As an East Coast skier living in the flat lands, I've never considered my Bushwhackers, at 88 underfoot, too narrow....until last Friday.
Trip began in earnest at the Woodstock Brewery. Come to find out this place just opened - it's on 28 about mile south of Phonecia. Great beer. Learned East Coast IPAs are often brewed with a bit of oats...who knew? Anyway, the IPAs were exceptional. Graham Hotel in Phonecia - we were the only people there, yet they were sold out for Friday night, so we would have to move...more on that later. Graham is nice. Spartan chic kind of vibe...dinner at the mexican place in town with teh Catskills brewery Devil's Path IPA, which would show up at nearly every bar we visited. Solid if not exceptional.
Over after dinner beers, we were deciding between Belleayre and Plattekill for Friday. We had no idea how important this decision was at the time. Settled on Plattekill because ultimately, that place just has the best vibe in the Catskills. Total shut up and ski kind of place, and you know, a weekend in teh mountains....vibe makes a difference....helps you recharge, right? So done - that's the decision.
Our hotel was at 850'. Rain was supposed to turn to snow at midnight. At 4am I woke up and it is pissing rain hard. I'm shattered. Rest of the night having weather related nightmares that interrupt my sleep. Wake up at 7 relieved to see snow on the ground....phew....and the reports are, at the base of 2500', Plattekill already had 8-10" on teh ground......Yeeehaw...
Up to the mountain we go....driving is treacherous. Trees down, cars getting stuck.
Boot up in the lodge, out on the lift 5 minutes after they spin.....
First ride up, snow is blowing sidewise, strong.....one set of tracks under the lift...first run is 12" on groomed man made....killer....next lift ride....tracks are gone - as much the wind and the incredible rate of snow fall....
This would hold true all day. Every run you could fine a fresh line.
By 11am, the trails that had been closed - and by closed, I mean, they were bare earth - were completely skiable. There were knee deep drifts, and the snow showed no sign of slowing.
Plattekill features about 5 trails that are simply steep straight runs - not insane steep, but fun steep....and then a bunch of meandering trails, and of course tons of trees. The trees weren't in play until later int eh afternoon, and we never bothered. The steep trails were just too good. So much fun.
By 2Pm, there was 16-18" I'd guess. 24 by the last chair. They claimed 30" total....
Just an insane day in the Catskills.
Hit the awesome bar, were a skiers husky was cruising around off leash making friends, and everyone was grins and laughter.....Killer day.
Turns out Bellearye and Hunter both lost power that day. Plattekill was the place to be for more reasons than one....what luck for us.
Truly top 3 lifetime day for me.
Then our hotel called - they had no power, so they put us up n the Roxbury Motel. Which is an incredible place, where every room is different. Cracking up that our guys weekend was spent in teh Coconut Cream Puff room with a king size round bed...but that's the way things went...(there were pull out couches too....)
Dinner at the Public, where the storm left them short staffed, so burgers or pizza only....which was perfect....
Next day, Hunter and Bell still down....oh shit...it's gonna get crowded....get to PLattekill at 8, ticket line is gigantic already. And the credit card machine is down!
What?!?!?!? people are freaking out! Luckily we had enough cash. Lifts delayed. On the mountain by 9.....
Snow was soft, but oddly crusty. Or grippy. Or something. Or maybe my legs were just shot from friday. If was awesome, but a little bit of a workout to get smoot turns in. After 11, things were chopped up, and I had a better time of it, and by 2 it was all down right perfect diced up soft power bumps everywhere. Hit the trees and struggled a bit in there. Maybe it was the skis!!!
But all in all, killer trip. Two great days. And just so much fun at Plattekill.
The parking lots filled up by 9 and the access road had cars parked on it for two solid miles. Yet, incredibly, never waited more than 8 minutes of a chair. Don't know where everyone was...very odd.
Turns out somewhere in teh fun I sprained my wrist because now its the size of a baseball bat, but I don't remember a every hurting it. Can't figure that one out.
Sorry for the long blog, but it was a blast. I know the odds of me timing another 20"+ day on the east coast are rare, but I'm totally coveting 100mm - or more! - skis now!
Sorry - no good pics.
Trip began in earnest at the Woodstock Brewery. Come to find out this place just opened - it's on 28 about mile south of Phonecia. Great beer. Learned East Coast IPAs are often brewed with a bit of oats...who knew? Anyway, the IPAs were exceptional. Graham Hotel in Phonecia - we were the only people there, yet they were sold out for Friday night, so we would have to move...more on that later. Graham is nice. Spartan chic kind of vibe...dinner at the mexican place in town with teh Catskills brewery Devil's Path IPA, which would show up at nearly every bar we visited. Solid if not exceptional.
Over after dinner beers, we were deciding between Belleayre and Plattekill for Friday. We had no idea how important this decision was at the time. Settled on Plattekill because ultimately, that place just has the best vibe in the Catskills. Total shut up and ski kind of place, and you know, a weekend in teh mountains....vibe makes a difference....helps you recharge, right? So done - that's the decision.
Our hotel was at 850'. Rain was supposed to turn to snow at midnight. At 4am I woke up and it is pissing rain hard. I'm shattered. Rest of the night having weather related nightmares that interrupt my sleep. Wake up at 7 relieved to see snow on the ground....phew....and the reports are, at the base of 2500', Plattekill already had 8-10" on teh ground......Yeeehaw...
Up to the mountain we go....driving is treacherous. Trees down, cars getting stuck.
Boot up in the lodge, out on the lift 5 minutes after they spin.....
First ride up, snow is blowing sidewise, strong.....one set of tracks under the lift...first run is 12" on groomed man made....killer....next lift ride....tracks are gone - as much the wind and the incredible rate of snow fall....
This would hold true all day. Every run you could fine a fresh line.
By 11am, the trails that had been closed - and by closed, I mean, they were bare earth - were completely skiable. There were knee deep drifts, and the snow showed no sign of slowing.
Plattekill features about 5 trails that are simply steep straight runs - not insane steep, but fun steep....and then a bunch of meandering trails, and of course tons of trees. The trees weren't in play until later int eh afternoon, and we never bothered. The steep trails were just too good. So much fun.
By 2Pm, there was 16-18" I'd guess. 24 by the last chair. They claimed 30" total....
Just an insane day in the Catskills.
Hit the awesome bar, were a skiers husky was cruising around off leash making friends, and everyone was grins and laughter.....Killer day.
Turns out Bellearye and Hunter both lost power that day. Plattekill was the place to be for more reasons than one....what luck for us.
Truly top 3 lifetime day for me.
Then our hotel called - they had no power, so they put us up n the Roxbury Motel. Which is an incredible place, where every room is different. Cracking up that our guys weekend was spent in teh Coconut Cream Puff room with a king size round bed...but that's the way things went...(there were pull out couches too....)
Dinner at the Public, where the storm left them short staffed, so burgers or pizza only....which was perfect....
Next day, Hunter and Bell still down....oh shit...it's gonna get crowded....get to PLattekill at 8, ticket line is gigantic already. And the credit card machine is down!
What?!?!?!? people are freaking out! Luckily we had enough cash. Lifts delayed. On the mountain by 9.....
Snow was soft, but oddly crusty. Or grippy. Or something. Or maybe my legs were just shot from friday. If was awesome, but a little bit of a workout to get smoot turns in. After 11, things were chopped up, and I had a better time of it, and by 2 it was all down right perfect diced up soft power bumps everywhere. Hit the trees and struggled a bit in there. Maybe it was the skis!!!
But all in all, killer trip. Two great days. And just so much fun at Plattekill.
The parking lots filled up by 9 and the access road had cars parked on it for two solid miles. Yet, incredibly, never waited more than 8 minutes of a chair. Don't know where everyone was...very odd.
Turns out somewhere in teh fun I sprained my wrist because now its the size of a baseball bat, but I don't remember a every hurting it. Can't figure that one out.
Sorry for the long blog, but it was a blast. I know the odds of me timing another 20"+ day on the east coast are rare, but I'm totally coveting 100mm - or more! - skis now!
Sorry - no good pics.
