2 <strong>Adirondack</strong> <strong>Sports</strong> Mrs. Claus Deserves Whatever She Wants...
XC SKIING & SNOWSHOEING DECEMBER <strong>2022</strong> 3 LAKE TRAIL ON DAY TWO OF LAPLAND LAKE’S <strong>2022</strong>-23 SEASON. IT’S ALL SMILES AT MT. VAN HOEVENBERG ON OPENING WEEK. Cross-Country Season Preview After a November Tease, Areas Wait on Snow By Alex Kochon In mid-November, northeastern New Yorkers got a little taste of winter with enough snowfall and low temperatures for at least a couple of days of quality skiing. A few ski areas opened before Thanksgiving, which is a rarity for East Coast ski areas in recent years. It’s even more impressive when cross-country ski areas can open this early, as most rely on natural (as opposed to machinemade) snow. The Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center in Northville was among the first to open on Nov. 17 and remained in operation for nine days around Thanksgiving. Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid was close behind, opening Nov. 19. “All it took was a little help from mother nature and just like that we are open,” the Ski Van Hoevenberg Facebook page noted. As of Dec. 3, Lapland still had some base coverage on its trails but needed colder, drier weather and fresh snow to reopen. “Looking at current forecasts, it looks promising for reopening around Dec. 12,” owners Kathy and Paul Zahray wrote in an email. “This can easily change in either direction.” They advised skiers to check the daily conditions on Lapland’s website for updates. Meanwhile, the Mt. Van Hoevenberg cross-country trails remain open with 1.5 kilometers of its World Cup Trails, which is bolstered by snowmaking on a 5K loop. As for most of the rest of the local XC areas, it’s a waiting game as they hope for below-freezing temperatures and snow to start falling again. Here’s more on the latest from other local Nordic ski and snowshoe areas and trail systems: Lapland Lake – Despite inflation driving up costs, Lapland has kept its daily trail-pass rates the same thanks to an uptick in skiers. “For ski and snowshoe equipment purchases, retail list prices are up but inventory availability is better than the past two years so we are doing a bit more with pre-Christmas sale pricing,” Paul and Kathy explained. Lapland offers overnight lodging, which is in high demand from mid-January through the end of February. At the ski lodge, it has a full retail and rental shop, plus indoor seating. On busy days, a food truck will offer dining options, while indoor cafe service will be reserved for quieter weekdays. Indoor and outdoor seating will be available daily, with an outdoor warming fire on busy days, however, indoor seating is limited. Back by popular demand, 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 PSIAcertified female instructors, includes a classic-skiing clinic on Jan. 21 and skate-skiing clinic on Feb. 11. Advance reservation is required. For more info and to register, go to the “Ticket” section of Lapland’s website. Lapland also has a NYS Ski Racing MAYFIELD SKIER DURING THE <strong>2022</strong> NYS HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPS AT GORE. Association (NYSSRA Nordic) 10K skate race scheduled for Dec. 17. More info: laplandlake.com. Garnet Hill – The Garnet Hill Outdoor Center in North River has a new manager this season, Tim Emmerick, a PSIA Nordic instructor who worked there last season. An experienced guide in the <strong>Adirondack</strong>s for various outdoor activities, Tim was a New York City musician who decided to return to the mountains. He now lives in the Speculator-Piseco area with his wife. As of early <strong>December</strong>, the Garnet Hill ski trails weren’t open yet, but it plans to open its dining (Bobcat Lounge & Sugar House) and have a holiday sale at the Outdoor Center on Dec. 17. Pre-season pricing for season passes will be available in-store during the sale.” Starting Dec. 17, the Bobcat Lounge will be open on weekends. The Sugar House out on the trails will also be open Saturdays and Sundays with hot beverages and maple snacks. Up on the hill, Garnet Hill Lodge’s Log House Restaurant will be open seven days a week serving breakfast (for lodge guests only), lunch, and dinner menu, and happy hour on Fridays. More info: garnet-hill.com. Mt. Van Hoevenberg – The 1980 Olympic venue, affectionally known as Van Ho, has been rolling out snow and grooming as much as possible since Thanksgiving. As of Dec. 6, they had 1.5k of the World Cup Trails groomed. When open in full, 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. Programs include learn to ski for youth skiers, parent/child ski programs, and a lifetime approach to skiing. More info: mtvanhoevenberg.com. Gore Mountain Nordic Center – The North Creek Ski Bowl offers a professionally groomed 5K trail network that features snowmaking and lighting to extend your snow-time into the evening hours. The stadium layout provides an ideal training and racing venue that recently received four FIS racing certifications. You can also explore a scenic overlook, challenging hill climbs, descents, and different loops to lap the best distance for your goals. There are recreational trails available, plus equipment rentals and lessons. More info: goremountain.com. Continued on page 7
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