Harvey
Administrator
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2020
This weekend was anticipated by humans across the east, the first unshrouded appearance of the sun in weeks.
For me, traveling this upcoming week for business, I felt like it wasn't a good time to be away from family. On the other hand. Friday looked like it had potential. The first day that the public had a lift-served access at the 11 inches that fell earlier in the week, Sunday into Monday.
I left my house at 4:45 am. It was 40 degrees and raining pretty hard. It's not a stretch for it to be 10 degrees colder in Meeker Hollow and I was hopeful the forecasts for light snow at Plattekill would verify.
A rainy night in Georgia
As I drove up into the Hudson Valley I watched temps on my dashboard drop into the mid-30s and with every drop, I let out silent cheer. The rain was steady and at times it was driving. As I crested on Route 28 in Highmount, I started to see snowflakes mixed in with the rain. It was 33 in Arkville and as I turned north on 30, it started to snow.
I've seen some Meeker Hollow Effect in my day, but this was dramatic. The difference between Creamery and Meeker Hollow proper was dramatic. Microclimate city.
Fifth Chair
I'd come up with the idea to ski Friday on Monday, after Plattekill posted the final snow total on IG.
Platty was closed on Monday, and had mountain rentals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Rentals are different then normal operating days. Often after a rental, you'll still find plenty of untracked snow. After three rentals in a row... I guess I'd see.
Separately, I texted both Dean and Jason two of my favorite words. Plattekill Friday.
They both said they'd be there in a way that made me think they were already thinking the same thing. The three of us really like the same kind of skiing, so it made sense that we were in agreement before we even spoke. As usual we met up in the bar.
Rime
We were surrounded by snowboarders in line for first chair at the triple. Personally I hadn't seen that at first chair on a Friday, three guys on tele surround by eight or ten boarders who could have been my grandkids. It was cool IMO. The boarders I saw were charging all day.
We actually missed first chair, yaking it up with the boarders, we saw the first public riding the double and dropped down to ride it maybe fifth. On the way up, everything was covered in rime.
Ridge Run
The groomed snowmaking trails were very carveable and probably had the best skiing all day long. But of course the natural trails called to the three of us, with a bomb-proof base and 11 inches of (now compressed) snow on the top. Unskied, ungroomed surfaces were challenging, for me at least. Dean and Jason, said the skiing was tough but still skied tele all the way.
Dean calculates
"How did I get here?"
Jason on Lower Ridge Run
Instructor Rich
Jason on Cliffs
A little front side action
Dean and Jason on Plunge
I kept thinking to myself this would be easier with some rocker. I pushed for a break — just give me five minutes to make a switch. Eventually we came to consensus and skied down Plunge to the lodge.
Out to the upper lot for a gear change
This was the first time I'd ever switched skis midday and it was a good call. Skiing definitely got easier. Dean also switched to some fatter old skis that he was more comfortable using to ski thin cover trees. He started dropping in everywhere.
Dean drops it
Overlook trees
The best skiing of the day was in the mellow glades above Overlook. It was meadow skipping at it's finest. Below Overlook we explored everything we'd cut on the work day. We named that whole slice of terrain Cherry Pie, or Cherry for short. Low angle is the new black.
Cherry Pie
Cliff Huxstable
It snowed all day. We called it around 3pm and by the time I left at 3:30 it was snowing hard in Meeker Hollow, with only a hint of snow down on Route 30. I got peeps in the Catskills now and met @Scottski63 and Hillary at Oliver's for dinner in Mt Tremper. Great day.
In summation, I recommend you Ski at Plattekill on Fridays. It's the place to start your weekend.
For me, traveling this upcoming week for business, I felt like it wasn't a good time to be away from family. On the other hand. Friday looked like it had potential. The first day that the public had a lift-served access at the 11 inches that fell earlier in the week, Sunday into Monday.
I left my house at 4:45 am. It was 40 degrees and raining pretty hard. It's not a stretch for it to be 10 degrees colder in Meeker Hollow and I was hopeful the forecasts for light snow at Plattekill would verify.
A rainy night in Georgia
As I drove up into the Hudson Valley I watched temps on my dashboard drop into the mid-30s and with every drop, I let out silent cheer. The rain was steady and at times it was driving. As I crested on Route 28 in Highmount, I started to see snowflakes mixed in with the rain. It was 33 in Arkville and as I turned north on 30, it started to snow.
I've seen some Meeker Hollow Effect in my day, but this was dramatic. The difference between Creamery and Meeker Hollow proper was dramatic. Microclimate city.
Fifth Chair
I'd come up with the idea to ski Friday on Monday, after Plattekill posted the final snow total on IG.
Platty was closed on Monday, and had mountain rentals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Rentals are different then normal operating days. Often after a rental, you'll still find plenty of untracked snow. After three rentals in a row... I guess I'd see.
Separately, I texted both Dean and Jason two of my favorite words. Plattekill Friday.
They both said they'd be there in a way that made me think they were already thinking the same thing. The three of us really like the same kind of skiing, so it made sense that we were in agreement before we even spoke. As usual we met up in the bar.
Rime
We were surrounded by snowboarders in line for first chair at the triple. Personally I hadn't seen that at first chair on a Friday, three guys on tele surround by eight or ten boarders who could have been my grandkids. It was cool IMO. The boarders I saw were charging all day.
We actually missed first chair, yaking it up with the boarders, we saw the first public riding the double and dropped down to ride it maybe fifth. On the way up, everything was covered in rime.
Ridge Run
The groomed snowmaking trails were very carveable and probably had the best skiing all day long. But of course the natural trails called to the three of us, with a bomb-proof base and 11 inches of (now compressed) snow on the top. Unskied, ungroomed surfaces were challenging, for me at least. Dean and Jason, said the skiing was tough but still skied tele all the way.
Dean calculates
"How did I get here?"
Jason on Lower Ridge Run
Instructor Rich
Jason on Cliffs
A little front side action
Dean and Jason on Plunge
I kept thinking to myself this would be easier with some rocker. I pushed for a break — just give me five minutes to make a switch. Eventually we came to consensus and skied down Plunge to the lodge.
Out to the upper lot for a gear change
This was the first time I'd ever switched skis midday and it was a good call. Skiing definitely got easier. Dean also switched to some fatter old skis that he was more comfortable using to ski thin cover trees. He started dropping in everywhere.
Dean drops it
Overlook trees
The best skiing of the day was in the mellow glades above Overlook. It was meadow skipping at it's finest. Below Overlook we explored everything we'd cut on the work day. We named that whole slice of terrain Cherry Pie, or Cherry for short. Low angle is the new black.
Cherry Pie
Cliff Huxstable
It snowed all day. We called it around 3pm and by the time I left at 3:30 it was snowing hard in Meeker Hollow, with only a hint of snow down on Route 30. I got peeps in the Catskills now and met @Scottski63 and Hillary at Oliver's for dinner in Mt Tremper. Great day.
In summation, I recommend you Ski at Plattekill on Fridays. It's the place to start your weekend.
