The Queen of the Catskills

Queen of the CatskillsWe’d never known of Julie McGuire until the pandemic changed everything. All of a sudden it seemed she was all over Facebook ski groups like Ski the East and Skiology posting pictures of the Catskill backcountry, sharing adventures, stoke and her love for great beer. Based in the Hudson Valley, with a thing for Bearpen, she became known as The Queen of the Catskills, with a t-shirt to prove it.

Her irrepressible smile, open-book approach to her own personal struggles and unquenchable thirst for adventure are unique and hard to ignore. When she let it slip that she had the Haute Route on her resume, we reached out to interview her.

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Indy Pass adds Titus Mountain

Indy Pass logoThe Indy Pass is adding Titus Mountain in Malone NY to its lineup of New York ski areas. The news came as part of a four resort addition including Titus, Montage, Ski Marmot Basin and Snow Valley.

New York passholders will now have access to six Indy resorts in the state: Catamount, Greek Peak, Swain Resort, West Mountain and Snow Ridge round out the list.

Titus — located in the northern Adirondacks — is another solid addition to the pass for New York skiers.

Titus Mountain, originally built as Moon Valley in 1960, was bought by the Monettes in 2011 when the previous owner of over 30 years — Paul Augustine — passed away.

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Interview: Geoff Hatheway of Magic Mountain

Magic Mountain logoOver the last several years Magic Mountain has been transformed from a marginal business with neglected infrastructure on the edge of extinction into a ski mountain that looks viable for the long term. Back then, it seemed Magic’s most valuable asset was its small dedicated following. Now, lifts and snowmaking, which were both in desperate need of investment, have been upgraded in a significant way.

The responsibility for this renaissance falls squarely on the shoulders of the new ownership group led by Geoff Hatheway, Magic’s President and outspoken public face of the mountain. What follows is our interview with him.


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