Skiing The Mad River Valley… With Help

Posted on by Harvey

I don’t really know much about skiing in Vermont. I know that the Green Mountain spine produces magic snow out of thin air, and the farther north you go, the greater the magic. But my ability to find the best skiing anywhere outside of New York is limited.

Champlain Bridge

That’s not to say that I haven’t had some great times skiing on the other side of Lake Champlain. It seems every time I’ve made the trip, the combination of magic snow and great guides have made my ski days great.

My most recent trip into Vermont was into the Mad River Valley — over the lake, across the farmland and through the gauntlet — the App Gap. 

Continue reading →

Tagged: Mad River Glen, Sugarbush, VT5 Comments

ORDA 3-Way New York Ski Pass

Posted on by NYSkiBlog

Ski 3 PassNYSkiBlog has learned that New York’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will announce a new ski pass which will grant skiers access to all three of New York’s state-run ski resorts. The Ski3 Pass will be on sale later today and will allow pass holders to ski Whiteface, Gore and Belleayre any day of the 2013-2014 season.

The early bird price of the new pass for adults — $739 — is the same as the first deadline price of the current ORDA 2-Way Pass for Gore and Whiteface.  The early discount price for young adults is $385, while college students and juniors can pick the pass for only $299. The early discount period ends on April 19.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Adirondacks, Belleayre, Catskills, Gore Mountain, ORDA, Whiteface19 Comments

Slide Mountain, NY: Finding Myself Alone

Posted on by Zeb

In late January, I headed for Slide Mountain, at 4,180 feet the highest peak in the Catskills. I had just finished a grueling stretch at work and was eager to get out of the city. I went alone. As I skinned up from the parking lot, I had to rely on the sporadic trail markers and hope that the predicted fog and “wintery mix” would hold off. The trail had some snow, and lots of exposed rocks as well.

Slide Mountain NY summit view

As I climbed I considered whether backcountry skiing is merely a way to access unskied lines or something different altogether. I’m sure it means different things to different skiers, but for me it’s about being in the mountains and escaping.

When I was younger, I’d spend my days at Killington skiing the bumps under the chairlift: Cascade, Needle’s Eye and Outer Limits were my go-to spots. I was good, and I knew it. The pleasure was in the show. I dug hearing comments from the lift above me or sensing admiring eyes.

Continue reading →

Tagged: Backcountry, Catskills19 Comments