Is Hunter better than Windham?

[BCBSNOBBSkier]

I can't decide to go to Hunter or Windham. Windham has more acreage but fewer trails. Windham has 2 high speed lifts, hunter has one. Hunter seems to have only one part of the mountain with 1,600 vertical, Windham seems to have more consistent vertical. I have also heard better things about Windham, lesss crowds and such. Is there any reason to go to Hunter and not Windham?

[Glenn]

Can one mountain really be better than another?

[racer139]

I've skied both a few times each year and generally I think Hunter has better snow conditions, but Windham is a way nicer facility with nicer people (customers and employees). Windham does have two high speeds, they go to different peaks which is good to spread the crowds out. Hunter has more mid-mountain access which also spreads the crowds. They really are two different style mountains. I guess for me it comes down to the fact that the whole experience seems better at Windham.

 

One Windham negative, they sometimes are a little overoptimistic about the conditions. "top to bottom" early season skiing can mean a trail that is so narrow it looks like it was squeezed from a toothpaste tube. Hunter has a definite early season advantage in that they can blow just the top of the mountain and then down lift you back to the base.

[BCBSNOBBSkier]

Thanks, Hunter seems almost a little....Mountain Creekish, where Windham kinda sounds like a big version of Sno, with quick lifts.

[julz m]

i thought the debate was between Camelback and Sno????

[BCBSNOBBSkier]

It was but my ride will agreed to drive me just a little furthur so now im trying to decide between these 2

[millerm277]

Hunter is great for Experts and Beginners. Intermediates should go to Windham.

 

Pros-

 

-They have the best snowmaking by a huge margin over anywhere else. Both in concentrated firepower, and in terms of how much of the mountain they can blow snow on at once, I have seen trails go from bare to open edge-to-edge in less than a day.

-K-27, Clair's, 44, and Annapurna, are "real" double-diamond trails.

-They typically have good bump runs in addition to groomers.

-Mountain faces all directions, so a really sunny day or a really cold day, doesn't mean that everything is soft or solid.

 

Cons-

 

-Susceptible to wind.

-The West Side lift is sloww.

 

Other stuff:

 

-The people are NOT like at Mountain Creek. Probably more along the lines of the same crowd you'd find at Killington. The mountain has a bit of an odd layout, but it'll grow on you quickly. The West Side has plenty of vert, ski it and you certainly won't be complaining that the runs are too short.

 

-The lodge is old, but other than the bathrooms being a bit of a walk, seems fine to me. Then again, I'm not really too concerned about it, the food is pretty good and there's plenty of room to sit, which is all I care about. The learning center lodge is very nice, and also has good food. Summit lodge has snacks and soup, and is a really neat building, although it looks like crap from the outside. Nice (real) fireplaces and stuff, lots of historical equipment on the walls.

 

-I don't know about their park, but considering they lined both of them with around 40 new guns this year, in addition to what was already there, I think you can expect something good out of it this year.

 

-There are really not that much in crowds anymore. You will never see a liftline on a weekday, or before Christmas, and on the weekend they're not very long either.

 

-Hellgate and Belt Parkway are the only two trails that ever see "too much" traffic.

 

Edit: Since you're from Sno....if you spend most of your time skiing off the Phoebe Snow, you'll be fine at Hunter.

Edited November 17, 2008 by millerm277

[BCBSNOBBSkier]

So hunter seems to be coming out ahead, how do you define intermediate, pocono intermediates or like, real intermediate....?

[millerm277]

So hunter seems to be coming out ahead, how do you define intermediate, pocono intermediates or like, real intermediate....?

 

Real intermediate. Obviously, depends on the area....since you say you ski Sno, if you are comfortable on the all the lower mountain trails (not necessarily White Lightening), you are good enough to enjoy yourself at Hunter I'd say.

 

 

Guns started to fire up on Hellgate this morning there, I'd guess that it will probably expand to the entire rest of Hellgate>Broadway>Kennedy, and Belt Pkwy>5th Ave by tomorrow morning.

Edited November 17, 2008 by millerm277

[millerm277]

I definitely would not call Annapurna a real double diamond run..lol..maybe an easy black by east coast standards..

 

Bumped, or not bumped? It almost never sees a groomer.

[Glenn]

Food at hunter was some of the worst resort food I've had. If I recall it was even at the pricey end of resort food. I've only been there early and late season, so I've only been on a handful of trails all off of the main quad at the base area. Almost all the steep stuff was bumped. As far as crowds go, everywhere is a mess early in the season, so my experiences reflect that. The spring trips I've taken there were not as crowded, but I never had a trail to myself. Lot's of out of control skiers, but that goes without saying.

 

I've been to Windham once and it was their opening day. There was 1 top to bottom trail, with some options on the first 1/4 of the way down. It was crappy snow, and the place was a zoo. Overall the crowd seemed significantly tamer, but I had a run in with a NJ race team member. I'd say the skill level of skiers was slightly better at Hunter with lots of people getting in over their heads. At windham the skill level wasn't their but it's a more conservative crowd.

 

Parks at both mountains consisted of a small handful of haphazardly chucked in the snow with small hand made lips. This is going back 3 years or so now, and again only reflects the extreme beginning and end of the season.

 

Personally, I prefer Belleayre, but it looks like they may be having some issues this year.

[millerm277]

Personally, I prefer Belleayre, but it looks like they may be having some issues this year.

 

NYS Budget cut. I believe their operations are going to be pretty significantly curtailed. (Less snowmaking, less lift operations.)

[millerm277]

Hunter and Windham are loving that..

 

Definitely. Personal opinion, but I like it. More people=more money=maybe I'll see the West Side expansion in the next 10 years.

 

Anyway, rumor has it that Hunter will have 10+ Trails for opening day on saturday. (Figure 3-5 completely separate routes down the mountain). My guesses would be: Hellgate, Broadway, Kennedy, Belt Pkwy, 5th Ave, 7th Ave, Minya Konka, Lower Crossover, Ike, and East Side drive. (Assuming 10 trails).