The Catskills Blog

Belleayre: After the Storm

Posted on by Tiff

There’s something about tracking a nor’easter that adds a little extra electricity to a winter week. When a storm started lining up to bring 18+ inches to the Catskills, Evan was watching every model run like it was his job.

Belleayre gondola

As it turned out, the system shifted east and underperformed, but 7 inches still fell on Monday, just enough to freshen everything without complicating travel.

With kids back in school after Presidents Week and a midweek window on our calendar, it felt like the perfect excuse for a road trip. Of all the ski regions in New York, the Catskills are the least explored for us.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills4 Comments

Russ LaChapelle: The Bard of Bearpen

Posted on by James Michaud

I first crossed paths with Russ LaChapelle in the fall of 2010; though, like many people interested in New York ski history, I’d encountered him years earlier through his quirky, deeply personal website.

Jam-packed with information about vanished rope tows, forgotten slopes, and half-erased ski dreams, it was clearly the work of someone who cared more about getting the story right than making it look polished or easily navigable (as much as was possible with internet technology back then).

Russ LaChapelle
Russ LaChapelle — photo ML242

When we finally connected on the phone, I explained the pitch I’d made to Harvey, editor of the nascent NYSkiBlog.

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Tagged: Bearpen, Catskills14 Comments

Plattekill: Riley Season

Posted on by Harvey

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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Tagged: Catskills, Plattekill7 Comments