Breakfast with Herb & Mike

Winter in the North Country is more than a season—it’s a way of life. The memories that endure are those that engage every sense. In this conversation, Herb and Mike revisit their winters past, sharing the warmth, laughter, and lessons that continue to shape their breakfast journey...

Mike: Let’s talk about the fun we had in the winters. My earliest memories are of the times you would load us up in our big old station wagon, attach a trailer with a snowmobile and we would set out to find a Christmas tree.

Herb: I had a friend who owned forest land in Saranac and we would go there.

Mike: The Truebrook Road, right?

Herb: You’re right. What a memory you have.

Mike: The snow was deep in those days. Sometimes one of us would get stuck in the snow and the rest of us would dig them out with our hands. We considered it a rite of passage.

Herb: Finding the perfect tree took time. Everyone had an opinion, but eventually we would agree — or your mother and I would outvote you. Then it was time to cut it down, get it onto the snowmobile, out of the woods, and on top of the car.

Mike: It was common for the lake and the rivers to freeze over when I was growing up. You would take us and your two old snowmobiles to Macomb Park and we would ride up and down the river. Lizzie and I take Gunner to Macomb for early morning runs now and I recall those good times.

Herb: Playing hockey from the time you were about seven took up a lot of your time.

Mike: When I was a squirt, and later when I was a pee wee, I had to be up about four o’clock in the morning to be at practice at the SUNY Field House or the Crete Center by 5 a.m. That meant either you or Mom was my driver.

Herb: Your life in hockey extended well into your teens and even when you were an adult.

Mike: It did. Not only for team play, but also with pickup games. MAI (Mount Assumption Institute) on North Catherine Street had an outdoor rink that was open to everyone. My friends and I would hook our skates to our hockey sticks and hike to the rink. It was lit for play until late in the evening and they left a room open just inside the building for us to change our skates or just warm up. That’s where you could usually find me in the wintertime.

Herb: I admired your skill on the rink and, I have to confess, I was a little envious. I didn’t go to high school, and I never played a sport of any kind.

Mike: But all that changed on your birthday one year, didn’t it?

Herb: It did. You kids were due at our house to celebrate my 55th birthday. When Carrie arrived, she had just come from skiing. She was enthusiastic and asked if I would try it with her. Although I had always resisted trying any sport, something clicked and I agreed.

Mike: We were all shocked when you said “Yes.”

Herb: I thought if I was ever going to do something physical, I’d better get started before I was too old. At Carrie’s suggestion I reached out to an instructor at Beartown and signed up for lessons. There I was with dozens of little kids, learning the basics and riding the rope tow.

Mike: It didn’t take you long before you and Carrie were off to Titus Mountain in Malone.

Herb: That was a big step for me. I had learned how to come down the mountain, but learning how to get up was more difficult. It took me a while to learn how to get on and off the chair lift. The staff at Titus was great. They would hold the seat steady for me, but even so, I still fell off most times before the lift started to move. My confidence took a beating, but I didn’t give up.

Mike: But you finally mastered it. That opened up a whole new world for you and for us. For more than 15 years Carrie and I skied with you at Titus, Whiteface, Gore, and Jay Peak and you went out west to ski with AJ in Colorado and Utah.

Herb: I loved skiing. My only regret is that I didn’t start when I was younger. There is a lesson in that. Where you are is not where you can be.

Mike: Winter in the North Country can be long and cold, but if you embrace the many activities the region has to offer it can be an exciting time. Get out on the mountains, rinks and fields with family and friends. It will improve your physical and mental health and reduce your stress.