Ski industry personnel and companies have rallied to bring skiing to the Double “H” Hole in the Woods Ranch near Glens Falls, N.Y.—a camp for youngsters from six to 16 years old with cancer and other blood-related disorders. The ranch is affiliated with actor Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Association, providing critically ill children and their families a break from the strains of treatment by offering recreational activities supported by 24-hour, on-site medical coverage.
In the early 1990s, Adirondack philanthropist Charlie Wood joined forces with Newman’s group to reopen a closed dude ranch at Lake Luzerne, N.Y., for eight summer sessions of six to ten days each. Campers—children and teens primarily from the Northeast and Quebec—and their families came to enjoy all sorts of summer activities: swimming, riding, environmental learning and even navigating a ropes course.
The ranch’s opening sparked a great deal of interest, particularly with several ski industry locals. Gwen Allard, executive director of the PSIA Eastern Education Foundation and director of the disabled ski program at Ski Windham, N.Y., and longtime industry veteran Mike Smith both eyed the small ski hill on the property with the idea of adding winter recreation to the mix.
The previous owner had left a 1965 Hall 1404 double chairlift and some rudimentary snowmaking on the 150-foot-vertical hill. There was a reservoir for snowmaking and a sufficient number of winterized buildings to house, feed and entertain campers and their families. Though updating and overhauling were definitely in order, the basic necessities for a winter operation were in place. Seeing this, Allard and Smith proposed reviving the hill, but were asked to wait until the summer operation was fully up and succeeding before moving ahead.
Executive director Max Yurenda said four kids came through the door the first weekend the ranch opened, with a total attendance of 137 children the first summer. Over the next four years, attendance rose to last summer’s total of 812 children—not including family members.
Told late last year that the ski side finally looked feasible, Allard and Smith swung into action. They added Tom Sanford of CTEC to their team and headed for the NSAA Eastern Regional conference at Killington, Vt., this past January. There they buttonholed industry friends and colleagues, explained the opportunity and asked for assistance.
In tackling the wish list, Smith said, “One guy has a little of this, another guy a little of that. If I get two, I ask if I can barter one for something else.” Immediately offers started rolling in.
So far, SMI and Hedco have agreed to provide two airless snowmaking guns; Lenko is also offering two guns and 10 new sections of snowmaking pipe, while Flowtronex has offered to donate a pump and motor. Jan Leonard of CTEC is offering engineering consulting services.
Not to be outdone, ski areas are contributing as well: Killington and Mount Snow, Vt., are donating gears, grips and gear boxes from their surplus, while Ski Windham, N.Y., is lending adaptive equipment and has donated a snowcat.
On the staff side, Allard said that industry people have offered to train a core of volunteers to supplement part-time employees with daily operations such as grooming and running the lifts; in addition, PSIA is sending volunteer instructors expert in adaptive techniques and the National Ski Patrol is establishing a volunteer chapter.
Plans are for the ski hill to be up and running for the 1997-98 season, hosting 20 to 25 youngsters and their families on each of three to six weekends, in addition to some mid-week special events.
If you are interested in donating equipment, call Mike Smith at (518) 656-9211.
