Catskill Cherries in the Snow

To anyone who knows me, it’s pretty obvious: I like my traditions. If something makes me happy, there’s a good chance I’ll do it over and over again. I’m comfortable with repetition.

plattekill-early-am

Twelve years ago, on my birthday, I was at Plattekill having the time of my life. I decided to pay it forward and buy a round for the house. It was my present to the mountain and myself. I talked to people about Plattekill and skiing, and why they were there. Why we were all there. Yes, it became a tradition; I’ve skied at Plattekill on my birthday every year since.

Continue reading

Plattekill Powderdaize 2023

Man it feels like a long road this season. There have been many moments of joy, and there has been a lot to accomplish in between. I’ve taken to calling it all logistics. It may be a little jaded, but it helps me get it done.

the road to Plattekill Powderdaize 2023

To push this back to skiing, let’s talk about Plattekill’s Powderdaize, a gift from the heavens above. If it’s going to snow big in the middle of the week, and the mountain isn’t rented, Laszlo makes the call to spin the lifts. It’s a balancing act, getting the staff ready, while watching the snow totals and p-type. When the storm delivers, it’s a nice reward for both skiers and mountain.

Continue reading

Plattekill: Catskill Score at Last

It’s been impressive to see the snowmaking efforts in the Catskills this year, combatting an absence of natural snowfall around here. March though, always seems to provide a selection of good ski days in the Northeast. It’s typically the snowiest month of the season.

Plattekill

Finally this week, winter decided to throw us a double shot of the good stuff; a twenty-plus inch storm cycle in the span of just a few days. Discussion amongst snow chasers showed many felt Plattekill might lie outside of the sweet spot for the second storm,  and to an extent the National Weather Service agreed.

Continue reading