Winter Fat Biking – Getting Started, Best Bets and Pitching In

By Josh Clevenstine

Prior to the 2020 winter I was one of the many riders who pretty much hung up the bike after autumn daylight savings did its damage. Once the snow was on the ground, I snowboarded until spring. I still love snowboarding every Saturday through the season – this has NOT changed. But I HATED not being on my bike for almost six months of the year and having to restart the conditioning cycle in the spring. Each year, I was getting more frustrated by the end of mountain biking season. By autumn of 2019, I was more bummed about biking season ending than I was stoked for snowboard season starting. Finally, I “caved,” bought lights, a fat tire mountain bike, and I have NEVER regretted it. Hello year-round mountain biking and goodbye off-season! READ MORE

Get On Snow – Get Inspired, Be Empowered

By Darryl Caron

Whether you’re on a soulful journey through the woods on skis or snowshoes, or reconnecting with your friends and family on a chairlift, there’s no better place to be than outside in winter. I encourage you to support the alpine and Nordic ski areas across New York and beyond by getting on snow to have fun with family and friends. Share your passion and enjoy the freedom that comes with our unrivaled lifestyle of exploring and connecting with the outdoors in winter. READ MORE

Marbry Gansle

By Kristen Hislop

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” – George Bernard Shaw, 1905 play, Man and Superman

We all know that is a fallacy, read on for proof. According to Barbara (Bobbi) Palma, who brought many women’s sports programs/teams to the Capital Region, Marbry Gansle was a world class runner. Bobbi notes, “she had incredible determination plus talent to go far. She always exuded joy with a big smile.” For reference understanding great talent, Bobbi also coached Joan Benoit Samuelson early in her career. READ MORE

Bikepacking the Great Divide

By Ed Gravelle

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is the longest mostly off-pavement bikepacking route in the world. Beginning in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the course travels to Banff and through the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico before ending at the Mexican border in Antelope Wells. Along the approximate 3,100-mile circuitous path, the route crosses the continental divide about 30 times while gaining and losing some 200,000 feet in elevation. The surfaces include approximately 2,100 miles of dirt road, 60 miles of singletrack, 900 miles of paved road, and 50 miles of paved bike path. READ MORE

Winter Races

By Mona Kulkarni Caron

Winter running in the Northeast can be tough and training can get sidelined by the shorter days, holiday frenzy, smaller race calendar, then add weather and/or road conditions, and you have the right combination for losing your momentum. READ MORE

PLEA FROM HICKORY SKI CENTER

Buy Season Passes so They Can Buy Insurance and Open with Lift-Served Skiing

Hickory Ski Area in Warrensburg is calling for skiers and riders to purchase season passes right away. They are at a crossroads. They have their lift inspections scheduled, sticks are on, the lodge is ready, the slopes are (almost) ready. READ MORE

Coney Mountain

By Bill Ingersoll

Coney Mountain is a small knob – and a prominent landmark. As you travel south on NY Route 30 from Tupper Lake, you can’t help but notice its bald summit standing 500 feet above the highway. Its summit features a 360° view and it is therefore a popular, easy climb. A relatively short hiking trail leads to its summit, making this small mountain all the more accessible. READ MORE