On skiing: Winter, if not much snow, has finally arrived in the Northeast
We finally went into the snow zone last Friday with a few inches of the natural stuff with a little more south and a little less up north.
From the Berkshires to the Catskills and on south there has been a paucity of natural snow with season totals of 10 inches or less and no major storms at all. At least it finally turned cold and, in fact, bitterly cold this week with the first genuine arctic blast of the winter.
Ask any ski area operator and they will tell you, just give me cold and I’ll make all the snow you could want. What has been lacking is the ambiance provided by natural snow. Skiing or snowboarding on trails surrounded by bare woods with leaves blowing across the slopes just doesn’t feel right.
The cold did come just in time for all local resorts to recover from the New Year’s thaw. Local favorites like Mount Peter, Thunder Ridge and Holiday all were open for this past weekend and even with expanded terrain. The extended cold should have most ski areas in the Northeast operating with at least 60% or more of their skiable acres for the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
Cold temps help Catskill conditions improve
I skied at Windham, in the northern Catskills, last Thursday, and the area’s management resurfaced all of their open terrain from the holiday period. I was there for the last couple hours of the day and conditions were the best of the season. While there were some patches of hard pack on heavily skied sections, most of the terrain was covered with a few inches of very nice man-made snow.
I also went to Holiday Mountain, in Thomson near Monticello on Saturday, the area’s first weekend of the season. It was in the low teens when I arrived in the parking lot at 9 a.m. There was a slight breeze out of the northwest so I bundled up for the first time this season. It reminded me of how mild it’s been so far this winter.
Holiday’s operations team had snow cannons going around the mountain, taking advantage of the ideal snow-making temps to get a base down on Benson’s Glade, their novice run from the summit, and Roman Candle, the main slope for race training and races, next to the triple chairlift. Manny’s Run, an intermediate trail from the summit, was open with a thick base and a perfectly groomed surface. The magic carpet and beginner’s area was also open and very busy with folks trying the sport for the first time.
Too many times I see beginning skiers and snowboarders ride a chair to the top and they realize that the only way down is on a slope that’s way beyond their ability. I saw that several times at Holiday and inevitably they wind up falling so much they take their equipment off and walk down. Intermediate trails are rated that way for a reason and beginners just don’t have the skills to manage their speed on the steeper slopes.
Even the easier-rated Benson’s glade is a challenge for lower-level skiers and snowboarders because of its length. I encourage beginners to take lessons and practice, practice and practice before venturing onto more advanced terrain.
What I did see that was very rewarding was the Holiday Mountain Ski Club in action for the first time this season. Larry Valentia, Holiday’s manager, told me that there were 100 children registered for the program, compared to 60 last season when the COVID outbreak took a toll on all programs.
The Ski Club program is season long and develops skills that will last a lifetime. Registration for the program starts before the season and there’s a discount before November. Although it’s too late to register for this season, you can download the application on the Holiday website (www.holidaymtn.com) to get an idea of pricing.
Holiday has pretty much the same protocols in place as last season with masking and social distancing required inside the lodge. Seating inside the lodge has been reconfigured to provide plenty of space between tables. Management recommends riding the chairs alone unless you came together with family and or friends. I now wear a neck gator that I can easily pull up over my nose so it acts as well as any mask.
Why chairlifts are so safe
Did you ever wonder about how safe are the chairlifts we ride countless times during a typical ski season? It turns out, they are very safe.
Out of over 300 million chairlift rides in the U.S. since 2014, there have only been three deaths and they had nothing to do with the equipment and instead were the result of the behavior of riders and included things like swinging chairs or riding with the safety bar in the up position.
It turns out that each offseason, ski-area operators have to remove every single chair from the cables or “ropes” as they are called in the industry. As many as 10% of the chairs have their grips x-rayed for any signs of fatigue or fractures. The chairlift ropes and splices, where the rope is tied together, are also inspected annually.
In New York, the Department of Labor oversees lift safety and has a team of engineers dedicated to inspecting all lifts, including magic carpets, chairlifts and other surface lifts. Ski-resort insurance carriers also have engineers who inspect the lifts regularly. Finally, the lifts are subject to unannounced spot checks.
After reading this, I’ll bet you’ll have a greater appreciation of the maintenance required for you to enjoy your rides without worry.
Think more cold for snow-making, natural snow and happy skiing and riding!
Albert S. Neubert is a freelancer writer. E-mail him at asneubert@aol.com or follow him on Instagram at @asneubert.