Windham, NY 03/30/11

I had a few days off before starting a new job, so I headed up to Windham for what looked like perfect spring conditions, and that's what I got.



As has been reported here, it's been a cold late March in the East and legitimate spring days haven't been that plentiful, but Wednesday couldn't have been better: cloudless skies, soft sugar from top to bottom, and a deserted mountain.




Even the natural snow trails were covered edge to edge. Those aren't snow guns on the left side, but bent-over birch trees from a recent ice storm:


Lunch was nice and relaxed:


During the afternoon, I moved over to the East Peak, which was skiing even better than the main slopes:


I wrapped things up with an excellent happy hour at Cave Mountain Brewing Company. FYI, Cave Mountain was the hill's original name before they changed it to Windham.


With two HSQs, I really piled up the 1,400-ish vertical runs. No one talks much about Windham on the internet because it's mainly a cruiser hill, but the resort does a nice job delivering what its clientele wants. And on a day like that, high-speed velvety groomers worked for me.

Been a million years since I went there..wonder if its changed..I used to like the seperate slopes..on the left I think...had one of the best east coast powder dumps there 14 years ago..too bad I sucked and couldn't even make it down a green run then...dumped so much they had to groom it in the middle of the day!

jamesdeluxe":gbk87tdc said:

With two HSQs, I really piled up the 1,400-ish vertical runs. No one talks much about Windham on the internet because it's mainly a cruiser hill, but the resort does a nice job delivering what its clientele wants. And on a day like that, high-speed velvety groomers worked for me.

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What? HSDQs and no surface lifts. Obviously it lacks authenticity and soul. Why would anyone want to ski there? It can't possibly be worth the price. :wink:

kingslug":19bjokqg said:

Been a million years since I went there..wonder if its changed.

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If you haven't been there in ten or more years, the main on-mountain changes are: piles of snowmaking, a new lodge, and a HSQ quad on East Peak with new trails that allow you to go back and forth between the two terrain sectors easily.

Marc_C":19bjokqg said:

Obviously it lacks authenticity and soul. :wink:

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All roads lead to Manitoba.

The only reason I stopped going there..as well as why I pretty much stopped going to belleayre was the way the terrain is laid out..steep but short runs at the top..then not much else...

Spent 2 days at Windham this March. I think the place is whiter than whitebread. I found most of the trails to be wide and straight, which IMHO is kind of boring. Trails should twist and roll and move with the contours of the mountain. There is a short "headwall" if you will to looker's right of a couple of hundred feet and then perhaps the king of all runouts for the other 1000'. The East peak runs have a better fall-line. Not sure how the woods ski at Windham, but the trails bore me. Plus, I'd imagine the place must get mobbed mid-season.

marcski":3qez8o2k said:

I think the place is whiter than whitebread. I found most of the trails to be wide and straight, which IMHO is kind of boring.

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I'm not planning on buying a condo there. The snow was soft, the sun was warm, the lifts were fast, and no one was there -- that worked for me.

jamesdeluxe":3nu38bk1 said:

marcski":3nu38bk1 said:

I think the place is whiter than whitebread. I found most of the trails to be wide and straight, which IMHO is kind of boring.

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I'm not planning on buying a condo there. The snow was soft, the sun was warm, the lifts were fast, and no one was there -- that worked for me.

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Oh, I understand....it serves it purpose. Like I said, I only went there the last couple of weekends in March with my girls because I found some really cheap tickets and wanted to take my girls somewhere new and different to excite and entice them even more. Not that I need to, you should have seen them in the woods with me this weekend at Plattekill!!!