Greek Peak: All in the Family

I feel fortunate to have come from a family of skiers. Skiing families raise skiers, and I’m grateful that I learned to ride at a young age. Part of my family lives in California; they’re hardcore skiers who access terrain through backcountry gates, almost exclusively skiing the trees. My aunt and my uncle, in their 70s now, seek out soft snow and bluebird days with no crowds.

Greek Peak

Unfortunately for the cousins out East, the options are not quite as deep as they are in Tahoe. For us any new snow is good and there’s nothing wrong with cruising the groomers. We make the most of it, and with winter returning the East Coast family was ready to get back on the slopes.

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Woods Valley: Any Given Sunday

On any given Sunday athletes suit up in the pursuit of the thrill. Some are found on the football field while others are at their local mountain. They shed their 9-5 attire to take a few laps and get a taste of freedom.

For New York skiers and riders that means getting our thrills where we can. It’s not always a tree skiing powder day, sometimes it is a spring park laps kind of day. Superbowl Sunday provided just those conditions, spring weather, in the middle of February. Woods Valley is home to an assortment of weekend warriors who go full send and make it to work on Monday.

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Hinckley Reservoir Paddle

Growing up in the Finger Lakes, I was unaware of the many other bodies of water that populate NY. Since moving to Utica I’ve made it my mission to find new water.

There are plenty of gems to discover in Central NY. One of my favorites is Hinckley Reservoir. At first we hung out at the aptly named “Beer Can Beach” where locals shore their boats and party.

Hinckley Reservoir

These days my approach is a little more relaxed, trading out the motorboats for paddles. On a recent weekend with the weather approaching 90F, getting out on the water was a necessity. Farah and I packed a cooler and headed north before the sun started cooking Saturday morning.

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