Peak Resorts To Do/Don't List - Hunter Mountain

[Funky_Catskills]

Glad I didn't wait for "woods" to be named before riding them...

 

[JimG.]

Some us actually like Purna groomed!

We can groom Clairs and you can GS that all season.

There needs to be a dedicated double diamond bump trail on the west side.

 

[deadheadskier]

Discussion happens often, but to me you can't have a DD rating on the East Coast if you groom that trail. The only exceptions might be Nitro and Gondi Line at Sugarloaf. Both still have a bit of pucker factor even when groomed.

(Both would also be better as bump runs.)

 

[x10003q]

Actually open everything unless it's a complete disaster of a season. They've gotten better about this lately, E Lift/Highlands + 42nd St have been seeing snowmaking regularly, but there's no reason why 44 AND Annapurna shouldn't see snowmaking in a normal year.

The zero snowmaking on Lower Taylor's has never made sense, it's a good lower difficulty escape route from the face of Clairs (exactly what they need) and it doesn't get wind-blasted to hell. And it's not even that wide to have to cover. So I don't understand why it's continuously ignored.

The West Side HSQ doesn't help with their trail crowding issues when they've only got 2 runs open over there and winds up making Belt even worse when there's nothing else to ski but Clairs and Wayout.

And do some more work on windbreaks, making tree islands, or something similar on 44 so it gets less windscoured.

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Summit Lodge could use an exterior facelift. I like the interior, the worn exterior doors, walkways and such could all use work.

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Pave the road to the West Side, add some parking and a steel building with bathrooms, a gear up area, and a ticket window. Gate it off during the week if you don't feel like having to have a ticket checker at the lift.

This is all good stuff. It leads me to wonder if Hunter West could be a serious competitor to Killington/Superstar spring skiing. In addition to the road and building, maybe if they set up an outdoor bar and blow enough snow on one of the West trails to create the spring glacier, Hunter might be able to draw some decent crowds.

I have no idea if there is any potential for profit for Hunter to have West spring skiing.

 

[Scruffy]

Discussion happens often, but to me you can't have a DD rating on the East Coast if you groom that trail. The only exceptions might be Nitro and Gondi Line at Sugarloaf. Both still have a bit of pucker factor even when groomed.

(Both would also be better as bump runs.)

I agree, and so does Hunter ( at least the old owners ). Annapurna, Westway (aka 44), Lower K27, and Upper Crossover, are almost always left bumped. They may do a once a season defensive groom, depending on conditions, but by and large they are left alone. Clair's is mostly left to bump up, but they mow it every once in a while, so you never know with that one. All are icy most of the time though, so that adds to the fun. BTW, both Westway and Lower K27 are steeper than the Loaf's Nitro and Gondi Line.

 

[deadheadskier]

really? As I consider those two runs at SL to be the two steepest groomed trails in New England. The intimidation is more from their exposure up high on the mountain. If they were lower down, it wouldn't feel quite the same.

One of these days I'll make it over to Hunter to check it out.

 

[ss20]

This is all good stuff. It leads me to wonder if Hunter West could be a serious competitor to Killington/Superstar spring skiing. In addition to the road and building, maybe if they set up an outdoor bar and blow enough snow on one of the West trails to create the spring glacier, Hunter might be able to draw some decent crowds.

I have no idea if there is any potential for profit for Hunter to have West spring skiing.

Here's the answer to both your questions: no

 

[andrec10]

We can groom Clairs and you can GS that all season.

There needs to be a dedicated double diamond bump trail on the west side.

I more meant when the moguls go to ice. Better to be open than closed...

 

[andrec10]

I agree, and so does Hunter ( at least the old owners ). Annapurna, Westway (aka 44), Lower K27, and Upper Crossover, are almost always left bumped. They may do a once a season defensive groom, depending on conditions, but by and large they are left alone. Clair's is mostly left to bump up, but they mow it every once in a while, so you never know with that one. All are icy most of the time though, so that adds to the fun. BTW, both Westway and Lower K27 are steeper than the Loaf's Nitro and Gondi Line.

Actually Claires is groomed on a very regular basis now.

 

[mbedle]

What is the cut that is located south of west bowl that runs up closer to the top of Hunter Mountain? Was that a possible lift alignment at one time. Also, was not aware of how much additional land Hunter owns further up the mountain. Would be interesting to see if any of that gets developed. Just looked at an old topo and it shows a lift running up the cut.

 

[mbedle]

I also wonder how much of the undeveloped land the original owners retained. Seems to be a lot of parcels around the resort that were owned by Hunter.

 

[mbedle]

Never mind on the cut, just figured that out.

 

[JimG.]

I also wonder how much of the undeveloped land the original owners retained. Seems to be a lot of parcels around the resort that were owned by Hunter.

I believe the only thing PEAKS owns is the ski area proper. I know the Slutskys still own the hotel and I believe they still control the real estate but not sure about that.

 

[ss20]

What is the cut that is located south of west bowl that runs up closer to the top of Hunter Mountain? Was that a possible lift alignment at one time. Also, was not aware of how much additional land Hunter owns further up the mountain. Would be interesting to see if any of that gets developed. Just looked at an old topo and it shows a lift running up the cut.

As long as NY state owns Gore, Whiteface, and Bellayre you'll never see it happen. If the state ever does sell their ski resorts Hunter expanding still has the same chance as Magic being able to open Black this season (essentially impossible).

 

[JimG.]

I more meant when the moguls go to ice. Better to be open than closed...

Well, they leave Upper Xover and Lower K ungroomed. Admittedly those trails have an eastern exposure that allows for softening.

I don't mind if they reset things once or at most twice per season but if they could budget topping things off 3x per season on Purna they could skip the grooming.

Having a long steep bump trail like that would set Hunter apart from any other Catskills area.

 

[Harvey]

Give us more, but don't charge for it.

Maybe a simpler way to say it.

 

[catskills]

Make many millions $$$ selling real estate NEAR E-LIFT similar to what Windham Mountain did here. I believe Windham sold the land for that one building between two ski trails for $5 Million.

Selling real estate is good way of keeping ticket prices down. :beer:

 

[RichT]

Was there today and yesterday.......snowmaking was ON, but they're only making on the trails that are already open, I don't get it no snow on Gun Hill, Upper Crossover, Lower K and NO snow on west except Wayout!! It's been cold for 48hrs so far and the rest of the week looks good too. They had guns on Cliff all day and the wind was blowing the snow up on the rocks, hell I saw that why didn't they?

 

[andrec10]

Was there today and yesterday.......snowmaking was ON, but they're only making on the trails that are already open, I don't get it no snow on Gun Hill, Upper Crossover, Lower K and NO snow on west except Wayout!! It's been cold for 48hrs so far and the rest of the week looks good too. They had guns on Cliff all day and the wind was blowing the snow up on the rocks, hell I saw that why didn't they?

Gun Hill and Claires, and Colonels Alt were on when I left today. There is not much base on trails, hence them being went over.

 

[millerm277]

Was there today and yesterday.......snowmaking was ON, but they're only making on the trails that are already open, I don't get it no snow on Gun Hill, Upper Crossover, Lower K and NO snow on west except Wayout!! It's been cold for 48hrs so far and the rest of the week looks good too. They had guns on Cliff all day and the wind was blowing the snow up on the rocks, hell I saw that why didn't they?

Tonight's trail report says they're starting up snowmaking on Gun Hill, Colonels Alternate + Clairs, as well as some other unopened runs (Rip Van Winkle, Gateway)

I also know that when I was looking at the webcams yesterday I saw brown still showing on 7th Ave (skiers left side of midstation), so I'm thinking maybe they wanted to get some base depths down?