In 2010, I started work on NYSkiBlog’s Listing of NY Ski Areas to teach myself about New York snowboarding. Within the course of, I realized about Dry Hill, the opposite Tug Hill ski space. It’s a fantastic ski hill on a ripple within the terrain, a number of miles south of Watertown. Dry Hill has a magic all her personal.
There’s lots to love about Dry Hill. Dry has a double chair, a T-bar and a magic carpet serving 7 trails on 42 acres; 1.5 miles of terrain with 300 ft of vertical drop. It’s not too shocking that each the double and the T-bar had been made by the venerable Corridor Ski Raise Firm — which was additionally primarily based in Watertown NY — from 1955 till 1982.
In 2022, long-time homeowners bought the hill to Boo Wells and Patrick Jareo. I spoke with Boo at the moment, and I favored the imaginative and prescient of a community-based ski space. I promised her, I’d come to Dry Hill ski.
Two years later, this previous Monday, I needed to be within the Adirondacks for a gathering. To get essentially the most out of the journey, I thought of my choices for snowboarding over the weekend.
Sunday was forecast to be the final day of a 4 day Winter Storm Warning for Tug Hill. I thought of the drive. I texted @bjwillies, and he was considering the identical factor. He’d already reached out to Boo for permission to take footage and experience.
In the meantime, again in NJ, on Saturday morning we picked out the right Christmas tree, and stood it up in our front room. Then, within the afternoon, I packed my skis and drove to the Adirondacks. I began a hearth after I arrived, and thought of including a Dry Hill alarm on my telephone.
I plan to reach an hour earlier than first chair the place ever I ski. Google maps spec’d the drive throughout the Adirondacks at 2 hour and 28 minutes. If I’m driving in a nor’easter, I’ll add one other hour to the drive time, setting an earlier alarm. For instance, my commonplace Plattekill Alarm is about for 3:45am, whereas my Plattekill Noreaster Alarm goes off at 2:45.
I don’t have an excessive amount of expertise with lake impact and didn’t actually know what to anticipate. I made a decision to depart 4 hours for journey, with 90 minutes of additional time in-built.
Dry Hill is a protracted drive from the Gore Mountain Area, previous McCauley after which previous (well past) Snow Ridge. Particularly for those who’re driving in lake impact snow. Coming north on Route 12, I used to be ready for it, nevertheless it by no means actually snowed throughout my morning drive. In Lewis County I noticed usually clear skies, with lake impact clouds to the north and wind generators in all places. As I acquired nearer to Watertown, the snow on the bottom was deeper and the wind picked up.
I used to be within the parking zone at Dry Hill Ski Space almost an hour early. A big loader had simply begun plowing, and I used to be clearly in the best way. The operator graciously created house for me, waving me into my very own parking spot. Thanks very a lot, form sir.
It began to snow. I booted up, and post-holed across the lodge to peak within the home windows and take a number of pictures of the hill. The lodge is simply what you’d count on, centered round a giant hearth cone within the heart of the room. The hill itself has an attention-grabbing format, slightly little bit of a bowl with two distinct pitches. Because it seems, the higher half is steep sufficient to ski with thirty inches of dense new snow.
One other crew member confirmed up on a Bobcat to clear house close to to the lodge. I launched myself to Stewart Wells of Mountain Ops. I hoped we’d ski collectively later within the morning. He didn’t have skins; he was all in regards to the bootpack. Stewart estimated that 36 inches of snow had fallen during the last two days. He additionally guessed that the nice and cozy floor in all probability ate a few of that up.
Proper on time, Brendan and Bailey arrived, our first time IRL face-to-face, we stated hiya, and talked in regards to the hill and the snow as we transitioned into uphill mode. These guys are virtually as native as you may get, they usually had been all about skinning, and I adopted their lead.
Stewart really useful that we pores and skin the Tbar raise line, going instantly up so far as we might, after which traverse off to the left when it acquired steeper. He’d determined he was going as well it straight up the raise all the best way. It seemed like arduous work.
Once we acquired to the highest, it was agreed that we’d begin on The Face, after which work our means over to skier’s left, to ski the steepest traces, Suicide and El Cid.
Not like nor’easter snow, lake impact might be fluffy. However even when it isn’t blower, it’s often constant, not grabby. Borderline temps are much less of a difficulty with lake impact. It occurs when the chilly air rushes in.
The higher pitch was sufficient to make snowboarding the deep and dense snow enjoyable to ski. You may preserve shifting ahead down under, nevertheless it wasn’t fairly sufficient to bounce in three dimensions, the best way you possibly can up above.
It started to snow arduous.
I’ve to confess restricted expertise with skins, having used them perhaps 20 or 30 instances, within the final 30 years, aka my whole profession. One factor I’ve by no means performed is make a number of pores and skin transitions whereas it was nuking snow, greater than two inches an hour. I had bother maintaining snow off my glue.
Once we acquired to the highest after the primary climb, it was agreed that we’d begin on The Face, after which work our means over to skier’s left, to ski the steepest terrain, Suicide and El Cid.
Midway up my third climb to the highest, I blew out a pores and skin on a kick flip. I knew I’d by no means get them to stay once more, with out taking them inside to dry. I wrapped them up, stuffed them in my pack and set my very own bootpack to the highest within the deepest snow ever. After I acquired to the highest, I used to be positive I used to be performed for the day.
I used to be chilly and moist. I placed on my shell and dry mittens and waited for the remainder of the group to lap me. I figured I used to be performed, so I savored the view from the highest, whereas the opposite guys skied down. I moved over to the highest of El Cid to attend for them there.
El Cid is the steepest path on the mountain and perhaps essentially the most photogenic. Little doubt, it was enjoyable to slice it up. On the backside of the pitch I used to be going to ski down, when Stewart stated “attempt the bootpack man, it’s not just like the path breaking you had been doing over on Bump Run, it’s the stairway to heaven.”
For a spot like Dry Hill, I’m now with Stewart on the bootpack. Endure on the primary lap, and reap the rewards later. I banged out three extra laps with ease.
I stop shortly after midday. The lake impact band had shifted to the south, and I used to be going to be driving in it on the best way dwelling. I wished to get out of the lake impact zone earlier than darkish.
On the best way over within the morning I opted out Google’s prompt route, by way of the Moose River Highway. It’s the shortest time and distance to Snow Ridge from our place, however I’m often driving it when there’s lake impact. That highway scares me.
On the best way dwelling, I made a decision to take Route 12 south all the best way to Route 28. Definitely farther, however two main roads that might be precedence for plowing.
My drive again into the Adirondacks wasn’t simple. At one level it was snowing so arduous, I needed to cease the automobile, and activate the flashers. I’m going to attempt to keep away from that scenario endlessly.
Editor’s Notice
I’d hoped to focus this piece on Dry Hill itself, however clearly that didn’t occur. Sorry I missed you Boo.
We’ll interview Boo and Stewart quickly. We will share that the brand new magic carpet needs to be put in by the top of the 12 months.
One objective I’ve in retirement is to ski each alpine space in New York. Based mostly within the Adirondacks, there will probably be some low hanging fruit —Oak Mountain, Royal and Woods Valley. I feel 3 seasons will probably be sufficient to ski most all the things in Central and Western NY. After that I wish to ski the nordic facilities too.
