Whiteface Upgrades Proposed to the APA

Whiteface mapAt the first meeting of the year of the Adirondack Protection Agency (APA) today in Ray Brook, NY, Whiteface proposed a slate of new mountain initiatives as part of the Unit Management Plan amendment process.

These initiatives are part of a long term plan that includes lift replacement, reconfiguration and rerouting, new trail expansion and existing trail widening to improve connectivity and skier flow, the use of an existing building as a warming lodge and parking lot expansion.

The purpose of this part of the process is to gain comments and input before the mountain seeks final approval. What follows is a summary of the highlights of the proposed new projects that were presented at the meeting today.

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Gore’s New GM: Interview with “Bone” Bayse

Bone Bayse Gore Mountain GMThere was a lot of excitement in North Creek this summer when Mike Pratt, the General Manager at Gore, was appointed the permanent head of the Olympic Regional Development Authority and James “Bone” Bayse was appointed to Gore’s GM position. We asked Bone if he’d be willing talk to us and he graciously consented.


NYSkiBlog: When did you first come to Johnsburg? What brought you here? What keeps you here?

Bone: I had spent some time in the area trying to find work marching in Bicentennial parades, it went pretty good for a while, but that dried up mostly after 1976.

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An Open Letter to Governor Cuomo

Dear Governor Cuomo,

It’s been hard to miss the ongoing “Start-up NY” TV advertising campaign that promotes the benefits of new regulation and tax policies designed to encourage businesses to relocate to upstate NY. We support this message and these efforts.

As you know, New York has more ski areas than any other state in the country, and the economic impact of this sector is significant.

Your own office estimates the impact of Gore and Whiteface at $100 million per year. A 2015 study conducted by RRC Associates of Boulder Colorado concluded that NY ski areas added over $900 million to the state’s economy each year through both direct and indirect spending.

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