Plattekill: Riley Season

Saturday wasn’t my first time driving south to ski Plattekill, but it was the first time “leaving home” to do it. I’m now 30 minutes closer to one of my favorite ski areas and the drive is much more relaxed than traveling north out of New Jersey.

Route 30

No matter how much Google Maps insists I take the shortest route, I’m sticking to the interstates as much as I can: 87, 90 and 88. Once you are off I-88, it’s a scenic and comfortable drive down Route 30 through Grand Gorge.

When it comes to skiing Plattekill, especially early in the season, you can’t overestimate the value of having a friend like Sean Riley.

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Gore Opens in 2025

It’s been cold in the northeast and here in the mountains, it’s been snowing. Lows have been in the twenties every night for a few weeks and the ski areas have been taking full advantage, opening more terrain, faster than any year in recent memory.

Gore Mountain opening day 2025

Gore was no exception, opening a week before Thanksgiving. Lifts spun on East Side and the North with three lifts and ~four ways down the mountain for the weekend. Conditions were good, and skiers were impressed with the wall-to-wall coverage on all the open terrain. Friday was for passholders and the weekend was open to the public.

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Victor Constant Getaway

This season, I’ve been using the NYSkiBlog Forums to find ski partners. It doesn’t always work. But with just a few hours notice, I found four partners for my first visit to the Victor Constant Ski Area. The location is so convenient to the NY metro and tickets are under $40. I guess it was hard to say no.

Ticket office
Ticket office

To step back for a minute, I’ve decided to name my current project Time to Ski NY.  My goal to ski every hill in New York on a day that highlights the strength and features of the area.

In that regard, I scored with my all of my hills this season. Dry Hill, Woods Valley and Royal Mountain were all powder days with 100% of terrain in play.

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