What ski areas are near Buffalo?

[ERJ-145CA]

I'm wondering what ski areas are near Buffalo, NY. I guess by near I mean within an hour drive, preferably shorter. I'm spending all day on Friday 2/26 in Buffalo and it would be fun to get some skiing in.

 

[jaja111]

Holiday Valley in Ellicottville is just about an hour directly south. Short but wide hill with quite a bit of terrain. Right next to it (literally) is Holimont which is accessable on the weekdays for non-members. That is not as big, about the same vert (6,7,800 maybe?), but a nice place - sort of like skiing in a park.

Kissing Bridge is I think 40 minutes south. It's been a long time since I was there and can't say I'm a big fan as it offered limited terrain. I live in Rochester, so if I'm gonna drive down there it'd be HV or Holi over KB.

 

[billski]

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/resorts/map/?state=NY
KB - Very small vertical, but huge POW

 

[campgottagopee]

Think you would enjoy Holiday Valley or Bristol Mnt---think there both about the same distance from Buffalo--Have fun!!!

 

[jaja111]

Think you would enjoy Holiday Valley or Bristol Mnt---think there both about the same distance from Buffalo--Have fun!!!

Bristol is double the drive time from Bflo - 2 hours. It is a great place though. It may not offer the terrain that Holiday Valley does, but is double (or more in fact) the vert.

No powder to be had south of Buffalo these days though. You can walk the length of Lake Erie, so the snow is shut off. And considering we technically haven't had a single snow storm (synoptic event), powder isn't likely. The base is all man-made and from Lake Effect (mesoscale events) that occurred prior to Erie's freeze up. Conditions are of the decent packed pow / groomed / sugar piles at the edge type - anywhere in western NY these days.

As of course they do, things could change by the end of next week...... I hope some snow?

 

[mondeo]

Holiday, Holiday, Holiday.

I hate KB. Boring and crowded.

 

[Bumpsis]

I'd choose Holiday V. over anuthing else around Buffalo. The extra drive from Buffalo (1h +) gives you much better terrain. I have not been there in a long time, but I always liked the half whale-like shape of the Valley. Along the "spine" you have a more of a beginner/easy intermediate slopes, but the sides of the "half-whale" offer a solid intermediate pitch. It's a bit of a short ride but if they have moguls (they do get a lot snow), it's blast.

 

[jrmagic]

Another vote for Holiday Valley over Kissing bridge. I used to ski both of them several times a week when I went to UB. IIRC HV is a little bit further but there is more varied terrain which more than makes up for the drive time difference. Champagne and Yodeler used to get pretty bumped up back in the day. Not sure if that still happends or not. lol actually took my worst fall ever (so far) on Champagne. The surface was VERY firm and I los control coming over a mogul and had my ski hit me in the back of the head as tumbled and slid down the entire trail. When I finally stopped ski patrol was already there checking me out.

 

[LaneMeyer]

Another vote for Holiday Valley over Kissing bridge. I used to ski both of them several times a week when I went to UB. IIRC HV is a little bit further but there is more varied terrain which more than makes up for the drive time difference. Champagne and Yodeler used to get pretty bumped up back in the day. Not sure if that still happends or not. lol actually took my worst fall ever (so far) on Champagne. The surface was VERY firm and I los control coming over a mogul and had my ski hit me in the back of the head as tumbled and slid down the entire trail. When I finally stopped ski patrol was already there checking me out.

I used to ski at KB and HV alot when I went to UB also and had joined the Schussmiester's ski club.
What a bargain that club was. I wish I had more money in college to have taken more advantage of that and their trips.
I wish I had the $800 (or whatever it was) to join the UB ski team, but I didn't.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Thanks for all the info, if I decide to rent the car and go I'll hit Holiday Valley.

 

[jrmagic]

I used to ski at KB and HV alot when I went to UB also and had joined the Schussmiester's ski club.
What a bargain that club was. I wish I had more money in college to have taken more advantage of that and their trips.
I wish I had the $800 (or whatever it was) to join the UB ski team, but I didn't.

You're not kidding... when I was there it was $75 for the season with bus transportation and lift tickets included 4 nights a week. We also had access on Tueday during the daytime but had to provide our own transportation. Stupid cheap lol.