Plattekill, NY: 3/24/18 #Legends

Ski Day 30: Don't have a ton of great pics, but this story needs to be told. Plattekill was stacked with Legends on Saturday.

I set my Plattekill alarm and arrived Harv early. I was surprised to find that the door to the bar was unlocked and there were people inside, usually it's just me.

I said hello to Bobcat Ira and his son Charlie.  Ira was decked out in his beach party outfit incredibly pumped, about the day, and the party to come. We talked a little Bobcat and I asked him if he had ever seen James' NY Ski Magazine article on Bobcat. He hadn't and was super excited to see it.


Shark Charlie

I also met the Wortmanns, Rob and Andrea. I learned about their family's deep connection to Plattekill and was surprised that I hadn't met them in all my visits to the mountain. Great to ski with them.


Macker at work


Here comes the team

We booted up and headed out to the triple. On the lift ride up Rob, Andrea and I strategized... "what would be softest?"

I have liftline bias. I alway want to ski what is under the lift. I think that is a Gore thing. I said Face, but they pushed for Block, Rob explained that Block gets good early sun. It was a good call and super trenchy.


Rob Wortmann


Rob Rips

It seems that my desperate plea for help last week was received, and the day was jammed with ski partners. Forum peeps like timbly, Breck and Ethan stepped up to say hello and rip. Laz was out and about, bounding in the bumps. Chris was in the house, hiking up Plunge to train for his upcoming trip to Tuckerman, and restock the cardinal. JHoward_Glass was representin, the Pride of Skaneateles NY.


Ethan


jhoward_glass


Breck


Laz Rips


RIPS!

Big News: Blockbuster is going to be renamed "Hayfield." Actually this is a reversion to it's original name. There was a short ceremony to install the new signage at the top of the headwall.  The old sign will remain for a period, until trail maps can be reprinted to keep the general public from getting confused.



I really didn't want to quit at the end of the day. I'm headed into the deep (LOL) south next week for Easter break and if the snow doesn't last until mid-April my season could be done, save a Killy day in May. Gasp. Did I just say that out loud?



When we did come in, it was hard to decide whether to hang on the deck on a beautiful sunny day, or go into the bar and listen to the band that was absolutely slaying it.



We finally ran into the guys from Powder Magazine at the end of the day.  Porter Fox and Dave Reddick are ski biz publishing legends who'd decided that it was time to do a piece on the Catskills.  They did a photo shoot at Plattekill with Scottski on Friday, and headed over to take some shots at Hunter on Saturday.

Laz gave me Porter's number and I txt'd him, telling him I was bummed missing meeting him by day. He said they'd try to come back after Hunter, maybe around 3pm.

I knew I'd never see them at 3, as I'd be out trying to bang out a few more last runs. But when I came in Laz was talking to Dave and I got intro'd. Dave had a big legit Canon around his neck and occasionally would focus and shoot. At one point, he was taking super closeups portraits of Laz, somehow keeping him relaxed while a point blank range.

Still, it didn't feel like they were really working at this point. Maybe I'm projecting but it seemed like they just wanted to be there. The Bongo Surf Band was cranking, and they were loud. We stayed and listened and raised our voices.

Dave skis with a big pack or camera gear. Since my day at Magic, I've jettisoned my fanny pack inbounds and it is very freeing. I asked him "how many days a year he got to ski without a pack, he said "not many."

I also got a big kick out of it when I asked him about his favorite mountains. He said, "I really like Jackson Hole. I like this place too."

Looks like a great time. Have you thought about a chest pack? I’m envisioning something close to your lumbar bag but on the chest in front instead. They make small radio packs which are popular for patrollers but they’re just big enough for a radio and a note book and a few little miscellaneous things and there are chest packs for fly fishermen but they’re sort of specialized.

Great TR. This could have been front page. It was fun to ski with a little bit of a different crew yesterday. (and age group too)

That was a good day at Plattekill. Had a great time meeting/skiing with Harvey, Ethan, JHowardGlass, Chris, Breck, and more.

Niiiiice!

Looks great and I much prefer the trail name Hayfield to Blockbuster.

The Hay Fields thing was a joke. But Block was called that at one time.  The guy in that shot worked at Plattekill when they named it that, I guess the weeds had grown up quite a bit, and had to be threshed.

I can't remember his name (anybody?), but he is in that pic looking out.

Harvey wrote

The Hay Fields thing was a joke. But Block was called that at one time.  .

Oh. Usually when people joke they put an emoji or a (j/k) or something to indicate that you aren't serious. I thought you were serious and I work there.

OK I'm busted.

Truth is nobody ever really said it wasn't true it was just the way everyone was saying it, made me think it wasn't real.

I'm partial to Blockbuster myself. It gives the idea that this is the big one.

Good stuff!

I can't wait to read the article.

Thats Dave from Milford, and Jeff and Joe who have always thrashed the hayfields since day one when they weren't mowable....in the early years the 90's.  They named it and made the sign, brought an impact gun and screws, and with those guys we looked the other way as we always have....only they know what that means