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Lake George
So many people ask... What's there to do in Lake George in the wintertime?
The answer... lots! Lake George is in foothills of the Adirondacks, which
makes it the perfect "hub" for a wide variety of outdoor and indoor activities.
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Gore
Mountain Ski Area
A great stop for downhill skiing and snowboarding. Never too
crowded, Offers everything from great family skiing and riding to double
diamond trails for the adventurous! |
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Whiteface
Mountain:
Just a little further north in Lake Placid. Another of New
York's hidden wonders for great skiing and riding! |
 The Lake
George Recreational Park: TOTALLY FREE... here you can enjoy snow tubing, a
meticulously maintained skating rink, toboggan, warm up in the warming hut, enjoy FREE
well maintained cross country ski trails or just enjoy the view. The park is perched
for a fantastic view of Lake George. The Rec is easy to get to, just follow these
directions: From the South, get off of exit 21 take a left, set odometer 7 – 8 tenths
of a mile, take a right onto Transfer Station road, and follow the signs to the park.
From the North, get off of exit 21, take a right set odometer 7 – 8 tenths of
a mile, take a right onto Transfer Station road, and follow the signs to the park.
The Outlet Malls: Open year-round, sometimes it's just nice to get away
and bargain hunt.
 Saratoga's Mineral Baths and Spas: just 30 miles south, you can be pampered in
the mineral baths which have soothed travelers for the past 100 years. The price is
very affordable!
Massage Therapy: We visited the spa for a massage and it was
wonderful. Also try: the spa at The Sagamore for true luxury!
Nearby skiing and snowshoeing: you'll find ski centers as close as 5 miles
away! Gore Mt. is just 30 miles north and Killington and Okemo are just 40 minutes
east of us.
Snowmobiling: Rent a snowmobile or bring your own... The Warren County
Snowmobiling Trails are accessible right in Lake George
Ice Fishing: Lake George is famous with the fishermen in both summer and
winter for good reason - it's packed with fish!
Snowshoeing:
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The
new generation of light, balanced snowshoes makes them easy to
use for the whole family. Photo provided
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MAYFIELD
-- If you're looking for a way to make the best of all the snow dumped
on the area over the last several weeks, the owner of a business in the
region has one suggestion: try snowshoeing. |
Dick
Havlick and his wife Janice run the Havlick Snowshoe Company in
Mayfield, about 45 minutes north of Saratoga Springs. The location
serves as both shop space, where the shoes are handcrafted, and an
outlet store. Launched in 1965, the company is an offshoot of an
industrial design division also owned by Havlick, but for the couple,
the snowshoe business is their true love.
''We've always loved to strap on snowshoes and take off into the
woods,'' Dick said. ''There's nothing to compare it with, the
peacefulness and quiet, being out beyond trails where you couldn't even
go on cross-country skis. It's indescribable.''
A former engineer in the boating industry, Havlick began making
snowshoes and marketing them by direct mail and through advertising in
outdoor magazines.
''The first few years we made absolutely no money,'' Havlick said. ''We
worked out of a post office box in Gloversville, and it was not working.
The Internet has changed all that.''
With a large percentage of sales coming through the company's Web site (www.havlicksnowshoe.com),
his products are now shipped across the country, and have been sent to
customers in Germany and Greenland. Business has grown each year, and
although Havlick declined to give specific sales figures, he said the
company is holding its own among the 40 or more snowshoe manufacturers
in the country.
''When we first started out, there were three or four companies making
the shoes. Now there's a lot more competition,'' Havlick said. ''But
we've crafted a product that's known for excellence, and we've never had
a single complaint about any of our snowshoes.''
In the early days, snowshoes were made of wood with a webbed deck.
That's all changed now, Havlick said, with the introduction of materials
such as aluminum, urethane and neoprene. For all of the work, Havlick
had to design his own manufacturing methods.
''There aren't any snowshoe-making machines out there to buy,'' Havlick
said with a chuckle. ''We had to work from the ground up.''
Aircraft aluminum tubing is used for today's snowshoe frames, and
Havlick developed a roto-flex binding system that allows a snug fit on
everything from large chunky boots right down to sneakers. It takes one
person about an hour to complete the process of making a pair of
aluminum-based snowshoes, compared to the three or four hours for the
outdated wooden versions.
Prices range from about $105 for recreational use snowshoes to $160 and
up for tougher versions used in mountain areas. Snowshoes are fitted
based on the weight of the user rather than shoe size.
''The operating principle is flotation, and the smaller the shoe, the
easier to use,'' Havlick explained. ''On fresh, fluffy snow you sink
down further than on a packed trail. Some people like to run races with
the 25-inch lightweight shoes, but a general-purpose, 30-inch shoe
provides good balance.''
Havlick said the most important thing to remember about snowshoeing is
to walk naturally.
''Don't mince your steps or go duck-footed, because you'll end up
straining muscles and tiring quickly,'' Havlick said. ''The bindings
will flex with your steps, and it should feel like you're walking
normally.''
Cleats attached to the bottom of the shoes help wearers scale icy
terrain. A growing segment of the market has been snowshoes for
children, and Havlick carries colorful 16-inch models with cleats. The
model is durable, and the cleats are designed not to cause injury if
handled by children.
''My grandchildren are the road testers,'' said Havlick, who has five
daughters and five grandchildren.
The company employs from five to 11 people, mostly family, to run the
outlet store and manufacture the product. As for the future, Havlick
said he has no plans to hang up his snowshoes any time soon.
''We love what we're doing and retirement isn't in the plans,'' Havlick
said. ''Maybe one day a grandson will take over, because my daughters
are all in their own fields of work.''
When he has a bit of spare time, Havlick straps on his own 30-inch
Panther snowshoes and heads into the woods.
''Whenever I can I go out, when the sun is bright, and I forget about
what's going to be the next project and just enjoy myself,'' Havlick
said. ''You walk and see animal tracks and all the life that's going on
unknown to us. This winter is particularly good with the constant
coating of fresh snow. We haven't seen a winter like this for years.''
http://www.havlicksnowshoe.com
Snowshoeing Article: �The
Saratogian 2001
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The Lake George Winter Carnival - All February
Long - Click here for more details!
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