Swain Mountain Jamming

There’s always this looming feeling of dread for skiers and riders as we enter the month of March. The sun may be shining and the weather warmer but that means the snow will soon melt and our season will be over. You want to make every weekend count.

Swain base area

Swain hosted its spring carnival last Saturday but it could have easily been mistaken for a mid-winter day. A bit of lake effect dusted the mountain the night before and the temperatures were in the mid teens. Swain is one of the mountains I grew up riding so I was excited to get back and see what was new.

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Bristol Brings It

What a season so far. Despite everything, this year has been on pace to be one of the best in the Northeast. Everywhere I’ve been the conditions have been prime and I’m starting to forget the icecoast mantra.

I never need an excuse to snowboard, and last weekend I had more than enough. My friends Alex and Katie wanted to ride, and I had to make it home for my mom’s birthday. The logical choice was the mountain that was my first Valentine: Bristol.

My last time at Bristol was the day all ski resorts shut down in March 2020. Since then Bristol has changed quite a bit. They expanded their main lodge and added an outdoor patio area.

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Holiday Valley: Social Distancing the Rain

I’m sure most people don’t think of my home — Utica NY — as a ski town. I could go on about the city-owned ski slope and local history, but its true advantage is being located in the middle of the state. Much of the best skiing in New York is within a day trip of my apartment.

Mardi Gras lift

I’m also lucky to have a forward operating base at my parents house in the Finger Lakes. While the rest of the state was getting rain on Christmas Day, Western NY was getting lake effect snow from Lake Erie. With the Bills winning the AFC East and 8 inches of snow on the hill, Holiday Valley skiers were smiling. I left my folks place early Saturday morning with my sights set on Ellicottville.

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