Conditions Report
Hunter Mountain condition report from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6, 2025
As I approached the end of my most recent ski season, there was one fact that I was most proud to share– this season alone, I was able to visit 18 new ski areas across North America, bringing the total number of ski areas I have visited to 59. That variety of ski resorts is a lot and certainly more than even the most seasoned skiers will ever set eyes on in their entire life, yet there was a gaping hole in my current escapades: Vail.
As someone who is passionate about the ski industry and about visiting and trying out as many new ski resorts as possible, I realized for the first time that the last time I visited a Vail-owned and operated resort was back in 2019, and it was none other than Vail Mountain itself. Given this fact, I figured it was overdue that I pay a trip to a Vail resort, this time to a Northeast staple that is one of the closest to New York City– Hunter Mountain.
Quick Facts & History
- Date Opened: 1960
- Multi-Destination Pass: Epic Pass
- Number of Trails: 67
- Skiable Acres: 320
- Vertical Drop: 1,600′
- Base Elevation: 1,600′
- Summit Elevation: 3,200′
- Terrain Breakdown:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 45%
- Number of Lifts: 13
- Night Skiing: no
- Ownership: Vail Resorts
- Other Activities:
- tubing
Let me be clear in establishing this off the bat: I am not a Vail hater or lover. How could I be? It wouldn’t really be fair for me to form an opinion on the ski industry titan due to my lack of experience at its resorts in recent years. The reason I have failed to visit one for so long is not because I have been avoiding them but rather because the locations of its resorts have not paired nicely with where I have lived most of my life (Ontario and Southern California).
With all of this being said, let’s just say a lot was riding on this weekend’s visit to Hunter Mountain. How would they represent a company that has so many ideas, feelings, and reputations tied to it? The spring conditions were not going to make the job of them appearing fondly any easier.
One of the biggest sticking points I hear people point out when critiquing both Alterra and Vail Resorts is their ability to stay open late. For years, I have heard people complaining about how (insert corporate ski resort) closes early, and they are just doing it to save money. While I can’t speak to all ski resorts, I have never found a more dramatic opposition to such a statement in my skiing experience in comparison to Hunter Mountain this weekend.
We know the ‘Ice Coast’ doesn’t have the prettiest, most pleasant skiing, and for Hunter Mountain’s final weekend, they fully leaned into this notion. Brown spots on trails? No problem.
Narrow white ribbons of death that most skiers can’t handle? All good as long as you caution people and put the appropriate signage.
Only one trail is open on Hunter North with rocks throughout. Should we still spin our high-speed six-pack servicing a trail no one would blame Hunter for closing? There is enough snow on it so let’s let people ski it.
Not fully skiable trails that require you to walk down part of the way to return to snow? Go for it if you want!
https://youtube.com/shorts/5Nrc4rA2uSQ?feature=share
What Hunter Mountain showed me this weekend is that they were 100% all in for keeping the ski season going at any and all costs. There is a gap in pictures from what was a brutal Saturday of skiing. Heavy rain and hellbent winds shut down the entire upper mountain, yet they still had the Broadway six-pack running with 2 trails to ski. Even more to my surprise, when I went out for an hour in heavy rain and some of the windiest skiing I had ever experienced, I was joined by around 10 other people on the mountain.
All of these anecdotal experiences throughout the weekend showed how far this mountain has come in recent years. Without extensive investments in new snowmaking, skiing this weekend simply would not have been possible. Without the commitment from management to push the season as late as possible, you wouldn’t be running three high-speed six-packs on the last weekend of skiing. Without bringing back the Denim Dash Pond Skim, you would not have incentivized nearly as many people to show up in such limited conditions.
While I had never skied Hunter Mountain before this, it was evident that things were changing around here for the better, and the locals I talked to agreed.
I was impressed in a way a ski resort has never impressed me before, and I felt that Hunter Mountain shared my love and commitment to the sport that I have always wished all ski resorts had. If I owned and operated a ski area, this is exactly the mentality I would want to have in place.
Now, all of these are simply a single person’s observations from a weekend of skiing at one of 42 of Vail’s mountains, but these observations have made me have doubts about the status quo regarding Vail Resorts which is typically consumed online. Is Hunter Mountain learning something, is Vail learning something, or has it been like this all along? Only time will tell, but to truly find out, I’ll be eager to explore Hunter Mountain or another Vail Resort next season.
Ski Stats
Conditions
Weather
Photos
For more information on Hunter Mountain, visit their website here.
