Belleayre Conditions

[tirolski]

While Belleayre is also adding a restroom next to the new top gondola repair/ski patrol building, there is nothing in the UMP about adding a warming hut near this beginner conveyor lift at the top. The 'trail' is 112ft wide and 285ft in length with an 8% slope and right next to the topof the gondola. I wonder what they think is going to happen when the beginners/kids using this area need a warmup/food break/weather break? Back down the gondola? The only lodge at the top of Belleayre is the Sunset Lodge and that is about a flat 1/2 mile from the top of the gondola. Are they expecting beginners to pole 1/2 mile to the Sunset Lodge for an indoor break and, since there is no green trail down from the top, pole 1/2 mile back to take the gondola down ?

ORDA probably could have found a flat beginner area near the Overlook Lodge to serve the same purpose of having early season snowmaking for beginners.

Slide from ORDA board meeting of tippy top & new snow making line...

self explanatory

 

[DomB]

Slide from ORDA board meeting of tippy top & new snow making line...
View attachment 25170
self explanatory
View attachment 25171

A beginner area at the top of the gondola seems like a traffic disaster in the making.

On the other hand, if you like the greens at the bottom, it should alleviate the annoying line that forms and isn't managed super well down there.

 

[DomB]

They should regrade either the existing learning area, or far looker's right in front of the Discovery Lodge. Then buy one of these ice machines. ORDA seems to have the money...

https://www.demaclenko.com/snow-guns/all-weather-snowmaking/

The old learning area was awesome (it is below where the medical hut is now). The 'problem' as I hear it was that you had to walk up that little hill to get to it. But I don't think that was too much of a problem for kids. My daughter did it just fine at like 2.5 with a bit of complaining. Great to get kids out earlier but with my two kids, the time below five is just for fun and joy (which is great).

I kind of think this gondola top area thing is going to make a lot of people unhappy, most especially the young parents who aren't hardcore who it is supposed to help.

I am pretty much going to be happy when I am on a mountain. I just see disaster coming from like 6 different angles.

Yes we are arm chair quarterbacks but I am still shocked that some things seem like so obviously a bad idea and get done haha.

 

[Low Angle Life]

New XC Ski and MTB trails are slowing coming to fruition in the Belleayre side and front country. The southern portion of trails accessed via Lost Clove are more or less complete. This project hasn't been getting too much attention but should be pretty significant for the area.

[ATTACH type="full" alt="Screenshot]25867[/ATTACH]

 

[APphysics]

New XC Ski and MTB trails are slowing coming to fruition in the Belleayre side and front country. The southern portion of trails accessed via Lost Clove are more or less complete. This project hasn't been getting too much attention but should be pretty significant for the area.

I recently rode to the summit from lost clove using some of the new trails. they are doing a great job. very exciting. thanks for sharing the maps.

 

[tirolski]

A beginner area at the top of the gondola seems like a traffic disaster in the making.

On the other hand, if you like the greens at the bottom, it should alleviate the annoying line that forms and isn't managed super well down there.

It’s colder at the top.
Should be better snow, if it doesn’t get blown off, than the bottom.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

My son will love it, but all these young kids who can't walk in ski boots + all their equipment needing to load and unload is gonna be a cluster on top of an already long wait on a busy day.

 

[Ripitz]

New XC Ski and MTB trails are slowing coming to fruition in the Belleayre side and front country. The southern portion of trails accessed via Lost Clove are more or less complete. This project hasn't been getting too much attention but should be pretty significant for the area.

View attachment 25867
View attachment 25868

Since the other Catskill ski areas have turned away from mountain biking, Belleayre has an opportunity to become the regional hotspot. Once the rail trail is completed there will be some nice big loops out of Pine Hill for the hardcore and the gondola could bring up the softies.

 

[Low Angle Life]

Since the other Catskill ski areas have turned away from mountain biking, Belleayre has an opportunity to become the regional hotspot. Once the rail trail is completed there will be some nice big loops out of Pine Hill for the hardcore and the gondola could bring up the softies.

However, connections between the top of the mountain and the lodges were not considered due to the desire by ORDA to refrain from developing a comprehensive lift-serviced bike park and the associated management and safety infrastructure required to operate such a service through this plan at this time.

Pulled this right from the trails plan, I actually think the move to avoid lift-serviced is great. This will be a much lower key, backcountryish oriented trail network.

 

[Ripitz]

Time to open a barista bike shack in Pine Hill or Big Indian.