The Catskills Blog

Gary Hinkley: 1937-2022

Posted on by NYSkiBlog
Gary Hinkley and Glen Plake Feb 3 2019
photo by John Tunis

ROXBURY NY Gary Allen Hinkley passed peacefully on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at the age of 84.

Born on Sept. 27, 1937, to Harold and Ethel Hinkley of Meeker Hollow NY, Gary was a lifelong resident of Roxbury. His love for his family and the town ran deep. In 1957, he married the love of his life, his favorite dance partner, Bonnie Price, on Easter Sunday.

Gary had a long career of building homes and commercial structures in the Catskills and Downeast Maine. In 1963 he built the original Roxbury Motel. The motel allowed him to share his love for Roxbury with everyone who came through the doors. Gary and Bonnie lived next door to the lodge.

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Tagged: Catskills, Plattekill10 Comments

The Re-Opening Belle

Posted on by Harvey

Something is in the water this year, up in Lake Placid, at ORDA.  Maybe it’s Snowmax. At all three mountains, the snow was deeper than any time in recent memory, and maybe deeper than ever.

Route 28

This season, the three state-run hills were the last to operate in NY, and it wasn’t even close. Belleayre closed for the last time on April 23, while Gore and Whiteface are still shooting for Sunday May 1.  This year a new closing date record is being set at Gore.

Most years there’s at least a chance that a private area will rival Whiteface for latest closing.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills8 Comments

Catskill Skiing: A Photo Essay

Posted on by Steve Aaron

I’ve been skiing the Catskills my entire skiing life, starting in the 1970s. The Catskills are my home mountains for outdoor recreation. Over the past few seasons, I’ve taken up landscape photography while skiing. My hope is to share the beauty of Catskill skiing through these images.

Hunter snowmaking

Over the past 15 years, Hunter became my home mountain, hands down. Once known as the “Snowmaking Capital of the World”, Hunter still knows how to cover the mountain with good man-made snow. This early morning shot captures a typical winter scene at Hunter with the low sun trying to peek through the clouds, and the early-season guns blasting.

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Tagged: Catskills25 Comments