# Hunter Vs. Windham



## snowboarder05 (Dec 10, 2007)

Great Mountains, Which tops who and why?


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## dmc (Dec 10, 2007)

Hunter is more challenging - more advance terrain...
Windham is mellower...  Less hectic...
Windham has a nicer lodge...


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## mattchuck2 (Dec 10, 2007)

Hunter . . .

Windham is boring


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## MarkC (Dec 10, 2007)

Windham does have the nicer lodge but i get that sterile hospital feeling when I am there.  I would much rather be at hunter on the trails or in the lodge.


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## dmc (Dec 10, 2007)

MarkC said:


> Windham does have the nicer lodge but i get that sterile hospital feeling when I am there.  I would much rather be at hunter on the trails or in the lodge.



So the lodge is clean... thats a good thing for some people...


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## millerm277 (Dec 10, 2007)

For experts: Hunter
For Intermediates: Windham
For beginners: Hunter


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## rjc1976 (Dec 10, 2007)

millerm277 said:


> For experts: Hunter
> For Intermediates: Windham
> For beginners: Hunter



Bingo!  I 100% agree this, however I'll elborate a little.

Beginners: I have brought several people to Hunter over the past few years to learn to ski/snowboard, and it really is a top notch learning facility and learning program for beginners.  Last year, I had 3 friends take lessons at Hunter, and then the following week we went to Killington, where they also took lessons.  All 3 said the learning experience was much better at Hunter by a long shot.  It's not just the better facilities that make Hunter great for learning, but the better instruction methods as well.  That said, Windham is pretty good for beginners too.

Intermediate:  This isn't even a contest.  Windham wins hands down.  There are tons of blue and black cruisers for the intermediates.  I consider Windham to be the Catskills version of Okemo.  What little doublebacks they have are short and really should be rated single blacks.  Hunter on the other hand has Belt Parkway.  It's not that it's bad trail, but it gets very crowded because it's the only real blue trail off the top of the mountain.  The trails from mid-station are nice in my opinion, but when I tell intermediates to take the triple up to mid-station, they always complain that the runs are so short.

Expert:  The west side is longest collection of steep trails between northern VT and the rockies.  I believe lower k27 is rated at 37 degrees at the top, and there are a good amount of mogul trails.  Windham can't even come close.


So the answer to your question is -- It depends on the individual.  My opinion is that Windham is the better mountain for the average person.  For me, I like both, but on most days I'll choose to take Hunter over Windham.


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## andyzee (Dec 10, 2007)

Plattekill.


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## ta&idaho (Dec 10, 2007)

They're offering a pretty cheap way to see for yourself.  $119 for two days at each mountain: http://www.huntermtn.com/huntermtn/info/news/news.news4.detail.aspx.


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## nycskier (Dec 10, 2007)

So far I agree with everything that's been said here. 

And Andyzee is so right, Plattekill rocks!


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## gladerider (Dec 10, 2007)

i like the bar at hunter better


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## MarkC (Dec 10, 2007)

andyzee said:


> Plattekill.



Great answer.  So when it the Plattekill AZ gathering?


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Dec 10, 2007)

snowboarder05 said:


> Great Mountains, Which tops who and why?





Windham for intermediates, hunter for advanced skiers..


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## JimG. (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow.

I have nothing to add.


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## YardSaleDad (Dec 11, 2007)

gladerider said:


> i like the bar at hunter better



I like the bar at Plattekill.


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## Eski (Dec 11, 2007)

looking forward to scoring a freebie ticket to Windham so I can judge for myself


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## thinnmann (Dec 11, 2007)

nycskier said:


> Plattekill rocks!



...ya gotta ski around 'em...


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## catskills (Dec 12, 2007)

Last year I talked 8 friends from work to go to Windham.  Our groups use to go to both Windham and Hunter every year midweek and take a vacation day.  The last few years we have just been going to Hunter.  After all Windham has two high speed quads now.  Our group consisted of mostly advanced intermediates and a few weaker intermediates that like to stay on groomers.  The group mostly skis and boards single diamond groomed runs.    Probably typical for friends from work group.  After the first few runs at Windham, it was very obvious right away that Windham did not lower tiller on the grooming machine very deep, hence the midweek March trails got real slick and hard hard pack by about 11am.  Mogul runs had not seen any snowmaking for a long time.  I was at Hunter a number of times the week before and after and they lower their tillers on the groomers deeper than Windham. Both Hunter and Belleayre will dust the mogul runs with some man made snow that time of year.  Windham had a water break that flooded the Cafeteria around 11am.  The new high speed quad was extremely difficult to load on because four people had to make a quick 90 degree turn in the line right before loading.   Everyone in our group was not impressed with the new ownership and management decisions at Windham.  Sorry I don't like to be negative but hopefully someone from Windham will read this and step it up a notch this season.  I do like the Windham ski area and will be back but it may be awhile before I can convince my coworkers to give Windham another try.  That said the two high speed quads are very cool.


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## JimG. (Dec 12, 2007)

Eski said:


> looking forward to scoring a freebie ticket to Windham so I can judge for myself



Ed, are you planning on doing some skiing at Hunter tomorrow or Friday?

I'll be there both days, would enjoy skiing with you some.


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## Eski (Dec 12, 2007)

JimG. said:


> Ed, are you planning on doing some skiing at Hunter tomorrow or Friday?
> 
> I'll be there both days, would enjoy skiing with you some.



yes ... yes ... cool, and I would also ... will see you out there


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## SKIQUATTRO (Dec 12, 2007)

Hunter: Midweek
Windham: Weekends


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## Hawkshot99 (Dec 12, 2007)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> Hunter: Midweek
> Windham: Weekends



Disagree entirely.  Hunter anytime.

Lets put it this way.  I can ski either mountain for free and will choose HUnter every time over Windham, unless their is something special going on at Windham, such as a demo day or the pond skimming that happened last spring.

Driving time are withing 5-10 mins of each other for me, so it's not that.


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## JimG. (Dec 12, 2007)

Eski said:


> yes ... yes ... cool, and I would also ... will see you out there



See you tomorrow.


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## catskills (Dec 13, 2007)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> Hunter: Midweek
> Windham: Weekends


Hunter: Midweek, 
Belleayre: Weekend or Midweek
Plattekill: Weekend, Fridays and powder daze
Windham: Weekend or Midweek

Nobody skis Hunter on a weekend anymore its too crowded :blink:

Note if it snows between 5pm and 9pm, don't expect to put down fresh tracks at Windham the next morning.


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