Ski season is over within the east, and it was an fascinating one with good snow cowl within the coronary heart of the season after which a fast ending with heat temps and no massive late season storms. I received my days in, had my enjoyable and took a bunch of pictures because the digital camera is all the time in my pocket. Listed here are a few of my favourite pictures from 2024/25.
My season opened at Hunter, the place I caught this picture of the snowmaker trying again to be sure that all the things was proper. The footsteps within the untouched snow with the lone particular person initially caught my eye whereas using the elevate. Behind the scene was this particular person’s consideration to element, doing what was wanted to assist guarantee opening day was one.
The spotlight of opening day at Hunter was the prospect to see and expertise the brand new Broadway Categorical 6-pack elevate. Right here’s a bunch of skiers coming down Kennedy, with a have a look at the brand new elevate and the ‘new’ showcase run underneath the elevate, Gun Hill Highway. I used to be pleasantly shocked at how a lot enjoyable the brand new, wider Gun Hill turned out to be.
Simply earlier than the vacations, I made my technique to Killington, which is all the time a primary introduction to true winter for my season. I’ve come to essentially take pleasure in that mid-December go to to Killington, to essentially kick the ski season into a better gear. This black-and-white picture of the deeper snow and snowy bushes on the intersection of Outdated Famous person and Famous person actually simply stated ‘winter in Vermont’ to me.
The following day, winter actually kicked in with recent snow. Right here’s a shot of the Skye Peak summit in the course of a pleasant early-winter snowfall. It was snowing fairly good all morning, and ultimately the solar made an try to interrupt by way of the clouds.
The vacations got here and went as we received into the center of the winter. In early January, I caught this shot of the solar peeking by way of the clouds at Hunter. The picture is timed fairly nicely to get the solar simply because the chair is passing by. It’s additionally shot as a result of we now have one skier and one rider on the chair — illustration for everybody.
In recent times, I’ve been spending extra time at impartial ski areas. My good friend Brian is a long-time snowboard teacher at West Mountain and I joined him on MLK weekend. You actually get the Adirondack feeling snowboarding round West, and in methods it jogged my memory of Gore.
Whereas this picture shouldn’t be essentially the most creative shot on this assortment, it contains lots of data. The birches within the foreground remind you that you just’re within the Adirondack area, and the Lake George mountains on the left assist drive house the purpose. Within the far distance you may barely see Vermont. Within the heart proper, the trade at Glens Falls itself is clear with the rising steam. The Hudson is seen on the best which you’ll hint alongside the best aspect of the picture, to Glens Falls and past.
In February, I had the chance to shoot for Plattekill Mountain. After lunch I noticed a bunch of men gathering on the prime of the double chair. I launched myself and requested if I might {photograph} them in motion. They welcomed me to their group, we laughed about signing picture waivers and we received going. It was nice to attach with this group excellent skiers and excessive tail it everywhere in the mountain, with a DSLR hanging off to my aspect.
We received lots of nice pictures, a few of which have been distributed by Plattekill in numerous promo emails and social media posts. These guys had been very welcoming to me and need to thank them by together with John, tele skier extraordinaire on this submit — thanks.
Late within the day because the solar was getting decrease, I caught this shot at Plattekill. The lengthy shadows mixed with the arc of sunshine circling the mountain makes this a extremely pleasing picture to me. This one is more likely to develop into the February picture in my upcoming 2026 calendar.
In early March I visited Magic Mountain in Vermont. Magic is one other nice, old-school indy ski space, all the time lots of enjoyable. This shot of the snowscape under the enduring crimson chair tells the story of the chilly, windy ski day I loved. Circumstances had been good, and by some ‘Magic” coincidence, I met the mother of considered one of my daughter’s greatest friends from school whereas using the chair.
After my day at Magic, it was time to return to Plattekill, the place I caught up with the crew I photographed earlier within the season. A squall blew by way of, dropping just a few inches of recent snow all over the place. I adopted my new mates into the bushes, fell far behind them, and navigated my manner by way of and out.
By no means having been a lot of a tree skier, it’s a unique ballgame snowboarding by way of bushes on recent powder. I spent the following hours tree snowboarding, selecting a few of the decrease angle terrain that match my tree snowboarding chops. For those who look carefully on this picture, you may see the final of the crew I adopted into these bushes.
Another picture from Hunter. This shot from Sleepy Hole on Hunter North would be the most un-Hunter like view on the complete mountain. This mild sloping path faces west, and appears down the Schoharie Valley, with a straight forward view of Bearpen Mtn. This can be a quiet, remoted and mild path.
Discovering a location to {photograph} each Windham and Hunter Mountain has develop into a little bit of a quest for me. I feel a few of the mountain climbing trails within the northwest Catskills could present some alternatives from elevation, however this location simply off a again highway additionally does the trick. Windham (L) and Hunter (R).
This one is much like a photograph from final 12 months’s submit, however there’s one thing in regards to the location of Sugarbush that I actually like. Perched on the peaks separating the Champlain Valley from the Mad River Valley, the views from Sugarbush are superb. This shot from Lincoln Peak reveals the Champlain Valley off to the west (L), and three of Vermont’s excessive peaks to the best – Mt. Ellen, Camel’s Hump & Mt. Mansfield.
The late afternoon daylight gave the impression to be nearly trickling down the moguls of Mt. Ellen’s FIS path at Sugarbush. The timing of this shot caught the daylight receding up the slope, quickly to go away the complete path within the shadows.
It was early morning in mid-March at Killington once I caught this scene of untracked groomed terrain backed by the fog lined mountains out to the east. The South Ridge elevate provides technique to Mount Ascutney peeking out of the clouds within the distance.
Right here’s a have a look at the late-season snow construct from the Canyon Quad. This season, Killington moved it’s spring snowboarding to the Canyon space of Killington Peak, because the Famous person chair alternative challenge received began.
To wrap up the season, right here’s one final look to Vermont ski nation. This view from the highest of the K1 gondola seems south to neighboring ski space together with (L-R) Okemo, Magic, Mt. Snow & Stratton.
Final 12 months once I posted my season pictures I wrote how its all the time unhappy when the ski season ends as nothing else compares to the joy and camaraderie of snowboarding with mates, pushing your self and reveling within the joys of an important ski day. I don’t have a lot so as to add to that sentiment, so I’ll go away it proper right here once more this season. Take pleasure in your low season everybody.
Please click on on pictures to see them enlarged.
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 a part of Steve’s mailing record.
