Plattekill: Riley Season

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.

Continue reading

Plattekill Tree Skiing Work Day 2025

The Roster is FULL. 50 lopper hounds, we are at our max. Thanks everyone!


Plattekill Mountain and NYSkiBlog are stoked to present the 15th Annual Plattekill Tree Skiing Work Day at the ski area in Roxbury NY on Saturday October 25th, 2025. Rain date is 10/26/25.

Plattekill fall aerial photo

The tradition — imagined in the mind of dedicated NY skier— lives on. We’re recruiting 50 motivated, smiling crew of lopper wielding powder hounds to continue our maintenance and expansion of some of the Catskills’ best tree skiing.

Continue reading

Plattekill: Family, Skiing and Community

I’m skiing my way through all of the lift served ski areas in New York over the next three seasons. That’s my goal. I believe it should be requirement for the editor-in-chief of the New York Ski Blog. Now, newly retired, I’m going to level up and make it happen.

Esopus Creek bridge

Since I began skiing, I’ve found joy at every family-owned mountain I’ve visited. That may be corny, but it’s real for me. It’s why I continue to ski and support the independents.

My NY family ski area resume includes: Titus, Dry Hill, Snow Ridge, Woods Valley, Royal Mountain, Hickory, Greek Peak, Holiday Mountain, Mount Peter, and of course Plattekill. I want to ski all the rest, by the end of 2028.

Continue reading