Paul Smiths VIC Entrance Sign (27 November 2012). Photo courtesy of D. Kirche. Used by permission.

Chili Ski & Snow Sports Festival
Presidents' Day Weekend
15 & 16 February 2014

Snowshoe racing at the Paul Smiths VIC. Photo by Eric Foster. Used by permission.Snowshoe Race at the Paul Smiths VIC. Photo by Eric Foster.

This family-oriented weekend will feature winter sports at the VIC, including adult and children's ski and snowshoe races, ski demos, a naturalist-led ski, a snowshoe map walk, and live music.  We’ll focus on skiing on Saturday and snowshoeing on Sunday. The culinary highlight of the weekend takes place on Saturday, with the People's Choice Chili Contest. Area restaurants will compete for the best chili, with Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream on hand to provide ice cream to cleanse the palate between chili tastings. The following local restaurants and caterers have already entered the People's Choice Chili Contest, including: 

 

Chili Ski & Snow Sports Festival Schedule
Saturday, 15 February 2014
10:00 AM Youth 2K cross country ski race. Registration at 9:30 AM. Free with day or season pass.
10:30 AM Adult 5K cross country ski race. Registration at 9:30 AM. Free with day or season pass.
Noon - 2:00 PM Chili Tasting & People's Choice Chili Contest. Free with day or season pass. $5 for drop-ins.
1:00 PM Naturalist-led Ski. $5 with day or season pass. Free for Friends of the VIC.
Ongoing High Peaks Cyclery will offer ski demos, waxing clinics, ski lessons, and tours
Ongoing Snow Cream Making
Sunday, 16 February 2014
10:00 AM Jenkins Mountain Snowshoe Scramble. A 15K snowshoe race on and off VIC trails, including a visit to the summit Jenkins Mountain. Registration opens at 9:00 AM. Entry fee: $25. Prizes awarded
10:30 AM 1K Kids' Snowshoe Stampede. Snowshoes available. Free with day or season pass
1:00 - 3:00 PM Live music with Kary Johnson & Curt Stager
1:00 - 3:00 PM Snowshoe Map Walk: Join the VIC staff for a snowshoe map walk and compete for fun prizes.  Teams of one to four people will collect points by visiting controls on various natural features around the VIC property, identified on the VIC trail map. Free with day or season pass

Ski passes are required to participate in these events.  Underwritten by Friends of the VIC.

 


Explore the VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC offers a wide variety of programs throughout the year to educate and inform Adirondack Park residents and visitors about the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains. You can help support these programs by joining the Friends of the VIC. More information on Friends of the VIC memberships

Explore the Trails

The VIC trails are free and open to the public, from dawn to dusk, spring through fall. In winter, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day or season passes may be purchased.