Finally...some terrific "white stuff" amounting to a few inches of snow blanketing the Lake George Region in upstate NY. In the past few years it seems that all the good snow storms have come up the NJ and PA areas, get to just below Albany and bang a quick right into New England. Just not fair!! Luckily, we have some great snowmaking systems for our ski mountains here and Gore and West Mountains have been preparing for weeks for this school vacation week in particular.
At Gore Mountain, the interconnect is complete and has opened up a whole new set of runs and glades that connect the North Creek Ski Bowl to the main mountain(s) at Gore. Whiteface Mountain, about 90 miles to our north, and the home of the Olympic Ski venues has been cooking on full steam for several weeks now. A co-worker was up into Lake Placid village last Thursday and said it "was a different world up there with lots of natural snow everywhere!".
Closer to Lake George, we also have West Mountain, in Queensbury. A very family friendly place with great skiing, snowboarding and tubing for everyone. Easy to get to off I-87 the Northway too. Hickory Ski Center came online again last year. Snugged against a mountain that overlooks down into the Hudson River, Hickory is one of the last remaining, truly natural terrain mountains of the east. Most of its ski terrain is glades that you would think you were the first human being to discover in the wilderness. Because of this, however, their snow making is very limited so they really depend on Mother Nature to do her dilligence and get their runs covered with the white stuff. Hickory is a must do for Black Diamond skiiers seeking a bit of something different. Not a lot of flash or glamour but the thrill of feeling like you are the very first explorer to find the mountain!
From my window, as always i will keep my eye on the Veteran's Memorial Highway at Prospect Mountain. My office window overlooks the gates and when i see they have opened for snowmobilers i will keep everyone informed. Its a must do and very awesome to get to the top and see for 100 miles in all directions! If you like a challenge of hiking or snowshoeing, you can access the mountain anytime from walking trail access points. Slap your snowshoes on your back, get to the roadway on the mountain and start treking! Next week, some tips on cross country skiing options in the region.
Need info on any of the Adirondack North Country ski areas or any other winter sport?? Contact our office or check out our website at http://www.lakegeorgechamber.com/ and we have links to ski conditions, businesses open and welcoming guests, etc. right from our home page.
Winter has arrived in the North Country and Lake George....come and visit--the fireplace is cracklin'
