My ski season has come and gone, and what a season it was within the northeast. From late December to early March we loved pure snowfall, chilly temps and little rain.
These are the situations that make for an ideal winter within the northeast it was good to not must cope with too many temperature swings, variable precipitation and different elements that adversely have an effect on ski situations. Listed below are a few of my favourite pictures from this season.
As typical, my season began at Hunter Mountain. Opening day on November 22 began with thick, low clouds and solely the mainline open for top-to-bottom snowboarding.
Because the day developed, the low clouds began to rise, making for some magical gentle and unbelievable surroundings as we dusted off our ski legs.
Early season we take what we will get by way of terrain, and that’s at all times sprinkled with optimism of what’s about to open. For the devoted Hunter skier, nothing is extra promising than the sight of snowmaking on Clair’s Manner, Hunter West’s signature double black path. This mid-December scene on the base of Clair’s actually had everybody speaking and hoping for a fast opening of Clair’s.
New 12 months’s Day at Belleayre introduced recent powder and chilly temps to kick off 2026. Early on the gang was skinny, affording the early risers prolonged time to benefit from the chilly, gentle recent snow. The chilly, gentle, fluffy powder was an actual deal with to start out the New 12 months.
After snowboarding Belleayre, I joined my associates Mark and Mitch for one more chilly ski day at Killington. Whereas the recent powder I loved a day earlier wasn’t there, situations have been good and all of us had enjoyable. This pano view down Needle’s Eye form of mirrors the view within the earlier shot of Belleyare Run. I just like the similarity between the pictures.
Winter situations have been excellent for Nordic snowboarding within the Shawangunks this season. I used to be in a position to get out a number of days, and loved a crisp, chilly day in late January on the River to Ridge path simply exterior New Paltz. This was my first time snowboarding this path and it was a enjoyable loop of some miles offering nice views in all instructions. Many of the skiers I met have been constantly enthusiastic of their appreciation of the perfect nordic situations they’ve seen in years.
On the primary weekend of February, I ventured to Plattekill Mountain – a favourite of mine. As luck would have it, I ran right into a mountaineering good friend and was in a position to spend a superb portion of the day with a gaggle of actually good skiers. We had a blast, snowboarding all that Plattekill needed to supply. As an added bonus, the early morning view from the highest of Plattekill’s triple chair, trying east to the Catskill excessive peaks was excellent. Nice views out to Slide, Wittenberg and Desk Mountains, plus a sneak peek at Belleayre.
Additionally in early February, I joined my daughter at Killington for a long-planned ski day. After spending the ’24-25 season in Colorado, Alison has grown into an excellent skier, just about surpassing me in ability stage, which each and every dad or mum likes to see. The snow gods smiled on us that day with a shock dump of about 4 inches of chilly, gentle powder.
After being compelled down Celebrity by a closed path for our first run, we have been in a position to hit Gateway on Celebrity’s bottom to get to the Skye Peak chair. We have been greeted with this view of a recent dump and indication of clearing skies coming our means.
By late February it was time for one more ski day with Alison at Gore Mountain. An everyday at Gore, Alison gave me the grand tour snowboarding all sections of the mountain. Whereas conversant in a lot of Gore, I loved my first go to to the North Creek Ski Bowl and a return go to to the Burnt Ridge space, which I haven’t skied a lot over time.
The Ski Bowl was enjoyable, particularly 46er and Hudson and I actually loved the cruising down Sagamore at Burnt Ridge. The outdated trails underneath the Excessive Peaks Quad have at all times been favorites, and we actually loved the good situations there.
Situations within the Catskills and particularly at Hunter West actually peaked in late February. I received right into a weekly rhythm of snowboarding Wednesdays with associates Buckwheat, Karl, Steve and others. The February snowstorm noticed the hardly ever open Westway (aka 44) at Hunter entice skiers. Snowboarding 44 was a uncommon deal with and a whole lot of enjoyable.
By early March, the nice and cozy afternoons softened the beforehand frozen bumps on Hunter West’s Clair’s Manner and Annapurna, making each of these gems extra enjoyable than they’ve been in years. Annapurna is considered one of my favourite runs at Hunter. It’s again within the nook of Hunter West, tucked into Taylor Hole. It feels distant and wooded, similar to the Catskills that I hike. The double fall line provides to the enjoyable. I used to be very pleased to see Annapurna get consideration this season from Hunter’s mountain ops staff.
Vacation Mountain within the Southern Catskills was providing a free cross promo with a season cross from different resorts, so I made a decision to cease by after a day snowboarding Hunter. With fond recollections of snowboarding Vacation as a child, and likewise racing in highschool there, I assumed it might be enjoyable to take see the work they’re doing rebuilding Vacation and ski a number of runs into sundown. They are surely investing funds and energy to rebuild Vacation, which is nice to see.
The majority of my March snowboarding was at Hunter and Plattekill, having fun with superb situations on each mountains. Early March was particularly nice. Plattekill’s pure snow terrain was in nice kind, and naturally their snowmaking terrain was peak winter situations.
I caught up with Plattekill native, Joe Donnelly (aka Joe the Yeti), and we skied a number of runs collectively. I received to {photograph} Joe’s wonderful jumps off the snowmaking whales. Here’s a pattern of some of his jumps.
Later in March, the nice and cozy climate was thinning the snow within the Catskills, and I visited Plattekill yet another time whereas the getting was nonetheless good. We loved runs off the triple chair all day because the double chair was closed for the season. Within the afternoon the enjoyable actually began. I used to be lucky to be snowboarding with a gaggle of devoted regulars, they usually received wind of a particular occasion that may solely happen at an unbiased ski space.
The groomers have been despatched to Plunge and Northface off the double chair to easy the paths so ski patrol may safely take away fencing and lollipops for the season. Plattekill’s proprietor, Laszlo organized for a bunch of us to get a snow cat journey to the summit of the double chair to take pleasure in one run down the freshly groomed trails. We skied down untracked Plunge for what might have been the spotlight of my season.
Because the season wound down, Alison and I took a visit to Sugarbush. The lesson realized was that Sugarbush ought to be visited at peak season as a result of there’s a lot wonderful terrain to be sampled. We found you’ll be able to stroll to the true summit of Lincoln Peak the place the gondola terminal was once situated.
We climbed to the commentary deck and loved 360 levels of Vermont surroundings. The view consists of all 5 of Vermont’s excessive peaks – Killington and Mt. Abraham to the south, and Mt. Ellen, Camel’s Hump and Mt. Mansfield to the north.
My season wrapped up with one other go to to Gore and Killington, the place I made a decision to name it for the 12 months in early April. We loved a ravishing ultimate day at Killington with sunshine and tender snow. Most of Killington was nonetheless working in early April and the Celebrity Glacier was absolutely fashioned, and able to go for April, Might and past.
I can say that the 2025-26 season was one for the books within the northeast. I loved it completely, having a good time with many ski buddies. Benefit from the summer season everybody.
Steve Aaron is an avid skier, hiker and bicycle owner armed with a digital camera. Steve’s landscapes have appeared in Backpacker Journal, Hudson Valley Journal, NY Newsday and the Albany Occasions Union. Each August, Steve publishes a wall calendar that includes landscapes from the Catskills and Shawangunks. For extra data on the calendar, be part of Steve’s mailing listing.
