Windham/Hunter/Belleayre/Plattekill

[gladerider]

I've never been to Belleayre, but that will change soon. But from what I've heard from numerous people local to that area, Hunter tends to be substantially more crowded than Belleayre. Which would seem to be the major advantage of going there assuming it's true in the first place?

i did exactly that. read a lot of good things about B so i went a few years ago. the ticket office to the main chair, the place was completely mobbed. later found out that it was one of those potter bother days. wasn't too impressed with the place much. i've never been back since. can't really compare to hunter IMHO.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Assuming may keep you from enjoying something someone else doesn't enjoy or can't handle.

just sayin'

Well I've already been to Hunter plenty of times, that's why I'm mainly curious about Belleayre and planning on going in the next few weeks.

 

[dmc]

Well I've already been to Hunter plenty of times, that's why I'm mainly curious about Belleayre and planning on going in the next few weeks.

Enjoy! It' may just be your "cup of tea"... you never know..

 

[legalskier]

Okay, next question: food?

Peekamoose on Rt 28 outside of Phoenicia is NYC quality (where the chef's from), upscale and civilized. A little pricier but worth it; make a reservation in advance as it's popular. In Phoenicia there's Brio's, which is divided into 3 sections: a bar with big screens (Superbowl), a diner type area, and a more formal dining area. It has an extensive menu of tasty items and is very affordable. The town of Woodstock has many excellent eateries (e.g. the Bear Cafe, the Red Onion) but it's further away from the slopes.

Btw, why not make it a 4 day weekend and try all the mountains? :smile:

 

[ctenidae]

Btw, why not make it a 4 day weekend and try all the mountains? :smile:

Would love to, but then I A) could make it a 365-day weekend, and 2) Wouldn't be able to afford dinner at Peekamoose...

 

[ctenidae]

Update-Plattekill was great, even in rain and fog. Eexcellent selection, great advice.

 

[andyzee]

Update-Plattekill was great, even in rain and fog. Eexcellent selection, great advice.

Long lift lines as usual? ;-)

 

[ctenidae]

I think we had to wait for someone to load once, maybe. Could have been twice. Or my imagination. Not sure.

We really dug the mountain.

 

[drewfidelic]

I'll put in a couple of words in defense of Windham. It's probably the best area for intermediates in the Catskills. They've quietly been adding snowmaking capacity yearly and can put out a healthy amount of snow. Adding the second high-speed quad has distributed crowds better and made skiing the terrain off of the east side much less of a hassle.

That said, weekends can get more crowded than at Hunter, because the mountain simply isn't as big. When Windham gets crowded, liftlines and trails feel much more congested than Hunter on similarly crowded days. In recent years, Windham has started to attract more aggressive skiers, but the quality of skier at Windham isn't nearly as high as at Hunter. The snowmaking has gotten better, but it does not compare to the amount or quality that Hunter can throw down.

But I'm not surprised that Windham doesn't get a lot of love on AZ -- for the same reason that Stratton, Okemo and Bretton Woods don't get a lot of love here. It's not as serious an area as Hunter, not as quirky as Plattekill and not as public as Belleayre. But they're putting out a good quality product, where the main problem is that it's too popular of a product. And that it's just not what most AZers are looking for in a ski experience.

 

[dmc]

Well said...

With popularity comes a toll..

 

[RootDKJ]

Well said...

With popularity comes a toll..

Victims of their own success

 

[tekweezle]

the attraction of Belleayre(and presumably Plattekill) is that it seems to get more snow than Hunter and Windham due to its location. maybe it;s closer to a lake? Also tickets are generally cheaper but with all the discounts out there, this should be a push now.

so given the same storm, i've noticed that Hunter and Windham will report 4-6 inches and Belleayre will report 6-10. or in some cases, they get snow that hunter and windham miss out on.

 

[dmc]

the attraction of Belleayre(and presumably Plattekill) is that it seems to get more snow than Hunter and Windham due to its location. maybe it;s closer to a lake? Also tickets are generally cheaper but with all the discounts out there, this should be a push now.

so given the same storm, i've noticed that Hunter and Windham will report 4-6 inches and Belleayre will report 6-10. or in some cases, they get snow that hunter and windham miss out on.

4" of extra snow doesn't really make we want to ride at a place with less advanced terrain then I'm used to...

 

[tekweezle]

i agree-Hunter has it;s place because it has the most advanced terrain.

Windham generally has the best overall cruising and grooming.

Belleayre's a relative bargain and if you watch the snow report, you can get rewarded with a rare powder day when others get nothing.

I haven;t been to Plattekill yet but should make it there this season. sounds intriguing. perhaps it;s NYS version of mad river glen minus the snowboard ban and about 1500 vertical.

 

[ctenidae]

Okay, weekend after next we're going with my brother and his two boys (3 and 5). Who has the better ski school for lil'uns (obviously not Catamount :smash: )? Neither have ever skied before, the 5 year old is almost as athletic as spaghetti. Almost.

My brother has skied within the past couple of years, so something relatively easy for him would be good, too. Kind of seems like, on balance, Windham may win for this mix- I'm guessing mid-March crowds aren't nearly so much of an issue?

 

[legalskier]

From my experience, Belleayre has an excellent program for kids. Mine went through it & loved it (daughter eventually went on to become a ski instructor). The 5 year old would be old enough for it; 3 is pretty young to start.
I don't know much about the others.

 

[dmc]

From my experience, Belleayre has an excellent program for kids. Mine went through it & loved it (daughter eventually went on to become a ski instructor). The 5 year old would be old enough for it; 3 is pretty young to start.
I don't know much about the others.

I've heard the same for Hunter and Windham...

 

[ctenidae]

I've heard the same for Hunter and Windham...

That's helpful...
Added wrinkle- my brother's wife is extremely unlikelyto ski, which elevates Windham for it's "other stuff to do-ness"

 

[gmcunni]

That's helpful...
Added wrinkle- my brother's wife is extremely unlikelyto ski, which elevates Windham for it's "other stuff to do-ness"

what does Windham offer in the other-stuff-to-do category? my wife don't ski but will go with us if there is something fun for her to do.

 

[dmc]

That's helpful...
Added wrinkle- my brother's wife is extremely unlikelyto ski, which elevates Windham for it's "other stuff to do-ness"

Hunter has the "Learning Center" which helps keep beginners in one place...
Hunter One is a beginner area separate from the rest of the hill..