Hickory Ski Center: Back to the Future

Things change. The world is in constant motion and almost nothing can escape the forces of change. Eventually it seems that all of us have to choose which side of the moving line we want to be on.

Top-Notch

I started in our sport as a nordic skier who didn’t own a pair of plastic boots. As I grew more fanatical about sliding on snow I found myself dying to make turns by Thanksgiving before there was any snow in the woods.

So I began skiing the early season at Gore Mountain, in my leather boots on 210 cm skis. At the time I didn’t realize it, but the agents of change were acting upon me.

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Skip Barber Winter Driving School at Hunter

Winter driving skills can make or break a powder day. After all the discussions about tires and all wheel drive, the most important component in your vehicle is still the driver. Years of winter driving have made many of us comfortable on snowy roads.

Skip-Barber-Winter-Driving-School-Hunter-Mountain

But, how many of us have actually had any real driving instruction since drivers ed in high school? Taking that one step further, how about winter driving instruction?

Skip Barber Racing School has been offering various forms of driving instruction since 1975. Hunter Mountain has invited Skip Barber Racing School to offer a Winter Driving School event starting Monday night February 24 and continuing on Tuesday February 25.

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Belleayre, Well Done.

My seasonal ski resume always seems to have a hole in it until I can check off a box next to each Catskill resort, and I finally made it around the horn with a trip to Belleayre this past weekend.

Belleayre-Summit-View

I wasn’t sure what to expect, as we haven’t been hit by a storm in weeks. The outlook seemed good based on the snow report showing 90 percent of the mountain open.

I wondered, with the transition to the new ORDA team, could I expect an Olympic performance from a humble Catskills ski hill?

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