The Beat

Lift tickets are on sale now at westmountain.com

New programming including freestyle development program and mogul course on go-go; expanded terrain park on banister. safe operations & reduced indoor capacity

Queensbury, NY--- West Mountain is ready to kick off its 2020-21 season, opening this weekend, Saturday, December 19 for skiing and riding! West Mountain has been blowing a lot of snow to prepare for opening. The snow tubing park will open on December 26.

“We are looking forward to welcoming our guests this winter to enjoy the outdoors”, said Sara Montgomery, General Manager of West Mountain. “With so many families at home doing virtual learning this year, getting on the mountain and getting exercise will be a much-needed activity and escape!”…

Ellicottville, NY. (Dec. 7, 2020) -- Thanks to Mother Nature’s cold temperatures and snowmaking technology, Dennis Eshbaugh, the President and General Manager of Holiday Valley Resort announced today that the 2020-21 winter season will begin on Thursday morning, December 10th, 2020.

This most recent run of snowmaking has taken place since Saturday on over 12 of Holiday Valley’s 60 slopes, with up to 245 snowguns running simultaneously. As of 11:00 AM Monday morning, over 144 acre feet of snow has been made. (An acre foot of snow equals one acre covered by a foot of snow). In order to open the slopes, the newly made snow needs to “cure” for a period of time, then be spread over the slope by grooming machines to make a smooth skiing surface.

Ellicottville, NY -- Holiday Valley Resort has announced plans to construct a new chairlift in 2021. The new lift is a state of the art high speed detachable quad chairlift that will replace the fixed grip Yodeler Quad, built in 2001. The new lift will be supplied by Doppelmayr USA, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Including installation, the cost of the new Yodeler High Speed Quad is $4 million. 

As compared to the existing lift, the chairs travel uphill at a much faster rate, but they detach from the cable and go slower for loading and unloading, making it much easier for skiers to get on and off the lift. Holiday Valley currently has 3 other detachable chairlifts; Mardi Gras, Tannenbaum and Morning Star.

Ellicottville, N.Y. – The SKI Magazine Reader Resort Survey once again named Holiday Valley Resort one of the top resorts in Eastern North America. According to Dennis Eshbaugh, President and General Manager, “This is the 14^th time since 1999 that skiers ranked Holiday Valley in the top ten of over 150 resorts. Our 6^th in the East rating is a testament to our guests’ appreciation of the commitment to our continual reinvestments to maintain a top quality ski resort. We are humbled and honored by their loyalty.”…

Canandaigua, N.Y. (January 30, 2020) – The snowmaking crew from Bristol Mountain, N.Y., emerged as the winner in this year’s HKD Snowmakers and Ski Area Management Magazine “I AM a Snowmaker” nationwide contest. The seven finalists in the 2020 I AM a Snowmaker contest were: Aspen Snowmass, Colo.; Bristol Mountain, N.Y.; Eaglecrest Ski Area, Alaska; Gunstock, N.H.; Hunter Mountain, N.Y.; Killington Resort, Vt.; and Pats Peak, N.H. Each snowmaking crew created a compelling storytelling video for the contest, and the public voted for their favorite.

After successful alpine experiences with Andrew Weibrecht last season, Nordic skiers can also join Andrea Henkel Burke this winter on local cross-country trails

Lake Placid, N.Y. – Last winter, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid successfully debuted Ski With Andrew, an exclusive opportunity for hotel guests to cruise the trails of nearby Whiteface Mountain with Andrew Weibrecht, Olympic silver and bronze medalist in Super G, and son of resort owners Ed and Lisa Weibrecht. Andrew Weibrecht was inducted last spring into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum.

Adirondacks, USA - In its third year, the SkiADK marketing campaign promoting the Adirondacks as an alpine and cross-country ski destination is now underway.

Representatives from Adirondack ski areas, along with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), the destination marketing organization for Franklin, Essex, and Hamilton counties, is using #SkiADK to promote the seven ski areas land many cross country trails located within the Adirondacks — from big mountain terrain with glades and steep verticals to hometown ski centers with loads of tubing fun.

Ellicottville, NY (November 20, 2019) – Holiday Valley’s President, Dennis Eshbaugh is pleased to announce the 2019-20 winter season will begin on Saturday, November 23^rd. According to Eshbaugh, “With the cold temperatures we had ideal conditions last week and weekend to make a lot of snow, over 300 acre feet! We’ve let that snow cure and now we’re grooming it out to make a nice smooth skiing surface. This allows us to open a week ahead of schedule for a preview weekend.”…

Family Ski and Riding Destination Gears Up for 2019-20 Season

Queensbury, NY---While skiers and riders wait for the first snowflakes to fall, West Mountain is busy prepping for a new season that will provide an authentic upstate experience for its guests. From new chairlifts and expanded terrain, 100% snowmaking capabilities, learn-to-lessons, after-school programs, tubing, night skiing and an up-and-coming alpine racing program, West Mountain provides the place for family fun and an exhilarating experience.

Family-owned mountain expands on private mountain rental to include lodging and fine dining

Roxbury, NY – Since 2013, Plattekill Mountain has been offering customers the opportunity to rent the entire ski mountain for a day on any non-holiday Monday or Thursday during ski season. The idea has gained in popularity in recent years, with the last three seasons being almost entirely booked. What’s more, while private mountain rentals started off primarily as groups of friends or family looking for a fun winter getaway in the Catskill Mountains, the resort has seen a dramatic increase in the number of corporate groups booking mountain rentals for a range of events, from employee appreciation days to team building outings, business retreats, and beyond.