North Creek Ski Bowl, NY: 2/27/11

The North Creek Ski Bowl is an important part of the history of skiing in New York. On that spot, in 1935, Carl Shaeffer installed the state's first rope tow. And North Creek's first lift-served ski area was the final destination of the ski trains that ran until World War II.

But the small mountain is more than an historical treasure. It's home to some great tree skiing. Click here for Ski Bowl photos and a trip report.

Big Tupper Photo Exhibit

Robert Kennedy at Big Tupper

Ski Big Tupper is presenting a slideshow of hundreds of photos of the mountain from construction in 1960 through the 1980s. Images will be shown on monitors throughout the base lodge. Shots include helicopters setting the towers for Chair 3, ski jumping contests, and the classic image above of Bobby Kennedy loading onto Chair 1. The exhibit is running now through this Sunday 2/27 at Big Tupper.

Skiing, Movement, Photography and Video

I continue to think about the challenge of digitally capturing ski days. Powerful, imaginative images can be a source of joy forever. But I don't want shooting to diminish the ski experience for myself or others.

(click to enlarge)

There's something I like about this sequence of images. They're sharp enough, the conditions were decent, and Rochester Mark is a great skier.

But there's more to it than that. The series was taken with a continuous shooting feature. If you (click to) enlarge the panel above and glance from image to image, you can almost imagine Mark in action. When I run quickly through those photos in a digital album, it's very evocative of skiing. In a rudimentary way, it simulates movement.

Twin Tips and Change

I've never been one to readily accept change. I seem to find comfort repeating things over and over. I do the same drive to ski the same mountain 20+ days a year.

I remember when Karhu announced they were changing the XCDGT from 57mm at the waist, up to 68, and making it shorter. I got online and bought a new replica of the old GTs I was skiing at the time. I have 2 pairs of Merrill Doubles and one pair is still in the original box. (If I could ski my way through my Asolo Snowfields, and BOTH pairs of Merrill Doubles - I'd die a happy man.)

I've been resisting the idea of twin tip skis since I first became aware of them. They're for jibbers. I have no desire to ski backwards. It will be hard to herringbone. But this season, if you're committed to "directional skis" your choices seem slim.

I'd asked for advice on moving to a fatter ski, and the advice that I got was pretty consistent: Line Prophet 90s, 100s, and Icelantic Pilgrims. Very similar skis that are all twin tips.

Early in the season, on groomers, the Pilgrims rocked. They have more torsional rigidity than any ski I've tried. They are good on hard surfaces. Later in the season, when I got into the trees, I couldn't get them around. These boards are definitely much bigger (and heavier) than anything I've ever skied. I wasn't being aggressive enough. I started to wonder, is this my new groomer ski? That wasn't how I'd planned it.

Hickory Ski Center's 4th Annual Telefest

Hickory Ski Center in Warrensburg, New York, held its 4th Annual Telemark Festival today. There were plenty of activities including an organized Tour de Trees, telemark gear demos, a "Skin Challenge" and an ongoing Après Party with music that started around 3 pm.

But I couldn't concentrate on anything but the hill and the skiers I met. Hickory is a simple, pure skiing experience that I won't forget, and I'll long to relive. Click to read: the full Telemark Festival Trip Report.

Jackson Hole: One Man's Paradise

Have you ever thought about a famous ski resort and asked yourself, "I wonder what it was like to ski that mountain before it was discovered?"

In the final Magazine installment based on his mid-December trip to Wyoming, James interviews Bob Peters — who bought property at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1974 and has skied, taught, and/or guided at the mountain ever since.

If you're a fan of Jackson Hole or planning to be one in the near future (I'm in the second category), this article is a must-read.

NY Ski Magazine:

Jackson Hole: One Man's Paradise

Windham Mtn, NY: 2/7/11

by Jamesdeluxe

After my last four destination trips ended up hitting the powder jackpot in one form or another, I finally got my karmic comeuppance this weekend at Windham in the northern Catskills, where we had booked two days of lessons for our son. Jason called me from Hunter Saturday morning and said that the snow was nice, so I figured that the 3-5 inches predicted for that afternoon would only help conditions at Windham.

Hickory Ski Center, NY: 2/5/11

How do you find fresh powder in the Southern Adirondacks, on a Saturday, four days after a storm? Read the trip report to find out.

Gore Mountain, NY: 2/5/11

Forecasters had been waffling all week on today's weather event. Still, I was surprised to find a winter storm warning in effect for the southern Adirondacks as I was brewing morning coffee. We woke to a cold and cloudy dawn that yielded to a clear morning.

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