son, who hadn’t been on skis in nearly seven years.

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WorldSkiTraveller: Collector of Ski Areas

This month, Zurich-based skier Roger Gfrörer, known online as Worldskitraveller, completed an undertaking that sounded more like a military logistics operation than a ski vacation. Over six weeks, he skied at 79 ski areas across 18 U.S. states, drove more than 7,500 miles, and checked into 38 hotels and motels along the way.

USA tour

The endeavor was originally titled Project 101, reflecting an initial goal of visiting 101 ski areas; however, a snow drought in the western U.S. forced a rethink. Regardless, the pace remained relentless: new ski areas (often several in a single day), constant motion, and little downtime.

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