# Belleayre Mountain, NY



## Guest (Jan 31, 2008)

so i got a group of about 14 and counting going up to Belleayre feb 29th thru march 3rd. I've never been. 

most of us are beginner to intermediate boarders with a few expert skiers. We chose Belleaye because of the vacinity to NYC, avoiding crowded ass Windham and Hunter, and just a change of pace for everyone. 

I would love to get some feedback on the mountain, ive read some good review and would appreciate any input or suggestions whule we are there. 

Also if your gonna be up there that weekend send me a message and join our crew. We got a real diverse group, we call ourselves Team Benetton :laugh:


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## baldy (Nov 14, 2007)

i would like to know this as well, my local shop has day trips going up there


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

i like to hit up belleayre for day trips when there is a fresh drop. much less crowded than hunter. dont think it'd be the spot i'd pick for a multiday trip since VT is only an hour further but im sure you'll have a good time. place is dead during the week cause it's so far off the thruway

trails are all pretty easy. straight shots down the fall line.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2008)

Yea i agree, been there too many times to count. Small place good for day trips. If youve been any where large this place seems TINY. Still worth the trip fun mtn


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2008)

what do you consider large? ive been to jackfrost, camelback, bear creek, windham and hunter.

anyone else whose been there can chime in? good/bad experiences? or just blah whatever. ive heard so many mixed reviews and just hoping its a fun time for everyone.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

webster's dictionary of mountain size according to the common man

tiny - 500ft vert or less 
little - 500-1000ft vert - MC, camelback, blue, jfbb
regular - 1000-1500 ft - hunter, windham, 
large - 1500 - 2000ft - stratton, okemo, mt. snow
huge - 2000+ - stowe, jay peak, whiteface, most western resorts
gargantuan - 4000ft+ - whistler

feel free to correct me, i didnt actually take the time to check verticals. just doing it from memory. 
oh and vert = vertical drop = difference in altitude between base and summit.


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## joeydzzle (Jan 30, 2008)

i went there a bunch fo times this season. Its a little on the smaller side but all the times i went the snow was a lot better than the crap i used to get at mountain creek


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## junglecat1971 (Jan 14, 2008)

The mountain is mostly split in two by the intersecting upper lodge (look at the trail map) so it gives the impression of a small mountain. The outer intermediate runs on the rider's right actually has decent length. Beginners will love the lower mountain because the trails are wide and a manageable pitch. Also because of the split in the mountain, there's less folks flying by on the greens than usual. Probably the best grooming south of Vermont. 

Got a lil softspot cuz Belleayre is where I learned to ride a few years ago. When I think that 2 weeks ago, I was riding the Hobacks in Jackson Hole, it's humbling to think about Bell, sniff sniff... Respect your roots.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

went up to check it out on saturday. i had such a great time. 

roaring brook, and dear run are great trails, nice and long, beautiful views and just fast enough for me to really work on progression. im working on alot of things at once trying to get comfortable and those two trails were perfect for me to improve my riding. definately made the best progression yet on sat.

the snow was great, was talking to a few people that worked there and they all seem real proud of thier mountain. definately like to sell you the everytrail, every night grooming philosophy.

going back up with 16 people friday night, really looking forward to it.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

universole said:


> went up to check it out on saturday. i had such a great time.
> 
> roaring brook, and dear run are great trails, nice and long, beautiful views and just fast enough for me to really work on progression. im working on alot of things at once trying to get comfortable and those two trails were perfect for me to improve my riding. definately made the best progression yet on sat.
> 
> ...


i think you'll find eventually that riding on trails like deer run will hinder your progression. the grade is not steep enough to carve properly and maintain speed.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

yah by the end of the day deer run was definately a little too slow for me, but i got a lot out of that trail the 3 times i went down it. getting there from the west side of the mountain was fun too. that tomahawk trail that cuts across was fun as hell. has the most ice patches tho.

if im gonna take a stab at my first black this weekend up there which one do you suggest to cut my teeth on?


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

universole said:


> yah by the end of the day deer run was definately a little too slow for me, but i got a lot out of that trail the 3 times i went down it. getting there from the west side of the mountain was fun too. that tomahawk trail that cuts across was fun as hell. has the most ice patches tho.
> 
> if im gonna take a stab at my first black this weekend up there which one do you suggest to cut my teeth on?


i don't know the trails their well enough to say. i wouldn't worry about doing your first black though. once you get over the initial vertigo you'll be fine. worst thing that happens is it's too steep and you have to boardslide down. even the pros do it sometimes.


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## joeydzzle (Jan 30, 2008)

saturday sucked! quad lift 6 was down for half of the day. WHACKNESS! not really feeling those steep as hell drops gettin off the chair lift.

Anyone here about them expanding? I heard they are taking over the resort next to them and expanding the opposite way as well. does that mean lift tickets are gunna be $$$$$$$ now? does it mean that belleayre's gunna be crowded as hell now? i really hope not.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2008)

cifex where you at belleayre on sat? i heard this pre-teen skiier bit it HARD ambulance came to rush her to the hospital.


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## junglecat1971 (Jan 14, 2008)

universole said:


> if im gonna take a stab at my first black this weekend up there which one do you suggest to cut my teeth on?


Try Dot Nebel. I think that's more like a blue at most resorts. There are a few others you can sorta walk up to and take a look down and judge yourself but that one is a lil more manageable.


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## junglecat1971 (Jan 14, 2008)

cifex said:


> even the pros do it sometimes.


When, like when Jeremy Jones is doin an initial drop into 55 degree wind blown, rock exposed couloir?


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## nerve (Feb 14, 2008)

I've been riding many of the larger mountains (Mt Snow, Okemo, Killington, Stratton) for over 10 years and a few times a year I hit the smaller mountains (Windham, Hunter and Mountain Creek). This year was the first time I decided to try Belleayre.. 

My opinion is as follows:

I thought the mountain was rather small, not tiny, but still small. It may have felt larger than Hunter if you rode the one trail from one side all the way down two the lower base. Getting up to the top is a pain. a VERY large pain as getting to the lifts are all over the second base of the mountain. They all run across and its not easy for most snowboarders to just unstrap and peddle all the way across. I wasn't happy with the amount of peddling I had to do. The mountain has some nice trails and most of the east side (right side on the trailmap) ones aren't crowded with people, but you are limited. I took a friend of mine who started boarding at a bunch of smaller ones (Camelbak, Creek and Belleayre) to something like Okemo and Mt Snow and he was simply amazed by the size and quality difference in the mountains. I feel once a ride has gotten to a certain plateau they will need to move up to a larger mountain to increase their ability to ride dynamic trails.

In reality. I wasn't all that pleased with Belleayre. I think its better than most of the PA mountains but definitely not better than Windham. All I can say is as an experienced rider I wouldn't go back there unless they gave me my free birthday lift ticket or unless i was taking some new riders to learn.

Stay off the lower half of the mountain as its SUPER crowded. Also the lifts are shitty as hell as they come at 20MPH around the corner to try and sweep you with limited padding. The day I went I saw atleast 4-5 people fall off the lifts. One woman was carried like 4-5ft off the floor and she had to let go and fell on ice. Granted its mostly her fault but I will say that the lifts come in a bit too fast. As for getting off them the newbie snowboarders will be rolling off those things if they haven't learned to ride one footed/stomp pad.


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