Belleayre Mountain: Out with the Old, In with the New!

November is a time of transition at Belleayre Mountain right up the Catskill Scenic Byway in Highmount, New York! The glitz, glamour, and noise from a long and busy offseason of events and summertime activities are in the rear view mirror, and have faded off into the horizon. The smells and tastes and sounds of the annual Fall Festival drifted off with the still falling leaves into the mountain air, which feels sharper in your lungs each morning. The colors of fall fade, and the eyes shift to the summit, waiting for the first dustings of white to appear. Soon enough, the highest ski area in the Catskills will be covered once more with snow, and the ski area’s 75th season will be underway!

Those few weeks bridging mid-October to mid-November always seem to appear as a quiet time for the ski area, but it is that crucial time of year where the finishing touches are made across the mountain, getting ready for another snow-filled winter. When the last wrench turns, nail hammerings, and welds are made. It will be a culmination of over six long months of projects, the capstone of which will be the Discovery Lodge. The primary arrival point for guests coming to the ski and ride center, the lodge serves as the home base for the majority of visiting winter enthusiasts and families exploring snowy fun alike. Since March, the lodge has been undergoing a massive construction phase that will be adding 28,600 square feet of space to the building, creating a much more comfortable experience for all guests. For years, the mountain’s rental center was located in a temporary, steel-framed tent adjacent to the lodge. Out with the old, in with a brand new, state of the art rental center, now a permanent structure that will be part of the lodge itself. Above it, the second floor will be expanding seating space for snow sliders who are taking a break in between laps, with an open layout and glass and wood finishes that match and blend with the rest of the lodge’s aesthetic. There is far more to a ski area than what is found within the walls of a lodge, however. Arguably, the most important experience a fledgling skier and rider can have is their very first one sliding on snow. While the trees were green and sky blue, a brand new beginner’s learning area was put in at the top of Belleayre, near the Catskill Thunder Gondola. Featuring a wide open space and mellow grade for the first timers to get introduced to gliding on snow along with a covered carpet lift, this new location for a learning area will allow Belleayre to have such terrain available for a more expanded portion of the season. Traditionally, most beginner terrain is located at the bottom of a mountain, where it is much warmer and more difficult for snowmaking. Most often, it is one of the last bits of terrain that doesn’t open until the season is well underway, and one of the first to close when the calendar has the month of March on it. This new addition that will supplement the existing learning terrain will allow for a longer time window to get those proverbial wings to grow for that new skier or rider. Plus, those newcomers will be treated along with their more experienced counterparts to those classic mountaintop views that Belleayre is known for.

The past several years have been more or less a renaissance for the ski area, especially as Belleayre has become known for the best conditions in the region, even when mother nature gives her worst. A doubling down on snowmaking improvements make the mountain stand alone, and the efforts push on this winter, as Belleayre will be utilizing 30,000 feet of brand new snowmaking pipe that was installed this past summer. Any skier or rider who has visited Belleayre has likely taken a run down their famed racing trail, Dot Nebel. In addition to getting a piece of that grand number of new snowmaking pipe, the trail is getting 20 brand new, fully automated SMI Super Polecat fan guns. Guests got a taste last winter of what they can do, with a few that were installed in the Discovery Lodge base area. They are among the cutting edge of energy efficient snowmaking technology, able to turn themselves on and off automatically when temperatures and humidity line up. As conditions change, they are able to fine tune themselves, creating the most efficient output of snow, making amazing coverage on wide open spaces such as the Dot Nebel trail.

Between a renovated lodge, brand new learning area, and continued improvements to snowmaking infrastructure, Belleayre is going to be on the hit list for skiers and snowboarders of all kinds up and down the eastern seaboard. As part of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, Belleayre is able to have mul- tiple ways to take in the wintry wonderland just 2.5 hours north of the capital of the world. Or as they like to call it, “3 Ways to SKI3”.

Without a doubt, the most value-driven option for getting on the slopes are the Season Passes. These passes are for the dedicated skier and rider looking to get unlimited, anytime access to the mountain! They come in a wide variety of options, from Belleayre-only passes, midweek-only, to full SKI3 access, giving you the flexibility to also get unlimited days at sisters Gore and Whiteface in the Adirondacks. Laying in the middle is the Frequent Skier Card. If you plan to visit a couple times while the snow is flying but not enough to warrant getting a full Season Pass, then what’s also called a “FSC” could be a great option. Guests can get 50% off midweek non-holiday tickets, and 25% off weekend and holiday tickets, with the added flexibility of being able to use it between all three ORDA mountains. Of course, you cannot leave out the humble, classic lift ticket. Typically single-use for anywhere between one and five days, they can be reloaded for any future visits down the line! They are the perfect option for someone planning a one-off trip, and are cheapest when purchased online in advance.

As the birds begin to fly their way south, Belleayre Mountain is preparing to take flight of its own. Winter 2024/25 is just about underway, and cold snow will be falling from the sky, ready to serve host to the warmest of memories you are about to create. Visit belleayre.com for more information