SNOW GUIDE

Ski Areas

Downhill Skiing

L istings for downhill ski centers include trail information, costs and other features. Lift ticket information refers to available minimum/maximum day-pass prices. Opening dates are weather-dependent and are therefore subject to change. Some hills charge an hourly rate for skiing beyond an eighthour pass. Unless noted, all feature ski instruction classes, equipment rental and a cafeteria.

Upstate New York

Bristol Mountain. 5662 Route 64, Canandaigua. (585) 374-6000; www. bristolmountain.com.

Skiing and riding on 34 slopes and trails with 97 percent snowmaking. Vertical rise of 1,200 feet and longest run of two miles. Six lifts. Day rates: $31-$60/adults; $26-$50/students and seniors. Open Dec. 9 to March 11, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; weekends, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Other features include a ski school, day-care center, two base lodges, two terrain parks, 425-foot halfpipe and summit demo center.

Dry Hill. Watertown, off Exit 44, Route 81. 782-8584; www.skidryhill. com.

Has nine trails, five with snow-making. The longest trail is 2,200 feet, with a 300-foot vertical drop. Three lifts. Tentative opening: early December. Hours:

Tuesdays to Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m., $10; 5 to 10 p.m., $15; 7 to 10 p.m., $12. Fridays, 5 to 8 p.m., $10; 5 to 10 p.m., $15; 7 to 10 p.m., $12. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., $25; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $14; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $20; 1 to 5 p.m., $16; 5 to 10 p.m., $12; 7 to 10 p.m., $10. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $20; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $14; 1 to 5 p.m., $16. Open most holidays, Sunday day rates and regular night rates apply. Open Tuesdays in January only. Open Fridays, noon to 5 p.m., January and February only. Used ski shop, rental shop, snack bar and cocktail lounge. Tubing is available Fridays, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., $10/juniors, $12/adults. Saturdays and holidays, noon to 5 p.m., $12/juniors; $14/adults; 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., $10/juniors; $12/adults. Sundays, noon to 5 p.m., $12/juniors, $14/ adults. Tubing season passes available.

Four Seasons. 8012 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville. 637-9023; www.foursea sonsgolfandski.com.

Double chairlift and conveyor lift for skiing, snowboarding and tubing. Open tentatively Dec. 1 to March 15, weekends and holidays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 5 to 9 p.m. Downhill skiing and snowboarding, $17-$22 per day. Cross-country skiing, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., no trail fee, renting available. Tubing, $23 all day; $19 for three hours; $5 for one ride; $16 after 5 p.m.

Greek Peak. 2000 Route 392, Cortland. (607) 835-6111, (800) 955- 2SKI; www.greekpeak.net.

Eight lifts. Snowmaking on 83 percent of 31 trails. Features a vertical drop of 952 feet, with the longest run at 1.5 miles. Tentative opening: Dec. 3. Mondays to Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. $59/adults, $50/ juniors, free/ages 6 and under. Season passes available. Tubing, with six chutes and one lift, $25 for five hours; Fridays, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; holidays, call for hours. Trail pass for cross-country ski ing and snowshoeing at Nordic Center. Snowshoe and snowboarding rental, half-pipe and terrain park. Also offers free beginner instruction, adventure lessons, children’s learning center, childcare, NAS- TAR racing and four dining facilities.

Labrador Mountain. Route 91, Truxton. (607) 842-6204; ski reports: (800) 446-9559; www.labradormtn.com.

Vertical drop of 700 feet, longest run of 4,500 feet, and 90 percent of 22 trails have snowmaking. One triple, two double lifts, one T-bar and two surface lifts. Opening Dec. 1, weather permitting. Mondays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $25-$45/adults, $38/ juniors. Season-pass holders get discounts at Whiteface/Gore, Stowe and Stratton mountains. Full-season pass holders get a $15 lift ticket at Snow Ridge. Night skiing on 15 trails. One half-pipe and a lighted terrain park with rails and jumps for snowboarders. The resort also features a newly updated ski shop and rental apartment, Kids’ Town, babysitting, four base lodges, restaurant, two cafeterias, cocktail lounge and RV camping-parking facilities.

Snow Ridge. 4173 West Road (Route26), Turin. 348-8456, (800) 962-8419; www.snowridge.com.

Twenty-two trails, the longest of which is 4,000 feet; vertical drop of 500 feet. Boasting the East’s heaviest snowfall and an average of more than 100 skiable days per season, Snow Ridge also has snowmaking on 50 percent of its slopes. Six lifts. Tentative opening: Thanksgiving. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekend and holiday rates: $32- $37/adults, $32/juniors, $10/ages 6 and under; weekdays: $13-$21/adults, $16/ juniors, $7-$10/ages 6 and under. Restaurant, rental shop, cafeteria, cocktail lounge and RV parking.

Song Mountain. 1 Song Mountain Road, Tully. 696-5711; www.songmoun tain.com.

Located off Route 81, features a longest run of 5,000 feet and a vertical drop of 700 feet, with 80 percent snowmaking. Five lifts, including a new double lift. Opening in mid-December. Mondays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Season passes available, and are also good for Snow Ridge, for a $15 charge per day. Eight-hour rates: $46/ adults, $38/juniors and seniors, $15/ages 6 and under; four-hour rate, $43/adults. Central New York’s only private ski club, childcare center, rental shop, cocktail lounge and restaurant.

Toggenburg. Toggenburg Road (halfmile off Route 80), Fabius. 683-5842;www.skitog.com.

Named after a Swiss goat breed, this resort offers snowmaking on 90 percent of 24 trails. Features a 700-foot vertical drop and a longest trail of one mile. Tentative opening: early December. Monday and Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Five lifts. $45/adults; $35/juniors (ages 12 and under); $15/students with college ID; $15/ages 7 and under; free/seniors over 70. The two terrain parks and one terrain trail are open to all visitors. Facilities include childcare, rental shop, restaurant, cocktail lounge, RV parking area and musical entertainment.

Woods Valley. 9074 Dopp Hill Road, Westernville. 827-4721, ski reports: 827- 4206; www.woodsvalleyskiarea.com.

Thirteen trails with snowmaking capabilities on most. Vertical drop of 500 feet; longest run, 3,300 feet. Three lifts. Adults, $22-$37; juniors, $18-$31. Wednesdays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Open Monday and Tuesday holidays. Cocktail lounge, occasional entertainment.

Catskills

Hunter Mountain. Off Route 23A, Hunter. (800) HUNTER-MTN; www. huntermtn.com.

Snowmaking on all 55 trails, with 11 lifts. Vertical drop of 1,600 feet. Weekends and holidays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults, $57-$65; young adults (ages 13 to 18), $50-$59; juniors (ages 7-12) and seniors (ages 65 and older), $36-$45; toddler (ages 6 and under), $10/free midweek. Nine lift-serviced snow tubing chutes and a snowboarding half-pipe available. Snowshoeing, instruction, rental shop, cocktail lounge, sushi bar, food court, restaurant, atrium bar and lodge.

Adirondacks

Gore Mountain. Off Route 28 (Peaceful Valley Road), North Creek. (518) 251- 2411; ski reports: (800) 342-1234; www. goremountain.com.

Offering 94 trails, 95 percent with snowmaking. Vertical drop of 2,537 feet, longest run of 3.7 miles and two terrain parks. Thirteen lifts, eight-passenger gondola. Opening Nov. 25. Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. $51-$77/adults; $37- $61/students and seniors; $27-$44/ages 7 to 12; $38/ages 70 and older; free/ages 6 and under. Season passes available. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, tubing park, ski school, childcare center, ski and rental shop, pub and a base lodge restaurant.

McCauley Mountain. Off Route 28, Old Forge. 369-3225. www.mccauleyny. com.

Dubbed “New York’s best family mountain,” McCauley features 21 trails, five lifts and a 633-foot vertical drop, all on 80 skiable acres with 65 percent snowmaking. Tentative opening: Dec. 10. Daily (except Tuesdays), 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.; open all week, Dec. 26-30 and Feb. 20-24. Winter Carnival, Feb. 4 and 5. $20-$30/weekends and holidays; $15-$20/weekdays; free/5 and under, 70 and older. Lodge with cafeteria and bar, complete rental shop and ski school.

Titus Mountain. 215 Johnson Road, Malone. (800) TITUS-MN; www.titus mountain.com.

Snowmaking on 90 percent of 27 ski trails. Vertical drop, 1,200 feet; longest run, 3.5 miles. 10 lifts. Tentative opening: Nov. 26. Sundays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursdays to Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; holidays, Sundays to Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; holidays, Thursdays to Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. $24-$36/adults, $20- $29/seniors (ages 65 to 69) and juniors (ages 12 and under); free/70 and older, 5 and under with paid adult ticket. Season passes now available. Tubing park, snowboard park and half-pipe. Cocktail lounge, two triple chairlifts and two-day lodges.

Whiteface Mountain. Route 86, Wilmington. (518) 946-2223; ski reports: (518) 946-7171; (800) 462-6236, Ext. 500; www.whiteface.com.

Offering 86 trails, 98 percent with snowmaking. Vertical drop, 3,430 feet, highest in the East, and longest run of 2.1 miles. Snowboarding and terrain parks. Ten lifts. Eightpassenger gondola. Tentative opening: Nov. 25. Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. $74- $79/adults; $60-$64/teens and seniors; $46-$50/juniors 7-12; free/children 6 and under and seniors over 70. Childcare and cocktail lounge available. Lodging and cross-country skiing nearby; 31 miles of trails. Bobsled, luge and figure skating at nearby Olympic facilities.

Cross-Country Ski Areas

All private cross-country ski areas listed have marked and mapped trails, warming huts, rentals and food available. Some offer lodging and vacation packages. All county and state parks and other public ski areas are free, unless noted.

Adirondack-North Country

Adirondack Loj. Off Route 73, Lake Placid. (518) 523-3441; www.adk.org.

Offering 20 kilometers of trails, ski and snowshoe rentals, backcountry access; $10 parking fee. Mondays to Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday to Sundays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nightly lodging: $55 for large loft, $160 per person for private rooms. Educational programs available.

Bark Eater Ski Center. Bark Eater Inn, 124 Alstead Hill Lane, off Route 73, Keene. (518) 222-2306; www.barkeater. com.

Starting point of 25-mile Jackrabbit Trail located two miles from the inn, linking all of the Lake Placid area touring centers and ending at Saranac Lake. Fifty kilometers of on-site trails, 10 groomed. Overnight lodging and meals, rentals. Open year-round.

Cunningham’s Ski Barn. 1 N. Main St., North Creek. (518) 251-3215. www. cunninghamsskibarn.com.

Two private and groomed trail systems: Hudson River Gorge trail (25 kilometers) and Beaver Meadows wilderness trail (15 km). $15 trail fee. Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Snowshoeing, nearby lodging, ski shop, rentals and lessons available.

Friends Lake Inn. 963 Friends Lake Road, Chestertown. (518) 494-4751;www.friendslake.com.

Professional ski center with 32 kilometers of groomed, wooded trails. Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full-service shop with rentals and lessons available. Inn accommodations: $349-$420 for two, including dinner and breakfast.

Garnet Hill. 39 Garnet Hill Road, North River. (518) 251-2444; www. garnet-hill.com.

Offering 55 kilometers of groomed trails with a 2,000-foot elevation and natural snowfall. Single-day trail pass, $17; ticket packages, youth, senior and night skiing discounts available. Open daily. The lodge and cross-country ski center also feature guided tours, instruction, lodging, tobogganing, dogsledding, snowshoeing and skating. “Ski down, ride back” shuttle bus available.

Gore Mountain. Off Route 28, North Creek. (518) 251-2411; snow phone: (800) 342-1234; www.goremountain. com.

Offering nine kilometers of trails. Instruction available; call ahead.

Lapland Lake. 139 Lapland Lake Road, Northville. (518) 863-4974; www. laplandlake.com.

Award-winning center offers 50 kilometers of trails; 38 kilometers of groomed track-skiing and skating lanes, which were designed by Olympic skier Olavi Hirvonen; and 12 kilometers of snowshoe trail. Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $20/adults; $18/seniors and students; $10/juniors; free/under 6; discount rates and packages available. Instruction, ski shop, rentals, cottage lodging, Finnish snack bar and grill, sauna, ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing and tubing.

McCauley Mountain. Off Route 28, Old Forge. 369-3225; www.mccauleyny. com.

Twenty kilometers of groomed trails. Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trail fee: $5. Season passes available. Ski rentals, lessons and tours available.

Central New York

Four Seasons. 8012 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville. 637-9023. www.foursea sonsgolfandski.com.

Offering three kilometers of trails; no trail fee. Daily, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rentals and lessons available.

The Nordic Center. Across from Greek Peak, Virgil. (800) 955-2SKI; www.greekpeak.net.

Trail pass, $9/adult, $6/child. Ski rentals, $14/adult, $10/child. Snowshoe rentals, $10. Lodging and restaurant available at Greek Peak. Guided tours and discount package rates available. Tentative opening: Dec. 3.

Sunnycrest Park. Access marked trails at Caleb Avenue or Robinson Street (near Henninger High School). 374-7634; www.sunnycrestparkassocia tion.com.

This city of Syracuse park has 2.5 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails open daily. Ski lodge open weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free instruction Thursdays and Sundays provided by city of Syracuse and Sunnycrest Park Association. Rentals are available for all ages.

Vanderkamp Center. 337 Martin Road, Cleveland. 675-3651. www. vk.org.

Ungroomed ski trails for all levels from novice to expert. No trail fee, but donations welcome. Offers sledding and tobogganing. Lodging accommodations available.

Onondaga County Parks

Call 451-PARK for more information. www.onondagacountyparks.com.

Beaver Lake Nature Center. 8477 E. Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville. 638- 2519.

Offering about 10 miles of trails around the lake and through flat woods. Five trails total, ranging from 0.5 to 3 miles long. Snowshoes available for loan. Daytime skiing and some night skiing; call for conditions and availability. Visitor center with nature and art exhibits. $3/parking. Open 7:30 a.m. to dusk.

Highland Forest. Off Route 80, Fabius. 683-5550.

Twenty miles of trails from novice to expert on this 2,800-acre tract dubbed “the Adirondacks of Central New York.” Hilly and wooded. Eight-mile hiking trail. $1/ages 22 and up; free/ages 21 and under. Horse-drawn sleigh rides available on weekends, $5 per person. Ski pass, $5/adults, $2/children; season pass, $20/ adults, $10/children. Ski and snowshoe rentals and lessons available, warming house and concessions. Daily, December to February, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Oneida Shores. 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton. 676-7366.

Flat trails. The park also features snowmobile access to the lake and ice fishing. Open sunrise to sunset.

Onondaga Lake Park. Onondaga Lake Parkway (Route 370), Liverpool. 453-6712.

Flat East Shore Recreation trail. Two-mile loop. Skiing and sledding at Long Branch Park. Free admission. Open 6 a.m. to sunset.

Spafford Forest. Off Cold Brook Road, Spafford. 683-5550.

Skiing and snowshoeing on forest roads southwest of Otisco Lake. No facilities. The trails are unmarked on 701 acres of undeveloped land, free of charge. Open from dawn until dusk.

State Parks

Central Region

Battle Island State Park. 2150 Route 48, three miles northwest of Fulton. 593-3408.

Offering 2.5 miles of groomed trails. Rentals, full bar, concessions.

Delta Lake State Park. 8797 Route 46, six miles northeast of Rome. 337- 4670.

Six kilometers of trails. Also features snowmobiling and ice fishing.

Green Lakes State Park. 7900 Green Lakes Road (Route 290), Fayetteville. 637-6111.

Offering 10 miles of beginning, intermediate and advanced trails. Varied terrain through woods and golf course.

Lorenzo State Historic Site. 17 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia. 655-3200.

Flatland area available for cross-country skiing. Trails owned by the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation and are available for use. $5/adults, $4/seniors and students, free/ages 12 and under. Grounds open until dusk.

Selkirk Shores State Park. 7101 Route 3, five miles west of Pulaski, off Exit 36. 298-5737.

Eight kilometers of trails near Lake Ontario. Offers snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

Thousand Islands

Call regional office at 482-2593 for general information.

Robert Moses State Park. On Route 131, off Route 37, three miles north of Massena. 769-8663. Ten miles of trails. Park offers ski rentals and snowshoe loans.

St. Lawrence State Park. 4955 Route 37, five miles west of Ogdensburg. 393- 2286. This park and golf course offers six kilometers of trails and sledding. Warming hut available.

Southwick Beach State Park. 8119 Southwicks Place, off Route 3, two miles west of Woodville in Henderson. 846-5338. Three miles of fairly level trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Finger Lakes

Fillmore Glen State Park. 1686 Route 38, one mile south of Moravia. 497- 0130.

About five kilometers of trails are open to skiers, but watch out for snowmobiles and ATVs.

Taughannock Falls State Park. Route 89, eight miles north of Ithaca. (607) 387-6739.

Six kilometers of trails.

Watkins Glen State Park. Route 14 to Route 329, Watkins Glen. (607) 535- 4511.

Offering 10 kilometers of trails.

Wellesley Island State Park. Exit 51 off Route 81, four miles west of Alexandria Bay. 482-2722.

Five miles of marked trails. Ski rentals and snowshoe loans available; kid sizes available.

Westcott Beach State Park. Route 3, two miles west of Sackets Harbor at Henderson Bay. 938-5083.

Unmarked, ungroomed trails open throughout the park. e

—Compiled by Samara Napolitan