Return to Smugglers Notch

Posted on by Harvey

I love New York. I love the ski history, the vast wilderness and the assortment of old-school ski hills. I also dig the proximity to Vermont and all that Green Mountain snow.

Vermont farm

Northern Vermont is something else. The East is challenging for skiers, as conditions can quickly go from pow to crunch.  But NoVT often escapes this fate, and even when it’s afflicted, it recovers more quickly than any other other part of the northeast.

Then there is Smugglers Notch.  For me the place has everything: old school vibe, Hall lifts, excellent tree skiing and 300 inches of snow. I haven’t been to every ski area north of I-89, but of those I have skied, I really dig Smuggs.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Smugglers Notch, VT12 Comments

Oak Mountain: 70 Years of Smiles

Posted on by Robert

There might be something in the water over in Lake Pleasant, NY. At Oak Mountain, overlooking the lake, it seems everyone is smiling and kids are laughing.

Oak Mountain groomer

Oak was off my radar — until this year — when I started to hear good things. They had more than a foot of snow during the week, and a lot of it remaining untouched. My friend Alex the Skier said he wanted to try something new. With 2-for-1 tickets from Warren Miller, we headed up Saturday morning.

We arrived around 9am. The first thing I noticed were out of state plates, from New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Oak’s snow quality and uncrowded slopes attract locals and tourists alike.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Adirondacks, Oak Mountain9 Comments

I Never Made It To The Top

Posted on by Harvey

In New York this season, the snow has been piling up. Still, many of our weather events have been close calls. Last Wednesday a storm brought snow and sleet to much of the east, but this time it was all snow at Gore. My first shot at it was Friday, with a forecast of mountain snow and valley rain.

The North Creek Ski Bowl

On the road from the flatlands before 3am, I arrived the cabin at 7am, unloaded the car and turned on the heat. Back down into town, I had breakfast at Sarah’s and then headed over to the Ski Bowl Yurt to boot up for first chair.

I’ve been busy at work, and I neglected to find a ski partner in advance.  Still the ski gods smiled down and sent master trailbuilder Steve Ovitt and his friend Rick to meet me, as I waited for the Hudson Chair to spin. A stroke of great luck.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Adirondacks, Gore Mountain, North Creek Ski Bowl9 Comments