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NY Skiing, an observation I've long held

4aprice

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And just to point out, both major ski areas in the Dacks are state owned, so much for competition. I've often looked across the lake (on 22A) and shook my head at the unused terrain that's looks delicious, but I'm not a NYS resident so I withhold my opinion as to wild or developed.

Alex

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AdironRider

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I suspect access in the ADK provides an issue. Lots of those mountains would require tens of miles of brand new roads in previously undisturbed terrain, if they could be realistically accessed at all.

The ADK park is just fine as it is. Best backcountry terrain in the country when they have snow.
 

MadMadWorld

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I suspect access in the ADK provides an issue. Lots of those mountains would require tens of miles of brand new roads in previously undisturbed terrain, if they could be realistically accessed at all.

The ADK park is just fine as it is. Best backcountry terrain in the country when they have snow.

Well there is a lot more than roads that stand in the way these days but there are quite a few mountains near Whiteface that could have been developed and turned into phenomenal ski areas. It's great they were left the way they are but it makes me wonder what if.
 

BenedictGomez

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It really is a shame there's not a private ski area in northern NY. Best terrain in the east it would be. When you ski at Whiteface, you really FEEL the vertical advantage they have over the rest of the east.
 

abc

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but it makes me wonder what if.
"What if"? They'd be another Okemo, aka another also-ran Disney with man-made snow!

I don't know what everyone is moaning about. Why must all the high mountains with decent snow falls be developed into "resorts"?????

The northeast has more than enough lift-served skiable acreage. In fact, too many to be sustainable by the region's skiing population! Just look at how many ski hills had gone under over the years. The surviving ones were only sustainable by selling condos. Is that what you all mean by NY state getting a "short shift", aka not enough condo's at the bottom of the lift?
 

180

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Right - at least down south... And the Catskill resorts know that they need to become "resorts" so they are turning the heat up by putting up hotels and planning VT style villages...

Hunter is trying to expand - the rumor mill is churning again..

No wonder they are blowng 44, no reason to expand if they don't open the existing terrain. Biggest limiting factor is no water on the West Side, I has to come over the top. New pond is approved, but the cost close $10m
 

MadMadWorld

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"What if"? They'd be another Okemo, aka another also-ran Disney with man-made snow!

I don't know what everyone is moaning about. Why must all the high mountains with decent snow falls be developed into "resorts"?????

The northeast has more than enough lift-served skiable acreage. In fact, too many to be sustainable by the region's skiing population! Just look at how many ski hills had gone under over the years. The surviving ones were only sustainable by selling condos. Is that what you all mean by NY state getting a "short shift", aka not enough condo's at the bottom of the lift?

No I'm not saying that at all. I just don't get what developers were thinking when the folks in NY designed these ski areas. To your point, the mountains that are the most successful and sustainable are ones that have good natural snowfall and expansive - challenging terrain.
 

deadheadskier

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Why must all the high mountains with decent snow falls be developed into "resorts"?????

I'm not following you. My initial thought behind this years old thread was that in NYS, only a small fraction of it's vast mountainous terrain has been developed into ski areas compared to VT.

Would a couple (and I mean just a couple) major ski areas in the Catskills and the Daks really screw up the "forever wild" experience in those areas? I personally don't think so. The struggling economies I've visited in those areas certainly could use the help as well.
 

bdfreetuna

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It would be my dream to take my pick of ADK high peaks, design and cut an epic trail network. Adirondacks have the steeps and vertical for plenty of better-than-Whiteface terrain. In my own observational experience there seems to be a similar amount of snow there to southern Vermont, but with more cold days.
 

BenedictGomez

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Would a couple (and I mean just a couple) major ski areas in the Catskills and the Daks really screw up the "forever wild" experience in those areas? I personally don't think so.

Not by a long-shot, it's millions of acres (literally).

The Cats dont need another competitor though, but up by Whiteface another resort could thrive. Unless you've skied at Whiteface, you cant have an appreciation of just how much "bigger" it is than any other eastern ski mountain. And there are about a dozen other peaks that are about the same height as Whiteface.

Giant_Mountain_Summit_View_Panorama.jpg
 

Domeskier

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It would be my dream to take my pick of ADK high peaks, design and cut an epic trail network. Adirondacks have the steeps and vertical for plenty of better-than-Whiteface terrain. In my own observational experience there seems to be a similar amount of snow there to southern Vermont, but with more cold days.

:beer: I would definitely ski a bdfreetuna designed mountain. I assume there will be some strategically placed outhouses in the woods?
 

Scruffy

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Would a couple (and I mean just a couple) major ski areas in the Catskills and the Daks really screw up the "forever wild" experience in those areas? I personally don't think so. The struggling economies I've visited in those areas certainly could use the help as well.

It's really at tragedy of commons thing. It's a slippery slope ;-)
 

MadMadWorld

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Not by a long-shot, it's millions of acres (literally).

The Cats dont need another competitor though, but up by Whiteface another resort could thrive. Unless you've skied at Whiteface, you cant have an appreciation of just how much "bigger" it is than any other eastern ski mountain. And there are about a dozen other peaks that are about the same height as Whiteface.

Giant_Mountain_Summit_View_Panorama.jpg

From a ski area standpoint, Whiteface is probably the best mountain.....Lots of elevation, prominence, location of terrain (northern side with lake effect). There are steeper mountains like the Gothics but they don't have all those things going for them.
 

Warp Daddy

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+1 I wish they got lake effect. I think my favorite hill in Roxbury gets more lake effect then Whifteface.


This AND the fact that some early whiteface trail design consultants FEEL that the trail layout is on the WRONG side of the mtn to capture maximum snow potential.
 
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