Belleayre 4/12-13...Sun and Snow..

GrilledSteezeSandwich · Apr 13, 2008, 3:19 PM

Hey All,

I'm back from a quick 2 day trip to Belleayre NY. I left Allentown at 6:15AM and it was raining with a little bit of thunder and lightning. It was mostly rain and fog through NJ but right when I hit the southern Catskills there were breaks in the clouds..enough for me to put my Stunnah shades on. I pulled into the Overlook lot at Belleayre and there were about 100 cars.
The temperature was 58 degrees under partly sunny skys..a little cool to ski in a t-shirt so I fleeced it up. I used my voucher for a free lift ticket. The ski conditions were basically fast corn snow with only a few blue trails groomed. I made my way back and forth from the Superchief high speed quad to lift 7 to the Tomahawk slow quad..hitting nearly every run. I'm really bad with trail names and I don't have a Belleayre trail map plus their one on their website has the smallest print so I'll give my best descriptions. I hit Roaring Brook, the halfpipe, Yahoo, Belleayre run, Onienta, Wannanuska, Dot Nebal, and Kickapoo along with many others. Upper Yahoo had the biggest corn bumps that were great for goose-stomping. Lower Wahoo was smooth corn with a few puddles..down low by the bottom of the Superchief quad it was real soupy.

I stopped for lunch midway through my session and had Clam Chowder, a soft pretzel and a Gatorade for $11.75..actually not that bad for ski area food. The bumps on Belleayre run under the superchief were the tightest and I skied them a few times after lunch. Deer Run on the other side of the hill was good for high speed cruising. In total I skied 18 runs including 11 off the Superchief quad, 2 off Lift 7, and 5 off the Tomahawk quad for 19,250 vertical feet. I quit a little before 2:00PM and I was worn out by all the bumps and pushing around the deep spring snow. I drove down to the Starlight motel where I stayed last year with Atomic Jeff and the woman said the rooms weren't clean and they wouldn't be ready until 4:00PM..so I then drove to the Deleware Court motel in Fleishmanns which is where Ski has stayed before. It's an uber dump but uber cheap. The cost of a room was $65 plus tax with a credit card or $50 cash which was a no brainer..due to the high lodging taxes..alot of hotels in NY and VT give cash discounts.

My room had two twin sized beds pushed together, an old school alarm clock, desk, and a little TV..then up one step and there was a full sized refrigerator from the 60s and then up another step and there was the bathroom. I'm not that tall but if my afro was one inch higher..it would be touching the ceiling of the shower...wowser..I chilled for a bit and watched the Masters, drank Magic Hat #9 and had chips/salsa...Then I drove into Phoenicia..I stopped at the Sportsman for a Stella Artois and to play some video lottery..I was a big loser...Then I went to Al's Seafood and I had a really good dinner. The sign that enticed me said 2-pound lobster special but they aren't getting a shipment of Lobsters in until next week. I had shrimp cocktail and sliced garlic steak with some Belgium white beer..and it was pretty reasonable..then I drank some Sugar Free RedBull because I was tired and I still passed out early..

April 13th...Day 95...Belleayre mountain..New Yorks Winter Snow Park.

This morning dawned Cloudy with the temperature around 40 degrees in Fleishmanns. I had a bacon egg and steeze sandwich from the local store..then got to Belleayre around 9:05AM..it was 35 degrees with wet snow falling. I bought a lift ticket for $37 and skied down to the SuperChief..riding the SuperChief I saw AlpineZones own KingSlug who waited for me at the top. Conditions today were rough..the top half of the mountain where it's mostly moguls was set up solid..crusty..the next 200 vert or so was fast..smooth..and soft..and then the bottom was soupy slush. Me and KingSlug skied all over including Belleayre Run, Yahoo, Roaring Brook, Dot Nebel, Deer Run and the bump run skiers right of the Tomahawk quad.
The upper mountain was definitely survival skiing with refrozen deep crud and bumps. It wasn't about being graceful it was about getting down..the few groomed runs were mostly frozen cord on the upper mountain.

I poached the gates that were set up on the left side of Dot Nebel twice and the snow on the course was nice because the gluey mankity mank had been pushed aside..It snowed most of the morning and accumulated on the top half of the mountain about 1 milimeter. I didn't get as beat up today as yesterday because I skied less aggressively and a shorter session..I decided to quit around Noon...cash in my chips before I go bust because the grabby snow is the kind where people tear ACLs on and some of my least favorite. In total I did 5 runs off the SuperChief, 1 run to the top of lift 7, two runs from the midstation of lift 7, 4 runs from the top of the Tomahawk chair, and 2 runs from the midstation of the Tomahawk chair....for 14 runs total and approximately 12,200 vertical feet. When I left it was 37 degrees and the temperature rose to the low 50s by the time I hit the Hudson Valley.

All in all it was a fun trip to Belleayre..it's a fun place to ski and very much no frills. Next weekend I'll probably ski Killington...and then after that the pickings will be slimmer so maybe Mount Snow or Sugarbush..I'm not ready for the ski season to be over..especially with this mornings snowfall at Belleayre...mad steezy yo...

GrilledSteezeSandwich · Apr 13, 2008, 3:21 PM

I just saw this on Belleayres webpage...mad steezy yo...golf claps...

f you purchased a lift ticket on 04/13/08, return it any day next season for equal or less value!
Our "Thanks" to you!
We are currently closed for snowsports activities. Ski you on the slopes next season.

kingslug · Apr 13, 2008, 8:25 PM

Free ticket...nice!
A tiring day but worth it. Winter just won't quit! thankfully the sun came out for a little while and everything softened up.

Eski · Apr 14, 2008, 7:09 AM

due to Hunters bitter early closing, I got to ski Belleayre the last 5 days ... it was the best and only lift accessed spring skiing to be had in the Catskills ... I'm not good at giving informative trail reports as I'm happy anytime I'm out making turns ... Wednesday & Thursday were sunny, Friday was slightly overcast, Saturday a return of sunshine and finally, arrived Sunday for an afternoon session followed by free beers and bbq'd food on the deck ... kudos to that mountain for providing the good time that my home mountain failed to do

will hopefully get a few more days in somewhere before I reluctantly put away my gear ... for me, it's been an absolutely outstanding season, one that I hope can be repeated over and over until I'm laid to rest!

severine · Apr 14, 2008, 7:57 AM

Nice that you're getting a free ticket next year! Sounds like your Sunday conditions weren't too different than those at Snow. Yup, gotta be careful about that spring snow and knees.

180 · Apr 14, 2008, 9:12 AM

Like most others, the weather caused me to plan to ski Sunday not Saturday. After doing my yard work Saturday, we headed up to the Catskills and was greeted by a closed mountain of snow.

Teary eyed, I hiked around the base hoping for the best on Sunday. I awoke to clouds and rain, but a quick look up high revealed snow falling.

We left for Hunter and arrive at 11:30 to intemittant snow showers. Looked like a great day, Zipper lines on Tongora, Yahoo, Wanatuska, Belleayre Run and more. Saw some AZer in yellow pants doing his long drive. Skied with Karl and my son. Great finish to the Catskill skiing.

Apr 13, 2008, 3:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
GrilledSteezeSandwich Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7,667	Belleayre 4/12-13...Sun and Snow.. Hey All, I'm back from a quick 2 day trip to Belleayre NY. I left Allentown at 6:15AM and it was raining with a little bit of thunder and lightning. It was mostly rain and fog through NJ but right when I hit the southern Catskills there were breaks in the clouds..enough for me to put my Stunnah shades on. I pulled into the Overlook lot at Belleayre and there were about 100 cars. The temperature was 58 degrees under partly sunny skys..a little cool to ski in a t-shirt so I fleeced it up. I used my voucher for a free lift ticket. The ski conditions were basically fast corn snow with only a few blue trails groomed. I made my way back and forth from the Superchief high speed quad to lift 7 to the Tomahawk slow quad..hitting nearly every run. I'm really bad with trail names and I don't have a Belleayre trail map plus their one on their website has the smallest print so I'll give my best descriptions. I hit Roaring Brook, the halfpipe, Yahoo, Belleayre run, Onienta, Wannanuska, Dot Nebal, and Kickapoo along with many others. Upper Yahoo had the biggest corn bumps that were great for goose-stomping. Lower Wahoo was smooth corn with a few puddles..down low by the bottom of the Superchief quad it was real soupy. I stopped for lunch midway through my session and had Clam Chowder, a soft pretzel and a Gatorade for $11.75..actually not that bad for ski area food. The bumps on Belleayre run under the superchief were the tightest and I skied them a few times after lunch. Deer Run on the other side of the hill was good for high speed cruising. In total I skied 18 runs including 11 off the Superchief quad, 2 off Lift 7, and 5 off the Tomahawk quad for 19,250 vertical feet. I quit a little before 2:00PM and I was worn out by all the bumps and pushing around the deep spring snow. I drove down to the Starlight motel where I stayed last year with Atomic Jeff and the woman said the rooms weren't clean and they wouldn't be ready until 4:00PM..so I then drove to the Deleware Court motel in Fleishmanns which is where Ski has stayed before. It's an uber dump but uber cheap. The cost of a room was $65 plus tax with a credit card or $50 cash which was a no brainer..due to the high lodging taxes..alot of hotels in NY and VT give cash discounts. My room had two twin sized beds pushed together, an old school alarm clock, desk, and a little TV..then up one step and there was a full sized refrigerator from the 60s and then up another step and there was the bathroom. I'm not that tall but if my afro was one inch higher..it would be touching the ceiling of the shower...wowser..I chilled for a bit and watched the Masters, drank Magic Hat #9 and had chips/salsa...Then I drove into Phoenicia..I stopped at the Sportsman for a Stella Artois and to play some video lottery..I was a big loser...Then I went to Al's Seafood and I had a really good dinner. The sign that enticed me said 2-pound lobster special but they aren't getting a shipment of Lobsters in until next week. I had shrimp cocktail and sliced garlic steak with some Belgium white beer..and it was pretty reasonable..then I drank some Sugar Free RedBull because I was tired and I still passed out early.. April 13th...Day 95...Belleayre mountain..New Yorks Winter Snow Park. This morning dawned Cloudy with the temperature around 40 degrees in Fleishmanns. I had a bacon egg and steeze sandwich from the local store..then got to Belleayre around 9:05AM..it was 35 degrees with wet snow falling. I bought a lift ticket for $37 and skied down to the SuperChief..riding the SuperChief I saw AlpineZones own KingSlug who waited for me at the top. Conditions today were rough..the top half of the mountain where it's mostly moguls was set up solid..crusty..the next 200 vert or so was fast..smooth..and soft..and then the bottom was soupy slush. Me and KingSlug skied all over including Belleayre Run, Yahoo, Roaring Brook, Dot Nebel, Deer Run and the bump run skiers right of the Tomahawk quad. The upper mountain was definitely survival skiing with refrozen deep crud and bumps. It wasn't about being graceful it was about getting down..the few groomed runs were mostly frozen cord on the upper mountain. I poached the gates that were set up on the left side of Dot Nebel twice and the snow on the course was nice because the gluey mankity mank had been pushed aside..It snowed most of the morning and accumulated on the top half of the mountain about 1 milimeter. I didn't get as beat up today as yesterday because I skied less aggressively and a shorter session..I decided to quit around Noon...cash in my chips before I go bust because the grabby snow is the kind where people tear ACLs on and some of my least favorite. In total I did 5 runs off the SuperChief, 1 run to the top of lift 7, two runs from the midstation of lift 7, 4 runs from the top of the Tomahawk chair, and 2 runs from the midstation of the Tomahawk chair....for 14 runs total and approximately 12,200 vertical feet. When I left it was 37 degrees and the temperature rose to the low 50s by the time I hit the Hudson Valley. All in all it was a fun trip to Belleayre..it's a fun place to ski and very much no frills. Next weekend I'll probably ski Killington...and then after that the pickings will be slimmer so maybe Mount Snow or Sugarbush..I'm not ready for the ski season to be over..especially with this mornings snowfall at Belleayre...mad steezy yo...

Apr 13, 2008, 8:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
kingslug Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: looooooong island ny Posts: 1,556	Free ticket...nice! A tiring day but worth it. Winter just won't quit! thankfully the sun came out for a little while and everything softened up. __________________ Lets go! I'll drive.

Apr 14, 2008, 7:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
severine Nassahegan 7/26/2008 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: CT Posts: 3,998	Nice that you're getting a free ticket next year! Sounds like your Sunday conditions weren't too different than those at Snow. Yup, gotta be careful about that spring snow and knees. __________________ Carrie 2007-2008 ~ 20 2005-2006 ~ 2 2004 ~ 17 It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. ~ Agnes Repplier Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. ~ Lance Armstrong

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Apr 13, 2008, 3:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
GrilledSteezeSandwich Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 7,667	I just saw this on Belleayres webpage...mad steezy yo...golf claps... f you purchased a lift ticket on 04/13/08, return it any day next season for equal or less value! Our "Thanks" to you! We are currently closed for snowsports activities. Ski you on the slopes next season.

Apr 14, 2008, 7:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
Eski Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hunter NY Posts: 45	due to Hunters bitter early closing, I got to ski Belleayre the last 5 days ... it was the best and only lift accessed spring skiing to be had in the Catskills ... I'm not good at giving informative trail reports as I'm happy anytime I'm out making turns ... Wednesday & Thursday were sunny, Friday was slightly overcast, Saturday a return of sunshine and finally, arrived Sunday for an afternoon session followed by free beers and bbq'd food on the deck ... kudos to that mountain for providing the good time that my home mountain failed to do will hopefully get a few more days in somewhere before I reluctantly put away my gear ... for me, it's been an absolutely outstanding season, one that I hope can be repeated over and over until I'm laid to rest!