Harriman’s Claudius Smith Den

With an iffy forecast for the summit of Mt Washington, my 2013-2014 season might have gone out with a whimper. Although I was disappointed, at first, I wondered if the balmy temps and fresh leaves and the smell of bbq might put Memorial Day as a win.

Harriman waterfall

Beyond making the adjustment from dynafits to hiking boots, I saw an opportunity to get outside with some friends I don’t see much during the ski season.

The group wanted to get some big miles, and for the first hike of the spring, we set our sights on an empty quadrant of Harriman State Park, opting to hike to Claudius Smith Den from 106 instead of the more accessible, and crowded, Johnsontown Road.

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Shockingly Good Times at the ‘Linez

Making the transition from ski-mode to warm-weather activities has never been easy for me, but it gets better every year as I learn more about climbing.

Powerlinez-Crack

What started out as a summer fling has bloomed into a year round activity with the help of the local gyms, but nothing can ever beat the thrill of going outside, at least for me.

There’s no shortage of opportunity to recreate in New York but there really is something special about participating in a sport that exists in such a stellar form in my own backyard.

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Tuxedo Ridge: The Ultimate Playdate

Ever since I first met my buddy “X” at Gore in 2010, we’ve been plotting to get our daughters together on the slopes. Two girls the same age, whose fathers love to ski: what more do you need?

Two-Girls-in-Front-of-Lodge

It turned out to be much easier said than done.  Getting the stars to align took almost four years. Sunday was a perfect day for it downstate, if you look past the recent nuclear meltdown of the snowpack by rainstorm.

We woke just before dawn to gear up, eat breakfast and drive up to Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center.

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