Sunday Update - Lifts, Trails, Parking, etc.

Good morning campers!

Yesterday, Greene County issued a state of emergency and decided to close some roads on us for periods of time... there were power outages on the West Side... etc. But we woke up today to clean, wet roads (no snow, no slush), no wind, and no more heavy snow!

So here's the deal for Sunday:
- there are quite a few people who are more or less camping out in our parking lot. Dudes, we can't plow if your cars are there! We're hoping that by tonight everyone will have moved out of the parking lot so the entire lot can be spic & span. Until people move their cars, though, we will experience issues with snow in between cars/crooked spaces/etc. If you're parking there and decided to leave it in the lot (or have left it for the past few days *cough* grey BMW in my spot *cough*).... please move soon!
- there is power back on the West Side/Z-Lift. We will have Z-Lift running today... we just may open it a bit later than usual, but according to our Chief Engineer, power is not an issue, and our lifts have all been dug out... so it looks like we're good to go.
- please use caution & personal responsibility when driving through the lot. As I said, due to cars that have remained there for days, we're doing the best we can to keep it clean. Be careful and park responsibly. Once our lots are full, please understand that's it for us -- this isn't like Mountain Jam. We have no backup lots, due to SO much snow everywhere.

All in all, we're expecting 48 trails and 8 lifts today. Some lifts may open a bit late for obvious reasons. The main mountain face is running fine... but 7 feet is a lot of snow, folks. We're still digging out, and we will be for awhile. We're doing the best we can to operate to the best of our ability; due to the weather, the snow, the trees with weight on branches, the roads, we need to cooperate with many other entities that usually do not play a part in our operations.

We're trying to coordinate efforts with the county so that what happened yesterday does not happen today -- incredible traffic to the resort prevented emergency vehicles from being able to get here, which resulted in a temporary road closure. It's no longer snowing, and today is a new day.

Have fun & enjoy the powder. Thanks for your patience.

Saturday, February 27th, 2010....this day will be remembered for decades!!!

Good morning everyone....we had a little bit of a rough start this morning as we woke up to find the resort without power. But, Central Hudson worked fast and had us up and running in time to open. We all owe them some applause.

Another 10" tomorrow brings us up to just over 7 feet of snow since Tuesday evening. That's right...read that over....it did read 7 FEET! If you're sitting at home reading this and not on the mountain or in your car on the way....I have to ask....WHY ARE YOU NOT HERE? This is the biggest snow fall in that has hit Hunter Mountain since 1958.

The thru-way and the county roads are all in great condition. Everyone is here having a great time.

We've got 9 lifts ready for today and 52 trails....lots of fresh to find. Base temp is 31 degrees with a high of 34 today...white skies and some flurries....tomorrow is much the same. Amazing weather and epic conditions. You have to be here to believe what this looks like.

It's rare to see snowfall like this anywhere. Come and get it!

WESTWAY - Trail 44 - TO OPEN TOMORROW

Well folks, it's that time of year. Or, that time of decade. Or whatever the word is for half a century (if I wanted to sound smart I guess I'd look it up)...

We're opening Westway (otherwise known as "Trail 44") tomorrow. Actually, we might open it today, to be honest. But it's 1:30, and the West Side just opened, so no guarantees. Tomorrow IS a guarantee, though... 44 will be open!! Mother Nature has given us 65" of snow so far, and now we're giving you Westway.

That's all I've got for now. Our snowcats are gr-- I mean, plowing-- the parking lots. It's snowing like crazy. Still. I would expect at least another few inches, but our power & our internet are holding up, and we've got stuff running today. We've got a lot of people who braved the drive to come up today... from what I've heard, there is 0 snow at the bottom of the mountain. That's how weird this storm has been.

We hope to see you this weekend! Tomorrow is going to be GREAT!

60" of snow in 3 days in the Eastern Catskills...

We woke up this morning to over 30" of new snow from Thursday's storm. The plows are working as hard as they can and snowbanks are 6+ feet high on the roadsides. The roads are in surprisingly good shape considering the insane amount of snow we've received.

We've received 60" of new snow in the last three days, and according to most weather stations & outlets we'll receive another 4-8" or more today into tomorrow. Saturday things should cool out, and we'll be back to normal. Well, sort of. How far back to normal can you go when you get 5 feet+ of snow in three days?!

As for lifts & trails, we're not sure what we're running today yet, but I will post that info ASAP. We have NO electrical or power problems today; our internet is running fine as well, so I'm expecting at least 5 lifts to run...expect a few delayed starts due to cleaning the snow off. Right now our main issue is how many people can make it into work safely and in a timely manner... we've been digging for days!

We've got groomed & ungroomed trails, as well. Most of the double diamonds will be left mostly ungroomed; 1/2 the diamond trails will be groomed, and the other half ungroomed. The Milky Glades will be open-- everything on the main face will be open, the West Side will open once we get Z-Lift going.

Snowtubing will not be opening today, as far as we can see.

NEWS FLASH: It's snowing harder than ever here in Hunter.

The roads leading up to the mountain are clear...and on the mountain top...the plow trucks are keeping up with the falling snow. Believe me when I tell you that you will be amazed at the amount of snow here in Hunter. Epic conditions...deep powder....forget reporting in inches...now we're switching to feet. 4 FEET OF SNOW SINCE TUESDAY EVENING AND MORE TO COME. Tomorrow and the weekend shouldn't be missed by anyone.

This is the snow storm and conditions that we will talk about for decades.

With the mass amounts of snow our internet has been up and down. If you find our reservation system and/or eSki storefront inoperable please call these numbers for your reservations.

Slopeside lodging at the Kaatskill Mountain Club and Liftside Village:
800-486-8376 Ext 3011 and 3013 or direct at 518-263-5580

Group Ticket Sales and Bus Partner Reservations: 800-486-8376 Ext 2354

We will update the phone system every few hours starting tomorrow at 7am to keep you abreast of the conditions. For now...make plans to put the skis and boards on the roof rack...get your family and friends ready and head up for some unbelievable skiing and riding.

EPIC SNOWFALL YouTube vid - footage from Wednesday

Interweb returns / 30" this afternoon / Lift count for tomorrow

Aaaand we're back! That would be the Hunter Mountain interweb, which has been down all morning. So, here's the dilly. I made a sad attempt to snowshoe this morning, and ended up waist deep in powder. Not sure I would've gotten much farther with entire canoes on my feet. There is CRAZY snow, at least 3 feet, at the summit... if not more.

The Thursday storm seems to indicate the heaviest snow between 6am and 7pm (long time for heavy snow, huh?) We're slated to get 16-20". Keep in mind NOAA told us we'd get 4-8" last night, and we got 22". I can only imagine what their claimed 5-9" will bring us tomorrow!!

Some other blips of info:
1. Roads - the roads are awesome. Seriously. The county has taken amazing care of them, and I am impressed. I do drive a Subaru, but there are plenty people out and the roads were cleaned over and over all night last night... they will be in as good shape tomorrow.

2. Lifts - Lifts we plan to run for tomorrow (Thursday) are the Quad, B, C, GII, Z and Pony. Please be patient if they open a few moments late. There's a LOT of snow to clean out and we can only shovel so fast!!

3. Groomed/ungroomed - I took a ride up this morning, and I'll tell you that some of the areas do need some serious grooming. But the double diamonds have been left untouched, as well as at least 1/2 of our diamond trails. We know you guys love powder. We're just doing what we have to to make the unsafe areas safe.

4. If you think what we're telling you is a crazy propoganda ploy, I suggest you check our website, where I've uploaded a handful of new pics I took today into the flash roller. There's also a ton of info on Accuweather about what's going on, AND there's a new video en route to YouTube at youtube.com/huntermountain.

Snow total at 24...4 lifts today.

Just took a snow cat to the summit and back...there is a ridiculous amount of snow. Well over two feet at the summit. Photos coming whenever we get internet back. B, C, F, and the Pony are running today. Central Hudson is on its way and there are people rolling in constantly. Epic conditions here at Hunter and still snowing like mad. Get your powder skis and get out here!

Heading back out to take some more pics later in the afternoon!

22" of snow in Hunter Wednesday AM!

Good morning! I'm not able to update the top of our snow report page from my Blackberry so I'm updating y'all here. We received 22 inches of snow yesterday and overnight and from what I can see there is a lot more coming. The plows are working to clean up the parking lot and the roads are in surprisingly good shaper.

As of 7AM the power was out in Tannersville, which means email and web updates will be limited to what I can do on my Blackberry. Everything here is scheduled to run on time. 5-6 lifts and 51 trails today. Photos to come as soon as the Internet comes back!

It's a beautiful day here. And still snowing! We'll have an unbelievable weekend here...and for all you powder junkies...get up here!

Check back for another update in a few hours!

Crazy Snow RIght Here, Right Now... more to come!

We've been watching the weather for the past few days, and we've got some serious snow coming. The data coming in on our Accuweather Pro service is telling us 3-5 FEET of snow in the upper elevations of the Catskills and the Adirondacks. NYC could get 1-2 feet, as well as the Poconos and outlying areas. There is not one storm coming, but two or three... our buddy and weather guru Joe Bastardi is FREAKING OUT!

NOAA indicates 4-8 inches tonight, and 3-5 inches tomorrow (Wednesday), with more snow and lower temps rolling in on Thursday. There's also a map of predicted snowfall through Wednesday night (the first two of the handful of storms) available here.

What does this mean? Outrageous amounts of fresh powder, obviously!! We'll keep you updated on the snow totals as the snow comes in -- check back here and our Twitter feed for additional info blips. We've got a new video from this past weekend, as well, up on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/huntermountain!

VOTE FOR US! Snoweast Magazine's 2010 Reader Survey is available, and we hope you'll help us out by voting for Hunter Mountain! Visit the survey here!

This Week's Videos!

REVENGE OF THE WINTER MONSTER - 3-5 FEET OF SNOW COMING TO THE CATSKILLS... Starting... TONIGHT!

I wish I could show you guys our awesome Accuweather Pro video, but I was told it would get me in trouble. Joe Bastardi showed today that there is EPIC snow coming to the Catskills this week... 3 to 5 FEET in the Catskills & Adirondacks. 1-2 feet in the Poconos and surrounding areas.

The snow starts tonight... we'll keep you all apprised. Come get some! This is said to be the most epic storm in years, if not decades. I'll post (non-proprietary) news stories & forecasts as they come in!

Help us help our guest! Lost skis -- $200 reward!

We had a pair of skis taken from our base lodge area and are trying to help her get them back! There's a $200 reward... please e-mail me directly if you have any information, and I will forward it to her. Info below:

$200 REWARD
2009 Volkl Ledge Twin Tip Skis size 148 with Rossignol bindings were taken from Hunter Mtn on Saturday 2/13 outside Colonel Hall. They were in brand new condition used by my 12 year old son less then 1/2 dozen times. He is heart broken and if they are returned in decent condition I am willing to pay a reward of $200.

Again, please e-mail me directly with any pertinent information.

FREE - RECLAIM THE FAME RAIL JAM - SATURDAY

VICTORY IS OURS! 10" of fresh in HUNTER!!

I kind of feel like Stewie from Family Guy... but seriously, victory is mine. And ours. We have received a WHOPPING 10" of powder. I could hardly believe the accumulation until walking over a footbridge with 10" of snow narrowly stacked atop its wooden rails.

I've been updating Twitter, our snow reports, website and other stats all day long and for those of you who missed it, we posted a few pics here and there on the website -- but Hunter has been slammed with crazy white-out conditions all day and it's tough to get good pics when it's snowing so hard!!

We had an amazing day today, and Wednesday is going to be KILLER! High of 29, mostly cloudy, and flurries continuing throughout the week. We've got two days of sunshine coming this weekend and we hope you'll join us!!

25% OFF LIFT TICKETS, Children's Programs & Learn-To Packages Lodging Special!

There's never been a better time to come up for some great skiing and riding. We want to make this mid-winter vacation a little easier on your wallet...so check out this special offer from our slopeside ski-in/ski-out accommodations at the Kaatskill Mountain Club, Liftside Village and the Pinnacle Condominiums!

Reserve any slopeside accommodations at the Kaatskill Mountain Club Resort & Spa, Liftside Village or Pinnacle Condos and receive 25% off your pre-booked lift tickets, children’s programs or even a Learn-To package for the beginner in your group. Offer is valid for one night reservations, or multiple nights! This amazing offer is only valid on stays from February 15th - 21st, 2010. Only available on reservations made after February 15th, 2010.

This special offer will quickly fill the remainder of our rooms this week, so don't delay...call now to see if the date you need is available for your holiday fun on the slopes. The Kaatskill Mountain Club at Hunter Mountain...your Playcation Headquarters.

Call now to take advantage of this extraordinary offer - 800-HUNTERMTN or speak directly to our reservation staff by calling 518-263-5580. Visit the website at Kaatskillmtnclub.com!

Zipline Construction Underway... photo

While snowshoeing around the mountain on Saturday, I snapped a quick pic of some zipline construction going on in the woods near Hunter One. For those of you who haven't seen the zipline dudes working... they are! Check it out... along with the awesome Swiss army vehicle parked over by our ice bar!

Some random snowshoe info! Great day yesterday!

As I was working my way down a ravine yesterday, stepping over fallen tree branches in snowshoes (highly challenging I might add), it occurred to me that I should make everyone aware that there is snowshoeing available at Hunter Mountain! Snowshoeing is AWESOME, as it can be fast or slow, challenging or relaxed, walking or running, and there are endless opportunities throughout the Catskills for awesome snowshoe terrain.

While I did not see any other snowshoers yesterday in the Quad line or out and about, there are shoes available for rental and for purchase in our Sports & Expeditions Center... carry your snowshoes to the Quad and take the lift up! There are marked trails all over the place!

We went straight down the East Side, past the Rip Van Winkle statue and David's awesome industrial cactus (unfinished, photo to the left). Some beautiful views were had as well!

So, for more info on snowshoeing, check out the snowshoeing page at HunterMtn.com. You can also download a trail map here. Next weekend: Hunter Mountain Fire Tower!

Mardi Gras Party + Torchlight Parade, Fireworks & Rail Jam THIS SATURDAY!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez... Let the Good Times Roll

Saturday, February 13th - Hunter Mountain is the place to be! Everyone knows our Apres Ski Bar Parties are epic...each and every weekend and are suitable for adults and families of all ages. Throw in our annual Mardi Gras Party complete with fireworks and torchlight parade and you've got the party of all parties during the 2010 ski season.

We've got thousands of strands of beads to give away all day long...and some Mardi Gras masks and hats for the evening.

We've also teamed up with our friends at Coors Light and will have some incredible prizes to give away all afternoon and evening. DJ DL will spin from the loft at the main bar starting at 1pm and roll on till 8pm. Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers, one of the hottest zydeco/cajun bands in the east start at 4pm and will be cranking out their own funky style (as they say...Nawlins' vibe). Get your dancing shoes on...these guys are as spicy as Jambalaya.

At 4pm is another one of our free Saturday Night Rail Jams...and this one has a special twist. It's a fun team competition that will not only test your skills on the rails and boxes but your agility while jibbing. Registration starts at 2pm at the top of the main stairs in the base lodge. You've got to be in it to win it!

We'll light up the sky again at 7pm with a grand fireworks show and torchlight parade.

Remember...the base lodge is BYOF (bring your own food) friendly after 4pm. That's right - we encourage you to bring a dish or two and set up your own party inside the base lodge and dance the night away. The sushi bar and Santini's Pizza will be open all night long too. **But please note that no outside alcohol is allowed within the base lodge**

The main bar specialty of the night...HURRICANES! What's a Hurricane? Just the best blend of vodka, gin, rum, amaretto and fruit juices...and we'll have them ready to pour all night long...because what's a Mardi Gras party without a Hurricane.

Want more fun? We've got a major film production studio on site to video the weekend's activities. That's right...Hunter Mountain may be the next site used for a new reality tv show...because well...that's how we roll.

So just as the winter holidays have become a distant memory and you've returned to serious work....our Mardi Gras party will put the bounce back in your step. The largest ski resort Mardi Gras party in the east is waiting for you at Hunter Mountain. So break out your green, gold and purple clothes or costume and repeat after me... Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez....Let The Good Times Roll.

The Ice Bar Returns for Presidents' Week!

Those of you who remember our awesome Ice Bar and outdoor BBQ surely remember how awesome it was. My buddy Martin Griff from the Trenton Times saw it during the January meeting of the Eastern Ski Writers' Association, and blogged about it here...

Well, it's back for Presidents' Week, and our snowmakers are cutting giant blocks out now. Stay tuned... there's more to come! It's no IceHotel, but it will be putting out some burgers & 'dogs during the holiday week!

Hunter Mountain Homies at WinterJam!

Some of our resident Hunter cuties are in NYC today for WinterJam 2010. Stop by and say hello to their smiling faces! :)


Some of our resident cuties are in NYC today for WinterJam 2010. Stop by and say hello!

Where's Andre?

Our Marketing Assistant and resident rock star Dre is hitting many many locations throughout the NY Metro Area...... and we want you to keep an eye out! If YOU see our decked out Hunter Mountain MINImobile and/or our wonderful marketing assistant, snap a photo, and send it to me, with the date and location. He'll be chillin' in the NYC area for the next two days, so keep those eyes peeled!

What's in it for you? A free lift ticket!

Tuesday eNewsletter

Good morning from Hunter Mountain! We are in the midst of the FDNY & East Coast Firefighters Races here! Check the website later on for photos!

We've got two new videos for you this week: our weekly video, and our bi-weekly terrain park video! Check them out on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/huntermountain! We have EPIC mid-season conditions. With luck, Mother Nature's cooperation & some help from our snowmakers, we're back up to 50 open trails... pretty amazing, considering last week's incredible 5 inches of rain! Don't believe it? See for yourself!

Presidents' Week will kick off with a Mardi Gras party on the 13th, complete with torchlight parade & fireworks! Get down with our DJ & the swinging New Orleans sounds of Captain Squeeze & the Zydeco Moshers!

If you missed the 50th Anniversary Bash....make sure you're at the Mardi Gras Party...last year's was epic! February 13th at the Main Bar!

We've got an awesome Presidents' Weekend discount:
Stay two nights at the slopeside ski-in/ski-out Kaatskill Mountain Club and receive an unbeatable 25% off your daily lift tickets, Children's Programs and Learn-To packages. The Kaatskill Mountain Club is the perfect playcation headquarters at Hunter Mountain. Enjoy the four-season heated outdoor pool, hot tubs, sauna, steamroom, luxurious rooms, and the delectable offerings at VanWinkle's Restaurant.

Offer is valid for reservations booked between January 25th - February 5th for stays from February 15th - February 21st. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts.

Special Lease Offer from Prestige MINI
Want a free lift ticket to Hunter Mountain? Drop by Prestige MINI, test drive one of these awesome rides and you'll get yourself a free lift ticket! If you haven't heard - we're giving away a bright red 2010 MINI on April 3rd, 2010! Pick up your entry at Prestige MINI, Rt 17 in Mahwah, NJ or here at Hunter Mountain.

Prestige MINI :: Official Vehicle Sponsor of Hunter Mountain

In case you haven't heard...

TAP New York tickets are on sale NOW!
Purchase tickets to our awesome New York State beer festival before it sells out! Saturday has sold out completely for the past few years - over 30 breweries, over 100 beers, plenty of vendors, live music & food... need I say more? Check it out at tapnewyork.com!

That's it for this week! Stay in touch with us by visiting HunterMtn.com and the Hunterblog! We'll be posting updates, surface conditions, videos and much more! Have a great weekend... make Hunter Mountain a part of it!

Quad down for maintenance Tuesday & Wednesday

Good morning! Just a quick note that the main quad (A-lift) will be down for maintenance today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday).

Stay tuned for newsletter info... it'll be posted later in the day, along with some new videos!