Binghamton, NY - WTF to do?

There's gotta at least be some good ice here in winter? I'll be here mid-week and looking for quick adventures. Secret ski glades? Anything?

Jeffreaux wrote:There's gotta at least be some good ice here in winter? I'll be here mid-week and looking for quick adventures. Secret ski glades? Anything?

...only thing to do is TRANSPLANT yourself...or drink. Or both

You can certainly find some ice flows stashed in various drainages around the finger lakes. There are good flows in a gorge near Cornell. Don't know the access status. I also seem to recall some ice down near Scranton. None of this is exactly Ouray.
If you like that kind of thing, there's pretty good caving near Albany.
The Gunks will have some good days during the winter.
Nothing sounds quick!

I was drinking when I wrote my response...sorry it wasn't more helpful.

There is some good ice in the Finger Lakes region, near Watkins Glen, in Ithaca area, and other places around. It didn't form for too long last year, but hopefully this will be a better winter.

There are some hills all over the place with gas-lines that have some "pow" on them on big snow days (see my pictures...that little secret spot is about an hour West of you, but there are probably many more just like it)

Thanks for all the beta so far. Good looking ski pics (for the area).

there is good ice in the area...most of it involves poaching. The area really could use a climbing gym... (was actually just talking about it yesterday). Lots of paddling w/ 3 rivers converging. Great mnt biking. Gunks or Moss Island.

Jeffreaux wrote:Thanks for all the beta so far. Good looking ski pics (for the area).

Ahh Binghamton, my hometown. Good luck! There is the Lindseth climbing wall at Cornell an hour away, and some climbing south near Scranton I believe. Everything around Binghamton is brittle shale so no rock climbing. I vaguely remember seeing people ice climb off of route 88 east just outside of town. You can hang out at the Oakdale Mall for a rest day activity. Best thing to do climbing-wise is move away, like my brother above I haven't been back since the late 90's.

Edit to add:
Also on route 88 on the way to Albany, about an hour outside of Albany near Howe caverns is a bluff of rock just off the highway on the right. Looked like good sandstone with cracks. I don't think it has any routes.

-Patrick

Binghamton University was where I went to undergrad, so I understand your pain! No good climbing nearby. Most of my free time was spent horseback riding, which was wonderful.

However, last winter I visited my sister who still lives in the area and saw some decent ice on the north side of 88, as mentioned by an earlier poster. That was the only climbable ice I saw. Looked like it was top-ropable, and it was a set back from the highway so you'd away from the vehicles. Climbing may or may not be allowed, and I have no idea who owns it, so be cautious because a ton of police patrol the highway.

Tparis wrote:The area really could use a climbing gym... (was actually just talking about it yesterday).

There are some good MTB trails in the area. If you drive to Ithaca there are awesome mountain bike trails.

As far as climbing there is some ice around the syracuse area and there should be some in the catskills. Any ice right in the area is going to be side of the road where the hills have been cut back.

Rock climbing options are thin without a long drive. The gunks are a haul from Bing and so are the Dacks. I would say the dacks are about an hour further drive but a bit easier.