Nordic Area Conditions

Cross country skied Mt. Van Hoevernberg Wednesday with my daughter and grand kids. Homeschool gym class for them. Just plain great ski for me. The crisp blue sky, cool temps and packed powder on the 1st of April (not April fooling either). They had an orienteering type ski that I did with them to start it was just close in easy trails but fun. I think there were a couple kids trying skiing for the first time ever that was nice they seemed to do well. The ski area is just like alpine areas this time of year mid week deserted. The whole thing was groomed to world class cord and track set. I go x/c skiing all the time never ever in super conditions like that. I hadn’t been there in probably 20 years so I got a map and asked a nice gal from there to direct me to an hour tour that she thought would be good for me. She directed me to the East Mt. Loop. Great ski open woods through a sugarbush up to height of land then cruise down to the stadium area. I ended the day with another easy loop with the grand kids and a big smile on my face. I doubt if conditions have ever been better there.

Skied Prospect Mountain, 9 miles east of Bennington VT today, Easter Sunday April.  You know that it's spring, there's dirt in the snow.   But 100% coverage.  Awesome.  Come get some.

Skied at Lapland Lake today with the fam.  A few rough spots but generally good coverage, their entire trail system is open.  New owners are doing a good job, Olavi is still doing a significant amount of the grooming.  Saw him while we were out skiing and chatted for a couple minutes.  He's 85 now but could easily pass for 25 years younger, a real inspiration.

Skied Lapland on Sunday, 21 February.  Most of the trail system was open, two of the double black diamond climbs on Karhu Polku were closed.  There were sections with really good coverage mixed with really dirty sections.  A few ice patches and three exposed rocks.  More like spring conditions than winter.  Overall a good experience in this winter of our discontent.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg Keeping Hope Alive!

Reopen to be Announced
Rain changing back to snow tomorrow night, look for a possible reopening for the
weekend! Public skiing at the jumps all day today, 9 am to 4 pm. Purchase a day
pass at the ticket booth, or show your season's pass please. Intermediate or better
skiing ability required - these are the trails that our World Cup biathlon team train
on!

The 4 inches that fell in Saratoga yesterday made for excellent XC conditions out the back door.  Beautiful snow, no annoying clumpage, great coverage.  Went out after work for about a 90 minute tour with the kids, got back home in the dark (we brought headlamps).  





It has stayed cold all day today, so I'll probably go out again this evening.  The fact that the best snow of the winter came on April 4 seems like a fitting, ironic ending to this lousiest of winters.

Cascade, Mt Van Ho, Dewey & Paul Smiths:

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2016/11/tri-lakes-cross-country-ski-centers-open-early/

On Friday and Saturday I skied Mt van Hoevenberg.  Wet packed powder, as the temperature was above freezing, even at night.  Some great coverage and some thin spots.  It took us longer to descend Ladies 5 than it did to climb it, the downhill were really sketchy.  Apparently it was much better earlier in the week.

Scuttlebutt is that Prospect is the place with good coverage for now -

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2016/12/snow-factory/

Did some moonlight XC last night at Opdahl Farm in Gansevoort (Just off exit 16, Northway)

Headlamp only required 50% of the time.  

A few skiiers had been through already providing a nice clean, fast track to ski.  Found this place two autumns ago, wasn't able to ski it last year due to such low snow.  Excited to get back as it's only 5 minutes from home.

Lots of deer track, had a barn owl scare the hell out of me with his loud & long call.  Being out at night, in winter with a big moon at your back is a great thing.

Alpina Blazer toe is ripped up about 25% back-- had feet to close to a fire a couple years back and forgot to fix them.  Shoe Goo to be applied tonight.

Ain't snow grand?

Anyone into Nordic skiing, Garnet Hill  till the end of february. Tell them ED sent you Pay 1/2 day price for full day.
 

Got my butt home from work an hour or so early on Friday. It was just enough to go mess around at our local town park. Nothing big, just some laps around the sports fields and some sketching runs down the sledding hill.





It's pretty cool being able to ski in town and I got a workout. My Nordic skills leave a lot to be desired but the few times I fell were from trying to go too fast in the flats, not the hill.

Prospect Mt, 9 April.  Couldn't ask for a better last day of the year.  Complete coverage, bluebird skies, fast early conditions that slowed down as it warmed to 55 F and the inevitable bare spots showed up.



When Steve grooms on Saturday night, knowing Sunday will likely be his last day, that says something about this place.

** MEDIA ADVISORY **

Always Snow at Mt. Van Hoevenberg with Snowfactory… U.S. Paralympic Nordic Team to Train Beginning Oct. 24
LAKE PLACID, N.Y.  (October 10, 2017) – Even though temperatures have been well into the upper 60’s and even the 70’s this autumn, the Technoalpin Snowfactory has been churning out snow ahead of the Nordic ski season at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, in Lake Placid, N.Y. The United States Paralympic Nordic team begins training in Lake Placid, Wednesday, Oct. 24, and the Nordic center is planning on its earliest-ever opening to the public, Saturday, Oct. 28.

On Friday, Oct. 13, at 10:30 a.m., media is invited to the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Nordic center for a unique opportunity to see how it’s preparing for  the 2017-’18 Nordic ski season, utilizing the Technoalpin Snowfactory technology. Be sure to bring your skis and try out the snow.

The Snowfactory, designed to complement traditional snowmaking methods, is housed in an insulated shipping container, where it creates thin ice flakes that are delivered to a conveyor belt that sprays snow from the system.
WHAT: An inside look at how Mt. Van Hoevenberg is gearing up for the 2017-’18 Nordic ski season, utilizing the Technoalpin Snowfactory technology. Mt. Van Hoevenberg the only location in North America utilizing the Technoalpin Snowfactory technology.
 
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 13, 10:30 a.m.
 
WHERE: Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cross Country Ski Center, 220 Bobsled Lane Rd., Lake Placid, N.Y., 12946
 
Media in attending the unveiling event, contact Jon Lundin, ORDA communications, Email, jlundin@orda.org, Tel: 518-523-1655 ext. 5313.
 

I spoke with Kris Cheney Seymour about this. Mt van Ho are preparing for a 7-day training camp for Paralympic cross country skiers and biathletes.  Due to my real life job, I can't get there on the 13th. If all goes well, they'll keep blowing snow and will open to season pass holders on 1 November.

Garnet Hill Trail clearing weekend Sat- Sun Nov 11-12 at the cross country ski center in North River lunch provided. First 50 to sign up receive 2017 season pass. 251-2444. This was a call for Volunteers in local Chronicle newspaper. Thought you could go up and help them out Harv.

I can't be there, but I'd like to help promote this. I will look for a facebook post to share.  Maybe we can get something going for the front page.

Mount van Hoevenberg Conditions, 12/29 - 12/31/2017

Wicked cold.  All trails were rolled, but not all were track set.  Good early season coverage: you could hit all the bumps that go away with 12-18" snowfall.  Fine to bring good skis out.

sno at van ho

Van Snowvenberg!