Adirondack Sports January 2024

XC SKIING & SNOWSHOEING
Skiing is
Good for You
Get Out and Have Fun!
By Alex Kochon
Cross country skiing is fun to learn, healthy, family-friendly,
accessible, affordable, and it offers
great variety! It uses natural movements – doesn’t
require special skills to get started and has a short learning
curve. Just an hour or two spent being coached by a
professional instructor will give you the skills needed for
a lifetime of fun!
For cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, Lapland
Lake XC Ski & Vacation Center near Northville, offers
lodging and a ski lodge with a retail and rental shop, plus
indoor seating, dining, and a food truck on busier days.
The Ladies XC Ski Clinics are returning to Lapland for
beginner to intermediate skiers ages 18 and older. This
all-women ski program, which is grouped by ability and
taught by PSIA-certified female instructors, includes a
classic-skiing clinic on Jan. 20 and skate-skiing clinic on
Feb. 3. Advance reservation is required. To register, go to
“Ticket” section of their website. A six-week Youth Skate
Ski Clinic is for ages 8-14 of all abilities to introduce them
to the technique and improve. There will also be a Youth
Festival on Feb. 11. Visit: laplandlake.com.
The Garnet Hill Lodge & Outdoor Center in North
River has Michele Pearsall back as its new manager this
season, and she’s an experienced guide in the Adirondacks
for various outdoor activities. The ski and snowshoeing
trails and retail/rental shop are open, as well as its Bobcat
Lounge & Sugar House on weekends. The Sugar House
out on the trails will have hot beverages and maple snacks.
Up on the hill, their Log House Restaurant is open daily
for breakfast for lodge guests, lunch/dinner is open for all,
and happy hour on Fridays. More info: garnet-hill.com.
In Lake Placid, Mt. Van Hoevenberg has been rolling
out snow and grooming as much as possible since
Thanksgiving. When fully open, Van Ho has 55K of trails
that are groomed daily for all abilities, including 4K of
world championship rated trails. The Mountain Pass
lodge offers a restaurant, ski shop, equipment rentals and
more. Visit: mtvanhoevenberg.com.
At the Gore Mountain Nordic Center, the North Creek
Ski Bowl offers a groomed 5K trail network with snow-
DELIGHT ON
SKIER FACES AT
BROOKHAVEN
WINTER PARK ON
JANUARY 8, 2024.
◀ TOWN OF
GREENFIELD
making and lighting
to extend your
snow-time into
the evening hours.
The stadium layout
provides an ideal
training and racing
venue. You can also
explore a scenic overlook,
challenging hill
climbs, descents, and
different loops. There
are recreational trails
available, plus equipment
rentals and lessons.
◀ IT’S A WINER WONDERLAND
AT LAPLAND LAKE XC SKI
CENTER ON JANUARY 8, 2024. Visit: goremountain.com.
PAUL ZAHRAY
A gem in the Town of
Greenfield, Brookhaven
Winter Park, 10 minutes from Saratoga Springs, it offers
about 20K of XC ski trails that are groomed for classic and
skate several days a week. There are also two snowshoe
loops. These trails are free and open to public use. In
the clubhouse, The View, is a full-service bar and restaurant.
They have expanded park events, including a learn
to ski program, Brookhaven 5K Snowshoe Race on Jan.
21 – followed by a fun Family Winterfest Celebration! On
Jan. 27, there’s a Full Moon Party for adults with skiing,
snowshoeing, bonfire and spirits. Visit: facebook.com/
brookhavenski.
In Glens Falls, Cole’s Woods is another community
park that transforms into a winter wonderland when it’s
blessed with natural snow, Cole’s Woods in Glens Falls
has a lighted 5K loop, which is groomed as needed by volunteers,
and it has free Thursday Night Winter Races on
January 18 and 25 and February 1 and 8 for skate skiers,
classic skiers, and snowshoers of all levels. The Friends of
Cole’s Woods has just completed a new Hadley Loop, plus
added new grading, 20 poles, four dozen lighting fixtures,
and underground wiring so no more problems with winds
taking down the above ground wiring. See the website for
their new map. More info: friendsofcoleswoods.org.
Based in East Poestenkill, Pineridge, just east of Troy,
this cross-country ski area is situated at about 1,746 feet
above sea level, a prime spot for natural snow, with views
of the Taconic Range and Mount Greylock – celebrating its
40th season in business. In addition to offering day rentals
and lessons, Pineridge has season-long equipment rentals
for children. Visit: pineridgexc.com.
In Saranac Lake, Dewey Mountain has Youth Ski
League and Adult XC and snowshoe programs beginning
in early January. They’ve got lighted night skiing, a modern
lodge, groomed and ungroomed trails, rentals – and
it’s only $5 per day – and many great programs and events.
Visit: deweymountain.com.
The ADK Cascade Welcome Center is a year-round
outdoor recreation and information center. The 12-mile
trail network is groomed for classic skiing and snowshoeing.
The lodge also is a full-service ski shop with rentals.
JANUARY 2024 9
ADK members can ski for free, and day passes and season
passes are available. Visit: adk.org.
The vision of High Peaks Cyclery owner Brian Delaney,
Scotts Cobble Nordic Center came to fruition last year
with a newly repurposed 10K community XC trail system
on the Craig Wood Golf Course in the town of North Elba.
Once a small downhill ski area, the new Scotts Cobble
features lighted, dog-friendly trails for day or nighttime
cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing,
fat biking, and sledding – with rentals available.
Scotts Cobble hosts weekday after-school programs,
and upcoming events include a Nordic Demo Day on
Jan. 20 with Fischer ski reps and more, a Full Moon Ski
Party on Jan. 26 with lighted skiing, a bonfire, and “This
is Telemark” film with NoCo Kneedroppers – spreading
the stoke of tele skiers! There will be another Full Moon
Party on Feb. 23 featuring the new Kikkan Randall film.
The clubhouse serves as a lodge with restroom facilities
and lights have been installed along the 10K trail system.
Visit: highpeakscyclery.com.
The Paul Smith’s VIC, operated by Paul Smith’s
College, just north of Saranac Lake, offers XC skiing and
snowshoeing, a ski school, snowshoe and ski rentals, a
café, and access to the Jenkins Mountain Open Woods Ski
Zone. Visit: paulsmithsvic.org.
In Tupper Lake, the James Frenette Recreational
Trails connect the Tupper Lake Golf Course to Big Tupper
ski area. The six main groomed trails offer a variety of terrain
and scenic vistas, and lighted night skiing. Visit: tupperlake.com.
Inlet and Old Forge – Inlet offers miles of free, groomed
trails for classic and skate skiing at Fern Park (22K), Inlet
Golf Club (3.5K), and Limekiln Lake Campground (3.5K).
Fern Park has some climbs and descents, plus 2K that are
lighted until 10pm. More info: inletny.com. In Old Forge,
McCauley Mountain Ski Area has 2.5K, 5K and 7.5K of
cross-country ski trails. Depending on conditions, the
trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. More info:
mccauleyny.com.
Other Opportunities – For those interested in racing
this winter, NYSSRA Nordic offers races for all ages
and abilities, beginner to expert, including Club Series,
Points Series, Junior National Qualifiers, NYSSRA Nordic
Championships, and a Youth Ski Festival. NYSSRA also
sponsors several Bill Koch Youth Ski Leagues for children
to learn the sport, with programs in Clifton Park, Saratoga
Springs, Glens Falls, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Old Forge,
Tug Hill, and others in western New York. More info: nyssranordic.org.
The inaugural ADK Tour de Ski, a new exciting XC race
series had a great turnout with all levels and ages of skiers
for the first race at Mt Van Hoevenberg on Dec. 16. It features
six venues and multiple distances so you can race
(or tour) hard and spend a day or weekend in the spectacular
Adirondacks. Upcoming races are Frenette Trails
in Tupper Lake on Jan. 14, Dewey Mountain in Saranac
Lake on Jan. 20, Scotts Cobble in Lake Placid on Feb. 10,
Cascade in Lake Placid on Feb. 25, and the Paul Smith’s
VIC in Paul Smiths on March 10.
Winter fun is here, now get outside and ski!
Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) of Gansevoort is
a freelance writer, editor, and outdoor-loving mom of
two who enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks.