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Belleayre or Hunter 1/20? Help me decide

tnt1234

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Both are 2:50 from home. Day trip with a friend.

Hunter pros - friend has Epic, I could burn a day on my epic 7 day.
Taller vert

Hunter cons - gonna be packed.
Little more than half open.
Lift sounds a little sketch lately

Bell pros -
Nearly fully open
Couple of trails listed with bumps

Cons -
Have to pay
Shorter mountain
Gonna be packed.

Help make the call...
 

KustyTheKlown

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i think your crowding scenario is way worse at huntah. especially after a blackout weekend.

i'd go to belle.

i am thinking windham, sunday. toying with a magic day trip tho.
 

4aprice

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Sucks to be a "weekend warrior". I'm lucky enough to get to ski some weekdays. Weather report for tomorrow is kind of brutal with sub zero wind chills here in suburban New Jersey. I'm going with option 3 and sleeping in.
 

tnt1234

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Sucks to be a "weekend warrior". I'm lucky enough to get to ski some weekdays. Weather report for tomorrow is kind of brutal with sub zero wind chills here in suburban New Jersey. I'm going with option 3 and sleeping in.
Yeah, but next week looks rough weather wise and I didn't ski last weekend, so....
 

zyk

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Belle has been skiing well and is almost completely open. They've been leaving some bumps, whales, etc lately. Crowds, of course, however the layout works well (except deer run). If I had to die Saturday I'd arrive early and park up high. The lower lots get busy even on a weekday.
 

zyk

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Additional note Belleayre website lists as sold out for Saturday.
 

MidnightJester

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I believe possibly the NY-Ski3 card if you have unused or pre-loaded lift tickets to use might be a work around for the SOLD out if you have them.
 

tnt1234

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We shifted to Sunday.

Leaning toward Huntah just 'cause. My buddy hasn't skied there for decades and I haven't been since covid.
 
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zyk

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We shifted to Sunday.

Leaning toward Huntah just 'cause. My buddy hasn't skied there for decades and I haven't been since covid.
I might go to Belleayre tomorrow just to see what sold out looks like. Probably won't ski or maybe a run or two. Good recon for the future as this is not their first sold out day this year.
 

cdskier

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I have to admit, as a long time Belleayre skier years ago, it is weird to think they have days they're "sold out" now.
 

tnt1234

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Sold out for sunday now too, so we're heading the the mighty Huntah!
 

tnt1234

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I might go to Belleayre tomorrow just to see what sold out looks like. Probably won't ski or maybe a run or two. Good recon for the future as this is not their first sold out day this year.
I was there the first sold out day - it was after that nice overnight snow - it looks like people parked at the bottom of the access road - you know the lot that the BBQ guy used to set up in? And there are a few small lots behind that.

We drove up to Overlook and they parked us on the road about 1/2 mile from the overpass ski trail! We walked up to Tomahawk lot and started there.

Oddly, Tomahawk and lift 7 were 5 minutes TOPS, and often ski on. The HSQ was jammed - like 20-30 minutes. and I heard teh Gondi was insane, but we never went down there.
 

cdskier

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Oddly, Tomahawk and lift 7 were 5 minutes TOPS, and often ski on. The HSQ was jammed - like 20-30 minutes. and I heard teh Gondi was insane, but we never went down there.

Tomahawk and lift 7 having short lines while the HSQ was jammed was pretty normal years ago.
 

tnt1234

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So, now we're waffling between Hunter and Elk, Elk being about 20 minutes closer. Watching the crowds at Hunter on the cams...pretty daunting...
 

PAabe

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Plattekill not on the table? They get significantly less busy than Elk for being a much larger mountain
 

tnt1234

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Plattekill not on the table? They get significantly less busy than Elk for being a much larger mountain
Not a ton open and the extra 20-30 minutes keeping it off the table.
 

tnt1234

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Went to Hunter. Had fun. The trails with the guns going were down right soft. really nice snow....crowds weren't terrible.

First time at North Side, and have to say....WTF? Ice rink, in the shade all day...not sure when this pod would ever be fun.
 

JimG.

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Went to Hunter. Had fun. The trails with the guns going were down right soft. really nice snow....crowds weren't terrible.

First time at North Side, and have to say....WTF? Ice rink, in the shade all day...not sure when this pod would ever be fun.
Peaks did not know what they were doing when they designed and cut the trails. I still remember going down Overlook the first time and thinking how anyone would classify that as intermediate. Great black diamond trail though.
 

tnt1234

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Peaks did not know what they were doing when they designed and cut the trails. I still remember going down Overlook the first time and thinking how anyone would classify that as intermediate. Great black diamond trail though.
We tried the trail on the other side...forget the name....frozen solid. Never went back to try overlook. The sun never seems to hit that side. Ice rink....
 
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