Belleayre Ski Center

Belleayre Ski Center
Location Fleischmanns, New York
Nearest city Kingston, New York
Coordinates 42°8′31.97″N 74°30′38.8″W / 42.1422139°N 74.510778°W / 42.1422139; -74.510778 (Belleayre Ski Center)
Vertical 427.9 m (1,403.9 ft)
Top elevation 1,045.2 m (3,429.1 ft)
Base elevation 617 m (2,024.3 ft)
Skiable area 0.7 km2 (173.0 acres)
Runs 52
Longest run 3.66 km (2.3 mi)
Lift system 5 chairlifts; 3 tows
Lift capacity 10,980 skiers/hr
Terrain parks 3
Snowfall 358.14 cm (141.0 in)
Snowmaking 96% of terrain
Night skiing no
Website http://www.belleayre.com

Belleayre Ski Center, in Catskill Park, New York, United States, is a ski resort owned and operated by the Olympic Regional Development Authority or ORDA. Skier and snowboarder visits have grown from 70,000 in 1995 to more than 175,000 in 2007.

History

During the 1800s, Catskill and Adirondack deforestation had created massive siltation of New York City harbor and imperiled shipping up the Hudson River. In 1855 New York became one of the first states to create constitutionally-designated "Forever Wild" preserves to prevent environmental and economic harms, to create a desperately needed water supply for New York City. In 1947, the people of New York passed a constitutional amendment by referendum to allow an intensive use ski center within this protected forever wild region.[1]

Belleayre Mountain, located off State Route 28, 2-1/2 hours from New York City, was declared "Forever Wild" by the New York State Forest Preserve in 1885. Early on, skiers would side-step or hike their way more than 3,000 feet to the top of the wooded trails. Skiing enthusiasts in the 1940s pressured politicians to develop Belleayre for families and extreme skiers alike. In 1947, bills were introduced allowing the State of New York to create Belleayre Mountain.

Construction began in 1949, and Belleayre began its premier winter season with five trails, an electrically powered rope tow, New York’s first chairlift, a summit lodge, a temporary base lodge with a cafeteria and dirt floors, and parking for 300. Belleayre was immediately popular among local residents and became center for winter sports in the region and an economic catalyst for surrounding communities. As business increased, Belleayre expanded its skiing terrain, adding 12 new trails, 3 lifts, and a new base lodge in the 1950s. Major expansions and technology and equipment upgrades continued in the following decades. The 1970s included the addition of snow making technology.

As of 2012, Belleayre has 55 trails, parks and glades and 8 lifts, including a High Speed Quad. It also has the Catskills' only Cat-access skiing. In November 2012, the resort was transferred from the NYS DEC to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). ORDA also operates Gore and Whiteface Mountain ski resorts.

Trails and glades

Name of trail Rating
Catawba Pass
Chief's Cut
Chinook
Dakota
Discovery Way
Easy In
Easy Out
Huron
Iroquois
Mohican
Oneida
Running Bear
The Canyon Top
Name of trail Rating
Algonquin
Ashokan
Belleayre Run
Cayuga
Cathedral Brook
Deer Run
Dot Nebel
Eagle Falls
Esopus
Expressway
Horseshoe Pass
Mohawk
Onondaga
Peekamoose
Pepacton
Ridge Trail
Roaring Brook
Seneca
The Canyon
Tomahawk Crossing
Tongora
Wanatuska
Winnisook Bottom
Yahoo
Name of trail Rating
Algonquin Top
Belleayre Run Top
Dot Nebel
Mohawk Top
Onteora
Peekamoose Top
Tuscarora
Wanatuska Top
Winnisook Top
Name of trail Rating
Cathedral Brook
Onteora Top
Seneca Top
Tongora Top
Utsayantha
Yahoo Top
Chippewa Glade
Glen Glade
Belleayre Glades
Lift Line Glade
Winnisook Glade
Area 51 Park
Rail Park

Cross country trails

Belleayre Mountain cross country trails are separated from the downhill slopes. Cross-country trails have no trail use fee. Lessons for cross-country are available on weekends and holiday periods. There are 5 cross-country trails at Belleayre Mountain totaling 9.2 kilometers. Trail markings range from easy to difficult to accommodate all ability levels of cross-country skiers.

Name of trail Rating Length/Miles Length/KM
A 1.5 2.4
AA 0.7 1.0
H 1.1 1.8
HH 1.5 2.3
J 1.5 2.5

Lifts

Lift Name Type Length Vertical Cap./Hour
Chair 1 Double Chair 3,792 479 1,200
Chair 2 Double Chair 3,792 479 1,200
Little Creek Tow 3 Handle Tow 725 98 540
Skiwee Tow 4 Handle Tow 725 115 540
Handle Tow 5 Handle Tow 400 40 540
Superchief 6 Detachable Quad 4,866 1,133 2,400
Triple Chair 7 Triple Chairlift 2,861 806 1,800
Tomahawk 8 Quad ChairLift 3,412 923 2,400

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, February 10, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.