Four months ago, we posted an interview with New York ski history expert Russ LaChapelle, in which he explained how his passion for lost Empire State ski areas developed over the years.
Of the many ski centers that had closed for good, none caught his imagination more than Bearpen — a mountain in the western Catskills that could have turned into the biggest resort east of the Rockies. Instead, it became a forgotten footnote. But this story must be heard.
After my last four destination trips ended up hitting the powder jackpot in one form or another, I finally got my karmic comeuppance this weekend at Windham in the northern Catskills, where we had booked two days of lessons for our son.
Jason called me from Hunter Saturday morning and said that the snow was nice, so I figured that the 3-5 inches predicted for that afternoon would only help conditions at Windham.
The problem was that a sneaky warm front also showed up, sending temps from 8 degrees to 40 in a few hours, which resulted in a deluge that froze everything solid overnight.
When you are based deep in the heart of the flatlands, day-tripping the Catskills requires dedication. In bed by 10pm, alarm set for 4:45 — another alpine start.
All day Friday, I tried to find a partner for Saturday’s ski. Jamesdeluxe was packing for Jackson Hole; Jason hit Hunter on Friday; and Xman was tied up. Left to my own devices, I ignored conventional wisdom and followed my heart, past every other hill in the Catskills, to Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury, New York.
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