A THUMBS UP FOR XMAS WEEK AT BELLEAYRE
by Ann LoPrinzi

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Belleayre Mountain has become the ski mountain of choice for a day trip for this central New Jersey couple. We could shave an hour off this commute by heading to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, but it is well worth the 3+ hour commute up the New York State Thruway for more variety and longer trails. This time, however, we spent four days there and just happened to arrive hours before a foot of new snow fell into the Catskill Forest Preserve in late December.

We were thrilled to have timed it right for this trip. We arrived at our host's home the night before we planned to ski. The snow fell as we slept, and we woke up to the winter wonderland. We had concerns about the 13-mile ride to the mountain, but the snow had stopped by then and the roads were cleared.

"Just like the light fluffy powder out west," assessed my husband Tom as he took off on his Salomon Scream skis for the first time this season.

This was a Christmas week family trip, and Belleayre works well for a variety of ability levels. The lower intermediates loved taking the Super Chief high-speed detachable quad chairlift for the five-minute ride to the top. From there, we hang a left and take Roaring Brook, the 2 ¼ mile blue run that winds around the mountain, passes the Overlook Lodge, and continues back down to the Super Chief. It's a wonderful cruising run for our family skiers and boarders to stay together and if someone gets ahead, it's easy to meet up again. At the beginning of Roaring Brook, there's also an option to take Horseshoe Pass to the left; that trail is a little narrow on top but it spreads out and there are various blue trail options from there. There are also several easy green trail options for beginners below the Overlook lodge and to the left as you head downwards.

Our more hot-shot family skiers had plenty of options. Belleayre Run, which runs under the Super Chief chair, follows the suit of most of the blacks and double black expert trails, in that it's steep and labeled black at the top and then turns into blue. Because it was a holiday week and there was fresh snow, the Super Chief chair got super crowded in the afternoons with waits up to a half hour, despite chilly temperatures in the teens.

At that time, it made more sense to jump on Lift No. 7, which is in front of the Overlook Lodge. You can take that all the way to the top for black, or get off half way for some nice blues and even some glades. Or you can turn right off the lift and head over to the the Tomahawk crossing and enjoy all the challenging blacks and blues on that side of the mountain.

The conditions were superb all three days, but the first day was the best. The blizzard weather reports may have kept people away and the lift lines were minimal to non-existent. The cold temperatures kept the snow from melting and freezing into icy conditions; rather it stayed soft and delightful. It was after that first day when the crowds appeared.

Belleayre is owned and operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and offers lower prices than its competitors. Hunter Mountain , one exit further heading north, has a vertical drop of 1,600 ft., offers 240 skiable acres, and costs $65 for a weekend/holiday lift ticket. Windham Mountain , another exit further, has a vertical drop of 1,600 ft., offers 267 skiable acres, and costs $68. At Belleayre, which is located in Highmount along Route 28, 23 miles west of Exit 19 ( Kingston ) has a vertical drop of 1,404 ft., offers 171 skiable acres, and costs $54. With a ski club membership card, you can get $10 off your lift ticket price. Belleayre can accommodate 10,980 skiers per hour on its 8 lifts. It's terrain is 22% beginner, 58% intermediate, and 20% expert. Plattekill Mountain, a smaller version of all of the above, is also in the general vicinity and is the only one to offer snow tubing.

Belleayre might be the lesser known of the Catskill resorts, with Hunter a favorite weekend destination among NYC skiers, but its appeal to skiers of all levels is apparent, as is the general area. Historic Woodstock is nearby, and a number of sleepy towns abound along Route 28 , such as Phoenicia, Margaretville, Pine Hill, Fleischmans, and Andes. We stayed at a private home but have, in the past, rented a house through www.vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner) in Margaretville. The towns all have a quiet charm that take you back in time, as well as some popular restaurants, including Sweet Sues in Phoenicia, known for its breakfasts. This time, we didn't go out to eat; any provisions were picked up at the Super Fresh grocery store in Margaretville.

The only negative from the trip was arriving home to a foot of snow in a long hilly driveway. Trudging up and down the driveway to empty the car was 'not' fun but still well worth the trip.

Judging by the growing afternoon lift lines at Belleayre, the secret is out about this fun mountain. But that won't stop us from frequenting this NY state treasure. It'll just be mid-week whenever possible.

Viva Belleayre!

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