Life is Short but Days are Long

“We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time” my father would joke, in the days before he passed, just a few years ago.  He was known for having a good time. After his passing I decided to up my game. I committed myself to getting out on at least one big trip a year, on the longest days of the year, to test myself.

avalanche pass hiker

A celebration of life and light with some type 2 fun mixed in. In 2019, I convinced two close friends, Freebird and Grapestomper, to traverse the 20+ mile Adirondack High Peaks Great Range Trail on the summer solstice.  Known as one of the hardest day hikes in America, it certainly lived up to its reputation.

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The New Trail on Burnt Ridge

On a summer day in 2010, I was in Mike Pratt’s office, learning about plans for Burnt Ridge. The Gore GM had a drawing of the area on his desk. It was a topo map, all in done in black, except for one trail, drawn in red pen. It was labeled Barkeater.

Gore Mountain access road

Mike told me that the trail wasn’t going to be cut right away, for the time being it was being cleared as a glade.  Over the years Barkeater, and all the glades on Burnt Ridge, have become classic favorites among skiers who thrive in zen-long tree runs with moderate pitch. Some of us, likely a minority, loved Burnt Ridge the way it was: a bit inaccessible with a beautiful high speed lift and four mile-long glades.

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Gore Mountain: May 1 2022

In March, when I first heard rumors of Gore’s plan to spin lifts on May 1st, I didn’t think it would happen. The base looked deep and the forecast was cold, but May Day was a far off destination. If nothing else, the now famous leaked ops calendar convinced me of ORDA’s commitment to the effort.

Route 287
North to NY

Holding up my end requires some commitment too. It’s a challenge to get up for a long drive north, whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of the day. It’s especially hard to get into the right mindset when I’m packing the car in shorts. Either way, it all makes sense after I arrive in the mountains.

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