Iron Spirit Trail: The Space Between The Roads

Over Mothers’ Day weekend, I drove to New Jersey. Took my kiddo out to dinner on Friday night. Saturday’s rehearsal with Katye Kellye and The Interruption was scheduled for late afternoon.  For a change, I had a chance to get a run in before driving down the shore to rehearse.

high water

When I lived in NJ, Lake Denmark Road was my regular roller skiing haunt.  Five miles of rolling pavement, it wends through country that’s the antithesis of the tired “Jersey? What exit?” trope.  It’s adjacent to Picatinny Arsenal, and on the right day, one’s workout is leavened with explosions as they test ordnance.

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Lake Placid Loppet: The Forecast Called for Pain

I haven’t blogged much for NYSB this year. Skiing at Mt van Hoevenberg on 1 December, I crashed hard when Pumphouse Road turned from groomed powder into a rock garden. A torn acromioclavicular ligament put me outta commission. When I returned to skiing, it was decent early season conditions. No one wants to hear “It’s thin, but really good” when downhill writers are contributing stories with epic powder shots.

Lake Placid Loppet

Early on, the big storms were missing us in Saranac Lake. Gradually, conditions improved in the Tri-Lakes. Three inches here, three inches there, and pretty soon you’re skiing in good conditions. By the time the Lake Placid Loppet rolled around, we had serious midwinter conditions.

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Goodnow Mountain Ramble

As I wrote this on 14 October, fat, waterlogged snowflakes were pelting out of the sky and accumulating in my yard. The upcoming weekend was Columbus Day, the swan song for hikers. On Sunday, I got out into the woods, hoping to get a measure of solitude. I gazed at the bottom of the map. Hoffman Notch or Goodnow Mountain?

I chose Goodnow. The trailheads alongside Route 73 confirmed my decision. They were all stuffed to the max with cars. I wouldn’t mind climbing Cascade again, but not with 500 of my closest friends. I turned onto the Northway to dash down to exit 29 and Blue Ridge Road.

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