On Sunday, I skied to Whiteface Landing for the first time in a few years and was pleasantly surprised by the state of the trail. I’m not talking about the snow conditions, although they were superb. I’m referring to improvements made in recent years by Tony Goodwin and his volunteers at the Adirondack Ski Touring Council.
The council removed boulders, built bridges over streamlets, and, perhaps most important, fixed the drainage problems that sometimes left the bottom of the trail’s biggest hill bare and/or icy.
It so happens that we encountered Tony on the trail on Sunday afternoon. On the way out, we videotaped him as he descended the big hill, following him as he made graceful telemark turns in lightweight cross-country gear. I was impressed. Watch the video, and I think you’ll be too.
By the way, the three-mile trail from Route 86 to Whiteface Landing is rated as a novice tour in Tony’s book,Ski and Snowshoe Trails in the Adirondacks, but some beginners have trouble coming down this hill. If you’ve never skied to Whiteface Landing, the video will give you some idea of what to expect.
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Way to go tony. Nice stop.