Dan Pope, left and Brian Delaney stand outside the Scotts Cobble Nordic Center on Jan. 9. (News photo — Oliver Reil)

LAKE PLACID — This village is known for drawing winter sports enthusiasts from around the world. They stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and shop on Main Street. But one dedicated man came here for both work and play. For him, it can be hard to tell the difference.

“I do the (Scotts Cobble) Nordic Center as a labor of love,” Dan Pope said.

Pope, 64, lives in Fairport, near Rochester. In the winter, he manages the Scotts Cobble Nordic Center off state Route 73.

Scotts Cobble, which opened in 2022, was developed by Brian and Karen Delaney, owners of High Peaks Cyclery on Main Street, Lake Placid. Pope spends his winters here, helping run the center. It’s a dream job, he said, and it all came down to good timing and the willingness to ask questions. Pope said Brian has been a huge influence on him and is “tough to keep up with.”

“What they’ve done for the community is just outstanding,” Pope said.

Scotts Cobble Nordic Center is seen on Tuesday, Jan. 9. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

Pope first met Brian, 68, far away from Lake Placid, in Honeoye Falls after going there to buy some ski equipment. Brian was there selling gear to the school district. As a lover of skiing and athletics in general, Pope looked up to the Lake Placid businessman.

“He was an inspiration,” Pope said.

Pope grew up in Sodus Point, where he sailed in the summer and skied and snowmobiled in the winter. He was one of six children.

“We always enjoyed the wintertime,” he said.

It wasn’t until around 1998 that Pope dived head-first into cross-country skiing. Now, it’s all he does. To him, it’s not only invigorating but stress-free. Nordic skiing, he said, leads to far fewer injuries than downhill disciplines.

Pope daylights as a New York state licensed architect. He’s owned his own business for over 20 years, dealing mostly in residential projects, and the work can be a “roller coaster,” he said. Scotts Cobble has helped him offset the ups and downs at his architecture firm.

Pope been coming up to Lake Placid “a lot” in recent years. Last summer, he told Brian that he was interested in staying here for the winter. The timing could not have been more perfect, he said.

The Delaneys were developing Scotts Cobble, and they needed help managing it. Plus, there was an apartment available behind their shop that Pope could take.

“I didn’t hesitate,” Pope said.

Now Pope spends his winters grooming trails and skiing. He’s a Professional Ski Instructors of America certified teacher and has a guiding license. He hopes to start leading backcountry skiing trips in the winter and paddling trips in the fall.

“I came up here last winter (and) never looked back,” Pope said.