Need help from NY Divas!

[Kimmyt]

We're going to an Xmas party in South Salem, NY (I guess it's near White Plains?) next weekend. As of this time, unless something changes drastically, I still will have not gone skiing.

This makes me sad. Plus, we're headed up to Jay after Xmas so I want to get at least a day of skiing in my new boots before that. So we're hoping to hit a mountain on the way home, just not sure of what's around there.

If anyone has any input on a decent mountain to spend a day at that may be on our way home, we're not worried about small (we ARE from PA, afterall...) but would prefer not mega-insanely crowded like that place Hunter I hear bad stories about. I think our route takes us down 87, we don't mind going a bit out of the way but don't want to drive several hours out of the way unless thats our only choice.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ski chick]

Hi K,
I am from Dutchess County. It depends on what kind of ski day you are looking for- big mountain/challenging terrain or little mountain/moderate terrain.

Here are my suggestions.

Very little mtn, close to South Salem in Brewster, NY/Pawling area: Thunder Ridge.

Little mtn, headed back to PA: Holiday Mtn, Monticello, NY

Bigger Mtn, up Rt. 87 about 1 1/2 hours from where you will be: Windham (one of our favorites- lots of terrain for everyone).

Other options: Mt. Peter, Warwick, NY small mtn.

Wow- that's a long way to go for a holiday party. Have fun and good luck!

 

[Pequenita]

Where in PA are you?

Here's the thing -- northwest (up 87) of South Salem is the Catskills; southwest is the Poconos. The closest thing to you that will still be "on the way" home is probably going to be Mountain Creek in Mc Afee, NJ - take 684 to 84W to 17 east to 94 south, and it's on 94, over the NJ border. To get home, you'd probably keep heading south on 94 to hit I-80. Because it's one of the closest to NYC, it's inundated. On the other hand, I'll be there next weekend!

I have not done much skiing in the Poconos, but one place that I've heard really good things about that could be sorta on your way back is Elk Mtn in Union Dale, PA. It's a little more northern than the other Pocono areas. Then to get home, you'd just have to hit 81 and the PA Turnpike. Or, you could head westward in the same direction and go up the west side of the Catskills to Plattekill Mtn, which I really hope to hit while I'm back in NY.

Just some thoughts. Someone who actually is local, rather than an ex-local may have some other ideas.


EDIT: Compared with ski chick's list, the hills that came to mind to me all have vert of ~900+.

 

[HotChocolate]

I love Hunter, I think it gets a bad rap! But then I will ski on anything.

 

[ski chick]

I like it too. I go there when I'm not skiing with my kids. I call their blacks "bum burners" and "thigh burners" cuz my rear feels it at the end of the day!

 

[retromaven]

I live in Central Valley/Monroe/Harriman area (home of the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets ) and am not all that far, like Ski Chick, from where you will be staying. Mt. Peter (where I will be doing my ladies clinic), small, but a variety of terrain, not generally over crowded and right now, I talked with them, conditions are great. Inexpensive lift ticket.

Mountain Creek - no need to go to Hunter or Wyndham (I like both for mid-week skiing), unless you really really want to (Hunter has great restaurant/apres ski scene and you can also drive to it from a day skiing at Wyndham too, if that is important to you, as I think I read somewhere in another thread you like to host parties and have fun, and Hunter rocks that...), as they will be a good two hour haul plus traffic from Westchester/Putnam County area when you can go from Route 84 across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and then get onto Rt 94 and sail (no traffic) all the way into Mt. Peter or Mountain Creek, which is a full scale ski area, almost as large as Hunter or Wyndham. They have a =huge= expert terrain park here, for those so inclined (great summer water park due to the steeps). Can be crazy busy, but is -close-, has shopping, etc. Mountain Creek in other years was plagued (even with snow making, because you can't shoot it if it's too warm) with lack of snow at times due to being so far south into the NY/NJ metro area, and because if it's a warm year, conditions are inconsistent, you don't hear as much about it as the big resorts further north. No worries this year, as due to all the early snow and cold conditions here, they too are off to a banner year, and it's just about another 15 to 20 minutes past Mt. Peter. This year, since I live so close (half hour or less), I will mainly ski weekdays at Mt. Creek and Mt. Peter as long as the winter holds the way it has started off here!

If you don't mind a two hour plus ride (I don't know your skiing ability, as I am new here, and don't know everyone's profile) I would recommend Ski Plattekill over Hunter or Wyndham, even though the "lodge" and apres ski scene is less developed and commercial, as the former are over run on weekends with "weekend warriors" (nothing wrong with WW crowd, but here in Southern NY, the volume of folks can be overwhelming) people bused and driving in from NYC metro to ski and party, and the slopes get really packed, lift lines can be really long. Ski Plattekill has some really great trails, but is geared more to a more serious crowd of strong intermediate to advanced skier, but you will find less crowding on weekends (albeit, anything in the NY metro drive area is busy in a good ski season), so if you're up for the ride, that would be a thought. Let me know if you need more info, as I am very familiar with White Plains, Salem, Brewster, etc.

I haven't skied Holiday Mtn. in ages, but Rt.17 can be a bear, I live right off of it, especially if weather is iffy. Lots of accidents and traffic, and with Mt. Peter skiing so close and good conditions, I wouldn't bother with the traffic, with all due respect, as it's really no more that what Mt. Peter is...

Hey Ski Chick, looks like you are a fellow Hudson Valley Skier! Nice website too! Just wanted to give a shout out to a "local" girl! Maybe us NY/NJ/DC Divas can have a ski meet up someday!

EDIT: Pequenita: I didn't read your post until I posted mine. Guess we are on the same wave length...WOW!!!

 

[Pequenita]

Yup. I grew up in western Orange County and spent many, many hours night-skiing Holiday Mtn as a kid. There's nothing like being on a frozen sheet of sloping ice that abuts the highway.....I think that bunny hill is actually now the tubing hill. In high school, I used to work summers at (Tr)Action Park. Ah, the good ole days...

 

[Kimmyt]

Great, thanks for the suggestions ladies! As of right now, we're probably going to hit Elk on the way down to PA. Well, not really on the way. I'd love to hit Plattekill, in fact that was one of the first places I thought to check distances, but a 2 hour drive away from our destination isn't ideal, especially as we'll be driving about 9 hours north the day after Christmas.

How far of a drive is Mt. Peter from the area where I'll be at, if you don't mind me asking retromaven??

Thanks for all your help!

Kim

 

[retromaven]

Depending on weather and how fast you drive :p , you could make it in an hour. Without MapQuesting it, my inclination would be to tell you that I would get on 84 East, go over the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, get off at exit 7S, navigate the few miles to route 94 in New Windsor and take 94 all the way into Warwick to Mt. Peter. There are several other approaches, maybe a map service could give you something else, but you should be able to do the Westchester/Putnam to Warwick run in an hour or a hair under. My husband makes it from Long Island (where his business is) to our area near the Woodbury Commons in an hour and 10, and Salem is a lot closer. The only thing that will slow you a bit is 94 is a windy run the closer you get to Warwick, so it's not a road you can open up on like a regular interstate.

I don't know where in PA you are from, but as Pequenita mentioned in an earlier post, you could exit Mt. Peter and go toward NJ/Mountain Creek and take I-80 into PA, or you could take 10 minutes and navigate (easy to do, not to worry, they'll give you directions, easy...) and get onto RT. 17 West, get off at exit 123 - which will get you to 84 West into PA and you could easily go in that way, and it wouldn't take you much time to do that at all, as the Warwick exit off 17 is 127, and they are really just about 10 minutes away from each other, so it would take you 20 minutes from Mt. Peter to Middletown exit 123/RT 84 West, and you'd be heading into PA on 84 via Port Jervis/Mattamoras in no time and it would eliminate a lot of back tracking for you. Plus, Warwick is a gorgeous little town with great food/places to eat and shop.

Elk Mtn is a lot bigger, so that would probably be the best plan, as you stated. If you change your mind and need more info/directions/whatever, let me know or PM me. No matter what you do, have a BLAST! I'm sure you will!

JJ/Retromaven

 

[Pequenita]

so it would take you 20 minutes from Mt. Peter to Middletown exit 123/RT 84 West, and you'd be heading into PA on 84 via Port Jervis/Mattamoras in no time and it would eliminate a lot of back tracking for you.

A super easy trek from Warwick back onto 84 in Greenville (exit 2) -- my hometown -- is via county route 1. It's not highway speed, but it's a direct route. How exciting! No one's ever asked touristy questions about this neck of the woods! :D

 

[retromaven]

Greenville,which has changed a lot of late, as the 'burbs and commuter territory expands and lovely new houses going up out that way that are still "affordable". I have a few acquaintances out that way. Didn't know that insider tip via route 1. Cool!

Yeah, I'm new here in these forums, but I see most of the Diva's hail from larger, more "noteworthy" ski areas. It's kinda "special" to be talking "local" here. Sometime we'll have to to compare "notes" Pequenita. What brought you down to DC? I lived there for a short time when I did an internship for the US Magistrate Courts and did a special studies program there. Lived in a boarding house across from the Hart Senate Bldg, in the NE section back then.

Small world.

 

[Pequenita]

retromaven - sent you a PM

kimmy - another place that could be on the way, depending on your route, is what's now known as Sno Mountain -- formerly Montage -- in Scranton, off of 81. Again, I haven't been there since I was a kid and didn't put it in my original post I couldn't find any info on Montage. I think it changed name/ownership in the off season.

 

[Kiragirl]

Hi, don't know if this post is after the party, but I live in Putnam county, 15 min north of So. Salem, NY. DON'T bother going to Thunder Ridge, not worth it. If you want to drive about 1 hr north, straight up route 22 and turn left onto Rt 23 in Hillsdale, NY, go to Catamount catamountski.com It's not huge but pretty good. I just skiied there on Saturday the 15th (DAY 6 !!!) and it was pretty darn good after the snowstorm on Thursday. (I can't get back to VT til after Christmas and was not going 3 weeks without getting on my skis.)