Laughter, a blizzard and adventure on a 1st trip to the Adirondacks

Outdoor education program connects college students with tubing outing at Titus

By David Escobar

Heavy snowfall blanketed Kimya Hayes as she stood at the crest of the snow tubing hill at Titus Mountain Family Ski Center in Malone. With the wind howling and ice clinging to her jacket, she brushed away clumps of snow while preparing for her next ride down the hill.

Hayes was one of about a dozen SUNY Geneseo students participating in a weekend trip designed to take them beyond their small college town and into the heart of the Adirondacks. As part of the excursion, the group traveled to Titus Mountain for an afternoon of snow tubing — just as a blizzard swept through the region.

Clifton Harcum, the director of multicultural affairs at SUNY Geneseo and the trip’s leader, had not anticipated whiteout conditions, but he was determined to see the day through.

“Bringing this group up here, this is gnarly,” said Harcum, watching as students stumbled into their inflatable snow tubes while snow piled up around them.

Harcum is no stranger to Adirondack winters. Before moving to Geneseo, he worked at SUNY Potsdam and lived in Saranac Lake, where he developed a passion for hiking and summiting High Peaks. His love for the outdoors evolved into the “Live Now” program, which he first created at SUNY Potsdam and later brought to Geneseo.

The “Live Now” program aims to introduce students — especially those without prior access to outdoor recreation — to new environments, giving them confidence to try new outdoor activities on their own.

“It’s about getting people outdoors, getting out of their comfort zones, and trying new things,” he said.

First time on the slopes

Throughout the afternoon, students took turns pushing each other’s red and blue snow tubes down a 500-foot track. While the activity was less strenuous than climbing a High Peak, it was a first for many participants.

For some students, the blizzard was a familiar challenge. For others, like Sanu Mallisetty, it was their first encounter with the harsh Adirondack cold.

“I’m freezing, but I don’t care,” said Mallisetty, an international student from India. “I can’t feel my fingers.”

Stepping outside their comfort zones

Despite the frigid conditions, many students viewed the trip as an opportunity to test their limits. James Preston, who grew up in Orlando, Florida, was initially unsure about the idea of snow tubing. The combination of cold and wet weather gave him pause. But with encouragement from his friends, he decided to give it a try.

“I got to the top of the hill and thought about turning around,” Preston said. “But I went down, and it was a lot of fun.”

Not everyone embraced the outdoor adventure immediately. Addie Balogun spent much of the day inside the ski lodge, warming up while the rest of the group played in the snow. Yet, just before the slopes closed, she decided to take the plunge.

“I’m not really a thrill seeker,” Balogun said. “I don’t do roller coasters or that kind of stuff. But I kind of forced myself to do the snow tubing. I thought it was really fun.”

Titus Mountain was just one stop on the group’s itinerary. Over the weekend, they also explored the trails at Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center. The Adirondack Diversity Initiative, which helped plan and finance the trip, facilitated an outing to the Wild Center for the students.

While the trip did not transform every participant into a winter enthusiast, each student left with a new experience — and perhaps a new perspective. Olaocha Nwabara, a faculty chaperone, said she hoped the excursion would encourage students to seek out nature closer to home.

“I would love for them to connect [with nature] in their own way,” said Nwabara.

By the time the group boarded the bus for the long ride home, the students were red-faced and covered in snow, equipped with memories that will stay with them long after the snow melts.

David Escobar is a Report For America Corps Member. He reports on diversity issues in the Adirondacks through a partnership between North Country Public Radio and Adirondack Explorer.