From the November 2005 issue

Belleayre Mountain Ski Center Improvements

The new Lift Line trail used the
space under the Tomahawk Lift

Belleayre Mountain Ski Center has seen a number of recent improvements that will be welcomed by snow sports enthusiasts, especially those who are more accomplished. Two new glade runs and a new double-diamond trail will test the skills of advanced skiers and riders this coming winter and provide access to areas that were previously out of bounds. The glades are located on the upper mountain between Belleayre Run and Wannatuska, Winnisook and Tongora. The new trail, called Lift Line, uses the space under the Tomahawk Lift.

Ski Clinics

Jim Cardenali Ski Camp returns to Belleayre Mountain with an extended schedule of two-day clinics. The Ski Camp staff of international experts focuses on fun without intimidation. Clinics are scheduled every month from December through March 2006, and advance registration is required.

Ski Racing

The Reliable Racing Carving Skill Park comes to Belleayre Mountain and will be the first of its kind on the East Coast. This non-competitive, timed course is designed to accelerate the learning curve and increase carving abilities of skiers at all levels. The course is free to skiers and riders, and the timer feature allows participants to judge their own improvement.

High-Speed Chairlift

Thanks in large part to support from Senator John Bonacic, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center has a new $3.1 million Dopplemeyr high-speed quad chairlift. Installation of the new chair lift will begin April 1, 2006, and it will be operational for the late 2006/early 2007 snowsports season.

The unique alliance among state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, the Belleayre Region Lodging and Tourism Association and The Belleayre Conservatory has fostered consistent and dramatic growth in an industry that has otherwise shown flat-line growth during the past several years. Skier visits to Belleayre increased from 71,000 seven years ago to nearly 180,000 last winter, and the summer draw to the Belleayre Music Festival has made the region a year-round resort destination.

The addition of the new high-speed chairlift will mean increased comfort and time saved for skiers and riders, translating into more on-snow time. The ride to the top of the mountain will be reduced from 13 minutes to 5 minutes. To help allay the fears of more nervous skiers, the chairlift will move very slowly during loading, speed up for the ascent and slow down again for unloading.

Affordable Skiing

Ski trail at Belleayre

Belleayre Mountain continues to be a leader in the industry for affordable skiing, with a variety of special deals. Skiers and riders ski free on their birthdays, and a special formula allows those with warm-weather birthdays to celebrate them in winter. One Friday a month is designated "Skier Appreciation Day," when lift tickets are only $15. Winter Festival Week, January 21-29, offers weekday lift tickets for only $10. During this week, special apres ski activities will be held each night in the towns of Phoenicia, Pine Hill, Fleischmanns, Margaretville and Andes, in addition to special on-mountain events.

Close to Home

High gas prices make it even more sensible to "take a closer peak" and visit Belleayre Mountain this winter. Round trip, Belleayre is less than a tank of gas away from many localities. Accommodations are available through the Belleayre Region Lodging and Tourism Association, and "Ski Free/Stay Free" packages are available for families with children 12 and under. For further information, please use the link below to visit Belleayre's Website.