Hello from Jersey

[newboots]

Please check the weather before you go! Learning to ski is hard enough, but without snow (or ice + grass/rocks/dirt) it is pretty awful. Rain and warm temps are predicted (in the Catskills and Vermont) Sunday and Monday.

Mt. Peter may be nearing the end of the season, but they are close to NJ and have a more qualified teaching staff than many local hills. (All certified, Ski School Director is on the Development Team.). They offer a free beginner lesson on weekends and holidays.

The best chance for a lack of crowds is on a weekday, ideally M-Th.

ETA: grew up in Park Ridge, last exit going north on the Parkway.

 

[GB_Ski]

Instead of buying 3 day lift ticket at Belleayre, buy the full season pass (2022-2023) for $669 or limited season pass for $389 and ski from now until end of next season. $129 per hour for private is expensive but comparable to all local hills.

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Oh definitely

Please check the weather before you go! Learning to ski is hard enough, but without snow (or ice + grass/rocks/dirt) it is pretty awful. Rain and warm temps are predicted (in the Catskills and Vermont) Sunday and Monday.

Mt. Peter may be nearing the end of the season, but they are close to NJ and have a more qualified teaching staff than many local hills. (All certified, Ski School Director is on the Development Team.). They offer a free beginner lesson on weekends and holidays.

The best chance for a lack of crowds is on a weekday, ideally M-Th.

ETA: grew up in Park Ridge, last exit going north on the Parkway.

Yup, that's me. I live in Upper Saddle River, 2 or 3 miles from the exit.

The weather is the last piece of the puzzle. I'm definitely skiing mid-week. So, if it's next week, then Tue-Thur is the best bet. The week after that, Mon-Thur seems alright, but forecasts may not be accurate that far out.

I'm hoping that Belleayre's snowmaking is decent and makes up the difference for any lack of fresh natural powder, assuming temps aren't more than low 40s. Ideally high 20s/low 30s, but Mother Nature doesn't listen to me.

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Instead of buying 3 day lift ticket at Belleayre, buy the full season pass (2022-2023) for $669 or limited season pass for $389 and ski from now until end of next season. $129 per hour for private is expensive but comparable to all local hills.

Good call. I considered that. I'm fine with a limited season pass because I hate peak/holiday periods and crowds. That gives access to Gore and Whiteface too, right?

The only issue is that I'm looking forward to traveling elsewhere around the country next season, skiing with friends out West perhaps. In that case, I don't now if I want a pass that's limited to these resorts, but maybe an Epic Pass or something similar?

 

[GB_Ski]

No, the price is for Belleayre only. Ski3 is a lot more. If you intend to travel, you can get Epic or Ikon. They offer you Hunter (unlimited days) on Epic and Windham (7 days) on Ikon. Windham has its own Ultra pass which includes Ikon. Get the pass for whatever destinations you want to visit next season.

 

[newboots]

Hop up to Mt. Peter (it's in Westchester County) on Saturday before the weather goes to h#ll, and get one free beginner lesson. Then go to the Catskills for your planned trip.

 

[johnnyvw]

Are they doing group lessons? Many times I have had group lessons and ended up with a private for a very low price. As people gain experience, they stop taking lessons as often, so anything much above a beginner level tends to be sparsely attended. Maybe do the private the first day, and think about a higher level group lesson the remaining days. Mid-week should incrase the odds you have a private at group lesson rates (in my experience, they also tend to shorten the time, but you get a lot of bang for the buck)

Edit: just looked at the website, they are only doing group lessons for 3 "levels" of beginners, nothing more advanced. You might want to start there and go to privates for the subsequent days....just a thought

BTW, I have skied Belleayre in April, literally skiing through streams running down the slopes.

 

[johnnyvw]

FYI, I checked Killington, they have half day group lessons for $89. 3 days of that would be less than $300. Might be worth the trip, and chances are the snow would be better

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Are they doing group lessons? Many times I have had group lessons and ended up with a private for a very low price. As people gain experience, they stop taking lessons as often, so anything much above a beginner level tends to be sparsely attended. Maybe do the private the first day, and think about a higher level group lesson the remaining days. Mid-week should incrase the odds you have a private at group lesson rates (in my experience, they also tend to shorten the time, but you get a lot of bang for the buck)

Edit: just looked at the website, they are only doing group lessons for 3 "levels" of beginners, nothing more advanced. You might want to start there and go to privates for the subsequent days....just a thought

BTW, I have skied Belleayre in April, literally skiing through streams running down the slopes.

Worth considering, thanks.

So, April skiing up there was bad? Slushy?

 

[johnnyvw]

Slushy yes, but I love it. It's one of those conditions that forces correct technique. You may find things OK in the morning, and then you'll quit early if things get really soupy. Depends on the weather, temperatures etc.
If you're looking at next week, it seems the temps should be good...just a bit of re-freeze overnight, and softening a bit during the day. Ideal spring conditions, maybe even a bit on the chilly side. Even the week after looks pretty good. That area doesn't seem to be getting the very high temps that we'll be getting here in the Poconos (around 70 this Sunday and Monday with rain)

 

[RelaxedNinja]

I think I will go for the limited season pass at Belleayre for $389. That gives me the flexibility to go up for even 1 or 2 days on short notice and leave whenever if I'm not feeling it. Better than buying a fixed ticket for 3 days.

But the real question...who's in the area? Since I'm going solo, I'll need to hit the bars and strippy with someone or else get bored after 4pm.

 

[newboots]

Slushy yes, but I love it. It's one of those conditions that forces correct technique. You may find things OK in the morning, and then you'll quit early if things get really soupy. Depends on the weather, temperatures etc.
If you're looking at next week, it seems the temps should be good...just a bit of re-freeze overnight, and softening a bit during the day. Ideal spring conditions, maybe even a bit on the chilly side. Even the week after looks pretty good. That area doesn't seem to be getting the very high temps that we'll be getting here in the Poconos (around 70 this Sunday and Monday with rain)

?? The local weather report calls for rain Sunday, Monday, and Monday night for Highmount (Belleayre), unless the mountain itself gets snow, I suppose, due to elevation. High of 61 on Sunday, 47 Monday, then freezing Monday night, high of 38 Tuesday.

 

[johnnyvw]

Yeah, typical spring freeze/thaw.

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Actually, now I'm seriously considering just buying some equipment rather than renting. I just went to Mt. Everest (local shop). Since my needs are simple, I'm trying to go as cheap as possible.

I tried on a couple of boots. Basically $160 - $185 and around $180 for skis. Sound good, but any tips or advice to save $$? Apparently REI has some used gear, but that doesn't seem too common
from what I've found so far.

 

[johnnyvw]

Others may not agree, but pretty much anything would be better than rentals, and the big advantage is you don't have to deal with the rental hassle every time you go. And the equipement will be consistant, not something different every time. You may need to upgrade after a year, but by then you'll have a better idea of what you want/need

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Others may not agree, but pretty much anything would be better than rentals, and the big advantage is you don't have to deal with the rental hassle every time you go. And the equipement will be consistant, not something different every time. You may need to upgrade after a year, but by then you'll have a better idea of what you want/need

That's what I was thinking, but now y'all (in another thread) have me thinking that I need a bootfitter to make sure I start off on the right...err...foot.

 

[johnnyvw]

I'm under the assumption that whoever is selling you the boot will check for proper fit....no sense buying something that doesn't fit properly. Maybe get a simple molded footbed to get the most out of those boots. A lot of people (myself included) ski quite well without a lot of boot work. PROVIDED the boot fits well!
If these are "beginners boots" (i.e. soft flexing) you'll probably upgrade in a year or two. At that time, it's definitely worthwhile to spend more time and effort on fitting.
Again, my opinion....FWIW

 

[newboots]

If these are "beginners boots" (i.e. soft flexing) you'll probably upgrade in a year or two. At that time, it's definitely worthwhile to spend more time and effort on fitting.

On the other thread he mentioned a pair on sale that were 70 flex. Pretty crazy for his size and weight.

 

[johnnyvw]

Hadn't seen that, so I went looking. I agree 70 flex way too soft for being a long term solution. If pickings are slim right now, better off renting the balance of the season and getting to the shops in the fall as soon as they have stock available to try on.

It seems if you do multi-day rentals at Belleayre you take the equipment with you, so at least you only have to go through the hassle once. And as I mentioned previously, the advantage of renting at the mountain is you can take care of issue like a poor fit of the boots, or skis that are too long or too short much easier than off-mountain.

To the OP, just remember that good equipment is going to feel a bit different the first time out. The boots will be more responsive and the skis will edge much better, so be prepared for a period of adjustment

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Are people at the mountain likely to help with the fit of rental boots as well as people at my local ski shop? You have a point regarding the possibility of any fit or technical issues while I'm up there. However, if I pick them at a local shop the day before, then I don't have to deal with that in the morning when I first get to the lodge.