Finding the Mountains of New York

Highpeaksdrifter’s tale about how he found Whiteface got me thinking about how I came to the mountains of New York.

Twin Ponds

I could pretend that it was part of a grand plan — but it wasn’t. The summer after my junior year in college, I was looking for an adventure. I pulled out a map of the northeast and looked at the big patches of green: the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Greens and the Whites. The Adirondacks looked especially wild and untamed to me.

My best friend and I spent 10 days cycling and exploring the park. We had the time of our lives. This was my first experience with the idea of “Forest Preserve.” Huge areas of wilderness, without rules or fees. The feeling of freedom was liberating.

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Mike Pratt on Sunday’s Search-and-Rescue

Gore MountainOn Sunday, February 28, 2010, six skiers, in three separate groups, were lost off the summit of Gore Mountain in North Creek, NY. We reached out to Mike Pratt, the General Manager of the mountain, to ask him a few questions about the Chatiemac Ridge search and rescue efforts.


NYSkiBlog: Mike could you answer a few questions about Sunday’s search and rescue?

Mike Pratt: Sure. Just understand I can not speak for others. I will speak for Gore Mountain and for myself.

NYSB: Fair enough. How did these 6 skiers end up where they did? Did any of the skiers offer any explanation as to how they ended up lost?

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