<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 1/27/00. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>One thing about Plattekill, there is never any hype. When you call the 1-800-need-2-ski phone-line and they say: "there is 18" of untouched champagne powder", take that to the bank, go dig your car out of the snow, stop all the discussions of where to go (God forbid if the W [work] word enters the fray), and make a B-line to Da Platt. <BR> <BR>Always a skeptic, even though past history has never proven them wrong. I didn't believe it but was close to 2 feet and dumping when I arrived. An interesting concept: powder days - they're not open during the week so if they get more than a foot of freshies, rather than just the few powder hounds earning turns by climbing, this is a T-bar riding powderfest with a little added income to hopefully keep this place afloat. <BR> <BR>It's a beautiful thing, no groomers, no ropes, fresh tracks EVERY run ( of the 1.5ft to 3ft variety) on every trail, no windblown and a decent 1000ft of steep vertical. Apparently there was no mix of precipitation as there was the previous twilight/night I spent at Jiminy Peak during the dump, when we had about 2 hours of sleet mixed in with some great snow. So the snow here was much softer and no thick layers, plus the added bonus of not having to fly somewhere and spend tons of money for the experience. <BR> <BR>No snowmaking capabilities on the 3 expert runs, Plunge, Freefall and Blockbuster, so when it started to get tracked up, there was rock underneath. The fact that no one was scraping down the steeps helped prevent severe rocking out and blown sidewalls etc., just a lot of beautifully carved turns and powder spring jumping with the skiers and boarders harmoniously lapping up the snorkel snow. Never heard so many yeeehaas in my life. As the day wore on the new snow filled in the tracks and the base began building up, so it just kept getting better and better. You could easily (well maybe easy until about 1 o'clock when my legs were shot and operated on sheer willpower after that) adjust your jump turning spots to avoid all underlying contaminants. <BR> <BR>This is what I've been waiting for all year. An epic day to say the least. For those of you who put Plattekill on your wish list, now is the time. Sure they could use some more base and have to rely on natural snow but if there's a dump and you're in the Catskill area it's a no brainer.
Plattekill, NY 1/26/00
- Thread starter Jerry
- Start date