Oswego is obviously an Indian word and I have no idea what it means. But Oswego County, New York, is synonymous with "lake effect" snow, which I experienced in abundance while skiing yesterday at Salmon Hills Outdoor Adventure Center.

I began the day in Watertown, where there was barely enough snow to cover the ground. By the time I drove about an hour south to Salmon Hills in Redfield, the snow was falling about three inches per hour and the driving was treacherous.

The parking lot and ski rack outside the lodge at Salmon Hills Outdoor Adventure Center in Redfield, NY, in an area that's justly famous for "lake effect" snow.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

In winter, Salmon Hills' main outdoor adventure is cross-country skiing; owner Hans Petter Karlsen is a former Norwegian XC standout and biathlon racer.

Hans Petter Karslen, a former Norwegian ski racer, helps a customer.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

About 38 kilometers of trails are maintained for both skate-skiers and traditional stride-and-gliders like myself.

Skiers work their way through fast-falling snow yesterday at Salmon Hills Adventure Center.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

The terrain is varied and exceptionally attractive. Of course I couldn't see too much of it, due to the very heavy snowfall.

A skier struggles through the snow yesterday at Salmon Hills Outdoor Adventure Center, which lies at the bulls-eye of upstate New York's lake effect snow.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

The lodge is also exceptionally attractive, and it includes a nice retail and rental area plus cafeteria.

Hans believes in pro-actively programming. The local Bill Koch Youth Ski League is very active, and he's got a two-day "Girls Day Out" ski clinic scheduled this coming weekend.

Oswego County is part of New York's Tug Hill Plateau, a triangle-shaped mostly wooded area that lies between Syracuse and Watertown.

After sampling the trails, I struggled through the fast-falling snow to regain the interstate highway. But by the time I reached Syracuse, the snow had stopped and the ground was mostly bare.

Hans had told me that Oswego County is like a bulls-eye for lake effect snow. Believe him, it's true. And yesterday's micro-storm in Oswego County even got some broadcast footage on the Weather Channel this morning.

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