The Adirondacks Blog

The Punishment Remains the Same

Posted on by Peter Minde

After a year off, the Climb to the Castle returned to Whiteface Mountain on October 3rd. I drove up on Saturday with some misgivings. Two weeks earlier, I DNF’d the Macedonia Brook 25 kilometer trail race in Connecticut. I ran my plan in the hills and on the flats. But there were two brutally steep, technical downhill bits where I was so slow I didn’t feel like I was racing. I dropped halfway through. I drove home wondering if I was done.

Whiteface foliage

After collecting my bib and buying groceries, I headed to the hostel. As it turned out the the Saint Lawrence University women’s nordic ski team was staying there. They were racing the Climb to the Castle to top off a long training weekend.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Whiteface5 Comments

Sufferfest on Mount Colden: The Knee Knows

Posted on by Peter Minde

“There are landmines. Landmines everywhere.” Since falling and breaking my wrist last summer, 14 miles into a 15-mile Catskills run, this has been my mantra.

Colden Trail

Whether it’s the recovery portion of an interval workout, or the last mile out of the woods, it’s that last bit — you’ve done the big peaks, gone over the big rock ledges without drama. That last bit where I think, it’s all over but the shouting, and I fail to pay attention and BAM, a catastrophic fall.

After running in the Catskills over Memorial Day, I’ve laid low. When my esteemed editor asked if I might have any more tricks up my sleeve, I replied, right hip is really tight and right knee is acting up. NG. The summer has pretty much been a conservative approach, close to home.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Hiking8 Comments

Hickory Hill Hike

Posted on by Harvey

On August 3, Hickory Ski Center’s Facebook page woke from a slumber that began in October of 2017. The message: “we’re having a party on Saturday August 14. Come support Hickory.” Further down in the comments they dropped the big one: “There’s more exciting news to come!”

road to Hickory
The Back Way

Those still following that long dormant page, jumped right to the most exciting possibility, that Hickory was planning to reopen. Later when placeholder copy and one of our pictures was added to the Hickory’s website, my anticipation grew.

Hickory faces hurdles. Beyond the logistics required to open any ski area, it will take some weather magic to open a rocky hill without snowmaking, at 700 feet, in Warrensburg NY.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Hickory Ski Center9 Comments