2/27/21 Catamount - great mountain, rough conditions

[ctenidae]

Resort or Ski Area

Catamount

Date

Feb 27, 2021

Snow Conditions

1. Slush or Spring Snow
2. Chopped or Crud

Took the kids to Catamount for 3-9pm night skiing. It rained all morning, but cleared out early afternoon. Fair amount of fog, some slush and slop around, as you'd expect. Felt late-Springy, hopefully the cold over the past few days helps them recover.

Overall, we had a great time. Enough variety in terrain, especially with the 9 and 7 year old. Three lodges ought to be nice in normal times for spreading people out. I like the layout, too - seems you can move around the mountain to hunt conditions and avoid crowds.

Going back Saturday.

 

[ss20]

Took the kids to Catamount for 3-9pm night skiing. It rained all morning, but cleared out early afternoon. Fair amount of fog, some slush and slop around, as you'd expect. Felt late-Springy, hopefully the cold over the past few days helps them recover.

Overall, we had a great time. Enough variety in terrain, especially with the 9 and 7 year old. Three lodges ought to be nice in normal times for spreading people out. I like the layout, too - seems you can move around the mountain to hunt conditions and avoid crowds.

Going back Saturday.

Catamount has always been a little underrated in my book but it is really starting to be criminally underrated for what people on this forum want, imo. Steep trails and there's always a decent amount of ungroomed terrain. Skis larger than 1,000 vertical. Lots of winding trails and plenty of ways down. Size-wise it's nearing Jiminy Peak as they've added a trail or two each year for the past 5 years and it's becoming pretty big.

Best mountain in the area, imo. There's always been a friendly rivalry between them and Butternut but Catamount's terrain is now definitively superior by any measure.

 

[kingslug]

How does it compare to Plattekille

 

[ss20]

How does it compare to Plattekille

Not comparable...Plattekill superior.

I've made the argument it's pretty close to Berkshire East with a little more grooming and not as much tree skiing, as expected since they don't get as much snow. But you can find a good assortment of decently steep trails, moguls, and a few pockets of natural terrain just like BEast. Catamount skis bigger, imo. The 1,100 foot vertical claim at Berkshire East is all fluff- the true vertical is like 930 feet iirc. Catamount really is 1,000 or very close to it.