A History of Hunter Mountain

Hunter Mountain Ski BowlThe history of Hunter Mountain is the story of two brothers whose desire to build would not be denied.

Orville and Israel Slutzky had a vision for a ski area on a steep, rocky mountain in Hunter New York, and no amount of adversity or skepticism was enough to deter them from their goal.

In the mid-1950’s the sport of skiing was gaining popularity in New York and across the northeast. At the same, as people became more mobile and began to travel farther for vacations, the Catskills’ appeal as a summer vacation destination was declining. Meanwhile a few miles to the south, Belleayre Ski Center was attracting visitors and driving economic activity in the town of Pine Hill.

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Spuyten the Duyvil’s Path

A dissected plateau. That’s the official term for the Catskills in the unpoetic language of the geologists who coined the phrase. It makes sense when you stand on their summits and note the similar heights of the various peaks.

Devil's Path View

Still, the designation was clearly given by a scholar at a desk.  On the other hand, our hike, The Devil’s Path Traverse, was clearly named by those with boots on the ground.

I had the rough pleasure of hiking the traverse, which is also known as The Hardest Day Hiking Trail in America. At 25 miles and 17,000 vertical feet, it’s a sprawling journey of soaring views of the Hudson Valley and Catskills Park, replete with opportunities to scramble the climbs and cruise long downhills.

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The Ski Season in Photos #1

First turns of the Season at Plattekill
Plattekill Mtn • October 30, 2011 • photo by ml242

Each of the last two summers we’ve published a weekly series that we call Friday Fantasy Photos. It’s designed to help us dream about the sport we love through the hottest months of the year.  Speaking for myself, this summer feels a little different. The season was tough on both skiers and the ski business.  While NYSB remains as stoked as ever about the years of skiing ahead, we wanted to try something a little different.

We’re going to continue our tradition of posting ski photos each Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  But this year we’re calling the series “The Season in Photos.” And instead of emphasizing the season itself, our focus is going to be on the spirit that drives us to ski.

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