Need help deciding where to visit regularly (from Pittsburgh)

[comingfromPGH]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Michael and I am new here. I am hoping to get some advice on a potential big move for me and my partner in the next few years or so.

We live in Pittsburgh and are planning to one day have a cabin/lake house that is within an hour of a solid ski mountain. We would be visiting on and off from Pittsburgh, so that limits the decisions as we don't want to have to drive more than 7 hours to the house and additional hour to the mountain.

I have come up with two options. Maybe there are more! I am welcoming any and all info.

1. Shack up by the Fingerlakes (less than 6 hours from PGH) and ski Greek Peak (30-60mins from certain Fingerlake areas)

2. Shack up by Piseco Lake (or other nearby lake ~7 hrs) and ski Gore Mountain (~1hr from lake)

Is Gore a no brainier? I have skied both at some point (several years ago) but only remember having fun at both. I know Gore is way bigger, but was reading that they don't have the best snowfall/powder.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Harvey]

Welcome. Interesting conundrum. You need a lake and a ski mountain.

How old are you if I can ask? If close to retirement, I'd want closer to skiing than an hour.

So you are about:

5 hours from Holiday Valley, don't think of it as cabin/lake country but I have no idea.
6 hours from Greek, Tog, Song, Lab and there are certainly lakes within an hour. Finger Lakes are gorgeous.
8 hours from Gore, certainly lakes within an hour. Adk also gorgeous of course.
7 hours from Plattekill... don't know the Catskills well enough to know about nearby lakes and real estate.

@Robert will be key to this. He knows Central NY lakes and skiing very well.

For me personally, Gore is unreal. Our cabin is within a few miles of the hill.

We chose to save up and by more land, by being near a lake, but not on it.

Here's something, just know that the 150 used for Gore is a marketing number, real number is more like 120:

New York Ski Area Snowfall

Long term averages for all the NY ski areas.

nyskiblog.com

Gore Mountain Annual Snowfall

A definitive summary since 2008.

nyskiblog.com

Shameless plug, this piece might interest you:

Building a Ski Cabin

We learned a few things in the process.

nyskiblog.com

 

[Warp daddy]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Michael and I am new here. I am hoping to get some advice on a potential big move for me and my partner in the next few years or so.

We live in Pittsburgh and are planning to one day have a cabin/lake house that is within an hour of a solid ski mountain. We would be visiting on and off from Pittsburgh, so that limits the decisions as we don't want to have to drive more than 7 hours to the house and additional hour to the mountain.

I have come up with two options. Maybe there are more! I am welcoming any and all info.

1. Shack up by the Fingerlakes (less than 6 hours from PGH) and ski Greek Peak (30-60mins from certain Fingerlake areas)

2. Shack up by Piseco Lake (or other nearby lake ~7 hrs) and ski Gore Mountain (~1hr from lake)

Is Gore a no brainier? I have skied both at some point (several years ago) but only remember having fun at both. I know Gore is way bigger, but was reading that they don't have the best snowfall/powder.

Thanks in advance!

Gore is a no brainer , 2500 plus vert , something for everybody cruisers , steeps , glades , decent lifts that disperse crowds , beaucoup sides to ski and if you choose Piseco or Speculator area / Lake Pleasant you also have OAK MTN right there for an easy 2nd or 3rd day skiing at 650 vert .

Not knocking GP at 950 vert or Bristol at Approx 1200 vert , but they simply do not compare to Gore in any fashion . They provide a decent days sking but neither have the variety , lift capacity or vert to compare with Gore .

Nother venue up there for sking Lake effect is Mc Cauley its a maybe 2 hrs away but HAS LES sumpage factor and insane bump run called Helmers if that is your thing


Oh and welcome to the party , don't be bashful we are a fun bunch

 

[comingfromPGH]

Welcome. Interesting conundrum. You need a lake and a ski mountain.

How old are you if I can ask? If close to retirement, I'd want closer to skiing than an hour.

So you are about:

5 hours from Holiday Valley, don't think of it as cabin/lake country but I have no idea.
6 hours from Greek, Tog, Song, Lab and there are certainly lakes within an hour. Finger Lakes are gorgeous.
8 hours from Gore, certainly lakes within an hour. Adk also gorgeous of course.
7 hours from Plattekill... don't know the Catskills well enough to know about nearby lakes and real estate.

@Robert will be key to this. He knows Central NY lakes and skiing very well.

For me personally, Gore is unreal. Our cabin is within a few miles of the hill.

We chose to save up and by more land, by being near a lake, but not on it.

Shameless plug, this piece might interest you:

Building a Ski Cabin

We learned a few things in the process.

nyskiblog.com

Haha, lake and mountain very much preferred! Want to visit year round.

I am 30 - not close to retirement, unfortunately.

 

[comingfromPGH]

Those are good suggestions. I didn't realize there were a few more mountains near greek peak. Also didn't realize catskills had ski mountains, but at the same distance as Gore, might choose Gore. Seems to be a fan favorite.

I appreciate the plug! Definitely considering buying land and building. Useful info!

 

[x10003q]

How about Deep Creek Lake in MD? It is about 2 hours form Pittsburgh. Wisp (small) is right there and Timberline/Canaan Valley in WVA are about 1:20 from Deep Creek Lake.

Another thought is Bristol Mountain in NYS. That is a 5 hour drive and Canandaigua Lake ( and a few others) is a couple miles from Bristol. Bristol has a 1200 ft vert.

Elk Mtn in PA, at about 6 hours, is another fun place. There are some smaller lakes in the area.

 

[Warp daddy]

Harv is onto a key point IF u are going to put down the coin for a cottage , get it CLOSE to th emtn , driving an hr is a PIA and a waste of time if you want to max out your fun factor

 

[comingfromPGH]

Gore is a no brainer , 2500 plus vert , something for everybody cruisers , steeps , glades , decent lifts that disperse crowds , beaucoup sides to ski and if you choose Piseco or Speculator area / Lake Pleasant you also have OAK MTN right there for an easy 2nd or 3rd day skiing at 650 vert .

Not knocking GP at 950 vert or Bristol at Approx 1200 vert , but they simply do not compare to Gore in any fashion . They provide a decent days sking but neither have the variety , lift capacity or vert to compare with Gore .

Nother venue up there for sking Lake effect is Mc Cauley its a maybe 2 hrs away but HAS LES sumpage factor and insane bump run called Helmers if that is your thing


Oh and welcome to the party , don't be bashful we are a fun bunch

Good info as well... seems like Gore is the choice - having Oak there would be nice too. Have some time to think about it! haha

 

[Warp daddy]

Good info as well... seems like Gore is the choice - having Oak there would be nice too. Have some time to think about it! haha

Good luck Mike and have fun planning your dream , always a sound idea to consider all options but in th end go for quality and you won't lose , even if if you have to start modestly and then add on .

 

[comingfromPGH]

Good luck Mike and have fun planning your dream , always a sound idea to consider all options but in th end go for quality and you won't lose , even if if you have to start modestly and then add on .

thank you! I am definitely still thinking about proximity to the mountain - just wondering if more time will be spent up there in the summer and therefore place more importance on the lake.... need both!! ha