A trip this week to work on the next freelance story for Central New York: The Good Life magazine took me some 20 miles southeast of Syracuse to Toggenburg, a ski complex n Fabius, N.Y.
Welcome to the Mountain.
My piece for the March/April edition will not be about skiing.
Nevertheless, it was impossible not to notice that right now in mid-December, these slopes are quite naked.
Waiting for Mother Nature.
No snow on the mountain. No skiers on the several hills, expert to beginners.
I grabbed my iPhone 6 and walked around the property, outside and in.
Eat, drink and by ready for when it does get white out there.
You see, the place already has been open for two weeks, I’ve been informed. The Foggy Goggle restaurant and pub is welcoming guests Thursday through Saturday. Food and drink are available for purchase. The camaraderie is free. I’ve been. It’s a cool place. No pun intended.
Hoping for some action.
And, having lived here in Central New York since 1983, I’m fairly certain that soon enough, a line will form at the lift ticket window above. Temperatures will fall. Snow will follow.
Do you ski or snow board or tube ride? Which of the three do you or would you prefer and why? What would you like to drink and eat in a ski lodge restaurant/pub, and why?
Mark Bialczak 
I like my ski slopes just the way these look bro Mark. I do well to walk with shoes on, no way I’ll try it on sticks. I did lots of sledding when too young to know better, usually on my Grandmother’s bread pan that she would loan the younger kids to use on her hillside slope. That was fun, but any kind of slipping now ends with a concussion. Less fun there. As for the food and drink? Exactly what I’m about to have now — Focaccia bread fresh from the oven, and hot cocoa. Or, since it is now officially Christmas morning — Eggnog with added nog. That is only for Christmas, and in case of snakebite. Surprising how many snakes there are in the walls of this building.
Merry Christmas my friend, to you and your beautiful family.
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Merry Christmas, my dear sis Angie. ❤
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Merry Christmas bro Mark. It’s all over now, and we all survived it, I think.
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Haven’t snow skied in a very long time. An easily set aside, never enthusiastic about it to begin with activity for me. Loved sledding as a kid though.
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Sledding as a kid! Now we’re talking about great memories, JoHanna. Indeed. ❤
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Soon enough, indeed!
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Yikes!
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I tried to learn to ski when I lived in Colorado. It did not go well. I stopped after I almost gave myself an inadvertent episiotomy wrapping around a tree that appeared from nowhere. Decided I have a hard enough time just navigating flat, non-slippery ground.
Hope you guys get snow soon. We have had loads of rain here today. I think we can blame the lack of snow in your area on the mighty El Nino.
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I’m glad you avoided that tree and medical procedure on the slopes, SD. YIKES!
El Niño stays put, I hope.
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Well, I didn’t really avoid the tree, but luckily no procedures occurred. Needless to say, I have not tried skiing again. I will stick to water. I am safer in water and not on skis.
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Good choice, SD. Very good choice. I avoid both. 🙂
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Nice place to cover for s story – and I bet it is so gorgeous with snow too!
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It is, Y. I’ve been there in the snow. Pretty place!
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soon enough it will be covered in white, no doubt. it still looks like a cool place and i’m sure it will fill once it really begins to act like winter. i’ve snow skied a bit on trails and pretty badly, but i enjoyed it. love the warm up of a lodge )
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The lodge is a great respite for all, I think, Beth. Warm up!
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One of my favorite places to go was Park City, Utah (famous for Sundance Festival) in the off season. It has a great view, and much less crowded in the Spring/Summer. The ski lift/cable cars operate all year for tourists. When I learned to ski, I went to the places out of the way that locals used. Much less flash than the tourist slopes.
p.s. The snow may be arriving soon, Mark. The place looks “cool” anyway. ☺
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Local places probably have much more reasonable rates than the big-name tourist slopes, I’d think, Van. And, yes, just 10 or so miles north of Syracuse, lake effect snow hit hard this weekend.
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They don’t have snow-making equipment at that ski resort?
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I was going to ask about the snow-making thing as well, CM ????
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Great minds think alike. I only thought of it because I’ve been hearing news reports of how hard a time our local ski areas are having at keeping the manufactured snow from melting too quickly and becoming too icy.
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It was too warm to use it if they do, CM. I didn’t see any pipes running for that sort of thing, though.
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Personally, I’ll take food and fellowship any day. That said, I would like to take up cross-country skiing one day.
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Cross-country would be much safer than downhill, I agree, Cynthia. But food and fellowship is my first choice as well. 🙂
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It isn’t just the safety that appeals to me, though. The slower pace would suit me better, and I like to look around at the scenery. But the hanging out with friends aspect of the sport is what really appeals.
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I get you, Cynthia.
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Never tried snow skiing only water skiing! Do not like snow or cold. Love the sun and water too much and my flip flops Terp! Hope for the sake of the owners snow falls soon! Many enjoy winter sports in the great Northeast! Happy Holidays…Gatorette.
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Water skiing must be fun in flip flops, Gatorette. 🙂
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Terp-everything is fun in flip flops! LOL Gatorette
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Here we are so used to it we make our own snow. I guess in NY they feel there is no need. The real stuff is better anyway.
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Some of the mountains make their own snow, Marissa, indeed. It’s like winter aerial irrigation systems. 🙂
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Oh, I see. I used to vacation in the Catskills when I was a kid and they took us skiing but I have no idea whether the snow was real or not. It was so long ago.
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It probably was real back then, Marissa. 🙂
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You think…? You probably would know better than me.
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I think, yes.
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I use to snow ski. We have quite a few ski slopes fairly close by. But I finally stopped skiing when I got ran over by the slope’s ski patrol on a snow mobile. LOL! (Ouch!)
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Double ouch, PJ. The hit and the fall!
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Yes! Thankfully, no broken bones. Just very bruised with a badly bruised ego! LOL!
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I feel bad for the businesses affcted by this great weather….but not so bad that I want it to end…:)
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Agreed, George. Totally.
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“No pun intended”? That’s hard to swallow, Mark.
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OK, I meant it. You got me again, Ann. 🙂
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Some time ago I went skiing with my sister in law who has tried to teach me. Her best compliment was “you fall very well!!!”
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When I tried I did a very good job of brushing the mountain of excess snow with my butt, LaCrils. Sounds like we had the same amount of skiing skill!
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Maybe this weekend they say.
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That would be something after this whole month of green, Kim. 😮
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