Bobcat, NY: 2/6/05

[James Michaud]

Resort:
Bobcat, NY
For more details, see the article I wrote about it last season:
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=doc768

Date Skied:
02/06/05

Conditions:
Sun-softened corn snow, mixed with dirt, grass, leaves, raspberry brambles, rocks, and pine saplings...extremely thin base

Trip Report:
I called Bobcat's manager Chuck McIntosh for a conditions report on Friday, and he told me that while they would be open over the weekend, the warm temps and blazing sun had taken a toll on the snow. I thanked him for his honesty and made plans to ski at Belleayre for Super Bowl Sunday, figuring most people would stay home in front of the TV. When I arrived there at 9 pm, the upper parking lot was full and a line of cars stretched way past the turn-off to Highmount. Even though Belleayre handles crowds reasonably well, I didn't feel like dealing with tons of people and decided that Bobcat would be the call after all.

The 15-minute drive between Margaretville and Andes (Bobcat's home) is pretty, and the dairy farms give the region a cool Hooterville vibe, which carries over to the ski area. But after pulling into the parking lot and looking up at the trails, I almost bailed again. Chuck wasn't joking about the sun damage... there were lots of visible bare spots amid the usual weeds sticking through. For early February, it looked a lot more like early April. I sat there for 10 minutes, wondering if I should even bother, but the t-bars were running and I saw a few people scraping down the green trails, so I stayed.

It's been a low snow-year for everyone, but a 100% natural joint like Bobcat takes a really big hit under these conditions. While the woods had a decent three-foot base, many exposed trail sections that had been baking in the sun all week hardly had a couple inches of cover. The trails on the far skier's left and right were closed, but other than that everything was open.

You have to give props to a ski area that treats its clientele like adults and basically says, "Here's a hill, some snow, and a T-bar to get you to the top: DEAL." There were no signs alerting people to dangers, and none of the 30-40 people there were complaining. So after the initial shock wore off, while waiting for the sun to soften up the snow that had hardened up overnight, I stuck to the shaded areas along the edge of the trails. Even with a fair amount of weeds and raspberry bushes sticking through, the snow was as soft as a baby's bottom... that's what happens when you don't make artificial snow: no ice.

I skied nonstop from 10 to 2:45, when it started getting sticky. You had to keep your eyes open to avoid some of the natural obstacles listed above on the narrow black diamonds in the woods, but pretty much the entire day, the runs I hit were better than expected, and I actually had a fun time. You just had to accept the fact that coverage was (extremely) light, and that there'd be lots of junk mixed in with the snow. Incredibly enough, my skis sustained zero damage -- no scratches, core shots, or edge burrs. Unless the temperature drops considerably and they get a solid dump this week (doubtful), I can't imagine that it'll be open next weekend.

Even after returning from a trip to one of the biggest ski areas in Europe and then skiing yesterday in really marginal conditions, Bobcat continues to impress (see Jimme's TR below from last weekend for more about the terrain).
http://forums.alpinezone.com/viewtopic.php?t=3117

I'm a HUGE fan, and think everyone should go check it out. While definitely not for everyone, it's one of the coolest places you'll ever ski.

[skijay]

It reminds me of Shefford. (infrastructure, terrain, natural snow).

How would you compare the two?

[James Michaud]

Ski Jay knows my weakness for places like Bobcat and Shefford.

They both have vertical drops of exactly 1,050 feet, both have a t-bar that goes from base to summit and a shorter one that goes part way up to service the wide green trails. They both charge $25 in their respective currencies, and are located exactly 15 minutes from a far busier ski area.

Shefford has great tree skiing (I get the impression that they've pruned the underbrush somewhat), and often gets decent dumps that allow you to ski in the trees (this year, however... they've gotten shafted: 38 inches so far according to their website!). While Bobcat's trees would be fantastic if they received enough snow, they don't prune or remove stumps, so it's definitely at your own risk. That said, I bombed a few lines last year and they were sweet. Bobcat claims 125-150 yearly, but obviously, the last two seasons have not reached that level.

For some reason, Bobcat -- which has more defined trails -- seems to ski larger than Shefford top to bottom.

Shefford seems to be better organized, have better community support (more skiers), and a vision for the future. The family that owns Bobcat refuses to commit any funds for upkeep (painting or mowing trails, see my photos) or do any kind of advertising to attract more people, but at the same time they won't sell it, even though they must be losing money by operating it. There are lots of theories floating around about why that is and what may eventually happen to Bobcat.

While Shefford definitely feels old school, Bobcat's lost ski area vibe goes far beyond that. Nothing has been painted or renovated in years. I just looked at the trail map they distribute at the lodge... it's from the 1989-90 season! Even though Shefford is in a somewhat rural area, it's an hour from a major metropolitan center (Montreal). A long drive from anything, Bobcat really feels like it's in the sticks (in a good way). The people who work there, don't look or act like normal ski area workers (also a cool thing).

[trackbiker]

Great report on Bobcat! Great pics too!
I wanted to ski there this past weekend as well but the thin cover was a concern as my son does not have a pair of "rock" skis.
Next time that Bellayre is crowded and the natural cover is thin check out Plattekill. (See my report for 2/5/05).
Just joined this forum. You may have been to Plattekill before. Look forward to a good dump to try Bobcat myself. My 14yr. wants to as well as he has never ridden a t-bar!