Plattekill: Now I Get It

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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Belleayre: After the Storm

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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Magic: Steeps, Trees, Bumps and an Indy Vibe

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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