Ski Weekends
Family-friendly
Mount Peter, Warwick, NY
Slope scene: On the plus side, 1,220-foot Mount Peter is probably one of the lesser-known, less-crowded slopes in the area. On the downside, experienced skiers will quickly bore of the handful of short, not particularly challenging trails serviced by three lifts. For beginners and families, however, this is the place. The slopes and lodge are packed with young kids.
Robert Shaw and his daughter Kayla, 8, of Highland Mills, NY, ski about once a week. “It’s clean, it’s family-friendly, the staff is great,” Shaw says. “It’s less crowded, so I don’t have to worry about her getting hit.”
Snow machines keep the hills covered, and snowboarders can navigate a terrain park with jumps and rails.
Lodge lounging: The Sunrise Lodge at the bottom of the hill is stocked with simple picnic tables jammed with small children enjoying snacks. Facilities are pretty basic.
Ski snacks: The canteen offers a modestselection of fast food — including hamburgers ($4.25), french fries ($4.25) and fountain drinks ($2.25) — that barely rise to the quality level of the average suburban pool’s snack bar. Best to bring your own lunch.
Drive time: Mount Peter is about an hour’s drive from New York City. Or take New Jersey Transit to Warwick. Requires a 10-minute walk uphill, which might be difficult with equipment.
Info: Mount Peter, 40 Ski Lane, Warwick, NY; 845-986-4940. Single-day lift ticket, adults: $40, weekends and holidays; $20, weekdays (skiers 4 years and younger, 70 years and older, free!). Lessons and rentals also available.
— Reed Tucker
Berkshire Blast
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Hancock, Mass.
Slope scene: Move over, newbies. Jiminy Peak has two mid-mountain lifts to whisk you to the summit (2,380-foot elevation) for quick runs without the hassle of jostling with novices at the base. There’s also a better mix of terrain on this Berkshire spot’s 45 trails than you’d find in the Catskills or Poconos. A New England vibe prevails on the relaxed, family-friendly slopes, which are dotted with wind turbines that help to fuel the resort. There’s snow-making, night-skiing and three terrain parks, too.
Lodge lounging: There’s a cute little village at the base. Take a coffee break outside of JJ’s Lodge, where you can nab a perch by the large outdoor firepit or at a table with an electric heater — all with mountain views. Après-ski, head to Christiansen’s Tavern — a k a the “Round House” — for a bustling bar scene and woodsy décor (check out the lift chair hanging from the circular ceiling).
Ski snacks: Hendrick’s Summit Lodge offers a toasty fire and warming bowls of chili topped with onions and cheese ($5.75). No bar, but beer is available.
Drive time: Just under three hours.
Info: 37 Corey Road, Hancock, Mass.; 413-738-5500. Lift tickets are $54 for four hours, $58 for eight (add $8 on holidays), with ski or snowboard rentals another $39. Look for discounts at liftopia.com.
— Carla Spartos
Newbies delight
Camelback Mountain Resort, Tannersville, Pa.
Slope scene: Speed demons and daredevils, this isn’t the place for you, though there are a few steep black-diamond trails. Camelback Mountain is only about 900 feet high, but long, gentle runs winding along the side of the mountain for up to a mile make for an easygoing ski experience for intermediates and newcomers, roughly divided 50-50 between skiers and boarders. And the backyard-grade bunny slope — jammed with first-timers, from carefree toddlers to nervous New York control freaks — is a relatively stress-free starting point for the absolute beginner.
I should know: That’s where I first strapped on skis and headed downhill, a few years ago, at age 35. (If you look carefully, you can probably still spot an image of my face planted in the base of the hill).
Camelback gets crowded, especially in the late morning. But behind the Sunbowl Lodge to the left of the property, there are no lines. Trails are lit and open till 10 p.m.
Lodge lounging: The lodges are clean and well-maintained, if basic in their furnishings. Take a break at the lodge at the middle of the peak — the Top o’ the Mountain Cafe, where a standard burger or hot cocoa comes with a stunning vista of the trails below.
Ski snacks: Down at the base, an easy-going family atmosphere prevails, and the food is better than you’d expect. The Glen Lodge Smokehouse features smoked chicken ($11) and ribs ($16), the Big Pocono family lodge offers Asian wok choices daily and the East Side Bistro features a carving station with hot sandwiches and soups. At about 4 p.m., the separate Thirsty Camel bar area starts to fill up with rosy-cheeked snow bunnies winding down for the day, and on weekends bands, ranging from dueling pianos to standard rock cover acts, get the party started.
Drive time: About an hour and 40 minutes from the West Side; ovrride.com offers bus trips to Camelback and other ski resorts from the city.
Info: 1 Camelback Road, Tannersville, Pa.; 800-233-8100. skicamelback.com. Adult lift tickets: $51 weekdays, $61 weekends (pick up discount coupons at local fast-food franchises such as Subway or Taco Bell).
— Kyle Smith
Secret slopes
Belleayre Mountain, Highmount, NY
Slope scene: This old-fashioned ski spot is right out of an old flick like “White Christmas,” right down to the rustic ski lodge’s hand-hewn logs.
A big hit with New Yorkers seeking to avoid the more crowded resorts, this 3,400-foot Catskills mountain — with 55 trails — is a hidden gem for skiers of all levels. “It’s close, convenient and well-kept,” says Joe Caracciolo, 57, of Astoria, here for the fifth time this season with his son, Nicholas, 13.
Nicely groomed trails include Dot Nebel — a solid intermediate run Nicholas calls his favorite, enthusing, “I like to go fast there!”
The mountain, which boasts the state’s first chairlift (now retired), has run continuously since 1950.
“I learned how to ski here,” says Tom Woods, of Teaneck, NJ. The 66- year-old part-time ski instructor has skied here every season since 1965.
Lodge lounging: The wood-burning smell from the cozy fireplace adds to the old-timey atmosphere, but just steps away is a bustling bar scene — with a DJ spinning classic rock.
Ski snacks: The Overlook Lodge is your one-stop shop for food and drink, with a carving-board station for hearty sandwiches (the “Belleayre Run,” a classic roast beef, hits the spot at $10.75). And to drink, a Zywiec pint ($8) and the Girl Scout Cookie — mint, Kahlua, hot cocoa and whipped cream ($7.50) — are quenching.
Drive time: About two hours from the George Washington Bridge. Package deals from Adirondack Trailways Ski Bus at Port Authority, $91, Friday through Monday.
Info: Highmount, NY; 845-254-5600, belleayre.com. Group and private lessons, including an all-ages one-hour group session for $30. Adult lift tickets: $47 weekdays; $59 weekends/holidays.
— Doree Lewak
High & mighty
Hunter Mountain, Hunter, NY
Slope scene: With its nine challenging double-black diamond trails and the largest lift in the state — whisking riders to the 3,200-foot-high summit in eight minutes — Hunter attracts those looking for thrills. “[Hunter’s] slope offers the most adventure and the most vertical drop,” says Joseph Bill, 50, a contractor and self-described “expert skier” who lives in Queens, and rents a house near the mountain for the season.
But there’s also plenty for families and beginners. A 33,000-square-foot dedicated learning center features its own lift ticket sales, snack bar, equipment rentals and ski shop. The lower mountain — “Hunter One” — has a variety of bunny trails to keep beginners busy. Fort Lee, NJ, mom Jinal Jhuberi, who recently enrolled her 6-year-old twins in the ski school, is impressed by the “very good staff” and the “neat and clean” facilities.
I was impressed with the semi-private snowboarding lesson for adults. I took. Instructor Courtney Byles, a 30-something Manhattanite whose day job is in financial services, was thorough and patient, offering tips from how best to lace up our boots to mastering toe-side turns.
Lodge lounging: Regulars belly up to the delightfully divey bar at the center of the main lodge, and, on a recent Sunday, a LivingSocial package deal inspired busloads of 20- and 30-something New Yorkers to hit Hunter. The scene is still family-friendly, but with the learning center set apart, kids don’t dominate the main building.
Ski snacks: Hunter is famous for its Belgian waffles ($4.50, with cinnamon and sugar) and beef chili ($6.25). There’s a small lodge atop the summit with basic offerings like sandwiches ($3.50 to $7.50) and soups ($6) — but no booze.
Drive time: Less than three hours from Midtown. Check huntermtn.com for the many bus package deals from Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Info: 7740 Main St., Hunter, NY; 518-263-4223; huntermtn.com. Single- day adult lift ticket, $70 weekends and holidays; $60 weekdays.
— Hailey Eber