October 24, 2014
Now that we’ve had a taste of snow in the Adirondacks (a little dusting last Sunday), I cannot wait to get back on the slopes at Titus Mountain Family Ski Center!
Titus is currently my favorite ski slope in the area, because it’s a good size without being too big for me, and they tend to have the best snow coverage for my type of snowboarding.
And they’ve got some cool new stuff to look forward to there this year!
New stuff
The biggest news this year at Titus is that they have installed a magic carpet! Cue the Steppenwolf and hop on, because it’s super easy to use magic carpet lifts. It replaces the small rope tow that has been the way beginners ascended the hill at Titus’ Learning Center for years.
“The nice thing about the magic carpet is that … virtually anybody can get on them and get off them without a struggle,” Dene, one of Titus’ marketing people, told me. “They don’t have to take their equipment off or anything. You just simply step onto the carpet with your skis or your snowboard, you ride up the hill, and then you get off.
“It’s going to make a world of difference to people that are new to skiing, or people that are skiing with special needs, and it should be a lot more fun for small kids to use as well.”
At the top of the magic carpet, there’s another new feature: an Adirondack-style lean-to where the mountain’s two mascots - Titus Teddy and his bear friend - will hang out and have activities to entertain the kids. Fun!
Forever Wild and natural
There are also two changes that will affect skiers and riders who don’t hit the beginner’s area. Dene said the mountain has been getting feedback from people who want to see more areas of the slopes ungroomed, so they’ve designated some “Forever Wild” areas - playing off the Adirondack land preservation term - that won’t be groomed at all. It’ll be a fun challenge for skiers and riders that like that kind of thing.
The ungroomed areas will be well-marked, both on the trail map and on the mountain, so people won’t end up there by accident. And the rest of the mountain - the majority of it - will remain groomed to the standards Titus has always maintained.
In the same vein of the Forever Wild areas, Titus has also installed a third terrain park, called Mo’s Stash, that was made completely out of natural elements like logs and rocks. It’s got all the features you would normally find in a terrain park, but it has the look of an Adirondack-style playground. I’m really excited to see what this looks like!
About Titus
Like I said, I love Titus. I think this blurb on the Titus Mountain website describes the mountain well:
“In this modern era of mega-resorts and mega-prices, Titus Mountain Family Ski Center remains committed to welcoming all of our guests with a very special Snow Sports experience. Adirondack beauty! Affordable! Safe! Fun! That’s what Titus Mountain is all about. Short lift lines. Uncrowded slopes. Good food. Magnificent grooming. Friendly staff. Low, low prices. This year, join us at Titus Mountain and discover a unique & timeless Adirondack way to savor winter!”
I’m not going to lie, I’m not a great snowboarder. I grew up skiing at Big Tupper and switched to snowboarding right before that mountain closed for a while, so I never got a chance to get good at it, and I’ve only been able to go once or twice a year since then. So Titus is perfect for me - fun trails that aren’t too short or too long, and trails that challenge a good variety of skill levels.
It has 10 lifts: two 3-passenger chairlifts, six 2-passenger chairlifts and two handle-tow surface lifts. There are 42 trails and glades, now a total of three terrain parks, and a snow tubing park. The three mountains that make up Titus stretch over 200 acres of land, with a 2,025-foot-high summit.
The lodges are great, too. The Lower Lodge was recently renovated, and it’s a lovely place to take a break and have a drink or a snack during the day. Or night! The Lower Mountain offers night skiing and snowboarding until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. I love night boarding!
Titus also tends to have a lot of fun events going on, too. I happened to be riding there one day a year or two ago when they had snowmobile races for kids, so it was super fun to watch tiny kiddos riding around the jumps as I rode up the chairlift.
Dene said everyone at Titus is looking forward to a good season, since long-range forecasts are showing positive things for them.
“It looks like it’s going to be a good, long, snowy winter!” he said.
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