To the editor:

Great things continue to happen at Dewey Mountain Recreation Center. A multiple-year planning and building process is finally complete. The entire lower mountain trails are now lit with LED flood lights, strung on new lines and poles — an incredible improvement from the old lines which were strung from tree to tree with incandescent light bulbs. The new lights are energy efficient, more reliable, easier to maintain and shed a more consistent beam across the snow for all the recreational and racing skiers that use the trails at night.

A huge thank you goes out to the many people who made this project happen. First and foremost, the town of Harrietstown — including former town Supervisor Mike Kilroy and the entire board — the many donors to Dewey Mountain Friends’ annual appeal, Rick Stephenson and North Country Electric, Joe Garso and North Woods Engineering, Christian Wissler and his BOCES Forest Resource Management students, Jason Smith (Dewey Mountain manager and owner of Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters) and the Saranac Lake Rotary Foundation.

As a thank you to the community, Dewey Mountain Friends will host free skiing from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Dewey Mountain Recreation Center, with half-price rentals while supplies last. We will have a short presentation and ceremonial “Lighting of the Mountain” at 5:30 p.m., followed by skiing and hot cocoa and marshmallows available around the fire pits. As a reminder, due to COVID-19 precautions, the inside of the lodge is not open for gathering, only for using the restrooms and for a quick changing of boots.

We are so grateful for the support of the Dewey community and can’t wait to share the trails with you.

Sincerely,

Scott Stoddard

Chair, Dewey Mountain Friends

Saranac Lake