Hunter Mountain
Hunter Mountain will begin building five new ski trails this spring--four intermediate and one beginner--all of which are scheduled to open for next winter. The new runs will increase the resort's acreage by 25 to 30 percent. Also part of the $9 million project: a high-speed chairlift on the mountain's north slope.
Resorts from Vermont to New York will remain open past their usual closing dates due to the abundance of spring snow.
The 3-day event features camping, trail running, hiking, yoga, and music.
The DEC is close to finishing negotiations on adding a new rail trail to a pheasant farm outside Ithaca.
The proposed Empire State Trail would run 750 miles and connect the Big Apple to Buffalo and on to Canada.
The original stretch of the AT in Bear Mountain State Park turns 95 this year.
New York's plan also expands snowmobile access, but nixes proposed bike trails and luxury huts.
Four miles of new singletrack are in the works at the upstate park.
The new program will have volunteers in the Catskills and Adirondacks help new campers connect with nature.
Suzanne Dixon will head the 42,000-member volunteer organization dedicated to the AT.
