Black Friday at Hunter Mountain

There had been some debate about whether Black Friday would be a good day to ski. My plan was to ski Hunter the day after Thanksgiving. Somebody suggested it was a blackout day on some Epic passes so that meant it would be crowded. Harvey thought Sunday would be better.

Catskill Flyer

I’ve always had good luck skiing on those days that are famous for something else — like Super Bowl Sunday for instance. My thinking was that a big event — like football or shopping — distracts the casuals away and only hardcore skiers are on the slopes. And Sunday skiing would mean driving home with the weekend traffic.

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Gore Opens in 2025

It’s been cold in the northeast and here in the mountains, it’s been snowing. Lows have been in the twenties every night for a few weeks and the ski areas have been taking full advantage, opening more terrain, faster than any year in recent memory.

Gore Mountain opening day 2025

Gore was no exception, opening a week before Thanksgiving. Lifts spun on East Side and the North with three lifts and ~four ways down the mountain for the weekend. Conditions were good, and skiers were impressed with the wall-to-wall coverage on all the open terrain. Friday was for passholders and the weekend was open to the public.

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Winter Starts When Killington Says So

Winter starts when Killington says it does. That may sound like marketing hype, but it rings true to me. In addition to being big and burly and awesome, Killington is known for doing whatever it takes to extend its season on both ends. As soon as temps drop low enough, even if it is still October, Killington’s snowmakers get the mountain open.

K1 Lodge

This year that turned out to be Wednesday — November 12. I wanted to be there for opening day but couldn’t get away midweek so I settled for Friday.

Killington is a long haul for me. I don’t do well getting out of bed before 5 AM, so I cheat a little to day-trip the place.

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