Jay Peak, VT: 4/21/11

The kids were up at 6, ready to go. You’d think that with a season of real early mornings and real late nights, a guy in the ski industry could sleep in because someone else is taking care of everything, but not in this family — it was time for first tracks.

Midwinter conditions and snow at Jay today. Very windy, all high-speed lifts were closed including the tram. We all stepped out of the condo and yarned back on the bridal as the sub freezing temps hit us like a ton of bricks. We layered up and prepared ourselves for a mid-winter day. We skied down to the base lodge alongside the magic carpet.

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Plattekill Skis Jay Peak VT

Jay PeakHave you ever wondered what it’s like for an owner of a ski area to visit another resort? Is he constantly checking out the lifts, the prices of food, if the ticket people are friendly, or the kind of snowmaking guns they use? Or is the idea to get away, forget about your profession for a few days and just ski — and let someone else deal with things?

This week, Laszlo Vajtay, owner of Plattekill in the western Catskills, is skiing with his family at Jay Peak in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. He’ll be checking in with reports about his vacation: skiing, food, accommodations, skating, curling, or just hanging out with the kids. Here’s the first installment, about his arrival at Jay.

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Plattekill Mountain, NY: 4/2/11

My first trip to Plattekill Mountain dates to the 2000 ski season. I was living in Dutchess County at the time, and they kept reporting astonishing totals.

Plattekill Mountain NY.

Finally, I decided to head over at the last minute to find that the snow was indeed bountiful, and even my late arrival didn’t preclude me from claiming fresh lines all over the place.

I rode until they turned the lifts off and after I left, I told everyone I could find about this gem in the Catskills with a consistent fall line and the most luxurious natural snow I had ever experienced in New York.

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