The 2017 Atmospheric Sciences Research Center’S (ASRC) Falconer Science/Natural History Lecture Series will be held Tuesday evenings at 7 pm at the ASRC Whiteface Field Station, 110 Marble Lane, Wilmington.
These lectures are free and open to the public. » Continue Reading.
A new Tour of Wilmington Whiteface, a two-day mountain and road bike event, will be held June 3rd and 4th, and features both the 7th annual Wilmington Whiteface 100K mountain bike race (WW100) and the 16th annual Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race.
The Saturday and Sunday event is expected to bring hundreds of cycling enthusiasts to the Wilmington region to race in both the 69-mile long mountain bike race and the 11-mile road race to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, New York State’s fifth highest peak. » Continue Reading.
As the 2016-17 ski and boarding season begins, Gore Mountain has announced an expansion of its Nordic and snowshoe trail system at the North Creek Ski Bowl. The Nordic network is now 4.24K, and 3.19K of it features both snowmaking and lights.
Snowmaking at Gore and Whiteface resumed Sunday, with Whiteface planning to open on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th. Whiteface Mountain received over 15-inches of snow, and the staff has been preparing Excelsior, Summit Express, Upper Valley, Lower Valley, Fox and the Mixing Bowl for Thursday’s opening. Two lifts, as well as the Cloudsplitter Gondola, are expected to be available. North Creek received six inches of snow over the past few days and Gore Mountain is expected to open on Friday, November 25 with five trails: Foxlair, Sunway, Quicksilver, 3b and Jamboree, serviced by the Northwoods Gondola.
Last winter’s mild temperatures and lack of snow left winter sports enthusiasts disappointed, but there is already snow on many summits and die-hards earned turns on the Whiteface Memorial Highway several weeks ago. It looks like the start of the downhill season could be just a few weeks away.
Here’s a look at what’s new at ski areas across the region. » Continue Reading.
Conditions were far from ideal for the Wilmington Whiteface 100K mountain bike race (WW100) on Sunday, part of the annual Wilmington-Whiteface Bike Fest. The WW100 is considered the most difficult of the seven Leadville 100 MTB qualifying races.
Just minutes before the start of the 7 am, 69-mile race, a light rain began to fall, but as soon as the starting gun fired off its round, signaling the mass start for the 467 riders, a steady downpour started and didn’t stop. » Continue Reading.
The annual Wilmington Whiteface Bike Fest will be held on June 3-5, 2016 with a mix of competition and family fun.
The events begin Friday, when Montreal’s Krushers Stunt Team will preform in the free jump and trials exhibition at the Wilmington Bike Park. Other events Friday evening include Sam Perkins and Carsinn Wilson performing bike acrobatics. These will be followed by the annual welcome party featuring music, raffles, prizes and a Best Calves contest. » Continue Reading.
The Whiteface Mountain Bike Park in Wilmington opens on June 4th with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Flow Trail, True Blue, at noon. Phase one of True Blue starts at the current Wilmington Mountain Bike Shuttle drop-off location, near the top of Fox Trail. High Peaks Cyclery will be bringing their entire fleet of Salsa Fat Bikes for free demos.
Throughout the season work is expected to continue on phase two, which tops out at the Facelift, and is expected to be completed by the end of the season. » Continue Reading.
The most profitable months for the tourism-based businesses in the Adirondacks are without question July and August. This is when families take their summer vacations, the weather is warm, and the bugs are tolerable. But while summer is crucial for small businesses, a successful winter season can mean the difference between making money or not for the year.
Vinny McClelland, owner of the Mountaineer in Keene Valley, knows this as much as anyone. His business depends on customers who recreate in the outdoors. In winter, they include backcountry skiers, ice climbers, mountaineers, and snowshoers. If there is a shortage of snow or ice in the winter, chances are there will be a shortage of customers visiting the Adirondacks and his store.
The 2015-16 Adirondack skiing and snowboarding season will kick-off on Thanksgiving morning at Whiteface Mountain. The season is beginning on schedule at state facilities with extensive snow-making operations, despite a warmer than normal autumn.
Temperatures in Lake Placid are forecast to be near 50 on Thursday and Friday. Gore Mountain in North Creek will open on Friday – no other ski facilities are expected to be open this weekend.
You can learn more about downhill facility improvements and plans for the upcoming season in Jeff Farbaniec’s 2015-16 Ski Season Preview. » Continue Reading.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) Board has voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area Unit Management Plan (UMP) to renovate the existing Porcupine Lodge located on top of Lookout Mountain.
The Lodge, a part of the original ski center, will be used by ski patrol and as a day-use only public warming hut and snack bar. The APA Board found the proposal conforms to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. ORDA is authorized to begin work to ensure Porcupine Lodge is open for the 2015-2016 ski season. » Continue Reading.
It may seem like fall is reluctant to give up its grip on the northeast, but ski season is just around the corner. Gore and Whiteface are targeting the day after Thanksgiving to start spinning their lifts, with most other New York ski areas following suit shortly thereafter. Here’s a look at what’s new for skiers and riders across the region. » Continue Reading.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) are seeking public comments about a proposal from the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) to renovate and expand Porcupine Lodge on Lookout Mountain at the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area.
The lodge is located in an Adirondack Sub-alpine Forest Bird Conservation Area a short distance from the top lift terminal of the newly developed Lookout Mountain Triple Chairlift. Public comments are being accepted until October 22, 2015. » Continue Reading.
In the July/August issue of Adirondack Explorer, I read the article “Soaking in the scenery” about hiking the Great Range in a day. I hadn’t climbed any mountain in the Adirondacks, and I figured that, even though I knew that I couldn’t come close to what those hikers were able to do, I was a 72-year-old guy in good health who should be able to climb Whiteface Mountain in a day. » Continue Reading.
With a clear forecast and a plan to paddle the full circuit of Lake Placid, I decided to enhance the outing by looking for the painting viewpoints of William Trost Richards (1833-1905), who had painted there for a week in 1904.
Richards’ long career included many summers in the Elizabethtown area, and at the age of 71 he went on a Lake Placid painting trip with his daughter, the artist Anna Richards Brewster. » Continue Reading.
A survey of birds on Whiteface Mountain has found that many species have moved uphill in the past forty years, possibly in response to climate change.
New York State Museum curator Jeremy Kirchman and Alison Van Keuren, a volunteer, conducted bird surveys on the 4,867-foot peak in 2013 and 2014. Their work replicated surveys by two University at Albany biologists, K.P. Able and B.R. Noon, in 1973 and 1974. » Continue Reading.
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