Belleayre’s Dreamcatcher: Winds of Change

When Belleayre announced the opening of their new glade “Dreamcatcher” this week, I knew that I had to get back up there to check it out.

Belleayre liftline

Despite Belle’s reputation as a more family oriented mountain, they’ve added quite a few expert glades recently and with the deepest February base in memory, I was very curious to see how the mountain was skiing.

The marketing had been a siren call to more people than just myself; I had never seen the lot so full, even with an early arrival. But access was actually pretty easy, and I soon realized that a majority of the skiers must have been in the lodge booting up, as empty chairs were still heading skyward on the ‘Ol Reliable, #7.

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Raiders of Snow Valley, VT

Recent snowfall has blessed us across the Northeast, and there is no part of this run that any skier should take for granted.

Snow Valley base lodge

If you haven’t dusted off the boards for awhile, grab your rear-entry’s or your leathers and get after it, conditions are so soft that they’ll put a smile on your face to match the nostalgia of deep winters past.

This weekend, with a fat base worthy of an old time Tribe Called Quest song, my brother agreed to accompany me for a late afternoon skin at a resort that wasn’t as fortunate as those still standing.

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The Beast in the Backyard

Every new snowstorm fires the imagination. Even though you can’t hit a new place each time, there’s the promise of redrawing a favorite canvas.

Snowboarder

East Coast skiers have an appreciation for new snow unmatched in other parts of the nation where altitude ensures precipitation-type if nothing else.

I’ve also been fortunate to take my wandering to a semi-professional level the past few years. Experiencing the new can give you an appreciation for what you’ve already enjoyed, and one place that’s always intrigued me is Berkshire East, The Beast.

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