Hickory is a Magic Machine

I first met Stuart of The Storm back in 2020 on an off-the-hook powder day at McCauley. We got to talking about all the great small ski areas in New York. He told me “NYSkiBlog has more Hickory content than anyone else on the web.” At the time, I wondered if we’d ever publish an on-snow piece about Hickory again.

An enormous amount of work has gone into getting the hill open. Led by Hickory founder Hans Winbauer’s daughter, Sue Catana, the hill has navigated operational, inspection and insurance challenges. With significant help from the Indy Pass and Unofficial Networks, Hickory announced they’d spin lifts on Saturday, for the first time since 2015.

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Holiday Mountain Opens in 2024

Regular readers of NYSkiBlog already know we think the turn around at Holiday Mountain is one of most exciting stories in New York skiing this year. When Mike Taylor bought Holiday last spring, he attacked the problem of repairing, updating and expanding the ski area.

South Lodge

New skis and snowboards for the rental fleet? Done. New carpet, tables and POS system for the lodge? Done. Need some new groomers? Done. Well, not new per se, but new to them. A new lift? It’s happening. Actually, buying and installing a ski lift isn’t that easy. Mike decided to get the double chair — sitting unused for years — back into service this season.

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Catskill Cherries in the Snow

To anyone who knows me, it’s pretty obvious: I like my traditions. If something makes me happy, there’s a good chance I’ll do it over and over again. I’m comfortable with repetition.

plattekill-early-am

Twelve years ago, on my birthday, I was at Plattekill having the time of my life. I decided to pay it forward and buy a round for the house. It was my present to the mountain and myself. I talked to people about Plattekill and skiing, and why they were there. Why we were all there. Yes, it became a tradition; I’ve skied at Plattekill on my birthday every year since.

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