Posts Tagged ‘Cross-Country Skiing’

Sunday, February 5, 2023

Born with a gun in one hand and a fishing pole in the other, remembering Brother Bob

Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon

Winter just doesn’t want to happen this year. We get a little good snow for skiing and then it rains on top. This makes a hard crust and [doesn’t allow for] much control on cross-country skis unless you have steel edges, as some do. I never had any, mine are just no wax, but I still rub a candle on mine. I once went up for in-service training at Whiteface Mountain for telemark training. I only had one pair of skis, the same pair I still have with no edges and toe bindings.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 7, 2023

Camp Santanoni to host three winter weekends

Camp Santanoni’s rustic architecture is open for touring on three winter weekends. Photo by Brandon Loomis

Open House Events Offer Rare Access into Historic Camp Buildings

Three Winter Weekend events are being held in 2023 at the historic Camp Santanoni in the town of Newcomb in the Adirondacks. Hosted by DEC and the Friends of Camp Santanoni, the Winter Weekends invite visitors to enjoy winter recreation and exclusive winter access to the preserved buildings of the former camp. This is the first time these popular winter events are being held since the COVID-19 pandemic and are made possible through DEC’s partnership with the Friends of Camp Santanoni, which includes Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC), the town of Newcomb, and thousands of supporters who believe in the importance of preserving this historic Great Camp for use as public education, recreation, and inspiration.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 23, 2022

A ski through time on Old Mountain Road

view from old mountain road

If you are into time travel and are blessed with a good imagination, I suspect you would enjoy skiing the Jackrabbit Trail as it passes along Old Mountain Road, a trace that, at somewhere around 230 years old, has to rank as one of the most ancient remaining pieces of still-identifiable pieces of Adirondack infrastructure.

The historic route between North Elba and Keene, it is more easily accessed from the Keene side from Alstead Hill Lane, where it gradually gains elevation and traverses a beaver-assisted wetlands as it becomes increasingly pinched between the rugged backside of Pitchoff and the shoulders of Black and Slide mountains in the Sentinel wilderness.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, January 23, 2022

On getting outside in negative temps and how the birds are coping

ice on treesEditor’s note: We are pleased to start offering this new weekly column from retired forest ranger Gary Lee.

This week was a little more like winter should be, with snow a few days and very cold a few others. Tuesday was a bear about dark a light rain was falling with the temperature on twenty-eight which instantly froze on anything it hit and some of that was on my windshield. I didn’t get five hundred feet down the road and my windshield was a blank screen.

I pulled over and let it warm up some, but it was covered instantly when I started to move again. I had to use windshield washer fluid to keep it so I could see. I called my wife Karen at the library to tell her that things were being coated extremely fast and be careful on her way home. I told her about the windshield washer trick which she used all the way home. That ice coated the trees making them all shiny when the sun came out, but it also put an eighth-inch of ice on top of the snow which was just like glass.

» Continue Reading.


Monday, February 8, 2021

Skiing conditions are prime; outdoor rec continues to boom

Foxy Brown ski trail

This spring, when New York State was in a lockdown due to the pandemic, it was unclear what that meant for the Adirondacks. Would the outdoor tourism industry thrive or falter? Would people still be hitting the trails? Would small businesses survive?

» Continue Reading.


Friday, November 20, 2020

Key things to consider when choosing Cross-Country Skis

As a new homeowner a few decades ago, I needed a ladder and foolishly bought a heavy-duty fiberglass 28-footer that could reach the highest point.   That was a bad move; other than once I’ve never needed to reach that high; the ladder is unwieldy and even fully retracted it’s too long for most jobs. Later and a little wiser, I acquired a lightweight 16-foot extension ladder which I now use for almost everything.

Many of my friends make the same mistake when they shop for cross-country skis, buying for the most extreme conditions they’ll ever encounter.   In the store they convince themselves they need wide, back-country skis with metal edges, in case of deep powder or an icy traverse.   They ski-trudge that heavy-duty gear on ordinary trails and easy roads like the one to Great Camp Santanoni.  They even take them to groomed Nordic centers.  Instead, their primary pair should have been a light-touring setup that’s good for almost everything except the rare extremes.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 12, 2020

Current Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (March 12)

adk conditions 3-12This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks is compiled each Thursday afternoon and updated on Friday.

Contribute Your Knowledge: Add a comment below, or send your observations, corrections, updates, and suggestions to adkalmanack@gmail.com.

Learn and practice the seven Leave No Trace principles. Plan ahead and prepare. Carry out what you have carried in. Do not leave gear, food, or other items at lean-tos and campsites. Take the free online Leave No Trace course here.

BE PREPARED! Start slow, gain experience. Carry proper safety equipment and weather protection and bring plenty of water and lights, and a map. When on the trail, stay together, monitor the time, and be prepared to turn back. Be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods in cold temperatures. Accidents happen to the most experienced people. Always carry food, a space blanket, emergency whistle, first aid kit, fire making tools, extra clothing layers and socks, a map and compass, and the knowledge to use them. Inform someone of your itinerary and before entering the backcountry or launching a boat check the National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories here. Follow Adirondack weather forecasts at Burlington and Albany and consult the High Elevation, Recreation, or Lake Champlain forecasts.

March 12th, 2020 – SPECIAL NOTICES » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 27, 2020

Current Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (2/27)

adirondack conditions 2-27This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks is compiled each Thursday afternoon and updated on Friday.

Contribute Your Knowledge: Add a comment below, or send your observations, corrections, updates, and suggestions to adkalmanack@gmail.com.

Learn and practice the seven Leave No Trace principles. Plan ahead and prepare. Carry out what you have carried in. Do not leave gear, food, or other items at lean-tos and campsites. Take the free online Leave No Trace course here.

BE PREPARED! Start slow, gain experience. Carry proper safety equipment and weather protection and bring plenty of water and lights, and a map. When on the trail, stay together, monitor the time, and be prepared to turn back. Be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods in cold temperatures. Accidents happen to the most experienced people. Always carry food, a space blanket, emergency whistle, first aid kit, fire making tools, extra clothing layers and socks, a map and compass, and the knowledge to use them. Inform someone of your itinerary and before entering the backcountry or launching a boat check the National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories here. Follow Adirondack weather forecasts at Burlington and Albany and consult the High Elevation, Recreation, or Lake Champlain forecasts.

February 27th, 2020 – SPECIAL NOTICES » Continue Reading.


Friday, February 21, 2020

Featured Cross Country Ski: East Mill Flow-Round Pond Trail, Schroon Lake

East Mill Flow Round Pond Trail MapEast Mill Flow-Round Pond Trail, part of the Hammond Pond Wild Forest, extends 5.2 miles between Round Pond Trailhead and East Mill Flow Trailhead in the Sharp Bridge Campground. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 30, 2020

DEC Issues Final Plans for Sentinel Range Wilderness

sentinel range wilderness courtesy adirondack atlasThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has finalized the Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Sentinel Range Wilderness.

The Sentinel Range Wilderness is comprised of 23,874 acres of Forest Preserve lands in the towns of Keene, Jay, Wilmington, and North Elba, Essex County. The lands consist primarily of rugged, mountainous forest land with relatively few ponds and wetlands. Mountain views are one of the Wilderness Area’s main attractions, although a portion of the Jackrabbit Ski Trail also runs through the wilderness. The area borders the north side of Route 73 through Cascade Pass and includes a number of popular climbing areas. » Continue Reading.


Friday, January 17, 2020

Camp Santanoni Hosting 7th Annual Winter Weekends

skiiers at santanoniWhile the grounds of Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb are open to visitors 365 days a year, the buildings are not typically open to the public during winter months.

The exception are designated Winter Weekends, when the rustic historic site is staffed with guides, and snowshoes are provided at the gate for the ten-mile round trip.

Three Winter Weekend events have been set this year: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, January 18-20; Presidents’ Day holiday weekend, February 15-17; and the weekend of March 14 and 15.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, January 10, 2020

It’s Time for Great Camp Santanoni Winter Weekends

Newcomb’s Camp Santanoni hosts three winter weekends each year, which provide an opportunity for people to have access to the Great Camp buildings that are not open year-round. The first winter weekend is January 18-20, with the next two set for February 15-17, March 14-15.

Don’t forget the Great Camp Santanoni is always open to the public, but these Winter Weekends provide public access to the interior of the remaining historic buildings on the property as well as historical educational information. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 9, 2020

North Creek Ski Bowl Adds Fat Tire Biking, More

Gore Mountain Nordic Center at the North Creek Ski BowlGore Mountain has announced they are opening its professionally maintained cross-country trails to fat tire biking on non-holiday Wednesday nights. Bikers are welcomed to explore the Ski Bowl’s stadium layout, which features both grooming and snowmaking and includes a variety of inclines, flat stretches, and brief wooded routes.

Twilight trail passes for biking, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing are available for $12. » Continue Reading.


Friday, December 6, 2019

Featured Area: Paul Smith’s VIC

Paul Smiths College Visitor Interpretive Center Cross-Country Ski TrailsPaul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center provides visitors with 25 miles of trails, including six miles of interpretive trails on their 3,000-acre property.

The trail system weaves through diverse ecosystems allowing visitors to immerse themselves in nature. The trail system traverses every habitat type found in the Adirondack Park (with the exception of alpine vegetation) and includes extensive boardwalks through wetland ecosystems. » Continue Reading.


Friday, November 15, 2019

Adirondack Skiing Has Begun: What’s Open

Snowmaking on Bear Mountain Summit courtesy Gore MountainThere is 4-8 inches of snow across most of the Adirondacks, with deeper snows – about 6-10 inches – across the Northern Adirondacks, and at higher elevations in the High Peaks, and nordic, downhill and some backcountry skiing has begun around the region.

Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, and Gore Mountain, in North Creek opened for the 2019-’20 season on Friday. They will remain open through the weekend, but may close during the week until Friday after Thanksgiving. Both mountains have begun using direct-to-lift radio-frequency identification (RFID) for Ski 3 Card holders. There’s a new cabin at the summit of Burnt Ridge Mountain at Gore. » Continue Reading.



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