OldTimer88
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2022
I had some biz at the W in Hoboken this week and figured I'd stop over at the indoor ski "run" at American Dream aka Xanadu next to Tuna Can Stadium in Rutherford, NJ. The drive down from Albany was littered with traffic, construction and state police cars - but drove right by the Bada Bing on Rte 17 (Satin Dolls) and enjoyed a bit of nostalgia thinking about Paulie Walnuts, Silvio and Tony discussing topics of the day after watching bouncing silicone and sipping on scotch.
Easy drive to the A Parking Garage, very limited traffic on a Wednesday and relatively simple navigation to the double doors leading to the two escalator ride up to Big Snow.
After ordering/reserving a ticket online the night before (seems like they're limited to 30 per 15 minute interval) the time from car to "mountain" was about four minutes. The staff greets you very warmly and is eager to help. You're given a wristband to gain entrance onto the hill and reserve a locker if you choose to store any gear. There is a relatively large shop where you can buy pretty much anything from gloves to hats to jackets and pants. I arrived in shorts and a sweatshirt and packed my bootbag with ski pants, boots, gloves, and socks. Didn't want to wear my insulated ski jacket, hat, helmet or goggles. Ski pants, gloves, sweatshirt and backwards ball cap were all I needed.
Gear on, wristband scanned and through the double doors to a surprisingly cold warehouse-like atmosphere. You can rent all of the gear - from outerwear to boots and skis - all available once you exit the locker area. I brought one of my pairs instead of renting.
I'll just say this - it's weird. The snow is kind of heavy and chunky and the surface is only groomed three times a week according to one of the staff members. There was no line at the lift and it was probably 2:1 snowboarders to skiers. There is a small beginner hill serviced by a magic carpet for kids and newbies. They have ski bikes and short skis available to rent/demo and several people were trying those out. The hill is basically divided into a terrain park with a few features and a straight 27 degree drop on the other side. The ride up is about three and a half minutes while the shot down the slope is about 8-10 seconds. The snowboarders form a queue at the top and there was this odd practice of waiting for the boarder to complete his/her run before the next would venture down. I didn't follow suit and "dropped in" right off the lift, turning left and heading straight down. It's over before you know it and you're back on the quad for the ride back up.
Haas Quad
I'm not dying to go back. And as I sit here in Hoboken during a "work" meeting, I will not drive back over before the trek back up 87 to get some more turns in despite Big Snow being only about eight miles away. But I've never skied in September so that was cool. It was 80 degrees on Wednesday and I got some turns in - indoors, in a giant mall next to a stadium that looks like a shoe polish can. The staff was super hospitable and welcoming. So all in all, if you're down this way, bring your skis, pants and spend an hour or two banging out some quick turns. It's fun but gets a bit tedious rather quickly.
As a side note, I also went to The Summit at One Vanderbilt - that was pretty awesome. Very highly recommended.
Cheers!
Easy drive to the A Parking Garage, very limited traffic on a Wednesday and relatively simple navigation to the double doors leading to the two escalator ride up to Big Snow.
After ordering/reserving a ticket online the night before (seems like they're limited to 30 per 15 minute interval) the time from car to "mountain" was about four minutes. The staff greets you very warmly and is eager to help. You're given a wristband to gain entrance onto the hill and reserve a locker if you choose to store any gear. There is a relatively large shop where you can buy pretty much anything from gloves to hats to jackets and pants. I arrived in shorts and a sweatshirt and packed my bootbag with ski pants, boots, gloves, and socks. Didn't want to wear my insulated ski jacket, hat, helmet or goggles. Ski pants, gloves, sweatshirt and backwards ball cap were all I needed.
Gear on, wristband scanned and through the double doors to a surprisingly cold warehouse-like atmosphere. You can rent all of the gear - from outerwear to boots and skis - all available once you exit the locker area. I brought one of my pairs instead of renting.
I'll just say this - it's weird. The snow is kind of heavy and chunky and the surface is only groomed three times a week according to one of the staff members. There was no line at the lift and it was probably 2:1 snowboarders to skiers. There is a small beginner hill serviced by a magic carpet for kids and newbies. They have ski bikes and short skis available to rent/demo and several people were trying those out. The hill is basically divided into a terrain park with a few features and a straight 27 degree drop on the other side. The ride up is about three and a half minutes while the shot down the slope is about 8-10 seconds. The snowboarders form a queue at the top and there was this odd practice of waiting for the boarder to complete his/her run before the next would venture down. I didn't follow suit and "dropped in" right off the lift, turning left and heading straight down. It's over before you know it and you're back on the quad for the ride back up.
Haas Quad
I'm not dying to go back. And as I sit here in Hoboken during a "work" meeting, I will not drive back over before the trek back up 87 to get some more turns in despite Big Snow being only about eight miles away. But I've never skied in September so that was cool. It was 80 degrees on Wednesday and I got some turns in - indoors, in a giant mall next to a stadium that looks like a shoe polish can. The staff was super hospitable and welcoming. So all in all, if you're down this way, bring your skis, pants and spend an hour or two banging out some quick turns. It's fun but gets a bit tedious rather quickly.
As a side note, I also went to The Summit at One Vanderbilt - that was pretty awesome. Very highly recommended.
Cheers!
