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New Hudson Chair Connects Gore With North Creek Ski Bowl By Brendan Manley
This season, skiers will have easy access to some of the region’s oldest trails for the first time since the 1970s, with the opening of Gore Mountain’s new Hudson Chair, which links the massive complex to the storied North Creek Ski Bowl. The new lift replaces a 1946 T-bar that was previously in place, and had gone dormant long ago. The launch of the new lift creates access to three of the Ski Bowl’s original 1946 trails with it. Gore recently rebuilt those trails and opened a new green trail that wraps around to the back of the Ski Bowl, and another that accesses Burnt Ridge Mountain. “We’ve maintained a lot of the original character, so they’re kind of traditional Northeast trails, where they’re a little narrower than some of the others, and have some nice curves and bends to maintain the fall line,” says Gore General Manager Mike Platt. “They’re just quality, fun trails.” The Hudson Chair has 900 feet of verticals, and the projects mark work on a fourth mountain for Gore, making the current Gore system now encompass nine sides of four mountains, with 18 separate glades, stretching Gore’s vertical to 2,500 feet, sixth-largest in the East. “[The Ski Bowl] in itself is a big area, but when you combine it with the rest of Gore, it becomes a massive resort,” says Platt. With the new trails in place, Gore now offers everything from 1.5-mile intermediate cruisers to the steeps of the Straight Brook side, to the character of the High Peaks side, or the Ski Bowl, with its classic Northeast trails. Located right next to Route 28 and the North Creek business district, the new Ski Bowl trails also offer a visual impact that wasn’t present in the past. “A lot of what we’ve developed in the past has been hidden from the views,” Platt explains. The Ski Bowl’s original lift ceased operations in 1977, due to capital concerns. At a time when snowmaking was still in its infancy, developers opted to invest in higher elevation mountaintops in the region first, instead of replacing the old equipment. Then in 2002 Gore began redeveloping the Ski Bowl and working with the local community, offering night skiing and tubing there. In 2007 a smaller
T-bar at the Bowl was replaced with another triple chair lift, with lights for night operation. Further enhancement came in 2009, when local businesses provided a shuttle to take skiers back to Main Street in North Creek from the Bowl, a service that will again be provided this year. “A lot of the synergies and excitement have been building for many years, culminating this year, with the operation of this new Hudson Chair Lift,” says Platt. The work is continual. Last year, Gore renovated the Ski Bowl’s lodge, and continued the project into this season, installing new flooring and other upgrades. And in other developments, Gore has been revamping its base lodge and improving its snowmaking system, and Burnt Ridge Mountain—which enters its third year in the system—will offer new glades. “We’re just trying to take advantage of all the improvements we’ve made over the last dozen years, and we’re continuing to improve the place every day,” says Platt. “A lot of the improvements don’t always make it to the front of the brochure, but we want the guests to walk away with a positive experience, as promoters of the facility and region. That’s what we try to accomplish.” All the new developments at Gore are expected to add a further boost to the local economy, especially in North Creek, and Platt expects the relationship to strengthen in the coming years as the mountain continues to expand its offerings. “There’s certainly a correlation between business in North Creek and how extensive our operation is,” says Platt, nothing Gore features online ads on its website from 90 different lodging properties, more than 20 restaurants and another 30 different local and regional businesses. “We’re all trying to work together to provide a great experience for the guest,” he says.
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Gore Mountain Region Chamber of Commerce • 228 Main Street • PO. Box 84, North Creek, NY 12853 518-251-2612 • info@gorechamber.com • www.gorechamber.com
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