The Spa State Park golf course, is the perfect setting for the beginner skiier to practice. If you ski into the valley carved by Geyser Brook, there is some good downhills. All together, there are 20 kilometers of trails. Ski rentals, as well as individual and group instruction is provided in the complete ski shop.

Saratoga Spa Park is located one mile south of downtown Saratoga Springs. The Park may be reached by traveling 3 miles north on Rt. 9 after taking exit 13N of the Adirondack Northway.

WINTER SURVIVAL ITEMS:

MULTI PURPOSE TOOL
Such as a swiss army knife or a Leatherman tool. You will need this to fix broken equipment, cut branches for a shelter, cut wood for a fire. This item will always be used and if you don't have at least a knife you might not make it.


STEEL WIRE
You will need this to suspend firewood in the air to have a fire to keep you warm. If the snow is deep you cannot make a fire directly on the snow. Bring at least 10 ft (or 3 meters) of wire, preferably stainless but regular will do fine too. If you are snowshoeing in an area that never has very deep snow you can skip this item.
Make a screen with the wire and make sure it's anchored well on the snow or to nearby vegetation or rocks and make you fire on top of it.


DUCT TAPE
Perfect for fixing a broken snowshoe or to fix supports around a broken leg. Even if you don't break your legs or your snowshoes duct tape will still come in handy for fixing pretty much anything.


RICE
Perfect emergency food. Very light weight and full of energy. In an emergency you just need lots of energy, don't worry so much about vitamins. Bring about 3 cups of rice per person per day you think you will spend in worst case.

SMALL COOKING POT WITH LID
To boil water to keep you warm and to cook rice to eat. If your pot has a lid it will heat water more efficiently.

WOOD POWERED CAMP STOVE
You need to bring a stove, no question about it, your best source of heat will be drinking plenty of hot water and you need a stove to boil all that water, without a stove you're dead for sure. What ever you do, don't bring a propane stove or any type of stove that runs on gas or liquid fuel. Gas and liquid stoves work fast and efficiently but they have a number of problems that only show up in cold temperatures, propane stoves sometimes simply don't ignite if it gets too cold, they also have moving parts and complex nozzles that can get jammed or clogged by ice. Relying on a propane or liquid fuel stove in the winter is suicide. You need a very simple wood stove with absolutely no moving parts such as the Trailstove (click for website). These types of stoves are slower to cook on than propane stoves but they ALWAYS work.

LIGHTERS AND MATCHES
Bring plenty of lighters and matches. Lighters are very small and light so bringing extra ones in case one doesn't work is a very good idea. Without means to make fire you will freeze to death. You can try to make fire like a caveman by spinning a stick against a piece of wood but that is a skill that takes practice to learn and if you don't already have that skill you'll freeze to death before you have it figured out.

Hazards of Cold Weather Exposure
Frostbite, snow blindness and hypothermia

Precautions
Wrinkle face to stop stiff patches forming, pulling muscles in every direction. Exercise hands.
Watch yourself and others for patches of waxy, reddening or blackened skin, especially faces, ears and hands.
AVOID tight clothing which will reduce circulation.
Never go out without adequate clothing - however briefly. Avoid gettig clothing wet, through sweat or water. Dry it as soon as possible if this happens.
Knock snow off before entering shelter, or leave outer clothing at entrance. Snow will melt in warmth giving you more clothing to dry.
Wear gloves and keep them dry. NEVER touch metal with bare hands.
AVOID spilling gasoline on bare flesh. In sub-zero temperatures it will freeze almost at once and does even more damage than water because of its low melting point.
Be especially careful if you have been working hard and are fatigued. If you are sick - rest.