Wyndham or BellAyre

[Bene288]

Belle definitely has less crowds on the weekends. I have sat at the super chief lift for longer than I needed to on the weekends. Sometimes the lifties get flustered during the weekend crowd and that lift in particular doesn't flow as well as it should. It's still nothing compared to lines at the other Catskill ski areas. Plattekill may be another option. I've never been but I've only heard good things about it. It's not much further than Belleayre I don't think.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

Frankly, I don't understand the answers given here. Objectively speaking, it's no contest. Windham is clearly better than Belleayre terrain wise. It's bigger, more challenging, better cruisers, more vertical, better infrastructure, better lifts, etc, etc. The list goes on.

Now, if you're looking to avoid crowds, then go to Belleayre, definitely less crowded. But know that you're sacrificing terrain for emptier slopes, which is fine, but at least you know that you're giving up something,

Also, as was already pointed out, if what you're looking for is decent skiing with the least crowds possible, then you're looking in the wrong place. Your top choice in the Catskills would then be Plattekill, not Belleayre. Better terrain, less crowds.

How many days have you actually skied at Belleayre? I hope you are not basing your opinion solely on this:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=104937&highlight=belleayre

 

[ScottySkis]

You know better than that, lets keep a little honesty going here. The number is between 5 and 15, but his number is closer to the truth in number of "runs" than yours.

Yes I do and i been to Platty plenty of times in the past when 6 inches of snow let them go from a few trails to everything open. The thing about platty is the do lack snowmaking capacity for now, so I do always wait to their website shows most everything is open.

 

[ScottySkis]

Belle definitely has less crowds on the weekends. I have sat at the super chief lift for longer than I needed to on the weekends. Sometimes the lifties get flustered during the weekend crowd and that lift in particular doesn't flow as well as it should. It's still nothing compared to lines at the other Catskill ski areas. Plattekill may be another option. I've never been but I've only heard good things about it. It's not much further than Belleayre I don't think.

Platty is about 20 minutes approximately past Bell but you do have to follow the signs.

 

[skiersleft]

How many days have you actually skied at Belleayre? I hope you are not basing your opinion solely on this:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?t=104937&highlight=belleayre

More than you have. Last year I skied Belleayre over
30 days. I rented a house in Pine Hill in front of the Pine Hill Arms. You?

 

[BenedictGomez]

Yes I do and i been to Platty plenty of times in the past when 6 inches of snow let them go from a few trails to everything open.

Yes, but as of right now, it's not really 15 "trails", unless you consider connectors trails, bunny slopes, terrain park, and then count lower/upper runs as 2 trails, etc...

 

[Ski the Moguls]

More than you have. Last year I skied Belleayre over
30 days. I rented a house in Pine Hill in front of the Pine Hill Arms. You?

Why would you do that if you like Windham so much better?

 

[skiersleft]

Why would you do that if you like Windham so much better?

As I suspected, you haven't skied Belleayre as much as I have. To answer your question:

1. Shorter drive to Belleayre for me.
2. Less expensive to ski there
3. Most important factor - Got a great deal on the house and I just couldn't pass it up. Given that Belleayre was only 2 miles from
the house, we skied there more often than Windham.

I was offered to the same rate to rent the house for this season and I didn't. Why? Because Belleayre isn't good enough to justify spending so
much time there. Fun, yes. Are there better options? Yes.

This season I have a midweek pass at Hunter. Next season I might get it at Windham. Why? Variety. Would I consider a pass at Belle? No, unless ORDA offers it with Gore and Whiteface.

Look, the answer to the OP's question is obvious. Windham clearly has better terrain than Belleayre any way you slice it, and that's especially the case this season. Now, if he prefers to ski terrain that's not as good, but is less crowded, then Belleayre is the choice.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

As I suspected, you haven't skied Belleayre as much as I have. To answer your question:

1. Shorter drive to Belleayre for me.
2. Less expensive to ski there
3. Most important factor - Got a great deal on the house and I just couldn't pass it up. Given that Belleayre was only 2 miles from
the house, we skied there more often than Windham.

I was offered to the same rate to rent the house for this season and I didn't. Why? Because Belleayre isn't good enough to justify spending so
much time there. Fun, yes. Are there better options? Yes.

This season I have a midweek pass at Hunter. Next season I might get it at Windham. Why? Variety. Would I consider a pass at Belle? No, unless ORDA offers it with Gore and Whiteface.

Look, the answer to the OP's question is obvious. Windham clearly has better terrain than Belleayre any way you slice it, and that's especially the case this season. Now, if he prefers to ski terrain that's not as good, but is less crowded, then Belleayre is the choice.

You seem to contradict yourself often. You say Windham is wonderful, but instead you skied Belleayre last year and Hunter this year? Okay, sure. :roll: If you have really skied so much at Belleayre then you should not trash the place based on just one bad day.

 

[skiersleft]

You seem to contradict yourself often. You say Windham is wonderful, but instead you skied Belleayre last year and Hunter this year? Okay, sure. :roll: If you have really skied so much at Belleayre then you should not trash the place based on just one bad day.

Looks like you just want to argue with me, which you appear to be doing quite often.

I'm not thrashing belle. I skied there on Saturday because I was with some beginner friends as their setup for beginners is very friendly. What I'm saying is that Windham and Hunter are better. And that should be obvious. I skied Belle last year so much because I took advantage of an awesome rental price for a home right next to Belle. I thought it would be fun, because Belle is fun, not because it's better than its competitors. I had fun, but it got boring and
now I feel that - unlike you - I have standing to call it like it is, because I skied the place as often as I did.

BTW, I don't know what's gotten into you lately arguing with me over everything. As you know, I always took your opinion seriously, but I guess that won't be warranted anymore if
you keep getting on my case for no reason.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

Looks like you just want to argue with me, which you appear to be doing quite often.

I'm not thrashing belle. I skied there on Saturday because I was with some beginner friends as their setup for beginners is very friendly. What I'm saying is that Windham and Hunter are better. And that should be obvious. I skied Belle last year so much because I took advantage of an awesome rental price for a home right next to Belle. I thought it would be fun, because Belle is fun, not because it's better than its competitors. I had fun, but it got boring and
now I feel that - unlike you - I have standing to call it like it is, because I skied the place as often as I did.

BTW, I don't know what's gotten into you lately arguing with me over everything. As you know, I always took your opinion seriously, but I guess that won't be warranted anymore if
you keep getting on my case for no reason.

Don't want to argue with you, much prefer to stay on point. Your first post in the thread contradicted most others. I just thought people reading this should understand that your view may be a little biased due to the incident you wrote about earlier this year.

My opinion stated in this thread said the moguls were better at Belleayre. So far you are the only one to disagree.

 

[andyzee]

I haven't been to either in a long time, with good reason. Between the two I would recommend Windham for terrain, Bellayre for smaller crowds. Overall, I would suggest Hunter or Plattekill.

 

[JimmyPete]

Find a discount at Hunter get there early, ski to 1130 try again 130 don't push it , still crowded get off, icy [probably will be this year] Beer at 230 ,

 

[ScottySkis]

In spring time when sun comes out at Hunter, the snow stays soft and crowds go away, and that is always fun.

 

[andyzee]

In spring time when sun comes out and the swallows fly to Capistrano, at Hunter the snow stays soft and crowds go away.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

In spring time when sun comes out at Hunter the snow stays soft and crowds go away.

I know. That post has sort of a zen-like quality to it. A couple less syllables and it could be a haiku:

In spring time when sun
comes out at Hunter the snow
stays soft and crowds go

 

[andyzee]

I know. That post has sort of a zen-like quality to it. A couple less syllables and it could be a haiku:

In spring time when sun
comes out at Hunter the snow
stays soft and crowds go

I think we need a Catskills version of this guy :





Wait, could Scotty really be Brucie?

 

[skiersleft]

Don't want to argue with you, much prefer to stay on point. Your first post in the thread contradicted most others. I just thought people reading this should understand that your view may be a little biased due to the incident you wrote about earlier this year.

My opinion stated in this thread said the moguls were better at Belleayre. So far you are the only one to disagree.

God, your reading comprehension skills are really off today. I never disagreed about there being better moguls at Belleayre. I even stated that it might be that Belleayre has more moguls. What I disagreed with you about was your statement that Windham grooms everything flat, which is demonstrably false because, as I mentioned, they routinely leave several of their advanced/expert trails ungroomed. Here's what I said to refresh your memory:

"Perhaps Belle has more trails with moguls, but it's an overstatement to say that Windham grooms almost everything flat. On a typical year, they let about half of their expert terrain bump up. Of course, this year is not a typical one, so both Belle and Windham are grooming more than they otherwise would"

----------

Look, just admit that you messed up and that it's not true that Windham grooms everything flat. Or, if you want, keep saying things that are not true, although that's not helpful to the OP. But, please, don't say that I said things that I obviously didn't say.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

God . . .

Sorry, I stopped reading your post after the first word.

Please excuse my friend here. He is very frustrated after being viciously attacked on Kzone over the past 2 days.
http://www.killingtonzone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34261
Now, will you please leave me alone and go back to yelling at the people you are really mad at?

 

[skiersleft]

Sorry, I stopped reading your post after the first word.

Please excuse my friend here. He is very frustrated after being viciously attacked on Kzone over the past 2 days.
http://www.killingtonzone.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34261
Now, will you please leave me alone and go back to yelling at the people you are really mad at?

I apologize for taking the Lord's name in vain. God, I'm so sorry I hurt your sensibilities. Won't happen again. I swear, with God as my witness.