The Garden State: Wild Roses

Over the past few days, my favorite wildflower, the Wild Rose — the Multiflora Rose — has exploded across the New Jersey landscape.

Wild Roses in NJ
Wild Roses

According to American Meadows: “The botanical term for wild rose is ‘species rose’, which means just what it says — a species that occurs naturally, with no help from man — a true wildflower. There are over 100 of these worldwide, some native to North America, many from the Orient and Europe.”

With their trademark five white petals, Wild Roses are virtually everywhere: in the middle of forests, along the sides of highways and roads, next to ponds and streams. Even if you have a blindfold on, they’re tough to miss.

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Nick Z Productions

Nick Z comes from a long line of Gore skiers. And he’s the CEO of Nick Z Productions which is quickly becoming a dominant force in the northern New Jersey home snowmaking market.

What follows is the story of a man with a vision.

This year the New Jersey home snowmaking season extended ten weeks, from mid-December through March. Nick worked hard to put out the best product in the neighborhood.

Snowmaking

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Hopewell, NJ: 2/6/10

I was laying in bed this morning, thinking that the whole Harvey Road staff, except me, was out rockin’ the hills. Jamesdeluxe at Jay Peak, Jason at Belleayre and PDQ out in Utah, roaming the Wasatch. While it DUMPED here – 15 inches overnight – all my gear was in the Adirondacks at NYSB HQ.

Or was it? I’ve got an totally beat pair of XCDGTs, some incredibly long Leki poles, and a pair of ancient Merrill Doubles, I once used on a hut trip in Colorado. Conditions were powder, with a base of asphalt and frozen suburbia.

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