Bobcat, New York - 1/29/05

jimme · Jan 31, 2005, 10:59 AM

January 29th, 2005

Bobcat, NY

100% natural Packed Powder/Powder

After a sunny two hour and fifteen minute drive the mountain came into view, and I could see only one or two slopes as I pulled into the parking lot. I counted about 40 cars.

It’s easiest and best to describe what Bobcat does have. If it’s not on this list, they don’t offer it and I am not kidding.

A solid 1000’ of vertical.
A true count of 18 interesting, and challenging trails.
2 T-bars.
At least one groomer.
Ski school.
Ski patrol.
Ski shop.
Rental Shop.
Bathroom.
Limited food grill.
A small lodge with a tiny bar area.

Lift ticket was $12.50 (normally $25.) because of some special. Most trails were groomed, but you can see spots of ungroomed here and there. Several Black Diamond rated runs were ungroomed. Bobcat is not a beginner’s area. There are but two Green Circle rated trails and that is it. For most of the trails it’s not so much the steepness, but the width that make them challenging. Snowshoe seemed to be only about 8’ wide in spots. I would say that the trail system is raw. Meaning that the trails were cut, and cleared and that was it. No landscaping at all; what Mother Nature designed into the mountain is it. The trails seem rugged as they twist and turn in multiple directions. Sometimes you are leaning left, other times leaning right, but seldom do you have a plumb feeling as you carve down the mountain. This is a skier’s mountain. Raw and untamed. There were several snowboarders, but they seemed to be having a tough ride on the T-bar. One odd situation I noticed and confirmed with Ski Patrol is that there are a couple of spots where skiers can cross the T-bar lift. I’ve never heard of this before and did cross the lift a couple of times to get to different trails.

The area skied pretty big. Big enough to warrant future trips. Granted, I’m sure the best time to come is after a storm. Even today, the upper most portions of the widest main trails on the top of the mountain were wind blown and were nearly down to grass when I left at 3:00. But this was only at the very top of the mountain for a hundred feet or less, the rest of the coverage was great. And, what a treat is was to ski on 100% natural snow!

I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to ski and ride the T-bar all day. After not having ridden a T-bar for over 30 years, I was wondering how well I would hold up. I will rember this as one of those "perfect" days. Great weather, friendly skiers and boarders and simply awesome conditions. If you like the idea of skiing a 100% natural cover ski area and don't mind riding a T-bar to access 1000’ of vertical with very limited amenities, then Bobcat is it!

**Greg** · Jan 31, 2005, 11:43 AM

Sounds like a cool place. Where is it? NY? Do you have any more info on it (i.e. a Web site)? We don't list it in our profiles yet.

**bvibert** · Jan 31, 2005, 11:53 AM

I found this website by doing a google search. Looks like a nice mountain. Its in Andes, NY.

loafer89 · Jan 31, 2005, 4:46 PM

Bobcat is a fun place to ski and reminds me of a smaller version of Saddleback. I have only skied there once about 10 years ago and with about 3 feet of cut up wind blown powder and not a groomed trail on the whole mountain. I would like to go back, but until recently they have not had enough snow to open, I believe that the place was only opened for a short time last season due to lack of snow.

The day that I first skied at Bobcat, I also visited Ski Plattekill for the first time in the afternoon, and the snow was near waist deep on the north face trails and the place was just as empty as Bobcat and this was on a weekend in March.

Jan 31, 2005, 10:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
jimme Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Schodack, NY Posts: 227	Bobcat, New York - 1/29/05 January 29th, 2005 Bobcat, NY 100% natural Packed Powder/Powder After a sunny two hour and fifteen minute drive the mountain came into view, and I could see only one or two slopes as I pulled into the parking lot. I counted about 40 cars. It’s easiest and best to describe what Bobcat does have. If it’s not on this list, they don’t offer it and I am not kidding. A solid 1000’ of vertical. A true count of 18 interesting, and challenging trails. 2 T-bars. At least one groomer. Ski school. Ski patrol. Ski shop. Rental Shop. Bathroom. Limited food grill. A small lodge with a tiny bar area. Lift ticket was $12.50 (normally $25.) because of some special. Most trails were groomed, but you can see spots of ungroomed here and there. Several Black Diamond rated runs were ungroomed. Bobcat is not a beginner’s area. There are but two Green Circle rated trails and that is it. For most of the trails it’s not so much the steepness, but the width that make them challenging. Snowshoe seemed to be only about 8’ wide in spots. I would say that the trail system is raw. Meaning that the trails were cut, and cleared and that was it. No landscaping at all; what Mother Nature designed into the mountain is it. The trails seem rugged as they twist and turn in multiple directions. Sometimes you are leaning left, other times leaning right, but seldom do you have a plumb feeling as you carve down the mountain. This is a skier’s mountain. Raw and untamed. There were several snowboarders, but they seemed to be having a tough ride on the T-bar. One odd situation I noticed and confirmed with Ski Patrol is that there are a couple of spots where skiers can cross the T-bar lift. I’ve never heard of this before and did cross the lift a couple of times to get to different trails. The area skied pretty big. Big enough to warrant future trips. Granted, I’m sure the best time to come is after a storm. Even today, the upper most portions of the widest main trails on the top of the mountain were wind blown and were nearly down to grass when I left at 3:00. But this was only at the very top of the mountain for a hundred feet or less, the rest of the coverage was great. And, what a treat is was to ski on 100% natural snow! I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to ski and ride the T-bar all day. After not having ridden a T-bar for over 30 years, I was wondering how well I would hold up. I will rember this as one of those "perfect" days. Great weather, friendly skiers and boarders and simply awesome conditions. If you like the idea of skiing a 100% natural cover ski area and don't mind riding a T-bar to access 1000’ of vertical with very limited amenities, then Bobcat is it!

Jan 31, 2005, 11:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Greg Nassahegan, CT: 8/14 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Thomaston, CT Posts: 20,286	Sounds like a cool place. Where is it? NY? Do you have any more info on it (i.e. a Web site)? We don't list it in our profiles yet. __________________ Greg 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05 Life's too short for warm up runs.

Jan 31, 2005, 11:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
bvibert West Hartford Res 6/22/08 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Torrington, CT Posts: 11,771	I found this website by doing a google search. Looks like a nice mountain. Its in Andes, NY. __________________ Brian SAC Tracker

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Jan 31, 2005, 4:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
loafer89 Sugarloaf Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Coventry, C.T Posts: 3,551	Bobcat is a fun place to ski and reminds me of a smaller version of Saddleback. I have only skied there once about 10 years ago and with about 3 feet of cut up wind blown powder and not a groomed trail on the whole mountain. I would like to go back, but until recently they have not had enough snow to open, I believe that the place was only opened for a short time last season due to lack of snow. The day that I first skied at Bobcat, I also visited Ski Plattekill for the first time in the afternoon, and the snow was near waist deep on the north face trails and the place was just as empty as Bobcat and this was on a weekend in March.