Question: East Coast Ski area??

[toughgirl]

Okay, so i was able to change my work schedule this winter to have fridays off. So that means long ski weekends. However, I'm in NJ and i am sooooo done w/the super swamped bad skiing at Camelback, etc.

I'm looking for a good "home" mountain to hit as much as possible. I hear Elk in PA is nice. I was also thinking of Hunter Mt or Wyndam in NY.

Anyone have suggestions?

 

[ski diva]

Toughgirl, I think any place in the northeast is going to be pretty crowded on weekends. I don't know because I haven't been there, but I hear that Hunter is particularly brutal. I have skied Elk, but only on a weekday. Don't know what it's like on the weekends.

For less crowded, you might want to go to one of the smaller areas. I hear Plattekill in NY is nice, though only if there's good natural snow.

 

[Pandita]

I am partial to 7 springs, good local resort. Can be very crowded on the north face area on weekends. Last year was the first year of this new high speed 6 seater chair lift and it broke down several times. When it worked the lines moved pretty quickly.

 

[toughgirl]

LOL.. Yeh i know there will be crowds at pretty much all these MTs. But the Poconos seem to have a particular crowd I hate. I went to Hunter on weekend but it was super end of season.

 

[toughgirl]

I am partial to 7 springs, good local resort.

It's 5 hours away for me :(

 

[abc]

Since you have the extra time for a long weekend, yes, Plattekill will be one of the good choices. Belleyre is another. Hunter on weekday is not bad at all so you can go there on Friday.

Or, you can simply drive up further to VT. That's what I'll do if I have a 3 day weekend.

 

[RachelV]

Yeah, I'm going to vote for southern VT as well. I really like Mt. Snow and it's *noticably* better than Hunter in pretty much every respect. Hunter just gets torn up so so much by the end of a weekend. Mt. Snow has really stepped up their game over the past year with both snomaking and crowd control. Honestly, I'm a weekend-only skier and there was never a weekend at Mt. Snow last season that I thought was too crowded.

People say much better things about Windham than Hunter, though I've never been. Maybe try a weekend there and try a weekend somewhere in southern VT and see how you feel about each.

 

[toughgirl]

Yeh.. i'm kinda looking for day trips (eg. a little closer to home less of a drive less gas). We visit NH as much as we can (want to eventaully get a 2nd property there one day) and LOVE the new management at Attitash.

I know New England is best... just hoping for a PA or NY quick and easy to get too... i'm used to the bad snow.. lol

 

[Kimmyt]

I like Elk, but haven't been on a weekend for awhile. I know that the lines can get a bit insane, but it seems to cause a bit of a bottleneck so the crowds don't seem to be on the hill as much. At lesat that's what I remember.

Last time I was there was mid-week. I really like the mountain and the snow was decent (may have just been luck of the draw). It feels much more real than the other Poconos mountain. YOu coiuld also try Sno, which has some decent terrain too, though doesn't feel as steep as Elk, relatively speaking.

Seven springs would be a haul from you.

 

[Lola]

But the Poconos seem to have a particular crowd I hate.

Ok - so here's my 2 cents. I live in suburban Philadelphia and I am a Pocono ski snob. It has been literally years since I skied there. Can't stand the ice. Can't stand the crowds (particularly at Blue Mountain). Can't stand the lift lines (particularly at Camelbak). Can't stand the incompetent skiers.

Having said that . . . I can't stand the people at Hunter in NY. Just not my crowd. Windham is OK, just very crowded.

If you really have to ski PA or NY, try Elk (as mentioned) or Greek Peak near Ithaca, NY.

So where does that leave me? I'll tell you. I drive the extra two hours to ski in Vermont. I can be at Mount Snow, Stratton, Okemo, Killington, Bromley, Magic, etc. all within 6 hours of home. I still have the crowds, but the terrain and the people more than make up for it. For me it is worth it, even if I have to stay as some flea bag motel. I share the driving and sleep in the car. And when I can afford it, I fly out west.

Good luck!

 

[playoutside]

Definitely check out Belleayre. If they do what they did last year they will have a cheap friday ($15) each month. I skied there for the first time last year and it made a great day trip from northern NJ -- went back 4 times I think. Busy on Saturdays and Sunday like most mountains, really great on Fridays. On Sat and Sun, go skiers right off the Superchief quad and when it gets too crowded for you, move to the other lifts. The other lifts are slower, less crowded and pretty enjoyable. Had some great sunny days there -- went there several times with SueNJ last season.

 

[abc]

So you said you have Friday off. Hit Hunter on Friday then.

Or, if the snow is good, go the extra mile to Plattekill.

Belleyre is really hit or miss. It's a slightly shorter drive. But the few times I was there, it was either a chair problem or a grooming problem rendering one part or another (but a good chunk) of the mountain not open/reachable. The one time it's fully open (and not over-run), it's actually quite good.

I've never skied the Poconos, partly because nobody I ski with goes there. And partly, well, I only met people when the "Poconos people" come out to the Catskills or VT. And they always say "well, it's not as good as THIS", whatever "this" happen to be. So, I lost whatever curiocity about places "not as good" as what I'm used to, I guess.

 

[toughgirl]

thx all for the info. I guess it will all depend on the snow this year. My friend invited us to come stay a week out in Colorado this winter, so i'll be giving that a go... but i'm scared out of my pants of the those mountains. I guess i'll be a green again :P

 

[Pandita]

thx all for the info. I guess it will all depend on the snow this year. My friend invited us to come stay a week out in Colorado this winter, so i'll be giving that a go... but i'm scared out of my pants of the those mountains. I guess i'll be a green again :P

I thought that when I went to UT that I would only be skiing the greens, but at Alta I was able to do the blues. I was in a lesson and they took us down this one slope that to me was a very scary black, but I tried it and had fun.
I ski the blues at 7 springs and occassionally a black when it is not too icy

 

[kentish]

I really like Belleayre. I skied there on a public holiday weekend (don't ask me which one, can't remember ;) ) and had several very long blue runs practically to myself. The grooming was great too. Hunter has a lot of diamond runs so you've got to be an advanced skier to get the most out of that mountain. I've skied Wyndham too but I don't have a specific memory from it so I guess it didn't stand out for me personally.

 

[SueNJ]

I second (or third? fourth?) the suggestion of Belleayre. Definitely a fun place--hopefully they'll do the customer appreciation days again this year. Elk is also a great place, although, as has been mentioned, it can get crowded on Saturday/Sunday. I'd go on a Friday in a heartbeat, though.

 

[Kiragirl]

I do not like Belleayre, just check out their trail map--weird setup! You cannot get from one place to another at the top, it's this long flat area. I like Windham, very pretty. Also check out Jiminy Peak and Butternut Basin, they're not too far, both close to the NY/Mass line. (Hint: Jiminy is having their fall sale the weekend of Oct 11th.)

 

[LilaBear]

My friend invited us to come stay a week out in Colorado this winter, so i'll be giving that a go... but i'm scared out of my pants of the those mountains. I guess i'll be a green again :P

No, no, no, quite the opposite. If you can ski on poor snow, in icy conditions, on packed runs, with many bad skiers, when you hit these mountains you are golden! It's like what you're used to but with a premium upgrade - lovely soft, smooth, predictable snow.

The mountains might be bigger, and the expert runs will be steeper (possibly) but the blues will be the same type of hill, but better. And you have a skillset that's suited to more variable/less friendly snow conditions, so you can relax and let your skis run and let the smile spread all over your face.

 

[toughgirl]

Thx for the Colorado advice... I feel more confident

 

[cinnabon]

Okay, so i was able to change my work schedule this winter to have fridays off. So that means long ski weekends. However, I'm in NJ and i am sooooo done w/the super swamped bad skiing at Camelback, etc.

I'm looking for a good "home" mountain to hit as much as possible. I hear Elk in PA is nice. I was also thinking of Hunter Mt or Wyndam in NY.

Anyone have suggestions?

I know you're looking for something local, but just a thought... I just moved to UT from Northern Jersey - I'm not sure where in Jersey you are. I have not skied anything local in that area for years - it's so bad to me it's not even worth going, especially on the weekends. I joined a ski house at Killington, and that's been my home mtn for 10+ years. You can grab a share or half share in a ski house - they have many up there, and have a cheap place to stay when you go up. Yes, it can be crowded on Saturdays, but Fri. & Sun. usually aren't too bad. Also, the place is so big, once you know your way around it's pretty easy to avoid the crowds.

Just thought I'd throw the idea out there - it took me less than 4 1/2 hours, and the terrain, snow conditions and everything else is 100x better than anything you'll find in the Catskills or PA. Even if you just go occasionally... it's definitely worth checking out.