The Ski Season in Photos #9

Condor shreds Chatiemac • Gore Mtn • Feb 25 2012

Finally, finally, finally we got a taste of winter in late February.  And it started with a little bit of magic.  On February 24, Jason called a storm, a lake cutter, that would track to our west, and deliver snow.  I’d never heard of significant snow falling on the warm side of the storm before, but like most skiers across the northeast, I wasn’t arguing with the call.

Plans were adjusted, and I made a run for Gore on Saturday morning, and rolled into the parking lot before noon.  I booted up in the car, and walked straight to the triple to grab some turns in the new snow. I knew the place would be crawling with potential ski partners.  I figured I’d do laps on the darkside and see who came out of the woodwork.

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The Halfway Brook Trail

The Halfway Brook Trail was another traditional path through the Garnet Hills, in the Southern Adirondacks. It was used by locals for decades prior to the land’s inclusion into the Forest Preserve. In the 1930s, it was traveled by mine workers moving from their North River living quarters to the mine each day. In the last 50 years, the trail has been used mostly during the winter by backcountry skiers.

William Blake Pond.
William Blake Pond

Halfway Brook Trail now officially extends all the way to the old farm road, absorbing (and shortening) a trail that had been called “Overlook” on the Garnet Hill trail map for years. I was never sure if Overlook was actually a new name for part of the Halfway Brook Trail, or something truly distinct.  To further complicate things, the first section of the trail, became known as the William Blake Pond Trail — another result of the way lodge guests used the route.

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The Raymond Brook Ski Trail

The Raymond Brook Ski Trail is one of the oldest ski trails at Gore Mountain. Today it’s on state land, but it is still important part of the trail network around North Creek, NY.

Raymond Brook Ski Trail

The Raymond Brook Trail has been through several phases of use. In the “ride and slide” days, it was a major route. The ski from the top of Gore down to the river was long. The need to “sweep” Raymond Brook was one factor behind the creation of New York’s First Ski Patrol at Gore.

At some point in time the Raymond Brook Trail went unmaintained and it stayed that way for many years. When I first learned of the route, I didn’t know it by name.

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