Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Hunter to close until the weekend

Due to severely warm weather, Hunter has chosen to close down its available trails until this weekend. Friday night, an "Arctic blast" is supposed to roll in from Alaska, and we're hoping to blow a ton of snow and will be open on Saturday. We do still have plenty of snow, and a large base...we simply do not think skiing in such conditions are worth staying open for (sorry!)

We hope you'll all stop by this weekend and enjoy the (hopefully) cold weather and new snow. Keep checking back and calling the SnowPhone for further information! You can also still stop by for season passes, tickets and to check out the resort...the lifts and trails will be closed.

Thanks!! See you all soon!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Tomorrow's Terrain

Hello again skiers and riders! I've received a number of phone calls and e-mails today as to what the snow is going to look like tomorrow, so here's the scoop.

Hunter One will be closed until it gets colder (we only planned to open it for the weekend anyway). That said, lessons will not be offered until the area is open again. C-Lift will be closed, and Playcare will be closed until Friday, December 1. Reservations can still be made for Playcare by calling 1-800-HunterMtn x2235.

For now, summit-to-base terrain will be open for advanced/expert skiers only. We are going to hold off on grooming and blowing snow until the cold front comes in at the end of the week. There are variable conditions and by Wednesday, we will probably have summit to F-Lift available, but will close Kennedy.

The cover surrounding the base of F-Lift has melted. This means, in all likelihood, tomorrow skiers and riders will have to remove their skis and boards to get on F-Lift. The Quad will be operating, as usual. No big deal, I promise!

Once again, we are planning to stay open through the week. While we have chosen to wait to blow snow and groom, we believe we have built enough of a cover to maintain at least summit to midstation throughout the week. So, there it is. If you do happen to come during the week, enjoy the open trails, and ski in control to protect yourself and others.

Keep in touch with the most up-to-date weather and conditions by calling the Snow Phone at 1-800-HunterMtn. Snow Phone weather and conditions are updated in the evening and in the early morning if significant changes have occurred overnight. (A few of you called asking about that today).

We've had a fantastic opening weekend here at Hunter, thanks so much for coming out!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Beer dinner tickets available!

FYI, this week we've begun selling tickets to our Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner without the overnight package. They've previously been sold as part of a ski & stay package...they are now being sold alone.

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner

December 9 at Van Winkle's at the Kaatskill Mountain Club

Brooklyn Brewery Website

Click here for the Menu

The Kaatskill Mountain Club at Hunter Mountain will be hosting a Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner on December 9, 2006. The dinner will feature Brooklyn Brewery's brewmaster Garrett Oliver and locally renowned chef Shamus Butler, head chef at Van Winkle's. It will be open to the public and includes accommodations at the Kaatskill Mountain Club.

The menu will be "beer centric," pairing different beer with each course of the meal. "The Kaatskill Mountain Club is pleased to host such a renowned brewery and its brewmaster, Garrett Oliver. We're very happy to be able to provide such a unique opportunity to everyone who is interested in fine food and fine beer," says Sarah Slutzky of the Kaatskill Mountain Club.

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner Tickets are $89 per person and are available by calling Van Winkle's Restaurant at 800-486-8376 ext. 3026, or click here to purchase tickets on-line.

Looking for Snowboard Clinic participants!

Hello all, and I hope some of you have had the opportunity to come ski at Hunter! This is our third day open and I wanted to let you know that we're looking for a few more people for an adult snowboard clinic. We have two people interested so far and need 6-8 to start a program. This will be an adult snowboarding clinic for intermediate or better snowboarders.

These programs are from 9:30am-2:30pm (with a one hour break for lunch at 11:30am) every weekend from December 16 to March 11.

For answers to specific questions you may have about our Seasonal Programs, please contact Charlie Knopp at 800-HunterMtn, ext. 2287.

Need more info?
2006-07 Seasonal Programs for Adults

Friday, November 24, 2006

Hunter One to Open Saturday!

Tonight we're hoping it will be cold enough for us to make snow, and by Saturday morning the slopes of Hunter One will be covered with a fresh layer of snow for the many skis and boards waiting. Right now Hunter Mountain has four trails open available for expert skiers***; Hunter One's opening will render the resort available to skiers and riders of all levels. Hunter One will only be open this weekend, Nov. 25 & 26. (It will be back open for good once the weather gets colder).

Group lessons (ages 13 and up), Single-Pak, and Try-Pak will all be available tomorrow at The Learning Center. PlayCare is also open... so stop by and enjoy yet another feature just opening for the season here at Hunter!

Remember to keep in touch with the latest weather and conditions by calling 1-800-HunterMtn for morning and evening updates!

**Children's programs including Mountaineers and Explorers are not yet available. Watch our website for updates on Explorers/Mountaineers opening date.

***Summit-to-base trails in the current condition qualify as expert-only terrain. These trails, specifically Hellgate, may not be suitable for intermediate skiers.

Second Podcast!

If you haven't already downloaded Hunter's second Podcast, check it out here!

#002 - Hunter's Opening on Thanksgiving!

Remember to right click (or Ctrl Click for Macs) and use Save Target As or Save Link As to save the file to your computer!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Some photos from the Summit!

Hey again guys, I took some pictures from up top to show you all the fantastic corduroy snow coming all the way down Hellgate. I hope some of you come by tomorrow to check it out!










Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving!!

Hunter's opening on Thanksgiving!

Hunter's opening tomorrow! We're not positive about what trails will be open but so far, F-Lift will be operating for Hellgate and 7th Avenue, and weather permitting Hunter One may be open (C-Lift). We're blowing snow at the base as well, but are not sure how much we will be able to make by tomorrow.

Tickets will be $38, and a $10 coupon will be given with each ticket, useable any day throughout the season. Midweek season passes can be used through Friday, Big Lift is not valid at this time. Due to time constraints, I'm suggesting that people who need updated information call the Snow Phone - 1-800-HunterMtn option 1, then 1 or 2. The Podcast will also be available tonight.

Some photos from this morning:








Click on image for larger version!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Snowguns on Hunter One

We JUST started blowing snow on Hunter One -- check it out! These pictures are as of 4:15pm. Enjoy! And, as always, click on the image for a larger version!!!!








We're happy to say that if weather stays cold, Hunter will not only be open to diamond-savvy skiers and riders, but to those of all abilities. Thanks, and stay tuned!

23A/Mountain Road to Open Tomorrow!

Some more excellent news! The Rt. 23A mountain road is going to open tomorrow (Wednesday, November 22) between 3 and 4pm, right in time for Thanksgiving!

The road has been closed since a major washout in June and has undergone months of intense repairs. As promised, the road will be open in time for the ski season and for Thanksgiving...so enjoy!

Snowblowing continues....

Well, it's a lovely, brisk morning here at Hunter Mountain, and below is a photo of our progressing snowblowing (as you may be able to see, the snowguns have been moved further down).

Please click on image for larger version...more pictures later, possibly.





Thanks for visiting! As you can see, our blog has had over 6500 visits in the month and a half that it has been up! Thanks so much for all of your questions and comments, and please keep checking back!

Further info: Due to the weather forecast starting Thanksgiving, we've decided to concentrate snowmaking on the summit to F-Lift, with the intention of downloading on the summit quad to return to base. We've done this in the past...we know it's not ideal...but we'd like to get open and stay open. There's no real cold on the lower half of the mountain in sight; if we spread out too thin, we may run into problems over the weekend.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Eye candy from the summit!

I know you guys can't wait to see what's going on up here...the parking lot is already full of people who have driven up to take pictures! So, to keep you all updated, I rode up to the summit today via F-Lift and took some pictures of what's going on. Enjoy, and more to come! Click on the images for larger versions:
































FYI, if you haven't heard, we started blowing snow on Saturday night, but there is still no opening date...Thursday or Friday are possibilities. Check back soon for more info!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Hunter's hoping to fire up this weekend!

Hello skiers and riders! We know you are all anticipating the ski season, and like you, we are looking forward for the chance to fire up our snow guns! This weekend's weather is supposed to be cold enough for us to blanket the mountain with a fresh coat of snow... and if that happens, next week we may be open! We hope to see each and every one of you at the mountain this year... and if we do open next week, you will be hearing from us very, very soon... maybe even skiing in time for Turkey Day! If you get extra antsy for news in between these mailings, please feel free to call the Snow Phone for information on conditions and weather: 1-800-HunterMtn!

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Hunter's first PODCAST!

Hello all, it's 11:12pm on Wednesday night, and I'm posting Hunter's first ever Podcast!!!! Please allow me to explain how you can go about receiving it every week.

I just wrote out feeds solely for the Podcasts and decided not to use them, because we already HAVE feeds for this blog and don't want to overdo it. So, everything is going to be in the blog and accessible on the main website by clicking on the little Podcast logo (which will be up tomorrow morning). This way, people who are using RSS feeds for the blog will be getting news, updates, AND the Podcast...so, in the end, if you want the Podcast, subscribe to the RSS feed (bottom of the right sidebar).

The first Podcast is only a few minutes long...but it's something!

If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. By the end of the week, the 'casts SHOULD be subscribable via iTunes and AudioBlogger, as well as a few others...I am running out of time for tonight! So enjoy the first Podcast...here it is:

#001 - Hunter's First Podcast!

** Remember that you can right click if on a PC and hit "Save Target As" to save it to your computer! The file is in mp3 format, just under 5mb.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Podcasts coming Thursday (I hope!)

I'm currently working on getting Hunter Mountain Podcasts up and running. If all goes well, #1 will be recorded Wednesday evening and will be available for subscription/download later Wednesday night. We are planning on having Podcasts available once a week.

The Podcasts will cover events, weather, snow reports/conditions and other stuff here at Hunter Mountain. If I can, I'll throw in some interviews and have some guests, but we all know how busy Hunter is in the winter, and it's going to be difficult to get people in here to chat. Either way, look forward to Hunter Mountain news, right from the marketing office, every Thursday morning (or Wednesday night, if you catch it early).



For more information on Podcasts, go here: Podcasts on Wikipedia
Remember that you do NOT have to have an iPod to listen to Podcasts! If you've got questions, ask me!! If you've got any ideas, hit me up -- I'm looking for some contributions!

Route 23A/Mountain Road Info

Hello hello. It is another foggy Monday in Hunter, NY. I thought it would be a good idea to update you all on the status of the mountain road/rt. 23A. I'm getting a lot of questions about it, so here's the latest news.

The DOT said the road would be open around Nov 15, but right now it is looking more like somewhere after Nov 20 and Thanksgiving. There's still no set date but we are still hearing that the road will be open by the end of November; most likely by Thanksgiving.

We apologize for the lack of concrete information (no pun intended!). As soon as we hear more, we will let you all know!

Some questions we've answered...

About a month ago we got a few questions in and I wanted to post the answers. Because I haven't been here as long, I asked our Marketing & Sales Director to answer. So below are his responses.

A few years back Hunter issued a master plan. When will that be updated? [Rob Megnin] We're in the process of doing that now. Much more to come, but for now we really can't say much more than that.

While mountain biking, I noticed alot of trees being cut in the vicinity South of Lower K. Is this future expansion or something else?[Rob Megnin] Was done for festivals and to create open air venue for shows, concerts and other events that would fit into the model.

I think it would be great if the mountain would ask what the season pass holders feel is lacking or needs attention/expansion on the mountain by making a suggestion box available at the season pass holder's party. [Rob Megnin] We have many ways for guests to do this. This is one forum. Another is on the table tops we have surveys which have open ended response opportunities. Many tell us what they think here. There is a comment card that can be filled out in Snowsports Services too.

Feel free to send in your questions: jpezak*huntermtn.com

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Waiting for the weather...

I figured since everyone is wondering when we'll be open, I'd take a picture and let everyone know what we're dealing with right now.

FIRST, we do not have an opening date! People please read this BEFORE you email me and ask me! We will probably be open by Thanksgiving. Depending on the weather, it could be before or after that, but we have not locked in a date, due to the rain. Once we do have a date, we will let you know! Yes, we know everyone else is opening on the 17th. That's ok. We promise the wait will be worth it, if there is one!

Accuweather says it's going to rain all the way through Sunday, so we're waiting another week before we bust out the snowguns. I know, I know -- why have other mountains blown snow? Here at Hunter we figure it's more cost-effective and less disappointing to wait until the bad weather blows over, than to blow snow and have our beloved skiers and riders watch it melt in the rain!

With that said, here's a picture of what it looks like here in Hunter today. Very wet, very foggy, very not cool:



Again, no opening date yet, but watch for the snowguns next week -- and if you don't live nearby, don't worry -- I'll be posting pictures!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Get the Big Lift Card for $39 in Albany this weekend!

Did you miss the Big Lift and/or Triple Peaks sales? As you may know, starting yesterday, the Big Lift Card is only available for $49, without the unlimited free lift ticket. Triple Peaks are no longer being sold. HOWEVER...

At this weekend's trade show in Albany, we will be selling the Big Lift Card for $39 with the free unlimited lift ticket AND the Triple Peaks cards! This is THE ONLY WAY you can still get these deals, so stop by the New York State Snow & Travel Expo THIS WEEKEND, Friday, Saturday and Sunday...for more information, see this post:

Check us out at the NYS Snow & Travel Expo!

We've got snow!

Check this out! We all woke up this morning to a lovely snow cover of Hunter and Tannersville...we took a picture to share it with all of you! We hope you're excited as we all are!


Click on image for larger version!

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

New & Improved RideHunter.com!

If you folks haven't noticed, RideHunter.com has a bright new look! The site has been completely redesigned and updated for the approaching season, and there are more features coming soon:

  • Interactive terrain park map
  • Park crew profiles/photos
  • Daily park reports
  • latitude 42° north registration forms

    And new features we'll add throughout the season:

  • Video footage of our freestyle events
  • Weekly park photos
  • Visitor contributions
  • Contests, giveaways and unique opportunities for park users

    Check it out now! Tell me what you think, make suggestions, and visit again soon for more info and features-also check out our new Park Bully, previously featured in our blog!