Hunter's Wayout to become an Intermediate Trail

Scruffy · Aug 24, 2015

deadheadskier said:
Looks like a fine mountain to me. Steep, decent vertical, couple fast lifts, 150" of natural and convenient to the NYC folks. I'm sure I'd ski there often if I lived in that metro. Platty likely a bit more depending on recent natural.

I hit Hunter a lot because I'm in the Catskills often. It skis much bigger and tougher than it is on paper. Of course this depends on conditions, so yeah, if someone has been there only once and there was nothing challenging open at that time, then you might have a poor opinion of it. The locals have a saying: If you can ski there, you can ski anywhere. There is some truth to it.

But people, really you shouldn't go there, the lack of NYC, and Northern Jersey crowds alone will make you want to run to Killington where you'll see much more of them. :-D

BenedictGomez · Aug 24, 2015

Scruffy said:
But people, really you shouldn't go there, the lack of NYC, and Northern Jersey crowds alone will make you want to run to Killington where you'll see much more of them. :-D

Huh? That's a real head-scratcher there. Hunter is absolutely teeming with NYC metro folk. NYC metro IS Hunter's market.

Scruffy · Aug 24, 2015

BenedictGomez said:
Huh? That's a real head-scratcher there. Hunter is absolutely teeming with NYC metro folk. NYC metro IS Hunter's market.

And you know this how? I thought you didn't ski there very much. It's the rumor spread to scare people off from going there, and it's apparently worked in your case

Hunter is easily stereotyped as teeming with the NYC metro ilk, but on any given weekend, it's mostly locals- and there is not really that much of a lift line. There are a hell of a lot of skiers living in the Hudson Valley, Catskills and surrounding area that ski. Sure there are "the" weekends where Hunter lives up to the stereotype, usually MLK, President's WK, or just the odd mid-winter WK- And weekdays - forgetaboutit, the place is deserted. And, while NYC may be one of their target markets, and perhaps they even sell them seasons passes, that doesn't mean people actually show up, although there are at least a couple of bus loads from the city, but most of them take two runs and spend the rest of the day in the bar...so...

steamboat1 · Aug 24, 2015

Scruffy said:
And you know this how? I thought you didn't ski there very much. It's the rumor spread to scare people off from going there, and it's apparently worked in your case

Hunter is easily stereotyped as teeming with the NYC metro ilk, but on any given weekend, it's mostly locals- and there is not really that much of a lift line. There are a hell of a lot of skiers living in the Hudson Valley, Catskills and surrounding area that ski. Sure there are "the" weekends where Hunter lives up to the stereotype, usually MLK, President's WK, or just the odd mid-winter WK- And weekdays - forgetaboutit, the place is deserted. And, while NYC may be one of their target markets, and perhaps they even sell them seasons passes, that doesn't mean people actually show up, although there are at least a couple of bus loads from the city, but most of them take two runs and spend the rest of the day in the bar...so...

Well if that's the case the locals suck. Skied there many times, last time felt lucky walking off the mountain in one piece & it wasn't due to my skiing abilities. Swore I'd never ski there again & I haven't even though I've been there numerous times since. Even had a friend with a house on the mountain, sadly he passed this year.

Scruffy · Aug 24, 2015

steamboat1 said:
Well if that's the case the locals suck. Skied there many times, last time felt lucky walking off the mountain in one piece & it wasn't due to my skiing abilities. Swore I'd never ski there again & I haven't even though I've been there numerous times since. Even had a friend with a house on the mountain, sadly he passed this year.

You know, you can experience the same "scary other skiers" at Killington, it's just that Killington spreads them out better. The trails at Hunter are usually narrower then Kton too so you need to be adept at avoiding others.

steamboat1 · Aug 24, 2015

Scruffy said:
You know, you can experience the same "scary other skiers" at Killington, it's just that Killington spreads them out better. The trails at Hunter are usually narrower then Kton too so you need to be adept at avoiding others.

Skiing defensively to avoid others is not skiing in my book. No thanks. I'm sure K can be almost as bad on weekends. What I saw that day at Hunter I've never seen anywhere else. Collisions left & right with the toboggans getting heavy usage, never again.

Scruffy · Aug 25, 2015

steamboat1 said:
Skiing defensively to avoid others is not skiing in my book. No thanks. I'm sure K can be almost as bad on weekends. What I saw that day at Hunter I've never seen anywhere else. Collisions left & right with the toboggans getting heavy usage, never again.

We can swat this stupid ball around for a long time and just look silly doing it. Suffice it to say, I ski all over this continent, and have gotten hit by skiers and boarders only at Killington ( local VT boys BTW, so VT skiers must suck according to your supposition ) and my wife was seriously taken out by a boarder at Kton, again a local. I've never come close to getting hit at Hunter. It hasn't stopped me, or my wife, from skiing killington...but whatever floats your boat. You've found a mountain that you feel comfortable at, great for you. I do find it a little ironic though, that you live in NYC ( Brooklyn ), but can't stand skiing with your neighbors, while I live in the mountains and have no problem skiing with your neighbors

steamboat1 · Aug 25, 2015

Scruffy said:
We can swat this stupid ball around for a long time and just look silly doing it. Suffice it to say, I ski all over this continent, and have gotten hit by skiers and boarders only at Killington ( local VT boys BTW, so VT skiers must suck according to your supposition ) and my wife was seriously taken out by a boarder at Kton, again a local. I've never come close to getting hit at Hunter. It hasn't stopped me, or my wife, from skiing killington...but whatever floats your boat. You've found a mountain that you feel comfortable at, great for you. I do find it a little ironic though, that you live in NYC ( Brooklyn ), but can't stand skiing with your neighbors, while I live in the mountains and have no problem skiing with your neighbors

You're not making much sense. First you tell everyone that it's mostly locals who ski Hunter & then go on to say I don't ski there because I don't like skiing with my neighbors from NYC. Which is it do mostly locals ski Hunter or is it more people from the city? You then go on to say I'm happy at Killington but at the same time say more New Yorker's go to Killington than go to Hunter. I'm confused.

Scruffy · Aug 25, 2015

steamboat1 said:
You're not making much sense. First you tell everyone that it's mostly locals who ski Hunter & then go on to say I don't ski there because I don't like skiing with my neighbors from NYC. Which is it do mostly locals ski Hunter or is it more people from the city? You then go on to say I'm happy at Killington but at the same time say more New Yorker's go to Killington than go to Hunter. I'm confused.

Haha me too. I might have merged you and BG together. cheers! It's all good, ski where ever you want.

BenedictGomez · Aug 25, 2015

Scruffy said:
Haha me too. I might have merged you and BG together. cheers! It's all good, ski where ever you want.

I thought he and I were saying pretty much the same thing, that Hunter gets the weekend NYC hoards? The cognitive dissonance had me spinning too.

Scruffy · Aug 25, 2015

BenedictGomez said:
I thought he and I were saying pretty much the same thing, that Hunter gets the weekend NYC hoards? The cognitive dissonance had me spinning too.

As I said in a my previous post to you, some weekends at Hunter are thick with NYC folk, but certainly not the majority of weekends, but there may not be anything wrong with that. Where one is from does not condemn them as bad people or wild out of control skiers.

Now, did I screw up my post and conflate you and steamboat together ( not hard to do, since you both have some misguided belief that Hunter is some sort of NYC sh!# show of dangerous skiers - every weekend ) yes I did, so take your shots at my posting abilities and let's all have a big laugh, I've already laughed at myself ... it's all in a days fun on the internet.

ScottySkis · Aug 25, 2015

We need Mimi a Zoe get together at hunter this winter so people can see for themselves

steamboat1 · Aug 25, 2015

Scruffy said:
As I said in a my previous post to you, some weekends at Hunter are thick with NYC folk, but certainly not the majority of weekends, but there may not be anything wrong with that. Where one is from does not condemn them as bad people or wild out of control skiers.

Now, did I screw up my post and conflate you and steamboat together ( not hard to do, since you both have some misguided belief that Hunter is some sort of NYC sh!# show of dangerous skiers - every weekend ) yes I did, so take your shots at my posting abilities and let's all have a big laugh, I've already laughed at myself ... it's all in a days fun on the internet.

Like I said I've skied there a lot. Still have my Big Lift card in my wallet which I haven't renewed in 4-5 years now. Weekends are a shit show. After my last experience never again. Might have the same opinion of K on weekends too but for the most part don't ski there weekends.

SnowRock · Aug 26, 2015

IMO the run-out of clair's isn't really clair's so the idea of intermediate skiers being put in peril with this re-label seems a bit silly to me.

I'm an unapologetic fan of hunter. Hunter and Camelback are the snacks between meals that keep me satiated during ski season. I would never get the 20+ days I have gotten the past few season without them. They serve a necessary purpose between trips to VT and the occasional trip out west. I rode hunter early december and early april and both times was a great product on sparsely crowded trails.

It also depends upon what makes a ski day for you.. and what sort of ski areas you prefer. I work full time so have to be a weekend warrior often but can sneak in weekdays here and there.

I want to get on early, get in as many runs as I can and then maybe a quick beer before getting home. As most of the sort that frequent this board know, if you are on the lift when it starts spinning, especially at a place like Hunter you have probably 2 hours of prime ski time. I do that, maybe a short break at 11 when the horde arrives and lines lengthen, then back out as they (the horde) finish their first few runs and take a break for lunch. I always finish a run early versus late nowadays so once the crowd gets back out and it becomes skied off and sketch im done.

I also genuinely find the Hunter terrain pretty darn challenging for being so close to NYC. Hunter West when filled in is a gem to me for being 2 hours away.

JimG. · Aug 26, 2015

steamboat1 said:
Like I said I've skied there a lot. Still have my Big Lift card in my wallet which I haven't renewed in 4-5 years now. Weekends are a shit show. After my last experience never again. Might have the same opinion of K on weekends too but for the most part don't ski there weekends.

Since you can ski weekdays why don't you try Hunter on a weekday?

Seems unfair to trash Hunter because of a weekend experience and then say you might feel that way about K but for the most part avoid weekends there.

I ski at Hunter a lot but I am not trying to argue with or convince you to ski there; I have my issues with recent management there myself. However, your negative impression of the place sounds like a skier who skis an area after a bad thaw/freeze cycle who then complains the conditions there always suck.

andrec10 · Sep 8, 2015

I ski Hunter just about every weekend. There may be a few days like what was described, but for the most part, these rumors persist form the 80's and 90's. Hell, Windham can be the shit show more than Hunter. and more money than brains there as well! IMHO!

RichT · Sep 8, 2015

andrec10, I agree with you!! I love the place, summer and fall too, and its only 98miles away:smile:

Funky_Catskills · Sep 12, 2015

manhattanskier said:
There is nothing like Hunter... Every trail is like a raceway. On a weekday it is crazy... I have never dared go on a weekend. I personally have gotten more speed there then anywhere else since it is all you can really do. That is why I love moguls and the woods, much safer then that crap.

Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

Oh yes - it sucks so bad... Thanks for letting us know all this..
Glad you don't enjoy the shttiy woods and bumps that Hunter has...

Enjoy Mountain Creek...

Funky_Catskills · Sep 12, 2015

Scruffy said:
As I said in a my previous post to you, some weekends(HOLIDAY LIKE EVERY OTEHR AREA) at Hunter are thick with NYC folk(CT FOLK - NJ FOLK - MASS FOLK), but certainly not the majority of weekends, but there may not be anything wrong with that. Where one is from does not condemn them as bad people or wild out of control skiers(BECAUSE THEY ARE CRAPPY SKIERS AND CANNOT HANDLE HUNTER- TRUTH!!!).

.....

Funky_Catskills · Sep 12, 2015

andrec10 said:
I ski Hunter just about every weekend. There may be a few days like what was described, but for the most part, these rumors persist form the 80's and 90's. Hell, Windham can be the shit show more than Hunter. and more money than brains there as well! IMHO!

Yes - but intermediates LOVE Windham because they can actually ski it... It's an easy mountain..

They struggle at Hunter and rather than admit they suck - they blame the hill... File under save face...

True story brah...

Hunter's Wayout to become an Intermediate Trail

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