The Hiking Blog

Mountains hold secrets that can only be discovered through close exploration. That’s especially true for mountains as large as the Gore Massif, with its multiple peaks and valleys. After all, this is the place that Verplanck Colvin called “a very remarkable mountain.” It took him two attempts to reach the summit with his crew to survey the area.

The new normal seems to have exponentially increased the numbers of those hiking to the mountain summit and using the mountain’s hike and bike trails. Most visitors to the mountain in winter use the ski trails to zip down the corduroy slopes, hardly noticing the beauty of the frozen landscape along the way.

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For years we’ve known that the High Peaks Chair — serving Gore Mountain’s Dark Side — would have to be replaced. Installed in the late 60s, the chair was over 50 years old.

We also knew the new chair was going to be more than a double. Doubles are harder to come by, and people generally like larger chairs. This year Gore is replacing both Lift 6 and Lift 3 at the same time. Lift 3, the Sunway Chair, used the same basic hardware as the Lift 6, the High Peaks Chair, and it’s a few years older.

I was at our place in the Adirondacks for a work weekend and leaves were at peak. It seemed like a good time to ride the quad to the Bear Mountain saddle and then hike to the top of Gore for a look around.

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