Mount Washington Season Finale
During the ski season I’ve said it often: “You don’t know ’til you go.” But last week — after Memorial Day and before the first heat wave of the summer season — wasn’t one of those times.
Not exactly. You see, I’d been watching the weather closely and was really optimistic about the skiing on Mount Washington. The Memorial Day snowfall closed the auto road on Saturday and reduced skier traffic in the ravine to those willing to come up via the trail. But snow conditions were only one part of my calculation.
The time had arrived to introduce my girlfriend to the pleasures of “backcountry skiing.” Note the quotes; I had no intention of hiking up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail with her. She hates hiking. Or more accurately, she hates it after five miles. And she would definitely hate me, the hike, and life in general, if I had pushed her up to Hojo’s with skis and boots on her back.
So, I did what any sane man would do, plunking down the $30 to drive her to the top to shred the remaining patch on the East Side Snowfields.
The Ski Season in Photos #1
The 2012-13 season started on a bittersweet note when Hurricane Sandy delivered three feet of snow in the mountains of West Virginia on the backside of a storm that devastated coastal areas New York and New Jersey.
Often with early and epic snow the jones is high, and the hardcore will travel long distances to get after it. This storm was no exception and several skiers from the NYSB and TGR communities drove hundred of miles south to ski the snow.
MadPat, mattchuck2, ml242, Moeghoul and others headed for Timberline, Canaan Valley and White Grass, which were in the bullseye for snow.
Gettin’ in the Wood
I like to mark annual milestones. One of my favorite benchmarks each year comes at the end of April. After the lifts close and before the bugs come out, I drive to our place in the Adirondacks, to perform an annual ritual: gettin’ in the wood for winter.
Almost invariably when I pass Gore on the way up, there are turns to be had. Also invariably I’m not distracted from the mission: to finish the weekend with one stacked and covered cord.
My job is really watered-down compared to any local’s true version of gettin’ in the wood. Our wood consumption is modest and our supply is often supplemented by deadfall from the winter.
Belleayre, Skiing and Growth in The Catskills
In April of this year the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) unveiled the most recent unit management plan (UMP) for Belleayre Ski Center. It included a recommendation for $74M in upgrades over the next several years. At the same time they released a revision of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Belleayre Resort development.
Belleayre Expansion • image courtesy Crossroads Ventures
The UMP for the Belleayre Ski Center calls for the construction of three new lifts, refurbishing two others, cutting 16 new ski trails (primarily at Highmount) and upgrading the ski center’s snowmaking infrastructure. The plan also includes a new lodge, expansion of both the Discovery and Sunset Lodges and several parking lots.
In its current form, the Belleayre Resort project includes plans for two hotels, 270 hotel rooms, 250 fractional units and an 18-hole golf course. The most recent proposal is about half the size of the original and would be privately funded.
The EIS estimates that the Belleayre Resort would create 771 full-time and seasonal jobs with $25M in annual payroll. It’s also estimated that an additional 264 jobs would be created from the economic impact of the resort. Precise numbers aside, no one would argue the point: this public and private investment is going to produce economic development along the “Onteora Trail.”