Skiing Catamount Mountain (Day 38/Indy Day 30)

Skiing Catamount Mountain

Sunday, March 29th, 2026

Runs: 13

Distance: 11.27 miles

Elevation: 12,034 feet

Max Speed: 36.8 mph

Avg. Speed: 16.6 mph

Moving Time: 40 minutes, 42 seconds

Total Time: 2 hours, 38 minutes, 29 seconds

I had a wonderful hit-and-run trip to New Jersey, got my haircut, and was back on the road around 9:00am! I was between skiing Catamount and Berkshire East, and ultimately decided I'd ski Catamount since it would save over an hour of driving and I had more opportunites to possibly hike afterwards. I had no idea what the conditions would be like, but I saw at least one of their double blacks was open (I'd never skied any of them), so I made my choice! I made my Indy reservation before leaving, and I was off! 

I had a great, easy drive up, and the parking lot wasn't even half full when I arrived just before 11:30am. I first ran into the bathroom and got my pass for the day and then booted up at the car - it was so wonderfully quiet on the mountain, and coverage still looked decent (for snowmaking trails, that is). Classic spring - white ribbons bordered with brown woods.

Conditions Outlook

Sunday, March 29th

21 Open Trails Serviced by 2 Lifts (Ridge Quad & Meadows Triple) and 1 Carpet.

Mostly cloudy skies in the morning today before sun comes out in the afternoon; temperatures will increase throughout the day, starting in the 30s and getting up to close to 50s. Plenty of well-groomed trails are still open across the mountain. 

Our mountain ops crews are working hard to keep the conditions strong. 
Don't miss out on some of the last skiing of the sesaon!

Runs 1-5

Run 1: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Lower Sidewinder

[1.08 mi; 4:05; 1,004 ft; 28.9 mph max; 15.8 mph avg]

Run 2: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Shawenon

[0.86 mi; 3:13; 981 ft; 32.8 mph max; 16.0 mph avg]

Run 3: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Chute - Lower Alley Cat - On-Stage

[0.72 mi; 2:34; 978 ft; 26.8 mph max; 16.8 mph avg]

Run 4: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Chute - On-Stage

[0.77 mi; 2:38; 1,001 ft; 30.4 mph max; 17.6 mph avg]

Run 5: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Upper Glade - Lower Glade - On-Stage

[0.74 mi; 2:46; 1,001 ft; 31.0 mph max; 16.2 mph avg]

I decided I'd mostly ski looker's right to left and just see what was open! It looked like more trails were open than the online report said, which was exciting! I rode up the Ridge Quad almost exclusively, and only had to share it once out of my 13 runs. Run #1 was down Upper Sidewinder, which had a mixture of spring corn and uncarvable ice, down onto Upper Alley Cat, which was short, steep and fun, and then I cut-through to Lower Sidewinder, which was super fun and had some rollers that made me go "whee!'

Run #2 started the same and then went onto Shawenon, where I vividly remember going WAY too fast on my first season on the Indy Pass. This snow was delightfully fun and springy with just a few narrow spots to navigate. Run #3 followed Chute to Lower Alley Cat to On-Stage and some of my favorite snow of the day. #4 was Chute all the way to On-Stage, and #5 was Upper and Lower Glades to On-Stage. Really all of these runs were super fun to ski with that lovely spring snow - my only wish was that the upper bit on Upper Alley Cat was a little softer!

Runs 6-9

Run 6: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Catapult - On-Stage

[0.69 mi; 2:42; 945 ft; 26.8 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 7: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Christopher's Leap - Holiday

[0.90 i; 3:07; 925 ft; 33.9 mph max; 17.3 mph avg]

Run 8: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Mountain View - Upper Colonel's Caper - Ali's Alley - Holiday

[1.28 mi; 3:48; 1,122 ft; 31.4 mph max; 20.2 mph avg]

Run 9: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Upper Promenade - Lower Promenade

[1.35 mi; 4:29; 942 ft; 31.7 mph max; 18.0 mph avg]

Now I'd be turning left off of the Ridge Quad for some runs, starting with the double-black Catapult! This one was always super daunting to me due to it's pitch and closeness to the quad, but I really went in with no fear and just had a wonderful run down! Skier's right had more corn with a few cookies, while skier's left started harder but ended up buttery and wonderful. It didn't feel that steep in the grand scheme of things, either.

Run #7 brought me down the other open double-black, Christopher's Leap, which was objectively super steep. What didn't help was that it was also hard as a rock - one of those runs where you turn just for the bit. I basically scraped right on down this one, which was simply unpleasant. It would be fun with spring bumps, though! Holiday skied wonderfully and I got enough speed to get right back to the Ridge.

#8 was more of a leisure run. I followed Ridge Run to Mountain View, both were soft and lovely, and then onto Upper Colonel's Caper and Ali's Alley, which were barely-touched corn havens. I giggled! Holiday brought me right back to the quad.

Run #9 was the big winding one, down Ridge Run and both Promenades. I wanted to ski back to the Ridge Quad, but springtime left it's mark and the only way back would be a slight uphill through the beginner carpet area, which was running! Instead, I finished up at the Meadows Triple and hopped on there for a few more runs.

Runs 10-11

Run 10: Meadows Triple - Walter's Way - Lower Promenade

[0.63 mi; 2:11; 551 ft; 35.4 mph max; 17.2 mph avg]

Run 11: Meadows Triple - Mountain View - Holiday

[0.62 mi; 2:18; 584 ft; 30.3 mph max; 16.3 mph avg]

My first run up the Meadows Triple was down Walter's Way to Lower Promenade - Walter's is always a favorite of mine! Run #11 went back up the Meadows and down Mountain View to Holiday and back to the Ridge for a couple last runs. Also fun moment - the mid-station on the Meadows was BLASTING 2012-era music that echoed throughout the birch woods, a beautiful dichotomy. There were a few more trails I needed to ski everything in the Meadows area, but I was satisfied skipping them.

Runs 12-13

Run 12: Ridge Quad - Upper Sidewinder - Upper Alley Cat - Shawenon

[0.85 mi; 3:01; 991 ft; 33.2 mph max; 16.9 mph avg]

Run 13: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Catapult - On-Stage

[0.79 mi; 3:50; 1,007 ft; 31.4 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

My final two runs were just joyful repeats! Run #12 was aimed at Lower Sidewinder, but a bunch of teens went down that way so I hit Shawenon instead (and almost barreled over someone side slipping down the narrow headwall... oops... she didn't notice I almost killed her though, and told me to go around in a lovely French accent). My final run was another lap down Catapult, which was just a fun time! I was thinking about hiking on the lift, and saw that a few peaks on the new Taconic 12er Challenge were less than 10 miles away, so I set my sights onto Mt. Everett! I debooted, used the bathroom again, had a quick snack of lackluster energy gummies that had been sitting in my hiking bag for who knows how long, and was off for adventure #2!

Map of Catamount Mountain

Skiing Catamount Mountain (Day 4/Indy Pass Day 4)

Skiing Catamount Mountain

Wednesday. December 24th, 2025

Runs: 8

Distance: 6.96 miles

Elevation: 5,860 feet

Max Speed: 31.0 mph

Avg. Speed: 16.6  mph

Moving Time: 25 minutes, 11 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes, 38 seconds

Merry Christmas Eve! I wasn't sure if I was going to ski since it was literally Christmas Eve, but I figured Catamount opened at 8:30am and since I have the Indy Pass, I could absolutely go for just an hour or two, get some laps in, and then make my way down to New Jersey, so that's what I did! The alarm went off at a reasonably 5:30am, I packed up the car for the holidays, and I was off!

Mountain Conditions

Wednesday, December 24th

Early Season Turns!

11 groomed trails are planned today, seviced by 4 lifts. Tuesday's snow was a great refresher and were expecting excellent conditions as it grooms in. Our snowmaking team is also working extra hard blowing lots of snow to open up more terrain on our New York side.

Keeping our fingers crossed on more snow later in the week.

Uphill available on designated trails: Esplanade, Upper Promenade, Ridge Run

Welcome back!

Weekday singing: 9am-4pm.

Weekends & Holidays 8:30am-4:00pm

Huge thanks to our mountain operations team for the nonstop work it takes to make this happen - be sure to show them some love when you seem them out there. See you on the snow!

I had low expectations for the day in terms of trail count and snow quality, but something is better than nothing! I made it to the parking lot around 8:15am and 100% had some princess parking. I got my Indy Pass for the day, christened the bathroom, and it was time to head to the Ridge Quad!

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Mountain View - Holiday

[1.29 mi; 4:51; 1,024 ft; 25.2 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Walter's Way - Esplanade

[1.24 mi; 4:23; 958 ft; 31.0 mph max; 17.0 mph avg]

Run 3: Meadows Triple - Mountain View - Holiday

[0.62 mi; 2:36; 604 ft; 24.8 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

My first run of the day was along Ridge Run (the only way down from the top on this day), which had surprisingly great snow! This brought me to the top of the Meadows Triple, and then I had a nice trip down Mountain View and Holiday right on back to the quad, which had zero line!

Run #2 was down Ridge Run to Walter's Way, which I think had the steepest pitch of the day (not very steep) - fun! This went into Esplanade, and instead of skating back to the Ridge Quad, I hopped on the Meadows Triple (which climbs basically all in the woods - so pretty) to hit Mountain View to Holiday again. All the runs were hard and fast minus Ridge Run - I'm starting to really hone-in on my carving technique, focusing weight on my outside ski, so it was good to practice!

Runs 4-7

Run 4: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Upper Promenade - Echo's Run - Esplanade

[1.36 mi; 4:59; 942 ft; 31.0 mph max; 16.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Meadows Triple - Mountain View - Holiday

[0.51 mi; 1:45; 554 ft; 24.2 mph max; 17.6 mph avg]

Run 6: Catamount Quad - Toni Matt

[0.33 mi; 1:15; 377 ft; 28.4 mph max; 15.7 mph avg]

Run 7: Catamount Quad - On Stage

[0.30 mi; 1:06; 384 ft; 23.9 mph max; 16.3 mph avg]

Run #4 brought me down the longest way - Ridge Run to Upper Promenade to a bit of Echo's Run before finishing on Esplanade. Overall it's a good one, but the flat on Upper Promenade required some skating. Plus, people were starting to arrive and I was having to semi-dodge some newbies. I did another lap on the Meadows Triple (the Birch glades look like they'd be really fun if they open), and then for #6 and #7 I hit up the Catamount Quad, which servieced two runs on this day (technically three, but I didn't need to ski Cat's Meow). Toni Matt was on the left-hand turn off the lift, and it was a glacier, and On Stage was on the right. People were carving really nicely on On Stage, which reminded me that I have a lot of room to grow! I am definitely getting better every day, but my heart wants to really dig into it!

Run 8

Run 8: Ridge Quad - Ridge Run - Watler's Way - Esplanade - Homeward Bound

[1.32 mi; 4:16; 1,017 ft; 30.3 mph  max; 18.5 mph avg]

My final run for the day was back up the Ridge Quad to Walter's Way, eventually skiing all the way down to the lodge to put a bow on things! I'm really glad I got up early to make some turns and practice before the whirlwind family holiday. On, and fun to add, I never had to share a lift!

Map of Catamount Mountain

Skiing Catamount Mountain

Skiing Catamount Mountain

December 29th, 2024

Runs: 5

Distance: 5.04 miles

Elevation: 3,576 feet

Max Speed: 26.6 mph

Avg. Speed: 11.8 mph

Moving Time: 25 minutes, 5 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour, 8 minutes, 24 seconds

Time for my great pilgrimage back to New England! The weather forecast was looking warm with an unclear amount of rain, but I decided to bite the bullet and make a reservation at Catamount - somewhere I had already been. I had a nice drive up and was one of the first 20-ish cars in the parking lot, ready for the 8:30am lift start time.

Mountain Report: Sunday, December 29th. You may have looked at the weather and seen the little rainy cloud image shown for today's weather. We did too, but we're here to tell you, things are actually looking good for today! Despite that daunting rain clouds, the forecast is only showing a short peroid of rain in the morning and then just cloudy skies and warm temps for the rest of the day, all the way through night skiing. With temps staying above freezing last night, there's a good chance of soft snow and great conditions today.

Runs 1-2:

Run 1: Catamount Quad - Cat's Meow - Colonel's Caper - Holiday

[0.65 mi; 3:22; 374 ft; 21.9 mph max; 11.6 mph avg]

Run 2: Catamount Quad - On Stage

[0.45 mi; 3:25; 404 ft; 25.9 mph max; 7.8 mph avg]

I realize that I've been spoiled by Jay Peak, which runs like a well-oiled machine (and is super communicative with condition updates). The Catamount website said five lifts would be spinning at 8:30am, but only the Catamount Quad started right away. There was also race training, so I got started a few minutes after 8:30am once all the racers made their way up the practice slope. My first run was a route I hadn't done before, Cat's Meow - Colonel's Caper - Holiday, which was fine. Cat's Meow was a cat track and the rest of the run was more like spring skiing, which was fun to remember how to ski! I tried to get to the Meadow's Triple, which was supposed to be open, but it was closed to everyone except ski school.

I scooted my way back to the Catamount Quad for a quick run down On Stage. At this point, the high speed quad was not spinning, but the Glades Triple was, so I took that up to near the top.

Runs 3-5:

Run 3: Glade Triple - Ridge Run Ext - Ridge Run - Upper Promenade - Lower Promenade - Homeward Bound

[1.48 mi; 7:03; 945 ft; 24.1 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

Run 4: Glade Triple - Upper Sidewinder - Lower Sidewinder

[1.01 mi; 4:07; 922 ft; 26.6 mph max; 14.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Glade Triple - Ridge Run Ext - Ridge Run - Upper Promenade - Lower Promenade - Homeward Bound

[1.46 mi; 7:07; 932 ft; 25.0 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

It was now raining, which wasn't too bad. My first run was the long route, following the Ridge Run Ext to Ridge Run, the Promenades, and finally Homeward Bound. It was a nice gentle run, but the snow felt so different than the hard pack/ice I've skied on so far this season! The big thing I noticed were my edges catching complete randomly. I also noticed that when that would happen, I was sitting back in my boots... classic!

Second run was down Sidewinder, which is a super fun run. I attacked it with more confidence, and then fell right at the end. I think again, a combo of sitting back slightly and slushy snow had my brain confused. I'll blame the rain for some, too!

My fifth and final run was another long lap from Ridge Run to Promenade. I emotionally wanted to get some more, but the mountain was only getting busier and the rain was only getting harder. I headed back to the car, checked the weather again, and saw the rain should be ending in a half hour. I made the wild decision to change and drive to a trailhead and get a hike in - more on that soon!

Map of Catamount Mountain (2024-2025)

Skiing Catamount Mountain

Last day of vacation! I woke up early after a night of a lot of wine, but I was determined to get one more day of skiing in before I had to snap back to reality.  I made it to Catamount around 8:15 - lifts were scheduled to open at 8:30, but people were already heading up - apparently it was a big ski race day. The parking lot was busier than I was ready for, but besides the lodge, crowds were nonexistant. Tragically, I dropped my Indy Pass somewhere in the parking lot and still have not found it, but thankfully the fail-safe is that you can redeem an Indy with just a license, so I was all set. I booted up at the car, and soon enough was on the Ridge Quad for my first run of the day!

Run 1: Ridge-Run - Upper Promenade - Lower Promenade - Homeward Bound

1.48 miles, 6:58, 1,047 feet, 29.6 mph max, 12.8 mph avg.

Starting off with something I know! I spent the majority of Ridge-Run questioning if I had ever skied before in my life, but eventually settled into it. I've noticed that I start every day sitting back in my heels, which is a habit I need to break. All was smooth sailing for this run, minus hitting the ski school crowd at the end of Homeward Bound, which caused me to stop and have to skate back to the lift.

Run 2: Ridge-Run - Upper Promenade - Upper Bobcat - Lower Promenade - Homeward Bound

1.38 miles, 5:06, 1,017 feet, 31.4 mph max, 16.2 mph avg.

I was feeling good after hitting the Ridge-Run for the second time, so in order to spice things up I hit Upper Bobcat on the later descent, which was quick and just a bit steeper, a nice way to dip my toes in. 

Run 3: Catamount

0.34 miles, 1:28, 397 feet, 23.8 mph max, 14 mph avg.

Instead of skating all the way back to the Ridge Quad, I side-stepped up to the shorter Catamount Quad. I ALMOST made it before the little kid ski team, but they beat me. After the parade of children were up, the lifties jokingly (I hope) asked if I wanted help putting the bar down or if they should slow the lift down for me - I took it as "haha you know what you were doing poor guy got caught behind the kids" - but in hindsight, I guess they might have been able to see right through me! Either way, I took Catamount down which was super wide, and according to Strava, pretty steep (by my standards). I enjoyed being able to take big turns and the snow was super soft here.

Run 4: Ridge-Run - Upper Promenade - Mountain View - Holiday

1.25 miles, 5:02, 1,017 feet, 32.2 mph max, 15 mph avg.

Okay back up the Ridge Quad, I decided to play with some new trails once I hit the top of the Meadows Triple. I turned onto the, unfortunately, shaded Mountain View, which was pretty slick, which then merged onto Holiday, which was pretty rough. Lots of frozen chunks of hard snow/ice made for an interesting experience. I did not enjoy it much. Did not go back.

Run 5: Upper Sidewinder - Lower Sidewinder

1.27 miles, 8:10, 1,066 feet, 28.9 mph max, 9.3 mph avg.

Now back to one we know! The upper area of the Ridge Quad was starting to get busy as the ski racing was starting up, but crowds thinned out at The Chute. Sidewinder was in good shape with a few icy spots. Today was definitely a busier day than Thursday, so I did get caught behind people relatively frequently, but nothing too frustrating. I also had to pay attention to all of the parents hiking uphill to watch the race up top. Data for this one is a little wonky becuase I walked to the car to grab my mittens - it was chilly!

Run 6: Upper Sidewinder - Lower Sidewinder

1.11 miles, 4:10, 1,040 feet, 28.5 mph max, 15.9 mph avg.

Another round on this run! I rode the chair with a group I decided to call "the misfits" - two NYC-ers and one local who had been on the slopes since 7:30am (he "knows a guy"), and me. The three of them started chit-chatting, but I minded my own business. Apparently there's a few ski shuttles that run out of the city to Catamount, Belleayre, and another mountain... maybe Hunter? Either way, he said it was about $150 for bus and lift, which really isn't that bad if you need to escape the city. The run was status quo, yay!

Run 7: Upper Sidewinder - Shawenon

0.78 miles, 3:06, 981 feet, 35.6 mph max, 15 mph avg.

OH BOY. Okay, so the Glade Triple was up and running now, which was nice becuase I could go back to not sitting with people. I decided I would tackle Shawenon again, now that I know how steep it is, and my goal would be to ski it with more control this time. I was achieving that mission up until the headwall... when I started going down I quickly learned that it was basically a sheet of ice. I did NOT fall, I DID cry, and at one point I had the "stomach drop" feeling that you get on a rollercoaster. Terrifying. There were also a few people on the trail who had fallen, which added to the stress. Eventually, I was able to slow down and pull myself together. Yikes. Maybe next year I'll get it!

Run 8: Upper Sidewinder - Lower Sidewinder - Fisher's Fluke - Lower Sidewinder

0.98 miles, 3:42, 974 feet, 24.1 mph max, 15.9 mph avg.

Officially on the other side of that pseudo-disaster, I still wanted something new, but I was not about to head down the ice luge again. I went for the Sidewinder, but with the Fisher's Fluke short-cute, which was lovely! A little steeper than Sidewinder, but short. I rode this all the way down, took the skis off, went on one last hunt for my missing Indy Pass, did not succeed, and started my long journey home. 

Total stats: 8.59 miles, 37:11 moving, 7,536 feet, 29.3mph average max, 14.3 average moving.

Catamount Mountain Ski Map (2024)

Skiing Catamount Mountain

Clearly, I’ve been bit by the skiing bug. I have to be in New Jersey by 4:30pm, so just for funsies, I glanced at the Indy map and noticed Catamount Mountain wasn’t too far off the pike. I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted to go, but the more I looked at the map and read reviews, the more I was sold. I reserved my pass, paid the $5 for the RFID card, and decided for an extra level of torture, I would also find something to hike for sunrise (more about that in another post). I made it to the mountain a bit before 9:00am (lifts started spinning at 8:30am), noticed there were a lot of cars, but no one on the lifts, and started my scavenger hunt. I decided the least stressful way for me to get set up was to leave all my gear in the car and just go for a walking tour to get my bearings. There are two main lodges, the older and smaller Berkshire lodge, and the pseudo-luxurious Catamount Lodge. There were no bag cubbies in sight, so I decided I would boot-up in the car. I found the ticket window, redeemed my Indy, found a paper map, and got everything set up in the parking lot. I had a small hobble to the ski area, and a slightly longer hobble to the Meadows Triple (it looked like maybe I could have ridden the magic carpet up, but the ski school was in FULL swing and I was not about to get in the middle of 30 speed-hungry nuggets). 

Mountain Report

Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 7:15am

        The President's Week rolls on here at Catamount with another fun day on the mountain shaping up. Conditions are the best of the season right now, so come join us!

        On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Catamount will be open from 8:30am-8pm with up to 34 trails open and 6 lifts in operation. We'll start the day with the following lifts scheduled: The Ridge Quad, Catamount Quad, Meadows Triple, and all 3 Learning Area Carpets.

        Thursday's forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and a high around 40 degrees.

        Snowmaking is currently on pause until temperature return on Friday night.

Run 1: Upper Promenade to Lower Promenade

0.66 miles, 2:45, 561 feet, 28.6 mph max, 14.4 mph avg.

I took the Meadows Triple, and then turned a wide left to get on the Upper Promenade, which started as a relatively flat trail, followed by a few steeper sections (I used steeper in comparison to flat, this trail really did not get very steep). I had some “wait do I actually know what I’m doing? have I ever skied before?” moments, but thankfully I made it down in one piece.

Run 2: Upper Promenade to Lower Promenade to Homeward Bound

0.81 miles, 5:03, 574 feet, 21.1 mph max, 13.0 mph avg.

Okay now I was going to actually focus on technique - going for wide turns, leading with the outside big toe and knees. Slower, but better! I was extremely grateful for the lack of crowds - getting up early has it perks! When I neared the bottom, I saw what could be described as a swarm of nuggets fighting their way into the lift line. I decided I was ready for the big lift, because I was not emotionally ready to deal with that many children (I am still on break for a few more days!). 

Run 3: Ridge-Run to Upper Promenade to Lower Promenade to Homeward Bound

1.50 miles, 6:55, 984 feet, 30 mph max, 13 mph avg.

Up the Ridge Quad I go! I was lucky enough to be totally solo on my lift rides so far. Atop the summit area, I turned a wide left to follow the Ridge-Run, which was a lovely, relatively flat with a few dips, trail that offered some nice views when double-black trails would veer off on the left. This trail opens up at the top of the Meadows Triple, and then I followed the Promenades back down.

Run 4: Ridge-Run to Walter’s Way to Esplanade

1.20 miles, 5:04, 981 feet, 30.1 mph max, 14.3 mph avg.

Okay, I was feeling good with my green runs and was feeling ready to tackle a blue. I decided to repeat most of my last run, but instead of following the Promenades, I would turn onto Walter’s Way, which was a nice step up. I shared the Ridge Quad for my first and only time with a really friendly library/business teacher who was also on break. Walter’s Way was definitely steeper, but short. My biggest challenge on this trail was fighting the wind that was trying to blow me over! The Esplanade was a more mellow connection back to the Meadows Triple.

Run 5: Mountain View to Colonel’s Caper to Homeward Bound

0.69 miles, 3:21, 581 feet, 28.8 mph max, 12.3 mph avg.

I enjoyed Walter’s Way, so I decided I would take the Meadows Triple up again and go down the other side this time. Unfortunately, on my way into the lift line, I knocked a fence over and couldn’t get it back up for the lift of me. I apologized profusely - humiliating! Walter’s Run and Mountain View were basically mirror-images of each other. Once I turned onto Colonel’s Caper, I slowed down to re-engage my turns. After this run, I tightened my calf buckle and strap, which helped keep my feet where they were supposed to be.

Run 6: Upper Sidewinder to Lower Sidewinder

1.13 miles, 4:26,  997 feet, 30.5 mph max, 15.3 mph avg.

Time for a longer blue! The Sidewinders were a definitely step up from Walter’s Way and Mountain view, but thankfully I’ve gotten better at slowing down and taking my time. It’s clear why they named this trail Sidewinder, there are MANY turns, and many of them are sharp, and all are after/during a steep section. Overall, I think I handled it well. The very end was tough - a steep leads into the flat loading area, but the snow down there was just slush, which made breaking… interesting.

Run 7: Upper Sidewinder to Lower Sidewinder

1.14 miles, 4:40, 991 feet, 32.0 mph max, 14.6 mph avg.

Okay, now I knew what the trail entailed, so I allowed myself to move a bit more continuously. I also bucked my feet straps an extra click on here (it helped) - I found myself relaxing into my heels which is a no-no. I went a little faster than planned on one of the steeps, let out a small-but-mighty “woo,” pretended like the women skinning up didn’t hear me (she did, she giggled), and continued on my merry way. I passed a few people on this run, which is also just good practice.

Run 8: Upper Sidewinder to Shawenon

0.88 miles, 3:45, 1,001 feet, 35.9 mph max, 14.0 mph avg.

AH. What a finale. I knew I wanted to do something different this time, and I let the kid in front of my decide which I would be. He turned onto The Chute, so Shawenon it was for me! Turns out, Shawenon is the steepest trail I’ve ever been on. It was equally exhilarating and terrifying. I definitely hit a new speed record, for better or for worse! I wanted to slow down at one point, but I knew if I tried I would absolutely fall, so I let my skis do their job and waited to start turning when it mellowed out. I truly think I handled it well. I also yelled, a lot, loudly, but that’s okay! When I got back to the lift I saw lines were increasing, plus I had just hit the 2-hour mark, so I decided it was time for lunch and apres.

Now I’m sitting here with a delicious, cheesy, greasy, double cheeseburger and a Berkshire Lavender Lemonade Hard Seltzer, typing away with all of the lodge moms. I’m really happy I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zone recently. 

Catamount Mountain Map (2024)