2017 Art Roscoe Loppet at Allegany State Park

Sunday, February 12th 2017 Rain-date Sunday February 26th 2017 Flyer  Allegany State Park-Salamanca, NY  Summit Ski Area Start Times: 22K 9:30am, 13K 9:45am, 6K 10:00am The Annual Art Roscoe XC Ski Weekend is tearing into Allegany State Park for another amazing year of cross-country skiing action!  Join us on one of our three different course distances to experience the almost endless thrills and heart-pounding action of the Art Roscoe Trial System inside Allegany State Park.  6K, 13K & 22K Classic XC Skiing is the order of the day as this annual tradition continues to attract skiers from several surrounding states, colleges and teams.  All of the action takes place at the Allegany State Park Summit Ski Area in the Red House area of Allegany State Park.  Registration and check in opens at 8am at the Summit Ski Area-Central Cabin.   Plenty of Parking in area lots (parking is not permitted on central roadways-police enforced) 2017 offers another round of racing and touring action for all levels of skiers. Select the distance that suits your fitness and enjoy a tremendous paradise of set double track and rolling hills in one of the most picturesque and challenging areas of Western New York.  Pre-register to guarantee your place on the starting line or come down on race day to register.  Fun post-race party, lunch & amazing door prizes from our wonderful sponsors.  Ski it, race it or test your fittness inside Allegany State Park!New for 2017 all finishers receive a finishers token. Awards to the top 5 in each division M/F plus overall winners.Amazing door prizes and awards for top finishers including skis, GPS watches, poles from Infinity & gear from Alpina Sports & The City Garage! Stay tuned to this web-site for links to current conditions and event details if a rain-date will be utilized due to snow and safety conditions.  Race-day registration is welcome. The pulse of skiing and XC activities can be found at www.alleganynordic.org Support this terrific group!The Art Roscoe Loppet proudly supports the Seneca Allegany Fire Department  and HEART Animal Rescue. 2015 Results  Course Maps Thank you Park staff for helping keep the Art Roscoe Loppet a yearly event!

Ellicottville NY Fall Activities in 2014 - Run, Spooky and Fun!

As the cool fall temperatures arrive in Ellicottville, New York, the hills come alive with color and then slowly fade away. Fall is a great time to visit Ellicottville and explore what this mountain town has to offer. Whether from the air or ground, there is so much to see for the family. Most of the activities in town or within 15 minutes. For 2014, there are events, activities and leisure that are sure to kids of all ages as well as the adults. You can run and hide, but the fun activities will be sure to find you!

FROM THE AIR

Ellicottville and Western New York are absolutely amazing. Take a trip in a hot air balloon ride or helicopter ride. There are several businesses in the region that offer this special tours. H and L Enterprises (www.hlprises.com) offers helicopter rides in the region and is available at Pumpkinville on weekends in Ocober (weather permitting). The Balloon rides are about 45 minutes away, near Leftwitch State Park. They provide hot air balloon rides over the "grand canyon of the east". The balloon ride offers spectacular views of waterfalls, the fall color, gorges and more (www.balloonsoverletchworth.com).

Enjoy a chairlift ride to Spruce Lake at Holiday Valley Resort. The views from the top of the lake are

www.rustedwindmill.com

amazing. You can hike the trails around the lake, across the mountain ridge and into the forest or just sit and enjoy the view. You may walk down the mountain or ride back down the chairlift. The chairlift rides at Holiday Valley Resort Spruce Lake lift are available Saturdays and Sundays from August 2 through October 19, 11AM to 5PM.  The chairlift is $5 per rider and children under 2 are free.

FROM THE GROUND 

Ellicotville and the surrounding area have great fall activities for the casual hiker, competitive athlete, the romantic couple or kids just wanting to have fun. The fall color is absolutely amazing in Red House and Quaker run areas of the New York State park. There are over 60,000 acres with hiking trails, lakes, rock formations and stuctures to explore. Visit Thunder Rocks, the Stone Tower, The Fire Tower or the Art Roscoe Mountain Bike and Cross Country ski area of Red House.

MOUNTAIN BIKE
Ellicottville also has some amazing single track mountain biking trails in Little Rock City, Golden Road State Forest, McCarthy Road State Forest and on top of Holiday Valley Resort slopes. Ride on trails past Spruce lake and beyond. Spurce Lake is accessible from Holiday Valley Resort or you can drive around and pakr by the lake. The Ellicottville Bike shop has trail maps available for around $6. There are also double track trails near the Yodler Lodge and the Ski and Ride School. You can park in the lot and hike or pedal to the top. It is a good workout peddling to the top, but it is worth it!

1/2 MARATHON AND 5K RUNNING

On November 1, 2014 Ellicottville is hosting the EVL 1/2 Marathon and 5k running event. There is also a kids race; so the event is for people of all ages. There are prizes for costumes, but they are not required. The race starts at 11:00 am in downtown Ellicottville and takes you through the awesome mountain valleys. The Ellicottville Brewing Company is hosting the awards and after party. To register and for more information visit the event website at http://evlhalf.com/.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Pumpkinville runs September 13, 2014 through October 31, 2014 and offers fun activities and shops on the farm. The admission is free and Pumpkinville is open 9 am to 7 pm daily. There are tractor pulled hay rides, a corn cannon, cow train, corn maize, barbique pit, ice cream factory, pedal carts, boutique shops, pumpkins, fresh apple cider, a cider mill, pumpkin doughnuts and more. They have large variety of fress apples from local orchards. The pedal cars are new for 2014. In October, there are H and L Enterprises helicopter rides at Pumpkinville for around $30 per person; however, note that they are only on the weekends and if weather permitting. Some activities are free and various Pumpkinville rides require tickets that are available for purchase from a ticket booth and the individual boutique shops accept cash or credit. The farm sells pumpkins, apples, gourds, squash and more. For more information on the activities and shops on the farm, visit their website at http://www.pumpkinville.com/

  

For those who want a little more fright in the fall, vising the Nightmare Hayrides at Sommerville, New York. Just 10 minutes outside Ellicottville, this farm has all of the frights and sounds that you seek for Halloween. Take a 25 minute hayride through the haunted forest on on of their vintage Farmall Tractors. All of the tractors are restored and are pre 1950.  There are many events at the farm. The order of events are half of haunted barn, half of haunted maze, haunted hayride then other half of haunted maze and the vortex tunnel and then the rest of the haunted barn. After the night of haunts, there is a cool barn to have a bite to eat and talk about the scary thrills. For more information, times and pricing visit their website at www.nightmarehayride.com/.

FARM MARKET
Finally, Hall's produce also has pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, mums and all types of squash. They sell buttercup squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, Hubbard squash, butternut squash and more. Support this local year round market. They have all sizes of pumpkins from decorative, to pies, to extra large! They have great prices and are 5 minutes south of Ellicottville on route 219.


CONCLUSION
So you can run, fly, bike, walk and hike through the fall in Ellicottville, New York. There is fun for everyone and plenty of activities to provide lasting memories and some great Halloween spooky or not so spooky stories. Enjoy the sites, sounds and smells of fall in Ellicottville while you relax, play and getaway!

* All information about activities are provided as a reference. Individual websites and event coordinators or owners are responsible for the content, images and prices of their activities. Follow common sense rules when hiking and mountain biking in the woods, forest or ground.

Art Roscoe Ski and Mountainbike Trails are a cool place to explore the Allegany NY State Park





Art Roscoe Area Trailheads and Map.

 

No matter the time of year, the Art Roscoe trail area located in the in Red House section of  Allegany NY State Park is a really cool experience that started with an idea. The trails are double track and single track for hiking and mountain biking in the spring, summer and fall. The area's trails are groomed in the winter  months for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. The area host nature at its finest; with tree covered trails, rock outcrops, varieties of trees, ferns, birds, insects, animals and more. You can explore the wide double track trails in the main loops or venture further on single track trails to expore deeper into the woods. The conopy makes it one cool area to explore.

The Art Roscoe trail area was dedicated on December 23, 1972 as the Art Roscoe Ski Touring Area. The area was the first formaly developed ski-touring area in the park. Prior to that Art Roscoe had mapped out 50 miles of cross-country ski trails on old logging roads and hiking trails in 1937. The original trail area was mapped by Art Roscoe for the Interstate Ski Club. The Ski Club disbanded in 1972; however, Ronald A. Block, the regional administrator of the Allegany State Park, recommended that the park inprove its recreational facilities and thus created the Art Roscoe Ski Touring Area. Art J Roscoe worked in the lumber and forestry industry before entering a career at the park. His career at the park spaned 38 years as a forester and an assistant manager.

The entrance to the Art Roscoe trail area is well marked, just accross from the ski rental building. The trailmap is located at the gate, with several trailheads near by.  Many of the main trails are from old narrow gauge railroad beds when trees were logged for the lumber mills in Salamanca. There are 8 trails that vary from 1.5 miles to 9.7 miles in length. There are some steep areas with the terrain varying from 1,500 to 2,350 feet above sea level. The trail information from easiest to hardest is Sweetwater Loop Trail - 2.7 miles, Crossover - 0.2, Christian Hollow Loop trail -1.6 miles, Patterson Trail - 2.2 miles, Stone Tower Loop Trail - 2.3 miles, Leonard Run Loop Trail - 2.9 miles, Ridge Run Trail 3.3 miles and Snowsnake Run - 4.9 miles. The trails are great for hiking and mountain biking in the spring, summer and early fall months. Many of the main trails are double wide for easy hiking and riding. The outer trails are single track, which take you for a more agressive hike or mountain bike ride. It is recommened to avoid the trail area during deer hunting season.



A cross-country ski trail picture from the Fire Tower.

The Art Roscoe Ski Touring Area has some of the finest groomed cross country skiing and mountain

bike trails. Since the original design of the area was for cross-county skiing, there is no better place. The park system maintains well marked and groomed trails in the winter, with multiple lanes. Snowshoers can also use the area, just avoid walking in the groomed area of the trails. Many of the double track trails are groomed for cross-country skiing. The single track trails may not be maintained during the winter months. At the Art Roscoe area trailhead there is a warming hut that serves snacks and has cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals.

Snowmobilers are also attracted to Allegany State Park for its 90 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and over 150 winterized cabins.

Fire Tower in Red House - Art Roscoe Area

Also located in the Art Roscoe area is the one of the remaining fire towers. This fire tower was built in 1926 and is 66 feet tall. The park service used the tower to look over the park to spot any fires in the Red House area of the State park. There were two other fire towers in the Allegany State Park. One of them was removed in the late 1970s / 1980s and reassembled at a new location. The other remains in the Quarker Run area. You can still climb the tower in the Art Roscoe trail area and look over the views of the park. The trees are almost as tall as the tower, but you can see how well is worked to spot files across the park back in the day. The top view box is closed to non-park personnell, but you can still get a view just underneith it. There is plaquard by the tower that shows the history of the tower and the efforts to preserve it in the park. There are great pictures an it is worth a few mintues to find out more on the history.

The Art Roscoe area has grown to be a hidden gem in western New York. Thousands of vistors come to the park and enjoy this cool place. We highly recommend taking a trip to explore this beautiful park and especially the fantastic Art Roscoe Cross Country Ski and Mountain bike area. As we have shown, there are great activities year round for your to explore on foot, mountainbike or on skis. Thanks again to Art Roscoe for planting the idea for a dedicated cross-country ski area over 75 years ago. His logging trails kept the idea afloat to build this cool place where people can exercise and enjoy nature year round!