Monthly Archives: March 2011
Bearpen: The Original Beast Of The East
Four months ago, we posted an interview with New York ski history expert Russ LaChapelle, in which he explained how his passion for lost Empire State ski areas developed over the years.
Of the many ski centers that had closed for good, none caught his imagination more than Bearpen — a mountain in the western Catskills that could have turned into the biggest resort east of the Rockies. Instead, it became a forgotten footnote. But this story must be heard.
The Mountains Less Traveled: BC’s Kootenays
Powderqueen hits the destination-trip jackpot at British Columbia’s Red Mountain and Whitewater. These two resorts seem to have everything you need for an off-the-charts adventure: terrain, trees, powder, cat-skiing, laid-back locals, and two great villages.
Red Mountain and Whitewater: BC’s Best-Kept Secret
Hickory Ski Center, NY: 3/5/11
Skiing with the Northeast Ski Blogger Summit group at Jay Peak was a great time, but the best day of the trip for me came today, when Harv and I stopped at Hickory on our way back to the flatlands.
Jay Peak, VT: 3/2/11
Northeast Ski Blogger Summit, Day 1: I’ve been imagining skiing Jay Peak since 1999. I was working late one night in December and started fantasizing. I googled “best powder in the east” and I found Jay Peak’s website. It sounded perfect to me. Tons of snow and trees.
After a long drive last night, we woke up this morning at 6:30 and it started to snow at 7 am. The forecast was for 1-2 inches, but I was hoping for some of that legendary Jay magic. When we got to the mountain at 9 am, it was really coming down, and it snowed until 2:30.