Gabriella Ianiro
Staff Writer
It’s time to put away your hiking boots and put on your ski boots. Whether you’re a skier or a snowboarder, beginner or ad- vanced, winter will soon be over and the mountains are still open! So where are the best mountains to ski? Do you rent equip- ment on the mountain or at a local shop? Let’s take a look at what the New York area has to offer.
The Empire State, yes New York, is home to the most ski areas in all of the Unit- ed States. Can you believe it? The East Coast trumps the West Coast. New York moun- tains offer a variety of terrain for all skier types. Whether you’re beginner, intermedi- ate or an advanced on the mountain, there are multiple mountains to suit your needs. The mountains are as close as one hour and thirty minutes away.
Mount Peter located at 40 Ski Lane, Warwick, NY is just a one hour and thirty minute drive. You will find that this mountain has mostly beginner and intermediate slopes. For $28 you can rent skis, boots and poles and for $31 you can rent a snowboard and boots. A full day lift ticket cost $40. This is a great mountain for beginners since they offer a Special Mid-Week Learn to Ski Package from Monday-Friday, non-holidays; for first timers and beginners, this package includes a one hour group lesson, rentals and a beginner lift ticket. For an adult snowboarder the price is $50, and for an adult skier the price is $45.
“Living in New York City makes it easy for me to head upstate for a weekend of skiing,” said junior journalism major, Talia Charlton. Charlton is a beginner skier so she prefers to go to Mount Peter. “They offer great rentals for good prices and the trails are easy for me, they’re perfect for learning,” she added.
Hunter Mountain, located in the Catskills at 64 Klein Avenue, Hunter, NY is two hours and forty minutes away from campus. It has 1,600 foot vertical drop and 500 foot half pipe on 240 acres with the longest run being 2 miles long. Hunter Mountain has 55 trails, making it suitable for all skill levels. They offer ski rentals packages for $39 per day, which includes skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots. Full day lift tickets are $70 per day. Hunter Mountain offers Ladies Day every Wednesday, for any mothers, daughters, aunts, girlfriends…ladies of all abilities. An all-area lift ticket, equipment rental and a group lesson are available for $58.
Windham Mountain is also located in the Catskills at 33 Clarence D Lane Road, Windham, NY. The drive to Windham will take about two hours and fifty minutes. Their highest vertical drop is 1,600 feet. They have a 400-foot half pipe, and 39 trails on 242 skiable acres. They offer ski rental packages for $40, which includes skis, boots, and poles or snowboard and boots. Windham offers college students a $10 discount off their daily lift ticket when a valid college ID is presented. This brings their lift ticket cost to $42 for a full day.
Sophomore social work major, Emma Weinstein, is an avid skier. She tries to get out to a mountain every weekend. “I enjoy skiing at local mountains since the drive isn’t too far and if I can only make it up for a day trip it’s perfect,” said Weinstein. She prefers to go to Windham, since “it’s very family oriented, so my family can ski together but, it also has challenging trails for me,” she adds.
These are three of New York’s moun- tains that are closest to campus, offer rentals and have nearby lodging. Should you rent your equipment at the mountain or at a local ski shop? It is usually recommended to rent at a local ski shop where you are able to rent equipment that is in better shape, avoid long lines and take the time to talk to professionals that are eager to help you.
There are two ski shops
that are located close to campus. Sundown Ski and Snowboard is located at 47 Northern Boule- vard Greenvale, NY. They offer daily ski rentals for $30, which includes skis, boots and poles. Daily snowboard and boot rentals are offered for $35. If you sign up for their emails you will receive a coupon for 10% off any one item, excluding ski and snowboard rentals.
“I recently stopped into Sun- down for a last minute purchase and was extremely disappointed with the service I received. I was being told false information just so that I would buy a pair of expensive ski boots,” said Wein- stein. She would recommend that students opt for other ski shops.
Another shop is located just 10 minutes from Sundown Ski and Snowboard called Ridgeline Ski and Board. It is located at 144 Plandome Road, Manhasset, NY. Ridgeline offers daily rental pack- ages for $25 that includes skis, boots, and poles or a snowboard and boots.
“We keep all of our rental equipment in very good condition. This season we ordered brand new, skis, boots and poles to add to our rentals,” said owner Frank Truglio. You will walk out of this shop with some sort of new rental equipment. Ridgeline also demos skis, which is a higher performance ski that someone would be interested in purchasing. This gives people the opportunity to try out skis before they make a purchase. In addi- tion to demoing skis, if you decide that you want to keep your rental equipment at the end of the season, you have the option to purchase it.
New York has so many different options for so many different people. There are great opportunities for people to learn how to ski without having to spend a ton of money or time traveling. There are options to just drive up for a day trip or spend the weekend. These mountains are open usually until late May to early April, it depends on whether or not they get snow. Happy skiing!
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