Cross Country: Garnet Hill vs Gore ?

[Denison]

My friends will be skiing cross country ( I dont have that much energy so I'll be moving downhill 8) )

Would you recommend Garnet Hill trails vs ones at Gore Mountain? Another worthy option nearby?

[Harvey44]

For pure cross country GHL is great. Parts of it are pretty advanced but they've got a good amount of beginner terrain. And if you aren't super motivated you can ride down hill all the way and take the bus back up.

GHL is claiming 14 inches from the storm, and predicting insane amounts of Lake Effect for the next two days:

http://www.garnet-hill.com/

For us GHL is a blast. Ski up (over really) for dinner, ski back to the cabin with headlamps. Can be fun after a few cocktails. (SWI?)

Disclaimer: I haven't xcskied at Gore at all. (Once I did end up on the trails below the Topridge Chair by accident.)

[Danzilla]

I have snowshoed some of the cross country trails at gore - to the left of Sunway looking up the hill. Nothing too spectacular - decent amount of elevation change if you want that. Basically trails through the woods.

Cunninghams has trails at their shop and somewhere else near North Creek. I have never been. My wife went on the trails near the shop when she was prego and she had a good time. I think those trails are a little flatter and may be more scenic. I think they are free too. They have cross country and snow shoe rentals. http://www.cunninghamsskibarn.com/

GH probably has the best diversity and the most well kept trails. I have only snowshoed over there on the NYS land, but they seem to run a pretty good dedicated operation. They also have guiness on tap.

[Adk Keith]

Over the years I have been to many of the NY and VT cross country ski centers, especially when I was racing in college, (but that was many years ago). I think Garnet Hill has the best terrain for keeping your interest for multiple days. (Mt. Top near Rutland is almost equal.) I admittedly haven't skied it since the new owners took over, but I don't expect the terrain has changed.

Gore's trails are fun, but there just aren't enough to keep you interested for over a few hours. Aslo, Gore's terrain is mostly intermediate but sometimes the lack of quality grooming will create some "expert" experiances, if you will.

[Snowballs]

The trails in Placid, MT Van Hoevenberg, area should be cool and scenic. The ones at the ADK Loj should out right Rock! It's on the very lap of the High Peaks. There's trails there that are flatter as they circle the Lake and there's others that ascend to various elevations and even the summits. I don't XC ski, but i am gonna do these and Van Hoevenberg someday. The ADK Loj area should be fabulous.

There's also some trails in Glens Fall at Crandal Park right behind the Inside Edge Ski shop. These are free trails that are lit at night. There was a project to put snowmaking on them, but i don't know if it is completed. Inside Edge rents XC skis and you can ski right out of their property.

Denison, make sure your friends carry a rescue whistle and inform them their cell phones may not work in this area, if they need to call for help.

[Snowballs]

I cruised thru Inside Edge today and was yappin to a guy who grew up in NC and now has a second home in NR. He was doing the blah, blah, blahs about all the trails up there for BC and XC sking. He says the DEC and volunteers recently cut/reopened some of the oldies but have yet to publish maps(?) and i got the feeling they wanted to keep it on the down low. But I did gather there are 2 trail heads off the old Barton mine road. i believe they're directly opposite each other, heading different directions. One heads toward NC and one heads toward GHL. Puffer pond trail and King's flow also popped up. If you ever make it back to Puffer Pond and King's flow, the parking lot there is the hiking trail head for Chimney mtn. This very unusual rock formation is but a short 1.5 mile hike one way. Cool summer hike. There's caves off to the side and it's said they're not for newbies. half of the trail is fairly steep and would need winter gear for this season.

[adkskier]

GH offers groomed and looped trails for the novices so that it's more difficult to get lost. If your friends are more exprerienced there are lots of free trails such as the Old Farm Trail at the end of Old Farm Rd off 13th Lake Rd. also trailheads off Rte 28 and off Barton Mines Rd.

[Harvey44]

I cruised thru Inside Edge today and was yappin to a guy who grew up in NC and now has a second home in NR. He was doing the blah, blah, blahs about all the trails up there for BC and XC sking. He says the DEC and volunteers recently cut/reopened some of the oldies but have yet to publish maps(?) and i got the feeling they wanted to keep it on the down low. But I did gather there are 2 trail heads off the old Barton mine road. i believe they're directly opposite each other, heading different directions. One heads toward NC and one heads toward GHL. Puffer pond trail and King's flow also popped up. If you ever make it back to Puffer Pond and King's flow, the parking lot there is the hiking trail head for Chimney mtn. This very unusual rock formation is but a short 1.5 mile hike one way. Cool summer hike. There's caves off to the side and it's said they're not for newbies. half of the trail is fairly steep and would need winter gear for this season.

This is my neighborhood. If you are a little more adventurous than GHL ... the next step, out into the Siamese, has limitless possibilities - both intermediate and expert. You can go a little way in .. or you can go WAY in (http://harvey44.blogspot.com/2005/11/1st-winter-solo.html).

The thing off Barton's we used to call the Secret Ski (http://harvey44.blogspot.com/2008/11/secret-ski.html). Since it's been marked as a trail, obviously it's no longer a secret. It's a blast. Not in an alpine way. It's nice forest, some frozen swamp, and you do lose at least 1000 feet of vert. Start on the GHL side and make a day of it.

I'm in a phase right now - with a three year old - where the bear cub den, and Gore is great. Built-in daycare and this year probably lessons. So I've been all Gore all the time. But soon enough, I'll be revisiting all of my old haunts.

[Snowballs]

Great posts guys. I got to get into XC someday. I can see where it would be very cool in this area.

Adkskier, do those trails have Signs/Marked Trails Heads? Thanks.

[nyspnypd]

I know the ones in Placid are GREAT!! I liked it on Mt.Vanhovenburg but also over on the golf course that wasn't a bad trail either. Not sure about Gore or Garnet hill.

[Jeff]

Despite the lack of snowfall this winter, the cross country skiing conditions at Garnet Hill are excellent. Went there yesterday with the wife, and skied groomed corduroy that was virtually untracked. There is a backcountry route from that leaves the Gore trails in the area of the High Peaks chair, crosses over the adjacent Barton Mines property, into the Siamese Ponds Wilderness and ends up at Garnet Hill. There's not enough snow to do that route right now, but that one is on our list of gotta-do trips. If you enjoy fast nordic skiing on well groomed trails, GH is great right now. Oh yeah, there's a couple photos and a short write-up from yesterday on Harv's site:

http://saratogaskier.blogspot.com/2010/02/garnet-hill-lodge-02052010.html