By PAUL POST

               
Gore Mountain has a whole new look while offering visitors the same high-quality conditions they’ve enjoyed since the resort first opened.

People will notice the improvements as soon as they drive into the resort’s main parking lot. A former gondola building has been transformed into Northwoods Lodge.

Adjacent to the lodge is the newly improved Bear Cub Run trail for first-time skiers and snowboarders. The Snow Train conveyor lift, recently lengthened to 100 feet, is being moved to this trail for children’s programs.

The Snow School is offering a selection of new program choices including one-day clinics, adult holiday camps and season-long teen programs.

Meanwhile, the main base lodge has been improved, too, with 7,500 square feet of remodeled space featuring more seating, lockers, hooks and storage capacity.

On the mountain, Gore has upgraded snowmaking with three new pumps to improve conditions on the center’s 84 trails, serviced by 12 lifts including a high-speed gondola. The maintenance fleet has been added to with a new groom, the fourth in three seasons to give skiers and riders the best possible surfaces to navigate on their way down the hill.

Next December, Gore is slated to open a new area, Burnt Ridge, that will have five new trails totaling approximately six miles. This new terrain will increase Gore’s vertical drop to 2,340 feet and add about 60 acres of skiing with a blend of intermediate and expert trails serviced by a high-speed quad.

On December 21, Gore opened a new triple chair at the nearby North Creek Ski Bowl that offers access to 150 vertical feet of skiing and boarding including a terrain park and half-pipe.

Gore always offers a variety of discount ticket promotions and there are many special events lined up for the remainder of the 2008 season.

• Sunday, Feb. 3 – Telemark Day. Before watching the Super Bowl try your hand at this unique form of skiing by testing demo skis from Black Diamond and G3, with boots from Garmont and Crispi. Visitors may sign up for clinics, race the slalom course and win prizes.

There will be clinics for beginners (9:45 a.m.), intermediates and experts (1:45 p.m.). Clinics are 90 minutes and cost $19.

The Tele Race is set for 10 a.m. on the NASTAR course with registration in the base lodge from 8:30-9:45 a.m. Each competitor will make two runs with the best time entered in the final standings.

The day will include with a fun Beacon Search & Rescue Game.

• Sunday, Feb. 10 – U.S.A. Snowboard Association event at North Creek Ski Bowl, part of the USASA Adirondack Series.

• Wednesday, Feb. 20 – S’More Gore Full Moon Tubing Party -- $10 for two-hour tickets purchased after 6 p.m. and free s’mores around an Adirondack fireplace. All tubing at North Creek Ski Bowl.

• Friday, Feb. 22 – Dark Sky Rail Jam at North Creek Ski Bowl. – Show off your latest freestyle moves under the lights. Categories are for male and female skiers and snowboarders ages 15 and below, and 16 and over.

Registration is from 4-5:15 p.m. and competition begins at 6 p.m. Competitors will be judged on style, trick difficulty and overall performance. The top two of three runs will be combined for the final standings.

All competitors must wear a helmet and sign an assumption-of-risk agreement.

• Sunday, March 9 – Cardboard Derby. Construct a sled and show it off down the Arena. Sled must be constructed entirely of cardboard. The only acceptable adhesives are glue and tape. Creativity and successful downhill performance (not speed) both count heavily in the judging.

Sleds are for two-person categories only.

• Sunday, March 16 – Walt’s Bump Contest. Annual mogul contest on the expert Hawkeye trail. There are several age categories. Participants will be judged on style, speed, control and overall performance in the bumps.

Any ties will be broken with the overall performance score.

Registration will be from 8:30-10 a.m. with races beginning at 11 a.m.

• Sunday, March 23 – Easter Sunrise Service. The Northwoods Gondola will board passengers starting at 6:30 a.m. for Gore’s 7 a.m. nondenominational service on Bear Mountain. People must be on hand by 6:45 p.m. because the gondola will stop running before the service to minimize noise.

After the service, guests may ski down a specified guided route or take the gondola back to the base area.

• March 24-30 – “Take Your Son to Gore Week.” Free skiing, tubing and boarding for boys 19 and younger when accompanied by a full-paying parent.

• Saturday, April 12 – Pond Skimming Contest. Competitors dress up in crazy costumes, get wet and skim across Bullfrog Pond. Each participant gets three splashes. The best two will be tallied to determine standings. Judges are looking for successful splash, costumes, craziness and creativity.

Categories are for best overall, kings and queens, princes and princesses and frogs and frogettes.

For information about all events and activities see the Web site: www.goremountain.com.