Christmas Holiday at Titus

We left home in Western New York around noon on Friday after a few consecutive days of holiday festivities. With sleet in the forecast locally, we planned to hit the road and make the best of our time off of work.

The Face

When holiday crowds swell and conditions feel uncertain, Evan and I often find ourselves heading north to Titus Mountain. A place we trust for consistently great snow, zero lift lines, and a refreshingly stress-free ski experience, even during the busiest weeks of the season. As we drove north toward Malone, muddy ground slowly gave way to a blanket of snow and single-digit temperatures.

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Holiday Valley: Miles to Powder

In Western New York, I earn my miles. Between work during the week and recreation on the weekends, a lot of life happens on rural roads. My car has been incredibly reliable, carrying me to countless trailheads and ski areas over the years. On the way to Holiday Valley, I hit a milestone as the odometer rolled over to 333,333 miles. Triple threes, on a ski day, headed into the hills? That felt like a good omen.

Morningstar

For the second year in a row, Holiday Valley was the first resort to open in WNY, thanks again to heavy lake-effect snow. Last year, a storm dropped roughly 40 inches before opening day. This season, they’d already been open for a week with snowfall totals topping 50 inches.

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Royal Mountain Opens 2025

I’ve noticed a pattern among the family-owned independent resorts here in New York. Often I find a female owner running the business behind the ticket desk, while a male owner is off dealing with operations. Royal mountain was no exception last Sunday on opening day. Brooke Tennis was all smiles as she handed me my ticket, telling me she was surprised by the turn out.

Jake Tennis manages the crowd

The parking lot was filling up fast. I strapped in and pushed down to the Hadley Chair to start the season. I thought I was running late as I saw the first wave of skiers ripping down the mountain. Royal prides itself on tight operations and if they can spin the lift a little early, why not? I rode right on to my first chairlift.

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