Two projects to enhance winter sports in the Adirondacks in the face of climate change are currently in progress, including a three-season ice skating rink in Ticonderoga, and upgrades to snowmaking in the Town of Webb.
Funded by grants from Round 7 of DEC’s Community Smart Growth Grant Program, which is funded by the Environmental Protection Fund and were awarded in April 2024.
Snowmaking Upgrades at McCauley Mountain Ski Area
As a mainstay of winter tourism in Northern Herkimer County for the last 90 years, the Town of Webb’s McCauley Mountain supplements now decreasing seasonal snowfall with snowmaking machinery.
The Community Smart Growth Grant provided funding to replace the 50-year-old equipment with two new compressors and pumps that are expected to increase the efficiency of snow production, reduce the cost of running the mountain, increase snow yields, and result in more days of skiing and the ability to open more ski runs.
A Three Season Ice Skating Rink in Ticonderoga
Using Community Smart Growth Grant funds, an outdoor ice-skating at the Ticonderoga Ice Rink at the north end of Lake George in Essex County, NY is being upgraded in response to climate change.
The North Country Rural Development Coalition applied for the grant to upgrade the rink, which is owned by the Town of Ticonderoga. The first part of the project, which has already been completed, was acquiring and installing advanced ice chillers that maintain optimal ice conditions throughout the rink’s now warmer open seasons.
The second part of the project will involve updating the existing storage building increase accessibility, including installing a bathroom and heating system.
Read more about winter sports or climate change in New York State.
Illustration: Snowmaking equipment at McCauley Mountain in Herkimer County (courtesy of Kevin Kress).
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