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

Magic: Steeps, Trees, Bumps and an Indy Vibe

Posted on by Brownski

Every year when we re-up our Indy Pass, Magic Mountain is high on my list of destinations. Every visit has been magic. Our fondness for the place lined up nicely with last week’s weather and our patrol schedule.

Red Chair

We made plans; my son logged in and made reservations Thursday night. Friday night we got our gear together and set our alarms- not all that early though. We weren’t on a mission for first chair or anything — just a relaxed day at a great hill.

When Junior and I pulled into the parking lot on Saturday at 9 AM, the place was hopping. We knew it would be busy, given the fresh snow and Presidents’ week.

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Tagged: Indy Pass, Magic, VT12 Comments

WorldSkiTraveller: Collector of Ski Areas

Posted on by James Michaud

This month, Zurich-based skier Roger Gfrörer, known online as Worldskitraveller, completed an undertaking that sounded more like a military logistics operation than a ski vacation. Over six weeks, he skied at 79 ski areas across 18 U.S. states, drove more than 7,500 miles, and checked into 38 hotels and motels along the way.

USA tour

The endeavor was originally titled Project 101, reflecting an initial goal of visiting 101 ski areas; however, a snow drought in the western U.S. forced a rethink. Regardless, the pace remained relentless: new ski areas (often several in a single day), constant motion, and little downtime.

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Tagged: Ski Life13 Comments