Hunter Mountain Opinions

ScottyJack wrote

I've never skied in the Catskills

ScottyJack wrote

Getting hit three times in one day sounds like a personal problem

Ski in the Catskills, specifically Hunter, a few Saturdays, and then you'll find out it isn't personal.

I don't understand how everyone gets hit all the time when I never get hit and my friends rarely do..
I've been hit out west and in Killington more times than at Hunter.

Is it a function of knowing how to ski a crowded area of a mountain?
Is it because I tend to ski trails and not stop?
Is it because I tend to stay off of "intermediate" trails?

I'll admit the weekends get crazy(as with most popular ski areas)...  But not EVERY weekend is insane..  In fact many weekends are empty and chill...
Weekdays are awesome..

Another thing I can't understand is how someone could go to a ski area once and make up their mind to never return..

Just not the way I do things...

My take on Hunter is - it's a tougher mountain.  It is more advanced then anything in the area.  And there's only a couple ways down from the top that are relatively easy - so those trails see a lot of action..  they get crowded and icy due to the traffic. When intermediates can't ski terrain and look stupid they tend to blame everything except that they suck..  So Hunter gets blasted so they can save face...

Not saying you all suck - just something I've observed from defending Hunter on the internet since the 90's...

From 1961 (I was six years old) until 2001 I had a seasons pass at Hunter. My days per year fluctuated with what was going on in my life, college years etc., but on average I would say I conservatively skied there 25 times a season, probably more.  It’s pretty easy math 40 years times 25 days = 1,000 days at Hunter. I got bumped a few times, but never anything serious. When I was a kid my mom got hit hard by an out of control skier.

This year at Whiteface I got hit hard by an out of control snowboarder from behind, never saw him until I was down. The trail wasn’t crowded; sometimes we’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person.

There are people at every mountain that ski over their heads. All mountains get crowded from time to time, some more than others.

dmc_hunter wrote

Another thing I can't understand is how someone could go to a ski area once and make up their mind to never return..

I don't get it either...my take is some people just like to bitch.

Never been "hit" at Hunter, but I would agree that Hunter attracts more skiers who should not be on it's slopes than other ski areas.     Lots of folks, who in my mind, simply dont know ski ediquite, or just dont care.    

The other side of the mountain, per se, is Wyndem.    Totally different ski scene, lots of families, ski school kids etc.    Someone cuts you off there, which is much more rare, an apology is sure to follow.      

Given my style of skiing, I would rather ski Hunter.    

NOTE:  If you ski blacks at hunter, you wont ever have a problem.  However for folks with kids, or if your  teaching  lessons or taking lessons, you are likely on blue, or green.   Thats where the problems occur.    

I ski a very, very crowded hill in PA.    Have not been hit and I generally ski 4 days a week.      There is a method of skiing a crowded hill.    That said...I got hit 2 times at Mt Snow this year, my son was hit once and my ski partner was hit once.      It was a very icy day, but I dont think that was the issue.     Just lots of out of control folks who were on slopes they should not have been on.     I was stopped on the side, almost in the trees each time I was hit.     I cannot even explain what the folks were doing when they hit me...except to say, I watched them from 100 feet, coming at me, thinking...why are you coming my way?   Then waving, then yelling, then getting hit.      If you read about sport psychology, people direct themselves to the thinks they are looking at...I actually teach that in skiing.    (dont look at the trees, look at the space)   When people look at you, they hit you.   I believe that is why I got hit each time.   To Mt Snow's credit (or their people's) every person was absolutely the most polite person after they hit or cut someone off.     I don't think the level of politeness would be similar at Hunter.      

Hunter is great early season and late season but as in most ski areas stay away on Holidays. Our small ski area BB is insane on the 3 big Holidays , if you came once and judged it on that you would never come back.  Hit Hunter in the Spring and you'll never have a problem.

I've probably skied Hunter about 10 times total with the last being about 5 years ago.  I can rip so its the other folks that concern me.

The quantity of skiers leads to ice which the average INT skier can't handle leading to collisions given the density of skiers.  

It is steep and they do make a ton of snow so it proably is pretty good mid week.  All of which I said on the tangent that got this thread started off the Bell one.  I am upset that Harv didn't start it with my Gem as some of my fans put it.  

You guys do take me way to seriously.  

ausable skier wrote

The quantity of skiers leads to ice

Well, that helps, of course, but, let's not forget a basic fact. The place gets 80 inches of snow a year. Like they even care. As we all know, they are the best snowmakers in the country. But, snowmaking, is, well, ice. Or, it will be in a day or two. The whole friggin' place is ice. Ice that challenges the best of skiers, even little old intermediate shouldn't even be there for one day Benny.

Now, let's approach the place from another vantage point: Alcohol. Busiest bar at 10am I have ever seen. Alcohol + tony testosterone + ice = well, you know.

Benny Profane wrote

Now, let's approach the place from another vantage point: Alcohol. Busiest bar at 10am I have ever seen. Alcohol + tony testosterone + ice = well, you know.

A classic Benny line hits the nail on the head
+1000

The bar factor was where I started this thread about Huntah having the need for lots of cops skiing there.  People ski at Hunter not with just a beer or two in them but totally blitzed.  It would be interesting to see if after a collision a breathlizer is given at Hunter which could change the liability of both the drunk skier and the ski area that made money getthing that skier drunk as well.

haven't seen the blitzed thing in ages. it's mostly foreigners these days, and I don't think they understand that part of hunter's legacy. Lots of Asian 1st gen skiers, a bunch of Euros with gopro's. You hear more languages at Hunter than any place besides Queens. The Ruski's get blitzed, but they can't ski on the hard stuff anyway.

Anyway, anyone that hates Hunter hates America!

ml242 wrote

Anyway, anyone that hates Hunter hates America!

LOL this is a classic.  

Sounds like it's time for "Stereotypes of your Favorite Ski Area" thread.

100,000 a year must ski at Hunter, how you can generalize about a group that big?  Let's see Benny, AS skied at Hunter, James, Jason, me, ml, dmc, plake.  Who else? Are we all a bunch of crashin' drunks packin heat?

One thing about Hunter can't be denied, ESPECIALLY if you're somebody who whines about how state mountains spend or don't spend money...

Hunter spends like it is their own money, because it is. They don't blow for marketing or any of that crap. If they think snow could be wasted, they don't blow. But when they see an opportunity they kill it. I like the way they think.

Sorry for the ramble, just got back from the bar at Hunter and I'm drunk. Gotta crash now.

Most people I know hit the bar after skiing..

Are there a few that hit it when it opens - sure...   And why not..?

It's not as bad as they make it out to be...

dmc_hunter wrote

Most people I know hit the bar after skiing..

Are there a few that hit it when it opens - sure...   And why not..?

It's not as bad as they make it out to be...

I'd be in line

Remember back in the day when skiing was also about having a good time partying ? - think "Hot Dog"...

I do... and it was fun...  People didn't judge..  They just skied and had a good time...

HMMM I must not have gotten the memo things have changed.  Campi did you?  We

And that's why you guys are so awesome!!!

Right on TJ/DMC...that's how we roll

skiing..it's a lifestyle

Ok ... So this is an OPINION thread, so here's mine ...

I don't like Hunter because I don't like the mountain. I skied there regularly from the mid-80's through the '90's. Most of the time, I skied there on weekdays ... either ditching classes in the '80's, or ditching work in the '90's!!! I've only skied there on a weekend twice that I can remember. In the interest of full disclosure, the last time I skied there was probably around 2001 - 2002 or thereabouts.

Anyway, I just never thought the mountain was very good. I skied there because it was the only viable option for a day trip based on where I lived ... I think that is still the case for many of the people that ski there ... Hunter isn't crowded because it's a great mountain ... it's crowded because if you live in NYC, Westchester, Rockland, Bergen County, NJ or Long Island, it's the best option within a day's drive. If you moved Whiteface or Gore into the Catskills, it wouldn't even be a competition.

As for attitude and all that crap, go to the top of Mountain Run at Whiteface on any weekend where there's a race and you'll see PLENTY of close calls with all the racers flying down the top of it to get to the race course, or park over on Excelsior and you'll see plenty of morons straight-lining down, out of control and then laughing about it when they crash, nearly taking other people out. You'll find that stuff everywhere.

Hunter "has more of it" because it's more crowded, but I think that's more perception than anything else.

Face4Me wrote

As for attitude and all that crap, go to the top of Mountain Run at Whiteface on any weekend where there's a race and you'll see PLENTY of close calls with all the racers flying down the top of it to get to the race course, or park over on Excelsior and you'll see plenty of morons straight-lining down, out of control and then laughing about it when they crash, nearly taking other people out. You'll find that stuff everywhere.

Well, now that you bring it up, I only skied WF twice while I lived up there, and that's the stuff that horrified me. I quickly learned why it's an Olympic quality downhill, but, that makes it very unsafe with weekend crowds literally sliding down that mountain.

You don't find it everywhere. A good mountain has a staff well trained for crowd control and behavior during busy times. The lawyers have convinced them of such, and the lucrative family customer demands it, I'm sure.

Huntah is a lot of fun, but it is where I go when I get tired of Belleayre, to give my son a change of terrain. Since my son is all about amenities and snax, he freaking loves Hunta. I know a few families that have ridden season passes at Huntah for over a decade, and they have no complaints.

I saw a girl strapping in get hit right in the back by a boarder that came bombing down out of control and couldn't stop. I am always careful about strapping in on mid mountain runs after I saw that. I only rode hunta at the end of the season this year, and some trails were connected by 3 foot wide patches of snow. It was dead enough that the spring slush was really fun, I think it was the week before they closed for the season. I have never been on a mid season weekend admittedly.