McCauley: Going Strong

Posted on by Robert

The first signs of spring appeared last weekend and the doomers were out in full force. The winter is over! The rain is coming! If you internalized the social media discourse then you might as well pack your gear and call it a season.

The rest of us will be enjoying the warmer weather and soft turns.

summit view

Way up North in Old Forge the locals had missed the news that winter was over. The Olympic snowfort built the previous weekend stood tall while kids played in the snow below. At the top of the mountain conditions were supreme with soft snow and excellent coverage everywhere.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, McCauley11 Comments

Plattekill: Now I Get It

Posted on by Evan

I’ve been lucky to ski many areas across New York, but I haven’t skied the Catskills, until now. When a nor’easter swept up the coast and blanketed the Cats in snow, it felt like the opportunity for Tiff and I to explore. We kicked things off at Belleayre on Tuesday for a sunny machine groomed packed powder day, after the storm. And on Friday we finally made it to Plattekill.

Front Four

Plattekill operates a little differently. As the last standing family-owned resort in the region, they aren’t chasing flashy. They’re typically open Friday through Sunday to the public, with private mountain rentals at various times during the week. Throughout last week, ten inches of fresh snow had stacked up. Our arrival on Friday was shaping up to be perfect.

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Tagged: Catskills, Plattekill13 Comments

Belleayre: After the Storm

Posted on by Tiff

There’s something about tracking a nor’easter that adds a little extra electricity to a winter week. When a storm started lining up to bring 18+ inches to the Catskills, Evan was watching every model run like it was his job.

Belleayre gondola

As it turned out, the system shifted east and underperformed, but 7 inches still fell on Monday, just enough to freshen everything without complicating travel.

With kids back in school after Presidents Week and a midweek window on our calendar, it felt like the perfect excuse for a road trip. Of all the ski regions in New York, the Catskills are the least explored for us.

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Tagged: Belleayre, Catskills4 Comments