By:SUSAN LIN
"It always amazes me," said expert skier Tony Lanza, "that people prefer to go skiing in January and February when it's 16 degrees below zero."
Lanza is also assistant superintendent of Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, N.Y., which is about 150 miles north of the South Shore and the closest major ski resort.
"If I could take only 10 days to ski, because I live in New York or Long Island, all ten days I'd pick in March," said Lanza.
On the Island, folks might already be donning their spring jackets, looking forward to warmer weather, but insiders at the ski resorts upstate know that the early spring is the best time to go skiing. The temperature is about 40 to 45 degrees on the slopes, and snow accumulation has reached its peak. Late last week, Lanza reported a 40- to 115-inch base of snow at Belleayre.
Although "post-season" or spring skiing is favored by many every year, the 2001 season offers an additional perk: natural snow. Mother Nature added 143 inches of snow on Belleayre this past winter, well over the average of 100 inches in a good season.
For those with a bit of purist in them, natural snow is more enjoyable to ski on than machine-made show.
Another advantage of natural snow, said Lanza, is the opportunity to ski in 12 inches of powder. Snow machines, though they've made great strides since the "crushed-ice" days of the 1980s, can't churn out 12 inches of snow at once, said Lanza. And, as most know, snow is only fluffy for a time.
Most of the slopes at Belleayre Mountain -- except for a few of the double Black Diamond routes -- are "groomed," plowed smooth and then tilled, each day. Without frequent grooming, said Lanza, the slopes would become too choppy for the tastes of some skiers.
To take advantage of natural powdered snow, then, one would have to go skiing right after a major snowstorm. All others would have to settle for the packed-down, though still natural, snow.
For those interested in this year's opportunity to ski in the natural way, Lanza offers some suggestions to improve your day trip to Belleayre. For one, try to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds. On the weekend of March 10-11, said Lanza, they had 3,500 visitors each day. But then on the Monday right after, there were 600 skiers.
For those who work and can't take time off, Lanza said that Belleayre would be your best option. "We're very spread out. The mountain does come down to one central place. That's how you get congestion. We have four separate [bases], which absorbs crowds a lot easier."
Once there, Lanza suggests Roaring Brook for those looking for a low-intermediate scenic route. The route takes sports enthusiasts to the highest skiable peak in the Catskills, at 3,429 feet, and on the way down, they pass Hemlock and several varieties of hardwood trees, including cherry, all native to the Catskills. At places, skiers can also catch a glimpse of the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts, as well as local peaks at Hunter and Balsa mountains.
Those out for a challenge might try Cathedral Brook, which also takes you to the top of the mountain. The difference is coming back down, which includes a 1,000-foot vertical drop as well as 3-to-4-foot moguls. The snow is also "never groomed," said Lanza. It's all natural.
To arrive there, one would also have to take the "Beast of Belleayre," a converted army tank that picks you up from the top of the mountain, and takes you to the Glen area, where Cathedral Brook begins.
"I was just there," said Lanza, who skied Cathedral Brook that morning. "We skied off the trail through the woods to get down faster."
Skiing at Belleayre Mountain
Highmount, N.Y. (845) 254-5600
Post-season lift tickets: $27 weekends, $24 weekdays
Skis, boots, and poles: $20, full day.
Snowboard with boots: $30, full day.
