Conditions Report
Conditions report for Saturday, December 14, 2024
My youngest daughter Dylan and I headed to Titus Mountain Family Ski Centre for its opening weekend. Working in the city through the week can drain on a natural mountain-dweller such as myself, and high school can drain on a teenager. We needed to get out of dodge for a day or two, and Titus—located just outside the historical border town of Malone, New York, on the eastern edge of the Adirondack Mountains—is a short drive for us, 80 miles, perfect for a mini-getaway.
I love the drive to Franklin County, New York. It’s pretty the whole way and avoiding major roadways doesn’t add to travel time. Our route, Quebec 138 to US 11, passes endless fields of windmills that never fail to impress set against the ice blue of a winter sky. The road out of the Malone towards the resort hugs the banks of the Salmon River, which flows from the St. Lawrence. It’s another dimension. It doesn’t take long for the stress of the city to melt away.
We left shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, arriving at the resort by 10:30 a.m. There were a number of cars in the lot when we arrived, and a happy, festive vibe. Lots of young families and teens were enjoying the bluebird skies and machine-groomed snow. It is early season, and Titus had 3 of its 8 lifts spinning Saturday, with snowmakers out in full-force readying the upper mountain. Saturday was just a sample of what this resort, twice recognized with Liftopia Best in Snow Awards in recent years, has to offer on its three mountain ridges that stretch over 200 skiable acres.
Dylan was eager to get out there and I followed her lead. When I’m with Dylan in the mountains, I transform into this bizarro combo of seasoned rider, overprotective mama bear, and part-time mountain police. She is petite and I don’t want anyone to take her out. I create a wall between her and anyone who is coming down the mountain behind us; now ask her if she appreciates this. She does not, she’s nearly sixteen. Every season I wonder if it’s the last one where I’m her number one snowboarding compadre.
Thanks to Indy Pass, I visited Titus twice last season on solo trips. Dylan has camped with me in the region at Meacham Lake, but this was her first time at the resort. Like mother, like daughter, she is not a fan of big crowds, and the chair lift up was the ideal opportunity to give her the lay of the land. I’d remembered a quiet winding blue run from my previous visits that I knew she could handle no problem, with beautiful views and interesting features, so she could get her bearings and have fun doing it.
On our third run, she caught her back edge and hit the snow hard. It happens. If you’re not falling, you’re not trying, but it was time for a break and to spend some dollars at the store on a new, better-fitting helmet. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t point out the number of people we saw opting to ski and ride without a brain bucket, considering the added risks where we are on the ‘ice coast.’ Please protect your noggin. It makes good sense, and I feel it should be mandatory in these parts, like snow tires on your rig.
Titus is a popular mountain for night skiing on the weekends and Dylan wanted to ride until sunset, or longer. This was likely because of the cute boy she exchanged a look and a laugh with – parenting teenagers is a trip. I convinced her that the drive down to the main road and along the river would not be much fun after sunset considering the brisk temperature. I’d booked a night for us at the Red Roof Inn in Malone, and we were ready for hot chocolate and endless hours of cheesy Christmas movies. We packed it in around 3:30 p.m., stoked on a gorgeous bluebird day of snowboarding.
In our age of wild weather, we were hit with milder temperatures and some rain in this region through the week, but winter is back in full force. Titus closed for for few days to maintain and make more snow, and has reopened today, Friday, December 20th, with 12 inches of packed powder at the base, 15″ of machine-groomed snow at the summit, 3/8 lifts accessing 7/53 trails, and night skiing until 9:00 p.m. this evening.
I will be back later this season to experience all that Titus has to offer. As for where I am riding next, I’m not sure. That is the beauty of Indy Pass. I don’t have to make a decision until early morning the day of. No doubt I will be making turns someplace in the northeast tomorrow, the day after that, and the day after that as well…
Happy holidays, see you on the slopes!
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