Daily Archives: February 21, 2013

Saturday: Inlet welcoming winter fans for Frozen Fire & Lights

Inlet's Frozen Fire & Lights Fest will feature a cardboard sled race. McCauley hosted a similar event for Winter Carnival last Sunday, where Deke's Flying School was among the entries. Pictured from left are Cedric Barkauskas, Porter Kelly. Deke Morrison, Charlie Uzdavinis, George Uzdavinis & Calvin Barkauskas.

Inlet’s Frozen Fire & Lights Fest will feature a cardboard sled race. McCauley hosted a similar event for Winter Carnival last Sunday, where Deke’s Flying School was among the entries. Pictured from left are Cedric Barkauskas, Porter Kelly. Deke Morrison, Charlie Uzdavinis, George Uzdavinis & Calvin Barkauskas.

 

The Town of Inlet is getting ready for the annual Frozen Fire & Lights festival on Saturday, February 23, a day of bonfires, outdoor activities, fireworks and fun for the whole family.

The event will begin with a bonfire at Fern Park at 10 a.m.

A book sale will be held at the Inlet Public Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Inlet Youth Commission will sponsor a Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Inlet Town Hall.

Outdoor activities begin at noon at Fern Park where there will be sledding, ice skating, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the trails.

You should bring your own sled, but ice skate, snowshoe and ski rentals are available locally at Pedals & Petals.

The Cardboard Sled Race will begin at 1 p.m. at Fern Park. Bring along your own creation made strictly of cardboard and tape. Prizes will be awarded in the fastest, slowest, and best design categories.

This will be the fourth and final race of the new Central Adirondack Cardboard Sled Race Circuit.

Hot cocoa and donuts can be enjoyed as you warm yourself by the bonfire.

At 5 p.m., the fun moves to Arrowhead Park where there will be a bonfire with complimentary hotdogs and hot cider.

A spectacular fireworks display over the snow and ice will begin at approximately 7 p.m.

Following the fireworks there will be Wine and Chocolate Sampling at Matt’s Draft House at Screamen Eagle.

The event is made possible by the Town of Inlet and a tremendous amount of support by local businesses and individuals.

More information is available by calling 1-800-GO INLET or at: www.inletny.com.

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PBS series: Show to feature local outdoor opportunities

Representatives from WPBS in Watertown were in Old Forge on Tuesday, February 19 to give a presentation to area business owners at McCauley Mountain regarding sponsorship opportunities for their upcoming television series, Xpedition Outdoors.

The local PBS station is hoping to film not only an episode of skiing at McCauley Mountain, but to return to Old Forge throughout the year to film other adventure excursion opportunities.

Among the seasonal activities discussed were a white water rafting trip with Adirondack River Outfitters (ARO), a paddling trip along the famed 90-miler canoe trail, and extreme mountain biking.

Production of a 13-part adventure series began shortly after the station received a grant to purchase high definition (HD) equipment.

The pilot episode was filmed at Ausable Chasm. The footage of the show’s host and crew rappelling down 80-foot cliffs and traversing Ausable River received positive public review.

Most recently, the production crew was in Lake Placid to participate in bobsledding, ice climbing and tobogganing. They have also gone on an excursion to Tug Hill to experience Kite Skiing.

According to Director of Corporate Support for WPBS, Kraig Everard, their hope for the show is that it will inspire viewers to get out and explore different areas and try things they might otherwise not attempt, regardless of their level of experience.

And while doing so, they will offer a boost to the small business community by increasing tourism, he said.

“The Town is committed to underwriting this project, and then we will co-op with other businesses that want to sign on,” said Town of Webb Publicity Director Mike Farmer.

As part of the show, WPBS is holding a casting competition to select twelve special guests from their viewership to be a part of the show.

Those interested are asked to upload a video to their youtube.com account citing why they believe they would make a great special guest along with examples of what types of adventures they would like to see on the show. More information about Xpedition Outdoors can be found online at Facebook.com/XpeditionOutdoors.

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Raquette Lake Ice Harvest set for Saturday

The annual Ice Harvest on Raquette Lake will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 23.

The longtime tradition will again have ice cut from the lake to be used for refrigeration at Raquette Lake Supply and The Tap Room.

The harvest will continue into the afternoon and spectators are welcome.

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Webb boys & girls Alpine Ski Teams named Section III champs

SectionIII Alpine Grils' Champions are Mara Gaffney, Maggie Queen, Danielle Gibbs, Lauren Holt, Madeline Mahoney, Camry Liddle, Lexie Haehl, Chloe Barkauskas, Ally Cooper, and Bianna Brownsell.

SectionIII Alpine Grils’ Champions are Mara Gaffney, Maggie Queen, Danielle Gibbs, Lauren Holt, Madeline Mahoney, Camry Liddle, Lexie Haehl, Chloe Barkauskas, Ally Cooper, and Bianna Brownsell.

The Town of Webb School’s Boys and Girls Alpine Ski Teams were crowned Section III champions at the  Sectional Finals at Snow Ridge on Wednesday and Thursday, February 13 and 14.

Webb’s Austin Down is the boys’ sectional champion having the best time in four combined runs—two slalom and two giant slalom.

Tara Siegel of Holland Patent is the girls’ sectional champion.

The Webb girls’ team ranked first, with Holland Patent coming in second, Manlius-Pebble Hill in third, and Lowville Academy taking fourth place.

Section III Alpine Boys' Champions are Austin Down, Henry Uzdavinis, Connor Glasser, John Gaffney, Corey Down. Carter Lawrence, West Tickner, Adam Winslow, Adam Levi, Cy Barkauskas, and Hunter Lawrence.

Section III Alpine Boys’ Champions are Austin Down, Henry Uzdavinis, Connor Glasser, John Gaffney, Corey Down. Carter Lawrence, West Tickner, Adam Winslow, Adam Levi, Cy Barkauskas, and Hunter Lawrence.

The Webb boys’ team was first, Manlius Pebble Hill was second, Holland Patent was third, and Lowville Academy placed fourth.

Following the competition, nine Webb skiers were named to the State Team and will compete at state-level competitions at Bristol Mountain on February 25 and 26.

The girls’ team includes: Madeline Mahoney – 1st; Lauren Holt – 4th; Chloe Barkauskas – 5th; and Lexie Haehl – Alternate #2.

The boys’ team includes: Austin Down – 1st; West Tickner – 3rd; Corey Down- 5th; Cy Barkauskas – 7th; and Carter Lawrence – Alternate #2.

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Kandahar Ski Race at McCauley Polar Bears seeking goody bag donations

McCauley Mountain will be the host venue for the upcoming Kandahar Ski Race on  Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3. The event is being organized by the Polar Bear Ski Club.

This will be the second year in a row the event will be held at McCauley. Last year’s ski race drew 200 racers and their families to Old Forge to enjoy the town and all it has to offer.

During race registration, the Polar Bears will be handing out goody bags to participants and they welcome any promotional materials area businesses would like to include in the bags.

Suggested items include coupons, a magnet, a sticker, a menu, a brochure or anything that would fit into a regular-sized shopping bag.

The quantity of donated materials is approximately 200. Items can be dropped at Holly Woodworking on Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

To arrange for an alternate drop-off time, call Andrea Hollister at  (315) 369-8710.

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View presents Warren Miller ski film on Saturday & Sunday, March 1 & 2

View, the arts center in Old Forge, will present two showings of Warren Miller’s ski film, Flow State, on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2.

Flow State guides viewers to the top of the world’s most striking peaks, taking them on an exhilarating journey across the globe to Norway, Austria, California, Switzerland and beyond.

Critics say the film includes some of the most captivating footage ever shot by Warren Miller Entertainment.

It showcases Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety as he takes on Alaska’s mighty Chugach, Julian Carr as he bombs down Utah’s famed Wasatch, Jackie Paaso exploring the Norwegian Arctic, and Chris Anthony who makes Warren Miller history on 70-year-old, 10th Mountain Division ski equipment.

The movie is sponsored by McCauley Mountain, Holly Woodworking, and the Polar Bear Ski Club.  Continue reading →

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Powder: McCauley rates alongside ski area giants

As of Thursday morning, February 21, McCauley Mountain was listed as one of the top places in the nation for fresh powder skiing with a good base, according to SkiReport.com and On the Snow.

McCauley reportedly had a base of 48 inches with six inches of new snow.

McCauley Mountain was listed alongside ski area giants Taos in New Mexico, Alta in Utah, and Telluride in Colorado.

Locally, McCauley is currently the only mountain touting fresh powder and has a better base than Lake Placid’s Whiteface, which has only a 28-inch base.

As of press time, Sugarbush in Vermont has a 42-inch base, Snow Ridge has a 44-inch base, and Gore Mountain is measuring 39 inches.

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