Where to Ski From Northern Jersey

[yogiskier]

While waiting out the rain here today on the East Coast...

Where do folks from/near New Jersey like to go ski? Hubby and I are planning to move out of Massachusetts. Previously, I had mentioned our consideration of West Hartford. We are still looking at CT, but we've also added Bergen County, NJ to our consideration - he has a contact there that would help his job prospects, he loves NYC for the theatre, and we'd both be closer to our families and old friends/where we grew up (Philly area for him, MD/DC for me). We'd both miss New England, you get more house for your money in West Hartford, but, honestly, the biggest reason for me to prefer WH is skiing!! There are a few small hills 20-30min away for weekdays and it's around 2.5 hours to major resorts in Vermont! I was just thinking that next year would be the year I get a season pass and a condo share (or join a ski club - CT seems to have loads of them) to get into skiing even more.

So, are there good places to ski that are easy to get to from Northern Jersey? I did google and find Mountain Creek in NJ as a daytrip option. I didn't grow up skiing in MD, so I'm not familiar with PA/NY options. What about the ski culture or lodging options for larger mountains? I have heard of (and yes, am sometimes guilty of making ;-)) stereotypes of New Yorkers//New Jerseyans that are reflected at ski resorts

 

[ilovepugs]

You should check out the Poconos ski areas. Camelback and Elk Mountain are generally the biggest and best known.

Also, check out the Short Hills Ski Club. They’re based out of NNJ but they have a house between Sugarbush and Killington. https://www.shorthillsskiclub.com/

 

[yogiskier]

Thank you @ilovepugs! That's very helpful It's a bummer about the rain this weekend, eh?

 

[ilovepugs]

Thank you @ilovepugs! That's very helpful It's a bummer about the rain this weekend, eh?

Totally! I’m considering getting some slush runs in the rain nonetheless. Gotta get it while it’s still there!

 

[yogiskier]

Totally! I’m considering getting some slush runs in the rain nonetheless. Gotta get it while it’s still there!

If I didn't have to drive 4 hours RT to make some slush runs, I would consider it, too!

 

[SallyCat]

If I were going to the Poconos, I would skip Camelback and go to Blue Mountain. Camelback's trails are very short, and you spend about half of every run on cat tracks. The new ownership has received horrible reviews and you have to pay to park in addition to your lift ticket (!). Blue has a little more vertical and variety.

Elk is worth the trip. Montage is good. All will be crowded on weekends. Like, scary-crowded. Elk has slow lifts, which helps to regulate the # of people on the hill at any given time.

You might find that going up to Hunter or Bellayre gets you more and more interesting terrain for the drive.

 

[yogiskier]

Thanks for the intel @SallyCat! I am not familiar with the Poconos or Catskills at all (though we did stop by the Catskills once visiting my then-college-boyfriend-now-husband's grandparents in Westchester Co over 20 years ago), but I feel excited to learn more about them. I loathe crowds and standing in lift lines. All the more reason to get more into skinning/sidecountry adventures in the mountains

 

[ilovepugs]

Not to go too far afield, but have you looked at Manchester NH and Portland ME as options?

 

[yogiskier]

Not to go too far afield, but have you looked at Manchester NH and Portland ME as options?

My husband is a community college instructor committed to a car-free commute, so we're looking at places with public transit access and lots of community college students He's done a lot of research on a viable move. His work is more of the limiting factor - as a psychologist working in solo practice, I already checked that I can get a CT or NJ license, but I had to exclude NY from our list, because for reasons of gatekeeping that I won't get into, I can't get a NY license.
Otherwise, we'd absolutely love to consider NH/ME and revel in more snowsports more of the time

 

[jthree]

I grew up in Bergen County NJ and grew up skiing at Mountain Creek on weekends— Back then it was called Vernon Valley/ Great Gorge. I have fond memories but honestly, have not been there in over 20 years. I think though, that it is a decent option for a local hill. We would also go to Hunter Mountain for a longer day trip. No experience with Poconos.

On longer ski trips, we would usually drive to Vermont- our favorite was Killington.

It is definitely not worth driving out to the mountains for today’s slushy weekend. I’m here at smugglers notch for my daughter’s last lesson. Hanging out in my car, because I could not take the rain/fog/slush. @ilovepugs did you end up going out?

 

[yogiskier]

Cool, thanks @jthree !

 

[marzNC]

I know of people who live in northern NJ who get the ORDA Ski3 pass and make the drive to Belleayre or Gore pretty regularly. With the option to go for overnight ski trips to Whiteface.

Definitely worth checking out Plattekill after a lake effect storm. It's only open Fri-Sun but has far emptier slopes on weekends than anywhere in the Catskills.

 

[yogiskier]

Thanks @marzNC! It looks like I will have a wealth of options to choose from.

 

[newboots]

for reasons of gatekeeping that I won't get into, I can't get a NY license.

You can say that again! I think it's only easy to get licensed as a psychologist in NY if you've recently graduated. A letter from my internship director? He died about 25 years ago!

I even found getting a drivers' license and registering my car to be bureaucratic ordeals, although at least possible!

There is good skiing up in the Catskills. Hunter is somewhat unbearably crowded on weekends with the New Yawkers. Crowds, of course. Belleayre is great midweek, but on a recent weekend I saw 5 sleds going down, one with an oxygen mask. I really loved Windham but I was there on a gorgeous day after 8" or more of snow. I am about 1 hour north of Bergen County (grew up there, too, @jthree !) and 1.5 hours south of the Catskill resorts.

 

[yogiskier]

@newboots I'm sure you've heard the professional chatter about how state licensure jurisdictions may go the way of the dinosaurs given what Covid has highlighted about the effectiveness of telehealth and the necessity of portability given our 21st century population mobility, but I don't have time to wait for that!
Who knows, I might move to NJ and end up skiing in the Catskills --then instead of meeting you in person in Western Mass, I might meet up with you in NY

 

[newboots]

Hope so! There's also the indoor skiing place in Rutherford (I think)! I hope to brush up on my skills there this summer.

 

[Lmk92]

If you're used to Vermont/NH skiing, you'll likely be disappointed with skiing in the Poconos. You can find some thrills, but the trails are pretty short. We avoid Camelback, mainly due to the crowds. Elk is tough with those slow lifts and lack of glades, but it is the best mountain in that area. We started our season at Stowe/Okemo/Mount Snow (making the most of that Epic pass!), and we were practically crying while skiing in the Poconos and Catskills because we'd get a good song going, and then be at the bottom before hearing the best part. Having said that, I still found some fun at Elk and Jack Frost/Big Boulder this year (Jack Frost has short trails, but they have glades and jumps). Belleayre is a favorite of ours because it was our first "big" mountain away from the Poconos and we still go every year. Hunter is not a favorite, but they are included on the Epic pass. Windham is also in the Catskills, and I think they were just added to the Ikon pass. Plattekill is in that area, too, but we never skied there.

 

[newboots]

I have heard repeatedly that Plattekill is not for the faint of heart, but has a wonderful old-fashioned vibe.

 

[ilovepugs]

It is definitely not worth driving out to the mountains for today’s slushy weekend. I’m here at smugglers notch for my daughter’s last lesson. Hanging out in my car, because I could not take the rain/fog/slush. @ilovepugs did you end up going out?

No, the lure of heat and light from my pellet stove was too much to resist! There will be other opportunities and i plan to get out again before the season is over. Fingers crossed for snow this week!

 

[Lmk92]

I have heard repeatedly that Plattekill is not for the faint of heart, but has a wonderful old-fashioned vibe.

I need to get up there. 2022 for sure!