Harvey Mountain, NY: 2/17/08

Posted on by Harvey

Inspired by the conditions I found in the Siamese yesterday, and deterred by the holiday going on at Gore, I decided to “sleep in” and see what I could dig up in the woods for a second day in a row. I got up at 7am and by 7:45 was walking down Harvey Road with my BC skis on my shoulder. I jumped onto Garnet Hill’s trail system, and took Old Faithful to 4H towards the Garnet Hill ski shop.

view from Hooper Mine

I was the first one on the trails, after the groomer, so I guess you could call it first tracks. The trails were in good shape. While skiing 4H, Mark and Julie, a couple of tele instructors from the area, popped out of a chute known as the “elevator shaft.”

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Backcountry, Nordic Skiing, Siamese Ponds WildernessLeave a comment

Gore and the Siamese Ponds Wilderness: 2/16/08

Posted on by Harvey

I got to the mountain at the same time as yesterday. Instead of being totally alone in the base lodge, there were maybe 50 people inside. The holiday was on. At the top of the Gondi, there was no waiting at the rope – for the second day in a row, I was first down Pine Knot.

Mineshaft Glade at Gore Mountain

I hit the Pine Brook glade on the way down – as good as yesterday really, except for a few spots you had to jump over. When I got to the Straightbrook chair it wasn’t open. I waited.

Marc, the head of ski patrol, and Howie another patroller, ski up and wait with me. On the way up he “recommends Chatiemac” all the way down. I told him I was headed for the Straightbrook glades, and he repeats… “all the way down.”

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Gore Mountain, Nordic Skiing, Siamese Ponds WildernessLeave a comment

Gore Mountain, NY: 2/15/08

Posted on by Harvey

I scored. After debating the decision to burn all that gas on the drive up, I went for it. And Gore was great today. Put it this way, not everything was great, but a lot of it was. Enough to keep me busy and smiling. I decided to take pics today for the first time in forever. My first picture was a completely empty base lodge at 8am. I sat in there, by myself, amazed that I was alone. I caught the first Gondi.

At the top, as usual, the summit was roped off. I went down, taking Twister, in the hope that Twister glade would be open. It wasn’t and that was probably for the best. Do I really have to go into the crustiest glade on the mountain without a warm up? If it was open, I’d a been in there.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Gore MountainLeave a comment