Month: November 2016

Hunter Opens 2016

Posted on by Brownski

In spite of the long wait for ski season to start, my son and I overslept. Hunter is conveniently located for us, so our extra Zs were not a big problem. We pulled into the parking lot just a couple of minutes after 9 AM.

brownski-junior

We were eager to get after it but I was kind of nervous too. I’m on the record as fan of early season skiing but this would be junior’s first opening day experience. Would the traditional white-ribbon-of-death and the Hunter faithful overwhelm him?

We booted up, schlepped our skis over to the racks and redeemed our Liftopia vouchers at the ticket window. Hunter’s detachable six-pack, the Kaatskill Flyer, whisked us off to the top. Hunter’s website advertised four lifts and eleven trails for opening day. Open terrain was wall-to-wall and the base was deep.

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Tagged: Catskills, Hunter7 Comments

Going BIG at Tupper

Posted on by NickZ

Big Tupper has my full attention. Every time I pass it on the road to school at St. Lawrence University, the mountain reminds me of that amazing day I had there in February of 2014.

big-tupper-view

It was the first day they’d opened Chair 3 that season, and all of the terrain above Chair 2 was untouched. I had an absolute blast exploring this new, incredible and oh so Adirondacky terrain.

Since then, I’ve been itching to get back. But with a dismal winter last year and rampant rumors that Big Tupper wouldn’t be spinning lifts at all this year, my best hope was to earn turns after a storm.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Big Tupper, Powder8 Comments

Family Skiing: It’s Expensive

Posted on by Brownski

Let’s face it: there’s no easy way to make skiing truly cheap. Gear, lift tickets, lodging, food, it all costs money. If you want to pass the sport on to the next generation, multiply every expense by the number of children in your family.

snowboards

Thankfully, there are ways to limit the damage. Before you throw up your hands, take advantage of Mount Peter’s offer of a free lesson and rental to first time skiers. If you don’t live downstate, look into the mountains near you. There are ways for kids to try the sport without spending a dime.

Assuming they like it, there’s no reason to buy brand new skis for a third grader. Look into used gear at a ski swap or tent sale. It will take a little research and planning, but it will pay off in the end. For the last several years our family has attended the swap and sale at Mount Peter. The savings can be dramatic.

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Tagged: Ski Gear, Ski Life8 Comments