Mrs. McCormick's Ice House is a winter race on the trails of Ontario County Park (OCP) on January 17, 2026. Athletes have the option of completing the 4 mile loop once, twice, or thrice.
Common Ground Winter Trail Series
Mrs. McCormick's Ice House is the second race in the Common Ground Winter Trail Series, a collaboration between FarFetched Enterprises, Goose Adventure Racing, and Doody Runs. The goal of the series is bringing together the trail running community to get out on the trails over the winter and enjoy each other's company. The series contains the following events:
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January 3, 2026 Frozen Assets Endurance Run
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January 17, 2026 Mrs. McCormick's Ice House
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January 31, 2026 Devil's Shadow Winter Trail Races
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February 28, 2026 Go Forth!
Options to register for the full series are available on the Frozen Assets site. Series registrants will gain exclusive access to three bonuses:
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Free entry into the Go Forth! event on February 28 (details TBD);
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The Devil's Shadow winter beanie
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Entry into a random draw for membership in the FarFetched Mug Club. Membership benefits include smug satisfaction and a 24 fl oz mug custom-crafted by Wizard of Clay, specifically designed for Common Ground's wide selection of hot beverages, soups, and cold beer.
Location, Parking & Schedule
Race HQ is at Wilson Lodge in Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill. Parking is available next to Wilson Lodge. Park roads and parking will be plowed prior to the race if needed. Note that the main park road is one-way, counter-clockwise, so be careful when leaving the park.
9:00 AM - Check-in and same day registration opens @ Wilson Lodge.
9:50 AM - Check-in and same day registration closes. Athlete meeting starts.
10:00 AM - Start of race.
11:00 AM - Post-race bunch @ Wilson Lodge.
Course
The 4-mile course was designed to hit many of our favorite spots while avoiding spots where snow accumulates heavily and the wind whips. Participants have the option of completing 1, 2, or 3 loops. The final decision on the number of loops can be made on the fly, especially if conditions are faster or slower than expected. The race day course is subject to change due to trail conditions, weather, and whims of the Race Director.
Of Snow and Ice
If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.
On some important level, Mrs. McCormick's Ice House is a celebration of snow and ice. Based on history, the odds are high that there will be some of the frozen stuff on the course. This means two important things:
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Bring good footwear options. Shoes with an aggressive tread and/or traction options are a good idea. Gaiters might be good.
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Snowshoes are not an option during the race. Conditions might warrant, but we are not insured or permitted for snowshoes.
However, we strongly encourage participants to make the most of wintery conditions. This includes:
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We will be having a demo from Dion Snowshoes. One lucky participant will win their very own pair.
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Bring your Nordic skis, sleds, and fatbikes!
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Bring friends who ski, sled, and fatbike! We'll feed them pancakes and hot beverages.
Post Race Activities
After the race we strongly encourage everyone to hang around, warm up, and catch up! Some features of our post-race include:
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Real restrooms suitable for changing
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Heated lodge with a fireplace
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Freshly made buckwheat pancakes with Naples Maple Farm maple syrup, peanut butter, and hazelnut spread
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Hot Chai Guy chai latte
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Hot chocolate (with a Skratch Recovery option)
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Warm apple cider Skratch Hydration
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Cold lemon-lime Skratch Hydration and water
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Fresh fruit and a variety of snacks
Who is Mrs. McCormick?
Born August 1, 1825 in Middlebury, Vermont, Nancy McAdam McCormick lived an eventful life - mostly in the Canandaigua and Rochester area. On July 9, 1868 she found herself in the unenviable position of petitioning the court for ownership of her home and her late husband's ice harvesting business. He had died earlier that year with a full house, but without a will. Since marrying at the age of 14, Nancy had given birth to 12 children and was pregnant with her 13th. She needed to find a way to support her family. After succeeding with her petition, Mrs. McCormick took control of the McCormick's Ice House, and is credited with becoming the first business woman in Canandaigua.
The McCormick's Ice House was a large warehouse located in what is now the Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park. Each winter, teams of ice harvesters would cut huge slabs of ice from the lake and float them to the warehouse. Mrs. McCormick often joined in the ice harvest if short on labor during the limited window when the ice on Canandaigua Lake was of the optimal thickness. Up to 10,000 tons of ice would be stored in the Ice House during a single winter. Once weather turned warm, McCormick's Ice House would supply households and many local businesses, notably McKechnie's Brewery and the Hotel Canandaigua.
Over the next 33 years Mrs. McCormick oversaw the Ice House and leveraged her standing in the community and proximity to the pier into other business ventures. Notably, she was selected to be the pier-mistress, which allowed her to collect various tolls associated with activity on the pier and manage boat rentals. Her son John was the long-time captain of the steamship Ontario, which would regularly make the run between Canandaigua and Naples.
Some sources describe various business ventures providing concessions to crew and passengers of the ships - and possibly setting up a barge in the middle of the lake where she could sell strong beverages beyond the growing strength of the temperance movement. There are no apparent records of Mrs. McCormick's love of trail running. However, it is my hope that our little trail race can be steeped in the knowledge that the winters in the Bristol Hills may be cold and dark, but there is also opportunity there for those willing to look.
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