The Catskills Blog

Ski Mountaineering on Slide Mountain, NY

Posted on by NYSkiBlog

Ron Konowitz, also known as RonKon, is a resident of Keene, NY. As a member of the “Ski to Die” Club, he pioneered many of the steepest backcountry descents in the Adirondack High Peaks.

In this newly released YouTube Video, Ron and Mike Whelan retrace the route of Irving Langmuir with this ski of Slide Mountain. An avid outdoorsman, Langmuir is credited for establishing ski mountaineering on this side of the Atlantic in 1907 on Slide Mountain in New York. Slide — the tallest peak in the Catskills at 4180 feet — was the first mountain in North America climbed and skied from the summit.

Langmuir, a prominent chemist and physicist, is probably most noted for his work at General Electric. His research lead directly to the invention of the incandescent lamp.

Tagged: Backcountry, Catskills10 Comments

Belleayre Update with Joe Kelly

Posted on by James Michaud

Bellearyre LodgeAs Belleayre ramps up for its 2010-11 season, we haven’t been hearing much news from the Catskills’ only state-owned ski area. While there have been no rumors of potential cutbacks due to state budget issues, neither have we heard about any major upgrades — certainly nothing on the magnitude of what’s been happening at Gore and Whiteface the last several seasons — so we felt that it was time to check in with Joe Kelly, longtime founder and chairman of the Coalition To Save Belleayre. For more than a quarter century, Kelly and his watchdog group have advocated on behalf of the ski area to ensure that it remains a vital part of the western Catskills economy.

What is Belleayre’s operations outlook for the 2010-11 season?

We’re going to be in full operation this season. There’s a clear recognition that without Belleayre being fully open, the Route 28 corridor would be in big trouble. I’m confident that our full budget will be provided this year.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills, Interviews20 Comments

Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface: Perfect Together?

Posted on by NYSkiBlog

If you spent time in New York this year, it was impossible to escape talk of budget crisis, extender bills, furloughs and park closures.

New York's Ski Areas - Circa 1973
New York’s Ski Areas – Circa 1973

Finding ways to streamline state government should be a top priority of our officials. One way might be to combine Belleayre with Whiteface and Gore under the ORDA umbrella.

Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills, Gore Mountain, ORDA, Whiteface