By Vicki Abbott Bancroft

Tucked deep in the Adirondacks of northern New York, Gore Mountain quietly calls out to lovers of winter. Whether skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, hiking or snow tubing, a trip to Gore Mountain is always a good choice.

Owned by the State of New York and operated by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), Gore Mountain resides amongst 6.3 million acres of pristine Adirondack state park territory. With an elevation of 3,600 feet and a vertical drop of 2,100 feet, skiers and riders find a wide variety of trails crafted artfully over the Adirondack peaks. In its 42nd year of operation, Gore is no new kid on the block, but has been turning heads lately in response to its continued growth and development.

“Starting in 1999-00, we entered a period of growth with the upgrading of the gondola on Bear Mountain. This replaced the “Old Red Gondola” that had been in place since 1967. That really opened up skiing on Bear Mountain,” shared Gore’s Marketing Manager, Emily Stanton.

As if honoring an old friend, the cars of the “Old Red Gondola” are used throughout the Gore Mountain area for cozy seating as well as historic ski memorabilia.Proudly, Gore looks ahead to its future while appreciating its past even loaning some of the old gondola cars to local businesses for decorative purposes.

Another area of growth for Gore has been in snowmaking. Although the annual snowfall tends to pile up to about 150 inches, the recent addition of 70 new tower guns, four new fan guns and a new pump for snowmaking will certainly help keep this hill covered in white. There has also been the addition of new trails and the widening of an existing trail, “Twister” which was nearly doubled in girth.

“Improvements to the Twister trail enabled us to attract high-profile races,” Stanton stated proudly.

Gore will be hosting the New York State J-3 finals in February 2006 to add to its very full slate of recreational and competitive skiing and snowboarding.

When its time to grab a hot chocolate or lunch, the newly renovated Saddle Lodge at mid-mountain offers more than a cafeteria tray meal with full food and drink service. Skiers and riders can also relax in the new bar area offering panoramic views from the 3,000 foot elevation. Décor in the new Saddle Lodge depicts old mining pictures of the surrounding area while the new fireplace features locally mined garnet.

“We have really improved the dining experience at Saddle and the base lodge by offering new menu choices and redesigning the facilities. Up at Saddle, you can sit and enjoy the day, enjoy the views and have a wonderful dining experience.”

The base lodge also had a facelift from color scheme to food choices offering its patrons homemade soups, salads and generally healthier fare than is often found at ski resorts.

It seems Gore is doing an awful lot to get the attention of skiers and riders these days and why not…Gore is putting itself on the map like never before. The Northwoods Gondola, an eight passenger detachable, conveniently slides up Bear Mountain allowing skiers and riders to then access a smorgasbord of terrain from novice on the North Side to expert in the Straightbrook area. With Gore’s expansion efforts, skiing and riding is offered on seven sides of three mountains. Gore is one of those places where skiers and riders of varying abilities can enjoy their terrain of choice without getting lost from their friends for the day.

But Gore is also about more than skiing and snowboarding. In 2000, the New York State legislature amended ORDA’s charter clearing the way for the association of Gore Mountain Ski area with the North Creek Ski Bowl which is owned by the Town of Johnsburg. The North Creek Ski Bowl claims a bit of history as it was one of the first commercially operated ski areas in the United States. It is also the birthplace of the National Ski Patrol. The North Creek Ski Bowl is presently being used for snow tubing but future plans include adding ice skating and night skiing on proposed expanded terrain.

“The land adjacent to the North Creek Ski Bowl has sold to a developer. There is a lot of positive energy as state, town and private parties work together on this development project,” Stanton said.

Future plans for the North Creek Bowl area include night skiing, snowboarding and continued tubing and snowshoeing as well as condominium development.

Again, the team at Gore Mountain looks ahead to the future with a strong commitment to the past. Gore Mountain architectural themes strive to capture and hold the Adirondack charm that is so much a part of the area.

“It is our goal to continue the modernization of Gore Mountain with the same respect for our surroundings,” said Michael Pratt, Gore Mountain General Manager.

Gore Mountain marches forward through its creation and re-creation of its facilities, lifts and services offered to the wide range of skiers and riders in search of that exceptional mountain experience. With terrain expansion and change, the team at Gore strives to continually improve the on-mountain events that we know and love as snowsports.

Vicki Abbott Bancroft has been writing about skiing and related snowsports for fifteen years. In 2003, her website writing earned the prestigious Harold Hirsch Award for Excellence in Snowsports Journalism. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband and two children, all of whom ski or snowboard.