Poughkeepsie Journal, link to original post
For a full-service cross-country ski and snowshoe center, one has to go no further than Fahnestock Winter Park (FWP) on Route 301 near the intersection with the Taconic State Parkway in Carmel.
Although it might seem strange to drive south for natural snow, Putnam County seems to lie in a belt that gets ample precipitation in all seasons. FWP, located at 1,100 feet, will get snow even when the surrounding region gets none. Last winter, a reported 4,669 used the facilities there.
Having opened in 1996, it offers nine miles of groomed, tracked and mapped trails for Nordic skiing for all abilities as well as a couple of marked snowshoe trails. It is one of the few nearby places where one can rent cross-country ski equipment and snowshoes and take lessons.
The rustic lodge offers food service, rest rooms, changing rooms, and ski-related merchandise. FWP also has a tubing, sledding hill and an outdoor fireplace. There is plenty of parking.
A little more than a year ago, the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation took a look at the big picture at Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park and Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve and put together a new Master Plan.
Now comprising 14,082 acres, Fahnestock originated in 1930, when Dr. Ernest Fahnestock donated approximately 2,400 acres for parkland and the Taconic State Parkway in memory of his brother Clarence.
The first master plan was developed in the 1940′s. It has not been superseded although much has changed since then, including the development of FWP. For example, Fahnestock once had a small Alpine skiing center that closed in 1976. Drivers on the Taconic State Parkway can see its remains in its present role as a station for the New York State Police.
Recently, the Department of Parks and Recreation issued its final master plan and final Environmental Impact Statement. Paul Kuznia manages Fahnestock Winter Park. With respect to the master plan, he explained in an e-mail, “The planning reflects balancing the use of the park’s resources by visitors, protecting its special features, considering outdoor recreation trends, and supporting programs that educate visitors about the park’s landscape, animals, birds, and sense of place with the natural world.”
If the master plan is implemented, it bodes well for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. It recommends increasing access to trails within the park and enhancing connections to adjacent land and public transportation. Hiking and snowshoeing should be allowed on all new and existing trails, and the existing snowshoe trails in FWP should be maintained. Snowshoeing, however, will not be allowed on groomed cross-country trails because footprints disturb the grooming.
The plan proposes that one groomed cross-country trail be added — a loop around Stillwater Lake — and that trails be designated for ungroomed cross-country skiing in both Fahnestock and the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve. The new master plan also has room for expanding FWPs lodge with more space for rentals, the café and restrooms.
Kuznia appreciates that, when asked for comments, people responded with enthusiasm for winter sports.
“In regard to Fahnestock Winter Park (FWP), the input of the public was important,” he said. “It is a unique Hudson Valley outdoor winter sports facility. The comments indicate that it is also a unique community resource cherished by many winter sports enthusiasts. They find nothing more enjoyable than exploring the woods on groomed cross-country ski trails, snowshoes, or just sledding with their kids.
“The camaraderie, friendship, and social connections associated with the activities is a big part of the experience. There is nothing better than sipping a cup of hot chocolate while reminiscing with friends or a new acquaintance after a wonderful day outdoors.”
Will alpine skiing ever return to Fahnestock? No. I spoke to Harold Weiss, the last person to manage the alpine area before it closed. He saw little future in it. Unlike FWP, which is surrounded by forest and holds snow well, the exposure of the Alpine slope is not favorable for keeping it covered with snow.
Under the new master plan, two of the three remaining buildings of the old alpine area will be demolished, the former ski rental building and the former ski lodge. Only the building that the state police use will remain. The police do not need the entire parking lot. Part of it will be seeded with native vegetation.
