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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Mount van Hoevenberg: The Happiest Place on Earth

With travel on two consecutive weekends, my workout schedule has been disrupted lately. Not feeling completely fit, I decided to skip the Climb to the Castle on 11 August. Wednesday would have to be my overdistance day. I didn’t want to spend seven hours in the woods, so I drove to Mount van Hoevenberg to run the old Olympic trails.

new biathlon range

Like the rest of the Tri-Lakes, the Ho is inundated with tourists during the summer. Everyone wants to see the legacy Olympic venues. As I strapped on the unloader brace and my heart rate monitor, people were stepping up for the mountain coaster, the indoor climbing wall, and trying their hand at target shooting with the Be A Biathlete program.

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