Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A Neighborly Visit to Mad River Glen
I'm not a big fan of helmet cam video. But this is a really nice piece of work. The key grip takes time to pause and film his partners. The doggies are a nice touch. The music is great.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Garden State: Ramp Season
Posted by Jamesdeluxe:
After living in Brooklyn for seven years, I moved to New Jersey in 2004. Like most people, mention the Garden State and what came to mind for me was that 20-mile dead zone along the New Jersey Turnpike – all immortalized in the Sopranos’ opening theme...
I’m not here to argue that this hostile perception of New Jersey’s urban areas is false or exaggerated. But what surprises me is how bucolic and pleasant the rest of state is for outdoor people. The past two weekends, my family and I have been hiking at a 2,000-acre park a half mile from our house.
There, I’ve raided several huge patches of "ramps," also known as wild leeks. They only grow for a few weeks in mid to late April (usually alongside or near streams) and are considered a delicacy among cooks.
I grilled them in a butter/olive oil mixture alongside mahi-mahi – they have a fantastic flavor halfway between scallions and garlic.
I know that Chicago was named after the local Native American term shikaakwa, which means “stinking onion.” I wonder if they were referring to ramps? In any event, go out and get ‘em; they’ll be gone soon.
After living in Brooklyn for seven years, I moved to New Jersey in 2004. Like most people, mention the Garden State and what came to mind for me was that 20-mile dead zone along the New Jersey Turnpike – all immortalized in the Sopranos’ opening theme...
I’m not here to argue that this hostile perception of New Jersey’s urban areas is false or exaggerated. But what surprises me is how bucolic and pleasant the rest of state is for outdoor people. The past two weekends, my family and I have been hiking at a 2,000-acre park a half mile from our house.
There, I’ve raided several huge patches of "ramps," also known as wild leeks. They only grow for a few weeks in mid to late April (usually alongside or near streams) and are considered a delicacy among cooks.
I grilled them in a butter/olive oil mixture alongside mahi-mahi – they have a fantastic flavor halfway between scallions and garlic.
I know that Chicago was named after the local Native American term shikaakwa, which means “stinking onion.” I wonder if they were referring to ramps? In any event, go out and get ‘em; they’ll be gone soon.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
2010 Spring Weekend in the Adirondacks
I usually head up to the Adironacks in May, by myself, for a work weekend. Split the wood for next season, and handle other chores that bore the women folk. Last year, on May 2, I found it to be surprisingly buggy. With the early end to winter this year, I moved the work weekend up. This year CB and Neve really wanted to come.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Gore Friends Program Scam
It's pretty simple really. For every NEW Gore Skier that you bring to the the mountain both you and that new skier get a 10% discount. All pass applications must be submitted together with full payment. It's conceivable that one industrious organizer could get his or her pass free.
On March 6 of this past season I was riding the Straightbrook Quad with two skiers I didn't know. We got to chatting and talking about pass prices. At $699 I think Gore's full pass, including Whiteface, is one of the best deals in the Northeast.
Skier #1 made a comment to the effect that it WAS an even better deal than most people realized. Skier #2 shot him a glance, and subtly elbowed him.
I asked what he meant. Skier #1 said that with the friends program it was even cheaper. I knew about the discount program and had been part of it in my first passholding season 2006/2007.
I said ... well that's good your first time. He told me he'd been getting the discount for several years, by manipulating the system, in a way I won't recount.
It amazed me that he was openly bragging about it. Clearly, I was a passholder; my badge was right on my sleeve. I couldn't help think ... who did he think he was stealing that money from? Yeah, he's stealing it from the mountain. He's stealing it from me too.
While Gore is profitable, the mountain is not a cash cow. ORDA reported that in 08/09 Gore did about $9.5M in revenue against $9.0M in operating costs. And with the current budget pressure the mountain is under, there a distinct possibility that either prices will rise, or services will decline, or both.
The way I see it, that's going to cost legitimate passholders the most. I'd urge the mountain to do everything possible to crackdown on this fraud, and Gore skiers to report any incidents to management.
I'm curious if anyone knows about this scam. Post comments below.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Jamesdeluxe's Highlights 09/10
Posted by Jamesdeluxe:
65-hour work weeks, very little flexibility for time off, and a four-year-old at home aren't a good recipe for any skier, especially one based a half hour west of New York City. Still, I made it to 28 days, and while none fell into the "best-ever" category, there were lots of great moments that'll stick in my mind until next winter.
* * *
Winter Park/Mary Jane, CO: 12/14/09
Deluxe Tracks on Milligan's Mile
Due to uncooperative weather in the East, my first ski day didn't come until a mid-December trip to Colorado. I'd always heard divergent opinions on this sprawling ski area and was lucky to go there after an overnight storm dropped a foot of snow. The Winter Park side is a series of ridgelines with long runouts and oddly-placed lifts, but by poaching closed trails, I scored plenty of untracked, calf-deep powder.
Telegirl on Golden Spike
Late morning, I moved over to far more interesting Mary Jane next door, which lived up to its reputation of consistently-pitched fall-line skiing. Since it was so early in the season, my 1,800-vert laps were on soft baby bumps from top to bottom -- as opposed to the minivan-size that they undoubtedly become after more snow and traffic.
* * *
Belleayre Mountain, NY: 1/16/10
Everyone likes to show their home hill to a newcomer, and for Belleayre's annual press day, I brought Harv for his first turns in the western Catskills. He had a great time meeting loquacious superintendent Tony Lanza, but the day's highlight was unquestionably the Belleayre Beast.
The BEAST
65-hour work weeks, very little flexibility for time off, and a four-year-old at home aren't a good recipe for any skier, especially one based a half hour west of New York City. Still, I made it to 28 days, and while none fell into the "best-ever" category, there were lots of great moments that'll stick in my mind until next winter.
* * *
Winter Park/Mary Jane, CO: 12/14/09
Deluxe Tracks on Milligan's Mile
Due to uncooperative weather in the East, my first ski day didn't come until a mid-December trip to Colorado. I'd always heard divergent opinions on this sprawling ski area and was lucky to go there after an overnight storm dropped a foot of snow. The Winter Park side is a series of ridgelines with long runouts and oddly-placed lifts, but by poaching closed trails, I scored plenty of untracked, calf-deep powder.
Telegirl on Golden Spike
Late morning, I moved over to far more interesting Mary Jane next door, which lived up to its reputation of consistently-pitched fall-line skiing. Since it was so early in the season, my 1,800-vert laps were on soft baby bumps from top to bottom -- as opposed to the minivan-size that they undoubtedly become after more snow and traffic.
* * *
Belleayre Mountain, NY: 1/16/10
Everyone likes to show their home hill to a newcomer, and for Belleayre's annual press day, I brought Harv for his first turns in the western Catskills. He had a great time meeting loquacious superintendent Tony Lanza, but the day's highlight was unquestionably the Belleayre Beast.
The BEAST
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Long Range Report Card 09/10
I was looking through last summer's long range forecasts. What I found looks pretty good in retrospect. Caveat: I haven't followed the weather out west. I'm really looking at the Northeast.
Bastardi's Call
The biggest, baddest of all the long term calls comes each summer from Accuweather's Joe Bastardi. Accuweather is known for making bold calls and hyping them bigtime. They've gone down in flames recently, including Bastardi's call for 08/09. This year his call, made in mid-July, was SPOT ON for the northeast.
Bastardi's Call
The biggest, baddest of all the long term calls comes each summer from Accuweather's Joe Bastardi. Accuweather is known for making bold calls and hyping them bigtime. They've gone down in flames recently, including Bastardi's call for 08/09. This year his call, made in mid-July, was SPOT ON for the northeast.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Harv's Highlights 09/10
November was incredibly warm, a washout. By mid-month, weather sources were in agreement ... cold was coming, although the arrival date was constantly being pushed back.
December 4 was Opening Day at Gore, and I gleefully lapped 280' of vertical:
It finally got cold, and we actually had a little snow. On December 9, we had a rare NWS winter storm warning and 13 inches of snow. It was an incredible, borderline event that resulted in snow on Gore. Many mountains were not so fortunate.
Total snow for the month was almost average, and temps remained cold enough for some progress from both natural and manmade snow.
New Years Eve, was a day of firsts for our family. Neve had her first lesson and CB switched from tele to alpine gear:
In late December, I had a blast skiing the trees on progressively minimal cover. By New Years, the trees were still pretty decent, but some important upper mountain trails were bulletproof and thin. My TRs were pretty upbeat, and in the forums, some called me out for posting BS.
On January 2, I put up Harv's Disclaimer to cover my ass.
On January 3, Gore was on windhold, so I skied up into the Garnet Hills:
My birthday, January 8, was full of technical difficulty, but still memorable. Got first tracks on Lies and Twister, and talked snowmaking during a few runs with Mike Pratt:
My real present came on January 9 when I met EDeO. There isn't a nicer, more generous tree skier at Gore.
Early season was loaded with discontent from the Gore faithful. At the end of our holiday vacation, I went into Mike's office and asked a few questions. On January 10, I posted my Interview with Mike Pratt. Some appreciated the effort, and some called me "part of the Gore propaganda machine."
After some fits and starts, Sagamore came online on January 23. The day put to rest any questions I had about the value of the new terrain on Burnt Ridge:
While the snow drought continued in the mountains, shoveling in NJ was getting really old. On February 15, I got my chance to ski with the Zachara clan:
The four-day double storm, called by Jason on 2/19, dumped eight feet on the Catskills. Gore also did well recording 50 inches for the week. Points east were on the wrong side of the storm.
On 2/25, I watched the radar all through the night. For the eastern Adirondacks ... the difference of precip-type indications from color-coded radar vs the upper mountain reality was stunning. This was the storm that saved March at Gore.
James made the call for Plattekill on February 27 and we struck gold. Snow was insane deep off-piste, but trails were killer:
On March 6, we were back at Gore, skiing perfect spring conditions, when CB conquered Lies...
... and Neve really started linking turns.
Then came the March 7 Monster Day ... prime conditions with trees in play, and a full cast. A Top 3 Day this season.
On March 8, Margo, RacerX and I skied more perfect spring conditions, on a deserted mountain:
My last full day of skiing, March 20 ... was THE Monster Day of the season for me. Full contingent, great conditions, trees wide open, bell-to-bell, nothing better.
This season was almost completely "shoulder." Early season went from Dec 1 through Feb 25. Winter arrived on the weekend of Feb 26 - 28. The rest was spring. The only regret I've got is missing possibly the best day of the year at Gore, February 28. I'll leave it to Jeff to tell that tale.
A decent year all things considered. The weather itself only barely cooperated. But ... I think... by knowing my home mountain better, I'm getting more out of every day on the hill. Reading this over, I do feel like I got my money out of that full pass. I'll be buying another.
December 4 was Opening Day at Gore, and I gleefully lapped 280' of vertical:
It finally got cold, and we actually had a little snow. On December 9, we had a rare NWS winter storm warning and 13 inches of snow. It was an incredible, borderline event that resulted in snow on Gore. Many mountains were not so fortunate.
Total snow for the month was almost average, and temps remained cold enough for some progress from both natural and manmade snow.
New Years Eve, was a day of firsts for our family. Neve had her first lesson and CB switched from tele to alpine gear:
In late December, I had a blast skiing the trees on progressively minimal cover. By New Years, the trees were still pretty decent, but some important upper mountain trails were bulletproof and thin. My TRs were pretty upbeat, and in the forums, some called me out for posting BS.
On January 2, I put up Harv's Disclaimer to cover my ass.
On January 3, Gore was on windhold, so I skied up into the Garnet Hills:
My birthday, January 8, was full of technical difficulty, but still memorable. Got first tracks on Lies and Twister, and talked snowmaking during a few runs with Mike Pratt:
My real present came on January 9 when I met EDeO. There isn't a nicer, more generous tree skier at Gore.
Early season was loaded with discontent from the Gore faithful. At the end of our holiday vacation, I went into Mike's office and asked a few questions. On January 10, I posted my Interview with Mike Pratt. Some appreciated the effort, and some called me "part of the Gore propaganda machine."
After some fits and starts, Sagamore came online on January 23. The day put to rest any questions I had about the value of the new terrain on Burnt Ridge:
While the snow drought continued in the mountains, shoveling in NJ was getting really old. On February 15, I got my chance to ski with the Zachara clan:
The four-day double storm, called by Jason on 2/19, dumped eight feet on the Catskills. Gore also did well recording 50 inches for the week. Points east were on the wrong side of the storm.
On 2/25, I watched the radar all through the night. For the eastern Adirondacks ... the difference of precip-type indications from color-coded radar vs the upper mountain reality was stunning. This was the storm that saved March at Gore.
James made the call for Plattekill on February 27 and we struck gold. Snow was insane deep off-piste, but trails were killer:
On March 6, we were back at Gore, skiing perfect spring conditions, when CB conquered Lies...
... and Neve really started linking turns.
Then came the March 7 Monster Day ... prime conditions with trees in play, and a full cast. A Top 3 Day this season.
On March 8, Margo, RacerX and I skied more perfect spring conditions, on a deserted mountain:
My last full day of skiing, March 20 ... was THE Monster Day of the season for me. Full contingent, great conditions, trees wide open, bell-to-bell, nothing better.
This season was almost completely "shoulder." Early season went from Dec 1 through Feb 25. Winter arrived on the weekend of Feb 26 - 28. The rest was spring. The only regret I've got is missing possibly the best day of the year at Gore, February 28. I'll leave it to Jeff to tell that tale.
A decent year all things considered. The weather itself only barely cooperated. But ... I think... by knowing my home mountain better, I'm getting more out of every day on the hill. Reading this over, I do feel like I got my money out of that full pass. I'll be buying another.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Gore Mountain Ends 09/10 Season
Sent: Wed, Apr 7, 2010 11:20 am
Subject: 09-10 Gore Mountain Ski Season
It is official now, Sunday April 4th was our last day of operation for the 2009-2010 Ski Season. As I may not have everyone's e-mail address on this list would you please let anyone not on this list know that Gore Mountain is closed for the season.
Thank you.
Nicole Durkin
Gore Mountain Ski Area
793 Peaceful Valley Road
North Creek, NY 12853
Subject: 09-10 Gore Mountain Ski Season
It is official now, Sunday April 4th was our last day of operation for the 2009-2010 Ski Season. As I may not have everyone's e-mail address on this list would you please let anyone not on this list know that Gore Mountain is closed for the season.
Thank you.
Nicole Durkin
Gore Mountain Ski Area
793 Peaceful Valley Road
North Creek, NY 12853
Gore Passholder Decisions
With ORDA budget issues looming and the early pass deadlines near, Gore passholders are weighing their options. For some Gore skiers, central Vermont is an enticing option that isn't that much further than the southern Adirondacks.
I thought it would be interesting to look at the numbers for Gore and Killington. I'm using Killington because it's relatively close. And Kmart is loaded with some of the specific things that Gore skiers crave ... operating budget, snowfall, and snowmaking.
This is not to imply that the mountains are comparable. They aren't. Comparing Gore to Killington is like comparing Hickory to Gore. This is about looking at the pros and cons of spending more and driving farther to ski in Vermont.
I thought it would be interesting to look at the numbers for Gore and Killington. I'm using Killington because it's relatively close. And Kmart is loaded with some of the specific things that Gore skiers crave ... operating budget, snowfall, and snowmaking.
This is not to imply that the mountains are comparable. They aren't. Comparing Gore to Killington is like comparing Hickory to Gore. This is about looking at the pros and cons of spending more and driving farther to ski in Vermont.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
NCPR Adirondack Ski Wrapup 09/10
Excerpted from North Country Public Radio:
As ski center managers in the Adirondacks close the books on another winter season, some are reporting an increase in skier visits and revenue. Others say they've had about the same or fewer numbers of visitors compared to last year. Chris Knight looks back on the winter of 2009-2010, including one of the biggest success stories of the winter - the reopening of two smaller, community-centered ski areas:
The largest ski areas in the Adirondacks, Gore Mountain in North Creek and Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, both of which are run by the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, did not see an increase in skier visits this winter.
In fact, Gore Mountain Manager Mike Pratt said he's expecting to end the season with about 15,000 fewer skier visits than last winter. "Between winter starting late, missing out on the Thanksgiving holiday and high winds that kept us closed on New Year's Sunday, there was a big hole that was dug early in the season," Pratt said. “Mid-week Christmas was great and from the second weekend in January on has been really good.”
More from NCPR here:
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/15464/small-ski-areas-thrive-in-sluggish-season
As ski center managers in the Adirondacks close the books on another winter season, some are reporting an increase in skier visits and revenue. Others say they've had about the same or fewer numbers of visitors compared to last year. Chris Knight looks back on the winter of 2009-2010, including one of the biggest success stories of the winter - the reopening of two smaller, community-centered ski areas:
The largest ski areas in the Adirondacks, Gore Mountain in North Creek and Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, both of which are run by the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, did not see an increase in skier visits this winter.
In fact, Gore Mountain Manager Mike Pratt said he's expecting to end the season with about 15,000 fewer skier visits than last winter. "Between winter starting late, missing out on the Thanksgiving holiday and high winds that kept us closed on New Year's Sunday, there was a big hole that was dug early in the season," Pratt said. “Mid-week Christmas was great and from the second weekend in January on has been really good.”
More from NCPR here:
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/15464/small-ski-areas-thrive-in-sluggish-season
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Gore Mtn, NY: 4/2 - 4/4/10
Posted by Powderqueen:
With weather reports of sunshine and temps in the mid seventies, I told my boss I needed to take a sick day because I was going to have Spring Fever.
The skiing on Friday was stupendous. We stayed on the upper mountain all day, lapping the trails off Straightbrook, including the Straightbrook Glade, and the Dark Side, all of which skied well on and off-piste.
Lies had been groomed and skied like butter. The bumps on Rumor were perfect. The snow in the woods was very dirty and rotten, but as it got skied, it got better.
With weather reports of sunshine and temps in the mid seventies, I told my boss I needed to take a sick day because I was going to have Spring Fever.
The skiing on Friday was stupendous. We stayed on the upper mountain all day, lapping the trails off Straightbrook, including the Straightbrook Glade, and the Dark Side, all of which skied well on and off-piste.
Lies had been groomed and skied like butter. The bumps on Rumor were perfect. The snow in the woods was very dirty and rotten, but as it got skied, it got better.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Belleayre Mtn, NY: 4/3/10
Posted by Jamesdeluxe:
As I was driving north this morning, I started having second thoughts about 20 minutes from my house. It was supposed to hit the high 70s in the mountains for the fourth day in a row and I had visions of top-to-bottom slush and bare spots. Luckily, I pushed on and had one of my best spring skiing days ever.
Tele-Hottie on Belleayre Run
Even though Belleayre, like pretty much all of the northeast, had only received trace amounts of snow in March, the coverage was fantastic and it got just cold enough during the night to firm up the snow a bit for absolutely perfect corn corduroy.
As I was driving north this morning, I started having second thoughts about 20 minutes from my house. It was supposed to hit the high 70s in the mountains for the fourth day in a row and I had visions of top-to-bottom slush and bare spots. Luckily, I pushed on and had one of my best spring skiing days ever.
Tele-Hottie on Belleayre Run
Even though Belleayre, like pretty much all of the northeast, had only received trace amounts of snow in March, the coverage was fantastic and it got just cold enough during the night to firm up the snow a bit for absolutely perfect corn corduroy.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Hunter Mtn, NY: 4/2/10
Posted by Jason:
Forecast today for the Catskills was sunny with a high around 75, so my daughters and I went skiing. We arrived around 9 to a quickly-filling parking lot. Temps last night went down to around 40 so the snow firmed up.
Racers Edge
Forecast today for the Catskills was sunny with a high around 75, so my daughters and I went skiing. We arrived around 9 to a quickly-filling parking lot. Temps last night went down to around 40 so the snow firmed up.
Racers Edge
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Advertise on NY Ski Blog
NY Ski Blog has an audience of devoted, skiing and outdoor enthusiasts:
There are three types of ads on Harvey Road:
Ad rates (effective 4/1/11) are as follows. Rates are for one season, and include the off season at no extra charge:
For Sidebar Ads, you'd need to provide a jpg, png or gif, 100k in size, with dimensions 190w x 150w or a larger, proportional size.
For Page Ads (Rafting, Weather etc) submit a jpg with dimensions of 400w x 150h.
We recommend including your phone number on the image. We'll link your ad to your website.
If you think you've got a product or service that you think suits our audience, send a note to harvey44@nyskiblog.com. Please attach your creative (ad copy) or ask for help. We reserve the right to accept or refuse advertising at our discretion.
- About 80% of our visitors are from the Northeast.
- New York, New Jersey, Mass, CT, PA, NH, VT.
- Traffic is highest from Oct - May.
- We currently average 500-1200 visits/day.
- Our audience is continuing to grow.
* * *
There are three types of ads on Harvey Road:
- Sidebar ads appear on the Home Page, Weather, Rafting, Headquarters pages.
- Page ads appear on the Weather and Rafting Pages.
- Ads by Google also appear on NY Ski Blog. Those ads are purchased directly from Google. (Currently suspended).
* * *
| Ad Unit | Size | Cost/Season |
| Sidebar Ad | 190 x 150 px | $225 |
| Page Ad | 400 x 150 px | $125 |
| Sidebar Top | 190 x 150 px | $375 |
| Google Sidebar | 180 x 150 px | n/a |
| Google Footer | 728 x 90 px | n/a |
* * *
For Page Ads (Rafting, Weather etc) submit a jpg with dimensions of 400w x 150h.
We recommend including your phone number on the image. We'll link your ad to your website.
* * *
Nick Z Productions
What follows is the story of a man with a vision.
This year the New Jersey home snowmaking season extended ten weeks, from mid-December through March. Nick worked hard to put out the best product in the neighborhood.
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