The Nordic Skiing Blog

Hudson Highlands: Breakneck Ridge and Bull Hill

Posted on by JK_PA

Twenty-four hours before this ski tour began on February 26, I had no plans to ski in New York. I’d never skied in the Hudson Highlands, and I had never met my ski touring partner for the day, Ripitz a well-known character from the NYSkiBlog Forums.

ski bike
Rip’s Rig

In the fall, Rip and I spoke about meeting up for a hike, but winter came before we could make it work. On a whim, I reached out to see if he was open to skin up somewhere in Vermont.

He countered with skiing in the Hudson Highlands State Park instead and asked if I had my nordic skis with me (I did).

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Tagged: Earning Turns, Hudson Highlands, Nordic Skiing14 Comments

Cross-Country World Cup Finals in Lake Placid

Posted on by Peter Minde

“This is a proper ski race,” one British athlete said to me in the mixed zone.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” my editor warned me.

And I got two scoops this week! I’m almost a real reporter! We’ll get to that later.

As we approached the World Cup finals weekend in Lake Placid, Nordic Insights, another news outlet I write for, made plans to cover the action. Being local, I’d be boots on the ground all weekend. My colleague Adele would come from Yale University on Saturday. I’d write up all the men’s races. Adele and Gavin, my editor, would write the women’s races.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Mount van Hoevenberg, Nordic Skiing7 Comments

Lake Placid Loppet: The Forecast Called for Pain

Posted on by Peter Minde

I haven’t blogged much for NYSB this year. Skiing at Mt van Hoevenberg on 1 December, I crashed hard when Pumphouse Road turned from groomed powder into a rock garden. A torn acromioclavicular ligament put me outta commission. When I returned to skiing, it was decent early season conditions. No one wants to hear “It’s thin, but really good” when downhill writers are contributing stories with epic powder shots.

Lake Placid Loppet

Early on, the big storms were missing us in Saranac Lake. Gradually, conditions improved in the Tri-Lakes. Three inches here, three inches there, and pretty soon you’re skiing in good conditions. By the time the Lake Placid Loppet rolled around, we had serious midwinter conditions.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Mount van Hoevenberg, Nordic Skiing4 Comments