Ski Areas of New York: 4th Graders Ski for Free!

Check out the 4th Graders Ski & Ride Passport program! With the Passport, your 4th grader can ski or ride FREE at over 25 participating New York State ski areas.*

Skiing and snowboarding are great ways for kids to stay active in the colder months. Plus, the Passport makes a family outing all the more affordable. Pick up a Passport and hit the slopes this winter! Visit 44free.com for d etails and to download an application.

*Limitedto 3 visits per participating area. Participants must be accompanied bya paying adult. Subject to redemption rules and blackout dates.Seewebsite for details.

Happy Monday!

Conditions are awesome!

Snowmaking weather has returned and we are working on expanding our coverage as well as resurfacing what we already have. Conditions today are great! The weather is holding up and we have one new feature in the park, a down rail! Snow is also being blown in the halfpipe as a write this!

New video update! Shot 11/29-12-1

New video for your viewing pleasure! Snowmaking is now in progress. Expect more coverage this weekend!

Another beautiful day

at Hunter Mountain.

Snowmaking will resume tomorrow. Stay tuned for updated photos and videos!

Park is now open! Check the video!

The terrain park is now open with new features including a 32ft box and 2 jumps. Come check it out as more changes are soon to come. In the meantime, peep this video! Also check RideHunter.com for videos, photos, and more!

Orville & Izzy Slutzky Inducted into Hunter Mountain Hall of Fame

A photo from yesterday's Hall of Fame induction...read the press release (in pdf format) for more info about Hunter's Hall of Fame & National Ski Patrol Day!

It's Time To Learn to Turn!

PlayCare, Mountaineers, Explorers, Group Lessons, Private Lessons

If you and your kids are up for fun and learning, join our daily Learn To Ski & Ride programs that begin this weekend. Reservations are strongly recommended. Call 800-HunterMtn for private lesson reservations.

Try Pak, our best learn-to-turn value, is just $109 for 3 lift tickets with a group lesson & rental package for each. Choose any three days of the winter season.

It's Turkey Time...Spend Your Holiday at Hunter Mountain!

Hunter Mountain's premier slope-side lodging partners are offering early season Play & Stay packages for holiday fun. Rates include lodging and lift tickets and start at just $89 per person, per day at Liftside Village and $99 per person per day at the Kaatskill Mountain Club. So easy on the wallet...there's really no reason to miss the best early season skiing and riding conditions in years.

If you're looking for dinner options, Van Winkle's, located in the Kaatskill Mountain Club, has a very special Thanksgiving menu! Visit the Kaatskill Mountain Club site to see it! We promise you won't be disappointed!

Call a reservation specialist directly at 518-263-5580 for details!

Big Lift Card: $49 w/ a Free Lift Ticket? Here's How To Get It:

Hunter will be present at a few stores this weekend, and we'll be selling our most popular item, the Big Lift Card, for $49 with a free unlimited lift ticket. These locations are the ONLY places left to get the Big Lift Card with a free unlimited lift ticket, so if you are looking for a good deal, a great gift, or both, get yours now, and get them here:

Friday, November 28 - Ski Barn, Paramus, NJ, 12p - 5p
Saturday, November 29 - Sno Haus, Huntington, NY, 12p - 5p
Sunday, November 30 - Ski Barn, Wayne, NJ, 12p - 5p

Video #2 Available Now! Opening Weekend 08/09

Great photos in the Poughkeepsie Journal!

The Poughkeepsie Journal website is featuring a great gallery of opening weekend photos. Check it out -- the photos are fantastic!

Thanks so much to all who came out; our opening weekend was absolutely perfect, and we hope to see all of you many times throughout the season!

Stay tuned: a new video will be out late this afternoon or tomorrow morning!

Tweet with us!

Hunter Mountain is now on Twitter! Follow us at twitter.com/huntermtn -- we'll be posting updates multiple times daily throughout the season! Twitter is a great way to keep track of what's up with friends, family, businesses and more. Check it out, sign up now, and keep in touch!

OPENING DAY! WA-HOO!

Well folks, it's finally time: Hunter is open and we've got quite the crowd here to start the 08/09 season...a few folks were here BEFORE it was bright and early, waiting in their vehicles at 6:30AM!

We're still making snow, with more trail openings possible tomorrow. We've been making snow on Ike, Minya Konka, and Wayout will even be opening in the near future, so stay tuned!

To your right, a photo of the boss himself, Orville Slutzky, first thing this morning! Thanks for reading!

P.S. - Video coming soon: check back later in the day!

Sign up for automated daily snow reports!

Good morning! This year, we've completely automated our e-mail snow reporting process. If you'd like to receive daily snow reports, sign up now! Both daily and weekend snow reports are available: daily reports are sent every day at 7:30am, and weekend reports are sent Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each week.

Snow reports come directly from our website with the most updated information we've got: they include weather, lift and trail openings, and much more. Head over now to sign up for our automated snow reports: be the first to know what's open, closed, and what else is going on at Hunter!

First chair with Dre and Shane!

Check out this great video edited by Shane of deadsince86.com! First chair of 2008! Conditions for this weekend will be epic! Check Huntermtn.com for details!

Snowmaking Update!!

Just got an e-mail from snowmaking...here goes!

Only 1 thing to say AMAZING this is by far going to be the best opening day that I can remember after 26 years at Hunter . On Hellgate there are snow piles up to 25 feet deep the groomers will have there work cut out for them the next few days. The Belt is ready to go with amazing amounts also...not like HBK, but will be in great shape.

Now here is the plan for the next few days: starting up Mossy, Minya, Lower Xover, Park Ave, Off Broadway, and in Hunter One/Central Park North, Gramercy Park, and Bucky's Run. Now let's all hope that the weather will hold up...and if it does, we will move this weekend to Wayout, Ike (if not sooner), East Side, Milky Way, and some I may pick out of the hat. If you're thinking about coming up think no longer this is going to be the on not to miss.

Here is what it looks like for the weekend - there may be more or there may be a few I missed.
Hellgate, Broadway, Kennedy, Belt, Battery, 5th Ave, Off Broadway, Park Ave, Mossy, Minya, Lower X-Over, Central Park North, Gramercy Park, Bucky's Run. -Bruce

Opening Info....Are you ready for Saturday???

You've all been very patient, and we've got some info about opening on Saturday...thanks to our massive snowmaking efforts, our base is already 0-48"+! $39 lift tickets for adults...we'll be announcing junior/young adult tickets soon!

We'll be opening these trails for sure:
Hellgate
Broadway
Kennedy
Belt Parkway

These are also strong possibilities:
Park Ave (w/ new guns)
Hunter One (1-2 trails)
Minya
Mossy

We're hoping to have B, C and Quad open if all of the above trails are open! We're also planning to stay open mid-week, so for those of you who can't make it this weekend, there will be plenty of snow leftover and snowmaking will continue! Keep checking back!

Happy Wednesday! More Snowmaking Shots!

Hunter Mountain's Opening on Saturday!

Hello everyone! We started snowmaking yesterday, and we're opening on Saturday!

Please check back here or visit HunterMtn.com for updated photos, news, pricing and more -- new pics posted daily!

Also remember to check the Snow Phone (starting Friday) at 800-HunterMtn for snow conditions! Reports are updated multiple times daily as conditions change.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you soon! It's going to be a great winter, and we're glad you're a part of it!

Some more snowmaking shots!

Meanwhile, atop the summit....

Some photos from the snowmakers...


















Can you feel it? It's cold!

Snows flying! Guns are blowing!

It's official, the season is finally upon us, and our snow guns are cranking!

It has been cold and flurries have been flying all day. Our snow makers decided that it was cold enough to blow snow near the summit! Stay tuned for more photos as snow making progresses.

New RideHunter.com is now up!

Our new RideHunter.com site is now up and running!


We have photo and video galleries up for your viewing pleasure. The site will be updated regularly throughout the season. Also up is our Myspace at www.myspace.com/ridehunter. So check out our new sites and stay tuned for the opening of our new terrain park.

Daylight Savings Special: Big Lift Card sale continues for 24 hours!

Was I supposed to set the clock back last night or tonight? Oh, I don't know - I've always been a little confused about the whole back or forward thing.

So why not extend the sale of the Big Lift Card 'til tomorrow at 12 noon? That's right everyone: THE BEST DEAL IN SKIING & RIDING has been extended for just 24 more hours. It's our way of saying thank you for 50 years of fun.

Don't miss any of our weekend events & parties this year - buy your BIG LIFT CARD now for just $39 and we'll still throw in the free lift ticket!

They also make great holiday and birthday gifts! Don't miss out: continue to eSki to purchase the 2008-09 Big Lift Card!

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

- Brian, Director of Marketing

LAST DAY for Big Lift Card Sale!

Sale ends tonight! Get yours now for $39 with a free lift ticket!!

Today is the last day to receive our Big Lift Card for $39 with a free unlimited lift ticket. If you haven't purchased yours, get it now! Starting tomorrow, November 1, the Big Lift Card will be $49 and will not include a free lift ticket!!

Hunter's greatest value offers deep discounts: 25% off weekend & holiday tickets and 50% off midweek tickets. Get yours now at eSki!

Purchase the Big Lift Card by November 1 and receive a FREE unlimited lift ticket! Continue to eSki to purchase the 2008-09 Big Lift Card!

Pre-season Ski Vid from AlpineZone!

Our friends over at AlpineZone took advantage of our pre-season dump and spent some time hiking here at Hunter Mountain. Here's their awesome video:



Thanks guys!

THREE DAYS LEFT! Get the Big Lift Card for $39 with a free lift ticket!

Our Big Lift Sale is almost over! Starting November 1, the Big Lift Card will be $49 and will not include a free unlimited lift ticket. If you haven't purchased yours, get it now!
\Hunter's greatest value is on sale now, offering even deeper discounts: 25% off weekend & holiday tickets and50% off midweek tickets.

Purchase the Big Lift Card by November 1 and receive a FREE unlimited lift ticket! Continue to eSki to purchase the 2008-09 Big Lift Card!

Great on hill shots!

Enjoy these nice shots from our customer Ben. He was kind enough to email them to me after what I'm sure was a fun time.




This is a shot Jim took on Hunter One!

A FOOT of snow in October?!

We were just blessed with what could be a foot or more of snow between yesterday and today! These photos were snapped this morning. The weather is now clearing up, and the sun is starting to shine. Enjoy the pictures and visit us soon!

A few more to close out the evening...

How much snow do we have? My car = snowbank. Taken minutes ago in Tannersville. At LEAST 10 inches since early this morning, and still coming down!! We'll post some more photos tomorrow!

5 to 10 inches later...

Sorry about the delay folks, we had a lot of power and internet outages today, and it was hard to find enough time to post photos!! Here are a few I snapped on my way out around 4:30pm -- stay tuned for more photos & news tomorrow!

POWDER ALERT! 2" so far in Hunter & Tannersville!

Good morning everyone! It's 7:10am in Hunter, still dark outside, but there are about 2 inches of snow on the ground! It's coming down pretty hard, and some of it is sticking pretty well, so stay tuned throughout the day and I will snap some photos when it lightens up! Keep up with the forecast at NOAA...here's an updated forecast:

Today: Rain and snow before 10am, then snow between 10am and noon, then rain and snow after noon. High near 36. North wind between 11 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow, mainly before 2am. Low around 29. Windy, with a northwest wind between 22 and 26 mph, with gusts as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tuesday: possible 6-10 inches of snow in Hunter!!!

NOAA's latest forecast will completely blow your mind -- it's beginning to look a lot like winter....

Tuesday: Snow. High near 33. Breezy, with a north wind between 14 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Tuesday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 27. Windy, with a west wind between 22 and 28 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Bring it on! We'll keep you posted with photos -- stay tuned!!!

Verizon in Tannersville!

For those of you who wondered about the giant tree that suddenly sprouted atop the summit, it is now in operation!! For the many customers, guests and even locals who have struggled with Verizon service in the past, your fears are no more! Verizon service is available in Tannersville, Haines Falls and elsewhere. Happy chatting!

Got Snow!? We do!

Residents of the area received a special surprise last night: the first flurries of the season! Heading to work today we noticed a fair amount of snow on the ridges. We snapped some photos for your viewing pleasure. The season is officially upon us!

New Park Features!

Our park manager Mike Velez has been hard at work building new features for our jibbing pleasure. In the making is a 32 foot flat box, which you can check out below. Also, a sick wall ride is already completed! Both look like they will be loads of fun! Stay tuned as more features are soon to come!

As an added BONUS here is a shot of one of the 22 new snow guns going up in the park right now!

This Weekend: Oktoberfest & Jimmy Sturr, plus Columbus Day Swap/Shop!

Stop by on Saturday & Sunday, October 11 & 12 and celebrate our second weekend of Oktoberfest! Our Oktoberfest features authentic German and German-American entertainment in the autumn beauty of the northern Catskills. Our modern celebration of the harvest features a farmers market, plenty of vendors, free crafts, pumpkin painting for the kids, and much more. Free admission makes it an affordable, fun time for all ages.

Grammy Award-winning Jimmy Sturr will be performing two sets at Saturday's festival, and admission is free! To view a schedule of events at Oktoberfest, visit the website!

The Skyride will also be open: view our beautiful foliage from above! Spend the weekend here in Hunter: book a stay at the Kaatskill Mountain Club!

This weekend is also our Columbus Day Swap & Shop in the Sports & Expeditions Center and Board Room. Find great prices on skis, boards, boots and apparel! Bring your equipment in to be sold: if it sells, you'll receive 100% store credit in the Sports & Expeditions Center! For more information, call 800-HunterMtn x2233.

Winter is around the corner! Remember, next Saturday, October 18th, is the Season Passholder Party. In the mean time, enjoy the fall, and we'll see you soon!

Check out our new TuneJet!

We have a new addition to our tuning shop, a Wintersteiger TuneJet! The Tunejet is an automated tuning station for skis and snowboards. Our Tunejet comes equipped with a stone and belt unit. The stone unit provides nearly perfect finishes with its wide 400 mm width. It also has software for specific racing structures. The belt unit is lightning fast and can feed up to 15m/ min making it able to tune over 30 pairs of skis or boards an hour!

Stop by and get your equipment tuned! The TuneJet will be located in the Repair Shop. It will also be tuning our entire Rental fleet for the coming season!

Thanks for coming to Microbrew! Up next: Oktoberfest!

Two weekends of Oktoberfest coming right up! The first weekend of Oktoberfest will feature a BMW Rally in addition to all the other great activities Hunter Mountain will offer. Our Oktoberfest features authentic German and German-American entertainment in the beauty of the northern Catskills in autumn. Our modern celebration of the harvest features a farmers market, plenty of vendors, free crafts and pumpkin painting for the kids, and much more. Free admission makes it an affordable, fun time for all ages. Visit the website for more information! For more information about the BMW Rally, visit the website!

New snowguns are in!!

Hunter's got new snowguns! A total of 45 guns arrived today. 21 of them are continuing to the terrain park, which is also getting its own water and air lines. The rest will be spread throughout the mountain.

The new guns are high efficiency and are being laid into the ground as I type this! Check them out:





Stay tuned for more pics and info!

The Greatest Deal in Skiing & Riding: Big Lift Card ON SALE NOW!

Are you ready for winter yet? We've been ready for weeks, and we are ramping up for another incredible season.

The time to save is now, and it all begins with the Big Lift Card!

Hunter's greatest value is on sale now, offering even deeper discounts: 25% off weekend & holiday tickets and 50% off midweek tickets.

Purchase the Big Lift Card by November 1 and receive a FREE unlimited lift ticket!

Continue to eSki to purchase the 2008-09 Big Lift Card!