Hickory Ski Center 3/12/11

I didn't go to Hickory this weekend because I had family matters to attend to, but upon checking Facebook this morning I saw that my friend "Eugene Guana" made the trek and found a huge amount of snow. Check out the pix on Hickory's website.

Eugene Guana says it was A LOT of work skiing that stuff, but it got better as it got skied in. I'm looking to get there next weekend if there are either spring conditions or new fresh snow.



http://www.hickoryskicenter.com/index.php/home

I’m brknspk on this forum, Eugena Guana on Facebook...I forget my real name.

Hickory’s got a 2 page ad in the Adirondack Gore Region Guide (http://issuu.com/adkdiningandentertainment/docs/winterguide1011_web) with a coupon for a free Sunday lift ticket when you buy one on Saturday.  So I went back today and it was even better than yesterday.  The heavy snow packed down in to mashed potato bumps with great lines up and over everything. They don’t make ski trails like this anymore.  Better than Castlerock and MRG IMO.  I’ll be back.

Way to get it Brokenspoke!!  (however you spell it)

Thanks for popping in to Harvey Rd.

Must have been an amazing day over there, can't find any good pics on the site.  Anyone want to load some on the Road?

I doubt there were more than 30 people skiing and all of them looked like locals. I didn't carry a cell phone or camera so I don't have any pics. Try to imagine Upper Hare and Jack Rabbit covered in huge piles of down pillows.  That's the best visual image I have to offer.

I wouldn't compare Hickory's trails to MRG or SB because a run down the upper single represents quite a bit more mountain than Hickory. The terrain is really good though, perhaps a mini magic? Certainly it's a more natural skiing experience than anything in the Catskills and deserves to be skied. There's also talk of development, and I'm unexcited about what chairlifts and snowmaking would do to the winding almost invisible trails.

In case you haven't seen it, ml242 posted a killer Hickory TR on TGR in the last few days.  

I think at least some of the skiing took place on 3/12/11.

Great story telling and pics.

ml242 wrote

There's also talk of development, and I'm unexcited about what chairlifts and snowmaking would do to the winding almost invisible trails.

I thought that the owner ruled out real-estate development?

This might be heresay, but there was a certain gentleman in the lodge that showed me plans for two chairs going to the summit and a nearby summit that would double the skiing.

They also have approval to draw water from the Hudson, which I hope they choose to exercise the approval of - to validate pass sales, get school programs, open earlier.

Don't get me wrong, Hickory is allowed to draw fans, water, make money, whatever they want - I just think they have something special now that could be capitalized on that might make them financially happy and remain very different from other resorts at minimal risk.

It's a great mountain, I'm not beating them up for not being MRG - I'm heading there again ASAP - I just want to balance the way it is now with a viable future.

Besides all this ranting and conjecture, it is just a great ski experience

ml242 wrote

I just think they have something special now that could be capitalized on that might make them financially happy and remain very different from other resorts at minimal risk...

... I just want to balance the way it is now with a viable future.

The folks running Hickory are keenly aware of these issues.  They love that hill for all the same reasons we do.

While Hickory doesn't have snowmaking this year they have had a pretty favorable storm track the second half of the season. I haven't been counting I'm guessing they must be above their annual average of 80 inches of snow. And still they missed the crucial Christmas/Holiday period.

Shawn and I talked about what he'd consider a successful season. 35+ days with 150 skier visits a day would be excellent. To hit that goal, with weekend and holiday operations, you've got to be going by Christmas.  Not positive but I think the biggest day this year at Hickory remains telefest when ~ 235 tickets were sold.

Yup, telefest was the biggest day this season and I think last year too.  
The engineers are working on the permit to draw water from the Hudson, but it's not in hand yet.  
As far as development goes, a chair would definately help marketability and snow making would help guarrantee coverage, early in the season and during lean times.  
We all love Hickory the way it is, but it can't keep running just for us.  Hickory will have to change to some extent to compete for skier visits.  I think we are starting to get the word out and skier visits are increasing, so pass the good word about Hickory.

I hope they bought all fan guns. I'm convinced they make much nicer snow. I've been told they bought a state of the art system like an area in VT recently bought, though I can't recall the Vt area's name.

Maybe the  'development " talk was more about mtn improvement stuff and not so much about condos. They got plans to expand the hill.