Plattekill Conditions (2013-2014)

jimvdak wrote

I'll be there tomorrow! Blue/black Northface w/black pants. And a terribly hesitant ski style.

I'll keep an eye out for you. I'll be in Blue Columbia and black pants ... not a hesitant ski style.

wedeler wrote

Caught first chair on the double this morning.  Lots of good skiers and riders there today.

Powderdaize are REALLY cool, but they are also a risk.  Because they are usually declared late in the game (24-48 hours out) and because they are a weekday, there's a chance that you won't get enough skiers to make it pay. Many Platty employees have M-F jobs and Laz really has to make a call and stick with it. If the forecast doesn't pan out, or goes wet, he's screwed.

Without sharing any specifics, you need X number of skiers to make it pay, and the mountain exceeded that number by a good margin.  A decent percentage were forum posters and lurkers.

I'd like to thank all the NYSBers that got up to Plattekill today.

Extra special shout out to Face4me, comin to the Cats.

Before

After

There's a ton of snow out there, have fun tomorrow.  Lots of cut up powder, which will be fun to blast through early in the day.  By 2:00 today my legs were shot, so things got a bit tougher, but I toughed it out until 3:00.  

Platty is a really cool place.  Cool place, cool vibe, great trails straight down the fall line with pitch.  Great day for my first visit.  The triple opened first and I was on the third chair.  First 4 runs of the day with untracked lines were phenomenal.  Countless runs after that were great as well.  

Still lots of untracked in the woods, if you don't mind some rocks.  I didn't get into the woods being solo.

Skidds wrote

There's a ton of snow out there, have fun tomorrow.  Lots of cut up powder, which will be fun to blast through early in the day.  By 2:00 today my legs were shot, so things got a bit tougher, but I toughed it out until 3:00.  

Platty is a really cool place.  Cool place, cool vibe, great trails straight down the fall line with pitch.  Great day for my first visit.  The triple opened first and I was on the third chair.  First 4 runs of the day with untracked lines were phenomenal.  Countless runs after that were great as well.  

Still lots of untracked in the woods, if you don't mind some rocks.  I didn't get into the woods being solo.

I bailed at 1pm..I got to the chair at 9:30 , the feasting was well under way. Still found plenty of great lines. I ventured into the woods off the triple.  Still too boney, hit lots of rocks and snow snakes..

I personally ditto the comments made by Harvey.  We appreciate each and every one of you for making it worth our while to open.  We will continue to open as long as you keep coming.  

Yours in snow,
Laszlo and the cast of characters at Platty

jimvdak wrote

I'll be there tomorrow! Blue/black Northface w/black pants. And a terribly hesitant ski style.

Pretty sure I saw you several times, but I decided not to introduce myself, as one of the conditions of my parole is that I must stay at least 200 feet away from boys I meet on the internet.

ALL KIDDING ASIDE ... Young man, you (and your parents) REALLY need to learn about internet safety for young people!

Yikes!!!!!!!!

Skidds wrote

There's a ton of snow out there, have fun tomorrow.  Lots of cut up powder, which will be fun to blast through early in the day.  By 2:00 today my legs were shot, so things got a bit tougher, but I toughed it out until 3:00.  

Platty is a really cool place.  Cool place, cool vibe, great trails straight down the fall line with pitch.  Great day for my first visit.  The triple opened first and I was on the third chair.  First 4 runs of the day with untracked lines were phenomenal.  Countless runs after that were great as well.  

Still lots of untracked in the woods, if you don't mind some rocks.  I didn't get into the woods being solo.

So I arrived at Plattekill very early this morning, so that I could be one of the first 50 people, and get a $15 lift ticket!

The skiing this morning was really good on all of the groomed trails ... velvety packed powder ... it was sweet! Unfortunately, the un-groomed "soft-looking" stuff on the triple side of the mountain wasn't quite as soft as it looked. I'm guessing that it baked in the sun a little yesterday, and then froze up a bit.

The un-groomed trails on the double side, however, were nice and soft. Plunge was really good ... pretty cut up, but still nice and soft. Unfortunately, my legs weren't really up to the task early in the morning. After a coffee break and a muffin, I went back out and that helped a lot!

This was my first time back to Plattekill in probably about 30 years. I've always recalled that Blockbuster was really steep. Well, after years of skiing at Whiteface, and now returning, I can tell you that Blockbuster is, in fact, REALLY steep, and just keeps going and going and going!!!

Since I was alone, and didn't know the glades here at all, and lastly given the potential lack of snow, I decided not to venture into the woods.

By late morning, most of the trails on the triple side were baking in the strong sun, and conditions were getting almost Spring-like over there, while the double side continued to stay dry and light, at least up until 12:00 when I had to leave.

I had a great morning, especially since it only cost me $15 (it kind of felt like stealing).

If I skied the Catskills regularly, Plattekill would definitely be my place to go. I'd love to get back some time in the future with someone who can "show me around" properly.

Yesterday was my first non Hunter day this year..It wouldn't be my last..

My only complaint, my white subie was covered in mud from the access road.

The skiing this morning was really good on all of the groomed trails ... velvety packed powder ... it was sweet! Unfortunately, the un-groomed "soft-looking" stuff on the triple side of the mountain wasn't quite as soft as it looked. I'm guessing that it baked in the sun a little yesterday, and then froze up a bit.
 

This was a problem after lunch yesterday..The strong Feb sun just baked the runs off the triple.

Serves you right, white cars are for girls anyway.   ;).  Maybe you should have gone to Windham, I hear they have a valet car wash service...in addition to grooming out the powder.

I'm a wuss, I'll a admit it......but I sell out and use the premium lot at Whiteface whenever I can.  I've used the Windham valet lot 😔.  In my defense, with three kids and the logistics that go with, it really helps.

Awesome report, Face! Wish I was around to show you some trees, I'm really proud of the work that the NYSB has promoted the last couple of years and both of the lines were skiing great, if still a bit hairy. Hopefully we get lots more storms and you can come back. It's always worth the price of admission, and the bar isn't so bad either!

Txt from Laz:

"A foot down and snowing hard. Plowing now so I can ski tomorrow."

Incredible day at Plattekill, and quite an adventure getting there. I knew I had a short window of no snow last night.  I let me brother have the truck for work...I had a volvo without snow tires...made it to the Starlight motel (about 15 miles from Platty).  Had to get pulled out by the plow in the morning.  I knew getting up the last hill was doubtful.  Fortunately, a local resident was incredible generous and helpful in letting me park at his home, and he drove me up the hill. The vibe a Platty was awesome today.

Snow was deep. An easy two feet, I'd say. It wasn't super light, but everything skied so filled in. It was incredible.  Great meeting so many nice people today!  Here is a video from a few runs in the morning. I think the open trail is Blockbuster?  Not sure on the others:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arwNkRvDUx0

So cool. Sounds like an adventure for sure. The skiing looks worth it though!

Fantastic day at Platt!!!!!
Full parking lot , cars were parked 1/4 mile down the access road. Lift lines were between ski on and 1 minute..
The conditions were perfect. Not much more to say.. Here's a few pics..

Conditions were great again today. They must have got a few inches last night. Lots of white smoke.

The cars were about 8/10 mile down the road and the lodge was packed. The trails remained empty and the longest wait was 5 minutes on either lift. The double was stopping quite a bit today.  I saw a lot of bad crashes today including a bad one off the big jump. I did  not see it, just the results. It wasn't pretty.

I rode the lift with many Platty first timers today.

It was sunny until about 2 when it started snowing. By 4 they might have picked up an inch or 2.

I'd say it was 4" of fluff last night and probably the most crowded day ever on the hill.  Pretty amazing and fresh tracks still in the woods.