Hunter expansion - "Hunter North"

[SuperSkiMom]

So I’ve skied by the expansion. The chairs are on the new lift and new fences are in place. It used to be you could ski “white cloud” cross “belt pkwy” and go down “way out”. That’s where the top of the lift is so that’s been blown out. As a result it has become much steeper on belt in that section. Also coming off white cloud is quite steep. There is an entry point to the north side from belt just before the top of the lift. Also further down belt, passed the new construction, there’s an entry point to the north side. The trails look good but they do not look completely blue. They look borderline black if not that, explicitly black. We only got to inspect it from belt so we don’t have any idea except for looking at the pitch.

I always found Belt Parkway to be one of the harder blue runs, due to the amount of traffic on it. I am curious to know how the new expansion will affect this. There definitely needed to be more options off the top.

We are looking forward to skiing there this season and seeing the new expansion. I thought it was supposed to open soon? But I imagine with this weather "situation" we are having it might delay things?

 

[marzNC]

Looks like Hunter North is going to have a grand opening on Christmas Eve.

https://www.huntermtn.com/blog/hn-opening/

 

[marzNC]

From what I've heard from people who attended the Grand Opening, the new lift and terrain is a hit at Hunter.

Takes a lot of perseverance to add terrain in this day and age. The planning for Hunter North started around 2012, over six years before the opening. Total cost is on the order of $9 million. Peak Resorts completed the acquisition of Hunter in early 2016. The construction phase took place April-Dec 2018.

Hunter Mt. chief proposes new trails - Oct 2017
"HUNTER — Hunter Mountain plans to develop new trails on the west side of the ski resort to help fill the void of intermediate trails on the mountain.

Hunter Mountain President Russ Coloton was joined by Mary Beth Bianconi from Delaware Engineering to propose the new trails to the Hunter Planning Board on Tuesday night.

The project features five new trails, a new chairlift, a large parking area with 250 spots, a pedestrian bridge and a new access road off Deming Road. The expansion is estimated to cost approximately $9 million and has the potential to generate $1.5 million to $2 million in revenue per year.
. . ."

New trails at Hunter Mountain expected to be ready for 2018-19 ski season - June 2018
" . . .
The expansion will add two beginner trails and three intermediate trails with a vertical drop of just over 1,000 feet on the north-facing slope of Hunter Mountain, between the two existing ski areas [Hunter One, Hunter West], and will increase the skiable area of the mountain by about 25 percent [43 acres].

Kenney said the resort also is installing a six-person, high-speed chair lift in the new area and adding a parking lot that will accommodate 250 vehicles.
. . ."

 

[echo_VT]

Yep it’s open but by all accounts it’s scary. There’s very little snow coverage and plenty of rocks. However it does seem less busy onhill bc people are now distributed to the point of seeming not too crowded.

 

[echo_VT]

Alright I skied it to see for myself just this morning (late around 11 am). There is one trail open and it is called overlook.

On another note, The sushi restaurant at the base is gone and they’ve replaced it with a sandwich place called the overlook. I wonder if it replaces Jerry’s deli?

In any case, the run itself is steep. It feels like a double black in spots. Certainly a black. Maybe bc there is not very much coverage. The run out to the northern express lift is a blue though.

There were several people sitting on the side wondering how to get down. I had to help a couple of people as they were stuck, I told them about side slipping and if they fell, to make sure to get the skis underneath them so they can stop themselves (a couple people went sliding for quite a ways). It was sketchy as it was completely skied off, much like how “way out” usually is on the west side. So ice city. It would be a little more fun if it had more coverage.

I’m told There is another trail called “rip it” but it’s not open now.

 

[echo_VT]

I’m also told someone broke their leg (or arm?) on the first day when they had the opening on Christmas Eve.

We saw the ambulance speed with the sirens and thought that can’t be good - and later found out what happened.

 

[echo_VT]

Alright just spoke with the local librarian here and he mentioned there’s a section off to the right of way out (the second right) that goes to the northern express lift that is a true blue run so I’ll have to check that out tomorrow!

 

[echo_VT]

So I checked out that section on Saturday and Sunday and it was a true blue. So “way out” (from belt) to I think Rips and turns (or something similar) is a new trail now to go to the north side. Great trail! We were fans.

The race kids were on overlook. It’s definitely steep and appropriate for racing.

We started calling overlook “dark blue” and “midnight blue” bc we felt it was a black. It feels like Claire’s way in spots.

 

[Lmk92]

What a really great area! We went to Hunter for the first time last week (for the last day of College Week), and really enjoyed it. It was a shame so many trails were closed (and a few closed while we were there), but the trails we got to try were pretty nice. I froze when I hit some clumpy snow on a double black (I forget which trail it was), but we all decided K27 was our favorite hill. I'd love to get back and try the others we missed. But the area is gorgeous, and now we also want to return during the spring to do some hiking and hit some of those cute stores in town.

 

[SuperSkiMom]

So I checked out that section on Saturday and Sunday and it was a true blue. So “way out” (from belt) to I think Rips and turns (or something similar) is a new trail now to go to the north side. Great trail! We were fans.

The race kids were on overlook. It’s definitely steep and appropriate for racing.

We started calling overlook “dark blue” and “midnight blue” bc we felt it was a black. It feels like Claire’s way in spots.

That is what I am hearing that it feels more like a black. Very sad what happened this past weekend.

 

[echo_VT]

So there have been two deaths on overlook. One over MLK weekend and another 2 weeks later. We saw a crash happen right above us and someone in my group screamed. It was a teenage girl who lost control and took someone out and she nearly knocked us all over. She hit a tree and that’s how she came to a stop - but she didn’t hit it hard so she walked away. If it hadn’t been for the person in my group we would have been taken out. Grateful for her making a fuss and speaking up loudly.

 

[Lmk92]

Oh my gosh. That is scary! I'm so glad you're okay.

 

[echo_VT]

Yeah it’s not been a great open to the Hunter North expansion. They need to block off the entrance like to Claire’s. It’s off Belt parkway but there’s no notification to be more cognizant of lack of ability.

 

[echo_VT]

We’ve had some good snow on Overlook this weekend. I’m guessing bc it warmed up a bit and the hill wasn’t so icy. But we got several great turns in and the north side has been more pleasant than the east side this weekend! Which is unusual...!

 

[SuperSkiMom]

We’ve had some good snow on Overlook this weekend. I’m guessing bc it warmed up a bit and the hill wasn’t so icy. But we got several great turns in and the north side has been more pleasant than the east side this weekend! Which is unusual...!

Looks like tomorrow will be a powder day!

 

[echo_VT]

I am in touch with people who are in touch with the plans for the mountain.

The original plan was to have the top of hunter north above belt and not right _at_ belt. However due to the grade and the existing mtn it wasn’t feasible which is why they placed it where it is. This could all be hearsay but this is what I’m hearing so thought I’d share...!

It appears hunter north is in need of some fixing so over the coming summer they are rumored to (1) make white cloud a shallower grade and reopen next season 19-20 (it’s been closed all of the current season), (2) fix “way out” as it’s now become an access run for twilight and rip’s return which both go to the north side (people keep snow plowing and pushing the snow off), and (3) fix the grade on belt as well as the narrow funnel they’ve made of belt right around the top of hunter north chair. It’s been “ski at your own risk” for a lot of it.

Overlook feels like Claire’s and it’s supposed to be a blue...it’s definitely a black, and not an easy one at that. I’ve heard nothing about attempting to fix it. It’s too long and steep to think about fixing would be my first guess.

There’s a food truck at the bottom of hunter north that is supposedly good. No bathrooms, but sometimes there is a port a potty at the bottom of the west side. I wonder if they’ll build the north side lodge over the summer? Or more housing/lodging? Or if that’s later down the line? I suppose we will see.

Hunter is definitely more crowded this season. We have had more melt freeze cycles this season than last - so worse conditions than last season - but the crowds have been out each weekend in full force, even today which is mid March and previously, during super bowl weekend, which isn’t usually the case. Usually it’s empty for these two weekends.

It’s resulted in me and the group I ski with being a lot more conservative and self-protective (we call it “defensive skiing”) while on hill.

 

[marzNC]

So there have been two deaths on overlook. One over MLK weekend and another 2 weeks later. We saw a crash happen right above us and someone in my group screamed. It was a teenage girl who lost control and took someone out and she nearly knocked us all over. She hit a tree and that’s how she came to a stop - but she didn’t hit it hard so she walked away. If it hadn’t been for the person in my group we would have been taken out. Grateful for her making a fuss and speaking up loudly.

Here is a recent article about the three deaths at Hunter this winter. All were on new trails.

https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/n...hunter-mountain-trails-two-months/3209694002/

 

[Lmk92]

Here is a recent article about the three deaths at Hunter this winter. All were on new trails.

https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/n...hunter-mountain-trails-two-months/3209694002/

That is just terrifying. :(

 

[echo_VT]

The people who choose to ski at Hunter - a lot of them go way too fast for the conditions and for their ability level. The resort does have signs telling people to ski with caution and to yield to people in front of them. However I’ve seen these people ski into others and take them out sending them to the hospital. Also, all the trails at the top save for Belt are black. There’s nothing preventing a wedge turner to go down slopes that are too steep for their ski level. Experienced skier in this article means nothing. They were more than likely out of control for the conditions and skiing much too fast for their ability level. If it’s icy, even variably icy, precaution must be taken. But often people do not. They can continually go down hunter slopes out of control over and over but it doesn’t mean they are skilled enough to be there going at the rate of speed they’re going. The slopes at Hunter are advanced to expert... sticking to blues when someone is not advanced or expert is their best choice to try to ski in control. But people choose to ski out of control all over, cutting people off and skiing into them. It’s awful. So many people ski recklessly here - it’s very disconcerting... it would be helpful if people made good choices but no one can control others’ choices to ski recklessly.

 

[echo_VT]

Hey there I had posted somewhere about the changes to Hunter North for the 19-20 season. So far so good.

The changes are:

White cloud does not merge with Belt close to the top. It’s now it’s own run and it meets Jimmy. Jimmy runs out and joins the bottom of cliff. At which point people can choose racers edge, Eisenhower, GunHill Road, or midstation to Kennedy/Madison/Mossy.

They’ve changed the area to access way out from belt to a black called way in. You can bypass the northern express on the left of continuing down belt, and access Way Out that way and stay on blues the entire time. Way out gives us access to twilight and rips return.

Twilight hasn’t open this season. Rips return did open and it was icy but it’s no longer open due to the rain and some slopes no longer having snow.

Overlook has been open this entire time and we’ve been on it a lot...! They’ve also opened a new blue off belt, that’s beyond overlook called sleepy hollow. It merges at the end of overlook - the blue run out to the northern express. It’s fun! It’s still open right now actually.

So there quite a few blues now: white cloud, belt, rips return, sleepy hollow. And twilight is technically however I would say it’s an advanced blue when it’s open.

They also changed overlook to black diamond now which we think is more appropriate...