The Backside of Big Tupper

Late Sunday night, I returned to Saranac Lake from band rehearsal in NJ. As I passed through Schroon Lake it began to snow. The last 40 miles, the roads were covered with snow. The last three blocks, all uphill, hadn’t yet been plowed. I bulled my way into my driveway. Let’s hear it for studded snow tires and a digital transfer case.

Route 86

Four more inches of snow on Monday night. Dewey Mountain, my new local, was open. But the urge to ski in Tupper Lake was irresistible.

Twelve or 15 years ago, in one of the worst snow droughts can remember, one of the only races I skied was the Lumberjack Scramble in Tupper Lake.

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Northampton Ski Park: Opening Weekend

For the past few years the Midwest rope tow scene has been firing off. Some of the best riders flock to these small hills to ride some of the best terrain parks in the country. The rope tows provide a valuable life line to the industry in the form of new skiers and riders. They offer the perfect place to learn without shelling out big bucks for mega passes.

Upper Rope Tow House

I have memories of my own, learning at Brantling in Sodus. Near the city of Rochester there are two rope tows; Powder Mills in Pittsford and Northampton Ski Park (NHP) in Brockport. Both are operated by Swain as learn to ski areas, but a few years ago the NHP started featuring a terrain park.

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Hickory is a Magic Machine

I first met Stuart of The Storm back in 2020 on an off-the-hook powder day at McCauley. We got to talking about all the great small ski areas in New York. He told me “NYSkiBlog has more Hickory content than anyone else on the web.” At the time, I wondered if we’d ever publish an on-snow piece about Hickory again.

An enormous amount of work has gone into getting the hill open. Led by Hickory founder Hans Winbauer’s daughter, Sue Catana, the hill has navigated operational, inspection and insurance challenges. With significant help from the Indy Pass and Unofficial Networks, Hickory announced they’d spin lifts on Saturday, for the first time since 2015.

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