The attempt to attract more attendees to this trip Pointing the Way at Chateaugayby announcing a definite venue for the time slot that had initially been reserved as a “Mystery Trip” didn’t get as big a response as we’d hoped. Your loss!

The area near Pulaski, NY, located between Lake Ontario and Tug Hill, reported they’d had more than twenty feet (yes, twenty!) of snow this season prior to our arrival. The areas we skied had in excess of three feet of dense base with a coating of fresh powder each day. Although we skied blazed trails, we really wouldn’t have had to. With that much snow you can ski almost anywhere you please without fear of snagging on saplings or scratching the bases of your skis.

Bill and Bill at Tourathon

After a Saturday breakfast at the C&M Diner, next door to the Redwood Motel, we set off for the Tug Hill Tourathon Trails in Boylston. This extensive set of trails is maintained by a like-named, not-for-profit organization and is the site of early season fun races occasionally entered by club members. Although we weren’t the only skiers on the system, we saw only three or so other skiers all day. The Tourathon system has several multi-use trails, but we stuck mainly to the beautiful, ski-only trails.

Although it was very windy and cold, we were quite comfortable in the woods. Winding our way back Winona Way and Shady Shuttle, we were amused to discover that Elaine actually talks to her skis when going down hills, entreating them to behave as she wishes. She uses the technique, successfully, to help her maintain focus and prevent falls. It didn’t do much to help the rest of us focus, but it certainly was entertaining!

After finding our way around Backus Bend in the northwestern reaches of the system, we began the return trip via the northern stretches of Winona Way and Jimmy’s Jaunt. A few of us even managed to wend our way out the tortuous Bill’s Belly to return to the parking lot.

After fourteen miles of skiing, we were ready for an oasis and we found one … the Wigwam on the shores of Sandy Pond. A couple of hours later, sated with food and drink, we made our way back to the Redwood and crashed!

Sunday morning found us picking our way north through near blinding snow squalls to the Rodman-Barnes Corners Ski Trails in Tug Hill State Forest. These trails are a perennial favorite of the Turin Trip as they wind through beautiful and varied hardwood and conifer forests and along the rim of the spectacular Inman Gulf. The conditions were the best we’d encountered there in several years. We skiied the Homerun Trail through Times Square to the John Young Trail, the easiest of the three linked trails that hug the rim of Inman Gulf. Through falling snow we occasionally edged our skis near the precipice to steal a glimpse of the stream that winds along the bottom of the gulf. Returning to the parking area via Whiteway, we encountered a large group of snowshoe-clad campers working their way back, as well. The group was from Cornell and had spent the night in igloos they’d constructed themselves. Burrrrrrrr!

After a lunch, a few of us opted for a short ski out Snowbird and Zig Zag. Then, we all packed it in for an early evening. We gathered in Bill & Sandy’s room for cocktails and to view the Awards banquet slide show. Then it was across the street to the Ponderosa restaurant for a surprisingly good meal and salad bar. The dessert bar was a hit, too. They even had homemade Rice Krispy squares! But the biggest hit was laughing about Bill Hoffman’s legendary frugality. The Ponderosa was a bargain, even for light eaters, but a slender Bill out-ate us all. He allowed as how he’d never been asked to dinner a second time by anyone! We also got a chuckle out of his change purse. It’s one of those flexible plastic things that were popular twenty years ago. His is still going strong, probably because he never opens it!

On Monday we used what turned out to be an out-of-date map to ski the trails at Chateaugay State Forest near Orwell. We had a good time, and the trails were easy and fun. However, it seems that several new trails have been added. We decided to write for an up-to-date map so we can better explore the trails on subsequent trips.

The trip home found several of our number gathered at Granny’s in Frackville for dinner. A cozy ending to a perfect weekend!

Attendees: Dave LeRoy, Nancy Kauhl, Bill & Sandy Stine, Bill Hoffman, Elaine Stogo and Bill Pickering.