What's the Best Ski Area in NY?

[steamboat1]

Steve wasn' t it Big Birch?? I haven't been there in a very long time. I remember taht VC Park had skiing. My aunt wrecked her knee on the tow rope but never skied there.
Fahnstock I head about from you ya old fart:lol:

Before it was renamed Big Birch it was just plain old Birch Hill.

The Fahnstock ski area was right on the Taconic Pkwy. The base lodge & parking lot are still there with the ski hill behind them & still very visible. I believe the building is now used as a police headquarters.

Van Cortlandt Park in DA BRONX....:flag:... just happen to have a picture of the hill lol.

 

[Harvey]

Probably not a big surprise, I voted for Gore. Love the huge amount of tree skiing, and varied terrain and aspects. Never get bored and almost no lift lines ever.

I love Gore so i can have my bases welded! Their snowmaking SUCKS!!!

Gore will never be Hunter but they are making big improvements in snowmaking.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Why wasn't Holiday Valley on this list? Crazy!

It gets Lake Effect snow dumps resulting in more snow than any of the other resorts in NY with the exception of Snow Ridge maybe.

260 Inches last season! Not too shabby for Western NY

 

[x10003q]

Why wasn't Holiday Valley on this list? Crazy!

It gets Lake Effect snow dumps resulting in more snow than any of the other resorts in NY with the exception of Snow Ridge maybe.

260 Inches last season! Not too shabby for Western NY

Maybe it should have been included. But the poll was for best ski area not most popular.
If your access to Gore or Whiteface was as easy as your access to HV where would you ski? HV is in the SKI top 20 East every year because it is popular due to it being some of the closest skiing for Western NY/ PA, Toronto metro and Ohio. For the 6-7 hour drive it would take me to get to HV I could be skiing Sugarbush, MRG, Stowe, Smuggs, Jay, Burke, Cannon, Loon, Waterville, Mt Wash Valley, and maybe Sunday River not to mention passing Gore, WF, Mt Snow, Magic, Stratton, Okemo, Killington and Hunter.

Would you drive 6-7 hours for HV or would you rather pick from the above list?

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Maybe it should have been included. But the poll was for best ski area not most popular.
If your access to Gore or Whiteface was as easy as your access to HV where would you ski? HV is in the SKI top 20 East every year because it is popular due to it being some of the closest skiing for Western NY/ PA, Toronto metro and Ohio. For the 6-7 hour drive it would take me to get to HV I could be skiing Sugarbush, MRG, Stowe, Smuggs, Jay, Burke, Cannon, Loon, Waterville, Mt Wash Valley, and maybe Sunday River not to mention passing Gore, WF, Mt Snow, Magic, Stratton, Okemo, Killington and Hunter.

Would you drive 6-7 hours for HV or would you rather pick from the above list?

Valid points made. How do we define "best" ski area though...it's subjective. I just think HV should be on the list for the amount of snow they get. Especially early season before lake Erie freeze up more. I've had so many powder days there and annual snowfall goes a long way when rating resorts. Quality of snow is important even if you're not a big powder junkie.

The poll was for NY not VT and not about drive time from but yes I would choose just about ALL of your listed resorts over HV without a doubt. I can't argue there and it's probably not worth driving up from NJ when you are closer to bigger mountains with better terrain. True.

However if ANY resort gets a storm and I know it's going to be a powder day I always consider making longer drive times even for smaller hills.

cheers!

 

[x10003q]

Valid points made. How do we define "best" ski area though...it's subjective. I just think HV should be on the list for the amount of snow they get. Especially early season before lake Erie freeze up more. I've had so many powder days there and annual snowfall goes a long way when rating resorts. Quality of snow is important even if you're not a big powder junkie.

The poll was for NY not VT and not about drive time from but yes I would choose just about ALL of your listed resorts over HV without a doubt. I can't argue there and it's probably not worth driving up from NJ when you are closer to bigger mountains with better terrain. True.

However if ANY resort gets a storm and I know it's going to be a powder day I always consider making longer drive times even for smaller hills.

cheers!

HV might have the most skier visits in NYS. Clearly it is popular. If I lived near HV I would be very happy with it. All that snow is probably tops in NYS for areas over 100 acres. It is just a bummer that the runs/vert are no better than skiing in NJ or PA.

 

[Skimaine]

Holiday Valley.

+1 Lots of fun. Too bad it is vertically challenged compared to the 'Dacks.

 

[jaja111]

I'd like to make a mention for HV too, being from the area, but I just can't anymore. I've been skiing there for years, season after season, but I'm just so bored with the terrain. Any little stashes, features, sweet spots, undeveloped trees, etc. have become over patrolled by "mountain ambassadors" who act like they're Werhmacht storm troopers. Ski patrol on the other hand, if they know you're not a dips&^t, will gladly say "knock yourself out" to a request to ski a well lit perfectly fine trail that is closed after 4pm as a penalty to anyone buying night tickets for not buying a day pass at $60. And those trail closures for night skiing have gotten worse and worse over the past few seasons. Plus, witnessing heavy equipment being used to remove snow (a lot! of snow) off of trails to ensure an early open to the golf course made me almost vomit. Ski up to a Caterpillar D8 pushing snow off a good trail and see how your opinion changes of a ski area. I don't like the way the place is run anymore and would prefer to go on the other side of the hill to Holimont on a weekday (public open days as its membership only). At least Holimont knows it's a ski place, not having golf, tree rope adventure course, mountain coaster, etc. supersede skiing as the primary focus.

This year I'll get my weekday kicks at Bristol with less snow and more ice + half the distance to my house. At least its 1000ft vert. New trail expansions plus the addition of another HSQ make up for the lack of lake effect. I'd like to check out the place in Watertown too. When I saw the poll and it lacked Holiday Valley, I actually thought to my self "good", as an over glorified bunny hill cash cow has no place in it.

 

[Skimaine]

. . This year I'll get my weekday kicks at Bristol with less snow and more ice + half the distance to my house. At least its 1000ft vert. New trail expansions plus the addition of another HSQ make up for the lack of lake effect . . .

I have it Bristol a few times while visiting Western New York. Pretty good terrain, but it does tend to be "firm". Looking forward to the upgrades.

 

[Harvey]

I'd like to make a mention for HV too, being from the area, but I just can't anymore. I've been skiing there for years, season after season, but I'm just so bored with the terrain. Any little stashes, features, sweet spots, undeveloped trees, etc. have become over patrolled by "mountain ambassadors" who act like they're Werhmacht storm troopers. Ski patrol on the other hand, if they know you're not a dips&^t, will gladly say "knock yourself out" to a request to ski a well lit perfectly fine trail that is closed after 4pm as a penalty to anyone buying night tickets for not buying a day pass at $60. And those trail closures for night skiing have gotten worse and worse over the past few seasons. Plus, witnessing heavy equipment being used to remove snow (a lot! of snow) off of trails to ensure an early open to the golf course made me almost vomit. Ski up to a Caterpillar D8 pushing snow off a good trail and see how your opinion changes of a ski area. I don't like the way the place is run anymore and would prefer to go on the other side of the hill to Holimont on a weekday (public open days as its membership only). At least Holimont knows it's a ski place, not having golf, tree rope adventure course, mountain coaster, etc. supersede skiing as the primary focus.

WOW. Sad, but thanks for the info.

 

[oakapple]

Gore has the best terrain choices in NYS for all skiers including massive amounts of gladed skiing. There are never liftlines even on weekends. The place is never crowded. There are 2 HS chairs and a gondola.They have added a large amount of new terrain in the last few years and are now in the process of upgrading the snowmaking firepower.

A lot of that terrain seems to be closed a good deal of the time. I've never been to Gore, but whenever I visited the website last season, large sections of it seemed to be almost perpetually closed.

 

[x10003q]

A lot of that terrain seems to be closed a good deal of the time. I've never been to Gore, but whenever I visited the website last season, large sections of it seemed to be almost perpetually closed.

This happens mid-week sometimes and it happens because there are so few people on the mountain. It is more common at the end of the season. It never happens on Fridays/weekends/holidays. It is a bummer because Gore has quite a few areas that are not served by multiple lifts. In contrast, Stratton closes the Snowbowl Quad midweek but all the terrain this lift serves is still available from the Stratton gondola.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

And those trail closures for night skiing have gotten worse and worse over the past few seasons. Plus, witnessing heavy equipment being used to remove snow (a lot! of snow) ofI'd like to make a mention for HV too, being from the area, but I just can't anymore. I've been skiing there for years, season after season, but I'm just so bored with the terrain. Any little stashes, features, sweet spots, undeveloped trees, etc. have become over patrolled by "mountain ambassadors" who act like they're Werhmacht storm troopers. Ski patrol on the other hand, if they know you're not a dips&^t, will gladly say "knock yourself out" to a request to ski a well lit perfectly fine trail that is closed after 4pm as a penalty to anyone buying night tickets for not buying a day pass at $60.f of trails to ensure an early open to the golf course made me almost vomit. Ski up to a Caterpillar D8 pushing snow off a good trail and see how your opinion changes of a ski area. I don't like the way the place is run anymore and would prefer to go on the other side of the hill to Holimont on a weekday (public open days as its membership only). At least Holimont knows it's a ski place, not having golf, tree rope adventure course, mountain coaster, etc. supersede skiing as the primary focus.

This year I'll get my weekday kicks at Bristol with less snow and more ice + half the distance to my house. At least its 1000ft vert. New trail expansions plus the addition of another HSQ make up for the lack of lake effect. I'd like to check out the place in Watertown too. When I saw the poll and it lacked Holiday Valley, I actually thought to my self "good", as an over glorified bunny hill cash cow has no place in it.

Funny you mention the difference between those ambassadors and Patrol. I've rode the chair with a couple patrolers who even came with me to ski some "closed" spots and tell me it's not their job to yell at people like the ambassadors do.

Bristol patrol is worse though. Don't let them see you ducking into the woods. Talk about Gestapo! Tree skiing just isn't in the Bristol Vocab.

That said if you are at Bristol and want want to know some secret tree skiing when the base builds up lemme know =)

 

[jaja111]

That said if you are at Bristol and want want to know some secret tree skiing when the base builds up lemme know =)

Sure, absolutley as long as the subsequent Ptexing is kept to a minimum. There's a guy I skied behind (he was on a board) who's name is Chris and he manages, runs, maybe partially owns the snowboard shop in Canandaigua (outlaw boards) and he had me ptexing a full 6pack of beers worth of gouges. It was a few seasons ago when LaNina was not so cold, so I can't blame him.

I may have a line (excuse the pun) on a piece of property that runs from Harriet Hollister park boundary all the way to County road 36 on the steepest part of that hill. The father of a guy I hunt with owns it, and while I've hunted it once, I haven't seen it in the winter with a good snow pack. There seems to be a ridge flat/shallow around 900 -1000ft up that is impregnable brambles from what I saw, but the rest was 50-125 year old trees with minimal ground cover. It would seem a thick canopy keeps the woods pretty dark for young growth to take hold, and while logged a long time ago, its to steep too have been farmed. If I can get his permission, and parking available on his plot off the road, I may be able to return the favor.

That is, unless you may have already skied it to the road?

Apologies for a minor thread hijack.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Sure, absolutley as long as the subsequent Ptexing is kept to a minimum. There's a guy I skied behind (he was on a board) who's name is Chris and he manages, runs, maybe partially owns the snowboard shop in Canandaigua (outlaw boards) and he had me ptexing a full 6pack of beers worth of gouges. It was a few seasons ago when LaNina was not so cold, so I can't blame him.

I may have a line (excuse the pun) on a piece of property that runs from Harriet Hollister park boundary all the way to County road 36 on the steepest part of that hill. The father of a guy I hunt with owns it, and while I've hunted it once, I haven't seen it in the winter with a good snow pack. There seems to be a ridge flat/shallow around 900 -1000ft up that is impregnable brambles from what I saw, but the rest was 50-125 year old trees with minimal ground cover. It would seem a thick canopy keeps the woods pretty dark for young growth to take hold, and while logged a long time ago, its to steep too have been farmed. If I can get his permission, and parking available on his plot off the road, I may be able to return the favor.

That is, unless you may have already skied it to the road?

Apologies for a minor thread hijack.

I Ski HH a ton! I have gone almost all the way down to the road. Usually best to stay up in the bowl unless there has been a big storm. Myself and a number of others clear the bowl of sticks and logs and a ton of snow accumulates there.

I would love to see where you are talking about. Likely the same spot. I know some tele guys up there who ski to the bottom and leave beer on the steps of the house for passage on the guys land. Maybe the same guy you know?

On the other side of the Valley I know of another VERY cool spot. Doesn't hold snow as nice as HH but it's great skiing. There is an old road you can skin or hike up 1000 vertical to the top. Once at the top there are open "slides" you can rip down with little knolls to jump off.

I have lots of good spots in those hills. I spend way too much time looking at topo maps for places to poach =)

We should link up. I'm in Rochester.

 

[woody]

Holiday Valley totally alienates the "core" skier.It's sad,they put millions of dollars into dumb lifts and ugly hotels,meanwhile Chute gets closed at 4:30.Then the gay yellow jackets wait at the bottom of 4:30 closed glades at 4:31 to scold you when you pop out.Spare me,you pay so much for a lift ticket only to be treated like dirt by some cop wannabe.Gee thanks for reminding me to put the chair bar down.I have however found some short but sweet tree lines,poachin like a damn outlaw.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

I have however found some short but sweet tree lines,poachin like a damn outlaw.

Exactly! There are some great shots through the woods and once Lake Erie kicks up it's on!

As annoying as the place can be when they get 2-3 days lake effect bands I don't mind paying for the lift.

Screw the yellow jackets!

 

[woody]

Oh yeah,when it's on that place is fun for sure.By the way,I would also be down for hookin up to check out HH or the valley's backside.HH always did stick out to me from a topo map as a neat place.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Oh yeah,when it's on that place is fun for sure.By the way,I would also be down for hookin up to check out HH or the valley's backside.HH always did stick out to me from a topo map as a neat place.

Yeah stay in touch and we can rip HH. It gets more snow than the rest of the Bristol hills and has some fun terrain!

I have GoPro footage of it from last season. I'll see if I can dig it up.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

but the rest was 50-125 year old trees with minimal ground cover.

I didn't notice this when you posted it. Very cool! I have hiked over on part of the steepest pitch scouting for places but haven't seen these trees. Lost a two way radio over there somewhere.

Hmmm...might have to head down this weekend and see if I can find it.