Author: Robert

Holiday Valley: Social Distancing the Rain

Posted on by Robert

I’m sure most people don’t think of my home — Utica NY — as a ski town. I could go on about the city-owned ski slope and local history, but its true advantage is being located in the middle of the state. Much of the best skiing in New York is within a day trip of my apartment.

Mardi Gras lift

I’m also lucky to have a forward operating base at my parents house in the Finger Lakes. While the rest of the state was getting rain on Christmas Day, Western NY was getting lake effect snow from Lake Erie. With the Bills winning the AFC East and 8 inches of snow on the hill, Holiday Valley skiers were smiling. I left my folks place early Saturday morning with my sights set on Ellicottville.

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Tagged: Holiday Valley, Lake Effect, Western NY7 Comments

The Opening Belle 2020

Posted on by Robert

I’ve never really accepted the idea of “no friends on a powder day.” The right friends can make all the difference when you are chasing new snow. They can help with the prep and planning, and they can help when things can wrong.

I’ve been lucky chasing storms over the last few years, managing to avoid major setbacks, weather delays or transportation issues. My luck was bound to run out eventually, and this week it did. But I was with the right people, and it almost didn’t matter.

Alex and I woke at 7 am in the Starlite Motel to the sounds of other guests cleaning off their cars and loading up. We quickly joined them as the new snow was going to take time to clear.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills6 Comments

Follensby Clear Pond Camping

Posted on by Robert

A few years ago a friend of mine was married on the summit of Cascade Mountain at sunrise. Part of the wedding weekend involved camping out on an island on the Follensby Clear Pond system. I had never been much of a camper, but I fell in love with the spot and planned to return.

Follensby Clear Pond

Camping on Follensby is a great experience without the added labor. There is no need to hike in with heavy packs, just load up your water craft of choice and paddle to your chosen camp location. For this trip we booked a 2 person and 3 person canoe from Raquette River Outfitters a few weeks prior. Early Friday morning we packed my car and after a few rearrangements, fit everyone in and headed out.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Paddling3 Comments