The Mountains Less Traveled: Québec Ski Safari

As much as I love the mountains of New York State, getting outta Dodge is also an important part of my ski season. October is the month where I stop dreaming and start making concrete plans for destination trips.

View from Le Massif.

For me, it’s all about the process — first, committing to specific dates and deciding on the region or mountain I’d like to ski. Then comes the hard part, asking myself what I want from that fantasy week. Stay in one place or travel around? Dirtbag or detonate my savings? Visit something truly different or stick with the familiar?

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The Mountains Less Traveled: Solitude, UT

While Alta and Snowbird deservedly get most of the attention from Salt Lake City locals and visitors alike, I’ve always been a fan of the Cottonwood Canyons’ darkhorse ski area: the aptly-named Solitude.

Solitude Ut

Detractors complain about the mountain’s goofy topography and inefficient lift system, but lots of snow, elbow room, and varied terrain always work for me. Guest author Bryan Luftglass takes us on a tour of his home away from home:

Read this issue of NY Ski Magazine:
Solitude, UT: Channeling the Wasatch

Restricted MTB Access in New York

Following seven years in Albuquerque and Chicago, I returned to New York City in early 1997. After making do with the Windy City region’s tolerable, but mostly unexceptional mountain bike offerings, I was happy to be back in the northeast. Unfortunately, I was clueless about where I could find decent trails close to the city.

I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a book that had been published earlier that year: Mountain Biking New York. The author, Michael Margulis, listed 93 rides throughout the eastern third of New York State stretching from the Atlantic Ocean up through the Adirondacks. Since I was living in Brooklyn, I focused on the rides in Long Island, Westchester, and northern New Jersey, along with a few trips to the Shawangunks, Catskills, and Adirondacks.

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