COVERING FREE! UPSTATE NY DECEMBER SINCE 2000 2018 Snowshoe Racing START OF THE 2018 CAMP SARATOGA 8K SNOWSHOE RACE AT WILTON WILDLIFE PRESERVE & PARK. BRIAN TEAGUE Something CONTENTS 1 Snowshoe Racing for Everybody! Something for Everybody! 3 Cross Country Skiing By Laura Clark & Snowshoeing hile it is nearly impossible to please all of the people teed snow from its snowmaking system. The past two years we Rensselaer County and all of the time, the 2018-19 Dion WMAC Snowshoe stuck closely to the high school racing Nordic ski route, so expect the Border Country W Series comes pretty darn close. Whether you prefer the ups and downs that make such a course exciting. If natural 5 News Briefs & a clearly-defined ski area, the wooded trails of state parks and snow is in the offing, Gore Nordic Center director Paul Allison, From the Publishers preserves, reconverted rail trails or extreme challenges, there also plans to incorporate the area’s wooded paths. Note that the will be an event to your liking. And those featuring more bang race begins at 2pm and registration includes a Nordic ticket, so 6-9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS for your buck invariably offer a shorter companion version, so bring your skis. If you’d prefer a shorter distance, register for the December to March as to include everyone in your carpool. fun 2.5K recreational event with no timing. Gore is the perfect Things to Do For me, the best thing about snowshoe racing is snubbing opportunity to test your gear and write your Christmas list to 11 Hiking & Trail Running your nose at icy roads and enjoying nature with a bunch of Santa! (skireg.com) like-minded friends. You will encounter national class runners, “Take the road less traveled” at Winter Magic 5K+ on Great Range Traverse: competitive locals and first-timers, all with the single goal of Sunday, January 13, where you can experience the down-home A Challenging Day Hike enjoying the day. Events are casual with some featuring raffles feel of the laid-back Magic Mountain Resort in Londonderry, in the Adirondack High Peaks and pot lucks, and a few offering T-shirts and age-group awards. Vt., and finish up with a craft beer from Black Line Tavern. Entry 13 Athlete Profile Gone is the single-minded focus on minutes-per-mile, replaced is $20 day-of only. Mike Owens of MORunning Systems prom- by a more realistic expectation based on snow/trail conditions. ises a few steep hills to vary last year’s 3.5-mile route. You’ll Orienteering & Running If you are a first-timer, know that snowshoeing is quite stren- know you’re in Vermont once you sample their UnTapped pure with Frank Boscoe uous and only the folks who expect to win will be running the Vermont maple syrup energy gels. Last year I grabbed a few extra 15 Non-Medicated Life entire time. A limited number of Dion Snowshoe rentals are and enjoyed a Laura Ingalls Wilder maple sugar snow break on Preventing and Treating Gout available, just be sure to sign up ahead. And check the website some of my training runs! (facebook.com) (dionwmacsnowshoe.com) as well as the individual race site – At the opposite end of the season is the Garnet Hill Lodge 16-22 RACE RESULTS or the series Facebook page – before heading out, as conditions 5K on Saturday, March 2 in North River. Debuting last year, man- Top Finishers in a vary from one region to another. Races may get cancelled, relo- ager Dwayne Spitzer designed a tough 5K loop course which Plethora of Races! cated or reconformed into trail (mud) races as condition war- surveyed woods, some hills and rustic cabins. There’s a great rant, so flexibility is key! mix of single and double track trails and after the races stay to AdkSports.com Ski areas begin the season with North Creek’s Gore enjoy some great food and drink! Garnet Hill Lodge has recent- Facebook.com/AdirondackSports Mountain 5K on Saturday, December 15, featuring guaran- See SNOWSHOE RUNNING 23 ▶ 2 Adirondack Sports SARATOGA ARTS presents Nordic, Nordic, AlpineAlpine TouringTouring && Telemark Telemark DemoDemo WeekendWeekend Nordic, Nordic, December AlpineAlpine 15 & Touring Touring16, 2018 && Nordic, Nordic, AlpineAlpine TouringTouring && th Telemark Telemark Saturday, DemoDemo Dec. Weekend Weekend15 10a m -3pm No rdic D a y a t M t. Va n H o even berg December 15 & 16, 2018 Le a rn to N o rd ic Ski on th e Olym pic tra ils! D em o s o f th is ye a r’s ski equip m e n t will be th availa ble. Saturday, Dec. 15 th 10a4-6pm m -3pm ONo pen rdi cH D o a u y se a ta M t HPC t. Va n H o even berg 10a m -3pm LeFreeNo a rn r beerdi toc N Da o nd ard y ifuc a Ski n t aM ton yo t. th uVa r e favori Ol n ymH ote pi even clocal tra il g bers! e D a emrg sh o o s p o ! f 7:30 pm thLeWar ias rnyer toen a r’ Ns Mi oski rd lequi ilcer Ski’ps on m Fa e th n ce t ewi Olofllym be Wi piavainc tra terla i bll s!ae. tD LPCA em o s o f 4-6pm thO ipens ye a r’Hs oski u seequi ap t m HPC e n t will be availa ble. Free Sunday,beer a nd fu n aDec. t yo u r favori16 thte local g e a r sh o p ! 7:4-306pm pm OWar penren H oMi ul seler a’s t FaHPC ce of Win ter a t LPCA 9a m -4pm FreeAT & beer Tel aem nd fu a r nk a D t yo a y u ra favori t W th hitetef locala ce g e a r sh o p ! Sunday, Dec. 16 7:30 pm Warren Miller’s Fa ce of Win ter a t LPCA 9a m -4pm MountaiAT & Telemn a rk D a y a t W hitefa ce photo by Robert Cohen MountaiTry o Sunday, u t th e nla te st a Dec. nd grea 16 test thin Alpine To u ring & MONDAY, TelTryem o u at rkth eg ela a te r a st t aW nd hi tegrea fa c teste . Free in Ald empine o sTo o f u b ri ong o ts, & 9a m -4pm skiTelATsem &a nd aTel rk cl gemini e acs r a ath r tk W ro D hiu g ate h y fao a u c t e th.W Free e hida tefd y! em a o ce s o f b o o ts, SARATOGA ARTS’DEC FIRST 31, 2018 NIGHT • 5:30PM 5K *Pski as rti aci ndp a cl n tsini mcs u stth ha ro ve u g a h va o u li td th lift e ti dacke y! t. Mountai*P a rticip a n tsn m u st ha ve a va lid lift ticke t. SKIDMORE CAMPUS • SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY Try o u t th e la te st a nd grea test in Alpine To u ring & REGISTER: www.saratoga-arts.org Telem a rk g e a r a t W hite fa c e . Free d em o s o f b o o ts, $25 through Oct 31. $30 through Dec 23. $35 through Dec 30 skis a nd clinics th ro u g h o u t th e da y! *P a rticip a n ts m u st ha ve a va lid lift ticke t. Hig h Pea ks C ycl er y • 273 3 Main St., La ke P l a ci d • 5 18-523-3764 Sponsored by D.A. Collins, National Grid, Doug Neil Insurance Company, CDPHP, Freihofers, & The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Hig h Pea ks C ycl er y • 273 3 Main St., La ke P l a ci d • 5 18-523-3764 Hig h Pea ks C ycl er y • 273 3 Main St., La ke P l a ci d • 5 18-523-3764 Your Winter & Holiday Gift Center for Active Lifestyle Clothing, Footwear & Gear! www.MountainmanOutdoors.com 490 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • (518) 584-3500 Rt. 28, Old Forge, • (315) 369-6672 DECEMBER 2018 3 CROSS COUNTRY SKIING & SNOWSHOEING LOOKOUT ON THE TACONIC CREST TRAIL NEAR THE SNOW HOLE. PHOTOS BY RICH MACHA Rensselaer and the TOM MCGUIRE OF DELMAR AND STEVE BURKE County OF ALBANY ENJOY THEMSELVES ON THE TACONIC CREST TRAIL NEAR THE SNOW HOLE. By Rich MachaBorder Country he western border of Rensselaer County, along- side the Hudson River, where we find the cities of Troy and Rensselaer, is at sea level. You only have toT go 12 miles to the east to find elevations above 1,500 feet on the Rensselaer Plateau. And go less than 25 miles to the Taconic Range at the Massachusetts border where Berlin Mountain tops out at an elevation of 2,818 feet; not only is it the highest point in the county but also the highest summit in New York State outside of the Adirondacks and Catskills. Generally, the higher elevations receive more snow than the ENJOYING THE VIEW FROM SMITH HILL OFF THE lower elevations throughout the winter. Rensselaer County TACONIC CREST TRAIL. offers a variety of opportunities for the cross country skier and snowshoer. Schodack Island State Park – Tucked into the county’s southwest corner, on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, is Schodack Island State Park.