Plattekill Mountain

I want to start off saying this review is based only on the 2 hour morning bike adventure beginners package. I love to ski this mountain and have had no problems until this weekend.
My two teenage cousins (14 and 17) were in town and we thought it would be fun to do some downhill biking. We are beginners, so we decided that having a guide would be best. We met our guide (well sort of… he never gave us his name). He gave us our protection gear that either did not fit or was malfunctioned. I was on the lift trying to buckle my helmet but there was no buckle! So my first run of the day was not safe. He started us on the first trail stating he wanted to see where our levels are. The trail was a little rough at parts and my cousins had a hard time keeping up. We all made it down with a couple of crashes… We got on the lift for a second run and at the top, our guide asked us how we felt. The boys were clear that they didn’t feel too confident. At this point he should have taken us to the green trail. Instead, he refers to my cousins as «girls». Clearly not considering our comfort levels, our guide takes us down the same trail then we switched to an even harder trail and barely made it down again with a lot of crashing. Most of the time the guide was out of sight. At this point I asked my cousins to go ahead of me so I can keep an eye on them. The guide thought that was strange and didn’t understand why I didn’t ride upfront with him. By our 4^th run we are all tired and our guide asked us if we wanted to try a different trail. We were thinking «oh, he will finally take us on something easy». But no, he jumps off a rock almost crashing into a tree with no gear on, besides a helmet and lets us know that was his first time jumping off that rock. Nice example for the kids! This trail was really difficult and our guide yelled out that he forgot how rocky it was before wheeling away out of sight again… We found him waiting for us at another jump. He pointed out a way for us to go to meet him and went for the jump. Again taking off out of sight leaving me to help the boys walk their bikes down the really steep slope and climbing back to the top to get my bike. At this point we still had a half hour left but decided we were done! The guide asked me if I wanted to do one last run with him and leave the kids behind and I said no… We go to check in our gear and were charged $ 25 for damage on one of the bikes. The kids were pretty banged up themselves. It was clear to me that we were not once on a green trail. We basically spent most all of our time on the red and blue trails. So much for the beginners package! Why were we charged $ 25?!? Perhaps if our guide was doing his job, he would’ve taken us on trails appropriate for our level of comfort and where the risk of damaging the bikes would’ve been lower.

I can only speak for the biking, but the place is awesome and a lot of fun. The owner is sort of a dick, but if you can avoid dealing with him and just go to ride it is great. After riding all around the country, there is no place like it. It is probably a love or hate type venue, but I happen to love it. the trails are very steep and very technical with a lot of natural features. As for the ground, it is all shale, so wrap the downtube before you go or it will get destroyed. Riding at pkill will absolutely help your riding abilities as it is extremely challenging. If you go you will be a better rider by the end of the day guaranteed. I race EVERY race at plattekill!
It is worth mentioning that they do not have any flow or jump trails like you would find at MCBP or Windham. Plattekill is only natural terrain-​but there is ALOT of it.

NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS LENGTHY BUT WELL WORTH A READ TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN AN EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE, EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL, EXTREMELY COORDINATED, AND EXTREMELY HEART WARMING EXPERIENCE THAT IS A WEDDING AT PLATTEKILL IN THE CATSKILLS
My wife and I got married at Plattekill on May 3^rd, 2015, and it was absolutely amazing. My wife wanted the mountain-​top wedding she had always dreamed of, and right from the start, everyone up at Plattekill went above and beyond to help us attain that dream!
We had been engaged for about two years, though we didn’t start planning the wedding itself until around January of 2015. We had looked at a couple of other venues in or around the Catskills, but since we were on an extremely tight budget, we hadn’t found anything that worked. That is, until we happened across Plattekill Mountain whilst sulking over our computer and a bottle of wine one night. I shot them an email inquiry explaining the situation and received a response a few minutes later. We set up a day the following week to go up and talk with someone from and to take a look around.
When we arrived (in the middle of a snow storm), we were greeted almost immediately by a woman named Susan, who immediately made us feel welcome, and after about 5 minutes of talking, it was as comfortable as if we had known her for years! She showed us pictures of some past ceremonies and receptions, all of which were beautiful, and once we had seen them, we asked her for a price estimate based on our budget and our estimated number of guests.
Let me just say that when I saw the price quote, I was blown away, and had to actually clear my throat and ask her if what I was seeing was true, since included in the quote was the catering, the bar, and the rental of the WHOLE MOUNTAIN for the day. It was, and let me just say it was UNDER budget for us, I ran to my car and wrote her a check for the deposit then and there. On the ride home, all we could say was «I just can’t believe this is real!», over and over again while smiling the whole ride home to North Jersey (still in a snow storm).
From then on, communications between Susan and I were frequent, and swift, there was always a reply in what seemed like minutes from Susan. Every question or concern we had was answered long before the month of the wedding.
On our second visit, which was also our tasting date, we met Frank the chef for the mountain, and yet again we were completely blown away both by his culinary skills, and how easy he was to get along with. The food was great, so great in fact that we couldn’t choose what to put on our menu for at least another 3 weeks before we finally had to suck it up and narrow it down. On that visit, we also sat with Susan and went over where the reception would be and possible arrangements for the tables and dance floor. And on our third visit we actually took a ski-​lift ride up to the top of both of their ski slopes to pick out which view we liked best for our ceremony!
Fast forward to the week of the wedding: My wife and I started setting up for the reception (yes, we did our own set-​up, and take-​down in the interest of saving some money, the venue will do it for you, but will charge for it [and besides, my wife has a knack for interior design and pay particular attention to detail]) the Tuesday before our Sunday ceremony, and everyone who was at the venue was more than willing to lend a hand with whatever was needed. There was a great guy named Bobby (who again we were so comfortable with it felt like we had known him for years) that we met while setting up, who told us he’d be the other «go-​to» guy the day of the wedding.
On the day of our wedding, everything was ready and waiting for us when we got there, and everyone there was all smiles which were extremely comforting as we were both shaking with nervous energy. The whole staff up at Plattekill made the day go more perfectly than we ever could have imagined! Susan was there every step of the way walking us, our bridal party, and our guests through everything step-​by-​step, from arrival, to driving our elderly guests up the mountain who wouldn’t go within 10 feet of the ski-​lift, to ceremony, to cocktail hour, to reception. We can’t thank them enough; the mere thought of it all brings a tear to my eye as I sit here at work typing this up. I know I speak for my wife as well as myself when I say that the whole experience was the best we’ve ever had, and as a matter of fact, our guests are STILL talking about it three weeks later, and we are STILL getting new pictures and video’s sent to us from our friends and family!
P. S. (Not sure, who is reading this, but. Susan, Danielle, Bobby, Frank, Angel, and all the rest up at Plattekill: THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO SO MUCH, YOU ARE ALL AMAZING AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO COME BACK TO SEE YOU ALL! EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT AND THERE ARE HONESTLY NOT ENOUGH WORDS TO DESCRIBE OUR HEART-​FELT THANKS! With Love, Mr. & Mrs. William Reines)

If you love the outdoors, then you’ll love Plattekill — winter, spring, summer or fall.

We came out here with a large group for some late season skiing. I was very surprised at how much snow there was for late march. The staff was very friendly and one of the ski patrol showed us some neat glade runs that mad the day worth it.
The big draw for plattekill is the amount of off trail and glade skiing available on the mountain. The lodge is cozy and they cafeteria isn’t anything to write home about, but the mountain has a ton of mountain bike paths and good tree skiing areas that will keep experienced skiers exploring for hours. Great little ski area if you’re looking for a change of pace.

The snow tubing was great. Had an slight issue and the staff were nice enough to handle it professionally. We really had a nice time. If you need to warm up, and are of age (of course), there’s a great bar upstairs and the bartender is amazing! His drinks are as awesome as his personality! I believe his name is John. Just an all around Good guy!

Soooo I went to the coolest wedding here. The bride and groom actually RENTED the entire place for their wedding day. Each guest got a lift ticket and carte blanche on the slopes all day, which was beyond amazing.
It’s a little mom-​and-​pop kind of lodge, which was absolutely perfect. The sixty or so guests could ski, snowboard, and tube all day. Then as the sun went down, all of the guests gathered at the foot of the mountain as a string quartet played Pachelbel’s Canon to the bride and groom skiing down the slope together. They met the minister at the foot of the mountain, and vows were exchanged. A small lodge like this is the ONLY place you can do something like that!
Afterwards, there was an amazing reception in the lodge — people walked around with trays of delectable appetizers, followed by a charming dinner and dancing upstairs. We all wore a mishmash of snow boots and formalwear. How cool. I’m not sure what it’s like to ski here normally, but my date, a total ski nut, claimed that it was the best place to ski in the area. Just judging by the entire day I spent there for a private event, it was a dream come true.

In good snow years Plattekill is the best ski area in the region. They don’t have a lot of snowmaking so they can’t cover the mountain the way Hunter, Windham and Belleayre do when the natural snow doesn’t fall, but when it does there is no better place to ski in the region.
Here skiing is the focus. If you’re looking for luxury accommodations, a sushi bar, a spa for apres ski, and trails groomed to corduroy perfection don’t bother with Plattekill because this is a bare bones operation and a true skiers mountain. Think the Mad River Glen of the Catskills.
For real skiers this place is heaven. Don’t let the fact that there are only two lifts and no high speed quads or six packs to speed you to the summit discourage you from coming here. This mountain is as big as any in the Catskills and the runs are top to bottom without long runouts like Belleayre and Windham. Experts will be at home here. Blockbuster is almost 1,000 feet of straight vertical complete with knee knocking bumps and for those who like to venture off trail, just follow the local’s tracks into the woods and you have an awesome playground. After a big dump you can still find acres of untracked powder even late in the afternoon. You can’t find that even out west.
Intermediates need not worry however because the blue trails are outstanding. Even novices can ski from the summit on two mile long trails such as Powderpuff and Overlook.
And the best thing about Plattekill is the lack of crowds. Those who are used to the masses of skiers and riders at Hunter and Windham will be pleasantly surprised to be able to ski right up to the lift even on holiday weekends and have plenty of elbow room on the trails.
The lodge is small and rustic and the people there are friendly. As you wander around the lodge you get the sense that you are an insider, being one of the the few who know about this place, a fraternity of sorts.
Parking is right at the base, so no need for a long walk or shuttle to get to the lodge and lift ticket prices are a bargain in this day of $ 90 lift tickets.
If there was a little more snowmaking this would be a 5 star review. Alas, in years where there is little natural snow, Plattekill’s limited snowmaking and grooming can make for difficult conditions and limited terrain. And they are only open on weekends. This is a skiers mountain, get in on the secret.

I’ve been skiing in the Catskills for 20+ years and somehow only made it to Plattekill for the first time last week. What was I thinking?
Plattekill has big mountain terrain with a small mountain feel. You may look at the trail map and see only 2 lifts and think «this looks dinky», but that would be doing yourself a tremendous disservice as those two lifts service a ton of terrain.
The mountain is definitely geared more toward advanced skiers/​boarders who will find some really awesome diamonds that are much longer than most in the Catskills. Also, if you like going off-​trail then Plattekill is the place for you.
That said, beginner/​intermediate skiers/​riders may have more fun at Belleayre as the shape of the mountain here doesn’t seem to lend itself to nice wide cruiser trails.
The single lodge is compact, but homey and the top floor bar area is a great place to take a break over a quality beer. Downstairs, the ski shop does a full range of services at very reasonable prices. The food in the cafeteria is not particularly compelling, but really you’re just refueling to get back out on the mountain, right?
All in all, Plattekill is a great place to rip it up away from the crowds at the more high profile mountains where sometimes it seems like people care more about their outfit than the time they actually spend on the hill. Check it out!

classic old school ski area — great terrain and terrific apre-​ski scene.

It’s not a terrible mountain, but I have to write a review about their customer service and follow up.
I got injured on a green this year. I’m an experienced snowboarder, but the trail had a huge water hole in the middle of it and was completely iced over. I wasn’t going very fast and while going around the water hole, I got caught in groves from the previous days tracks. Spun around and landed with a crack to my tailbone. After the pain somewhat subsided, I boarded down the blue trail i was trying to get to and realized the pain was getting worse. Two hours and 4 aspirin later, I went to ski patrol. They were wonderful and got me to the emergency room.
HOWEVER, they didn’t let my friend take my helmet and goggles and then forgot to put it in the ambulance with me. No biggie right? I don’t live in the area, so I called them after I got back home (3 hours away) and left messages, emailed and so on. No one ever got back to me or called to find out if I was OK.
I fractured my tailbone on their mountain and had equipment left behind. It’s the most discourteous thing I could ever think of — usually mountains refund you money and follow up after an injury — they couldn’t bother returning my calls or give me back my gear. Even if they didn’t get my messages, they have my contact info at ski patrol.
So disappointing.

Plattekill is a skier’s mountain.
That’s all you need to know. No, you’re not going to find a resort paradise with a personal masseuse, dozens of bars and restaurants, and all the trappings of a «mega-​resort», but what you will find is a small, family run, skier’s haven. From the moment you arrive here, you notice things are different, as the parking lot is practically on top of the ski lifts you park so close.
At Platty, they actually allow much of the terrain to retain natural character, instead of grooming and mashing the hell out of all of the snow. If you’re the type person who listens to ski marketing and reflects on «perfect corduroy» as being a positive? Then you wont like it here. But if you like conditions the way God intended them, with great natural snow (pic), just the way real skiers learn how to conquer a mountain? Then this is your place.
The plenty-​steep Blockbuster is my favorite trail here, the left side is usually entirely left to large moguls to play in, the right side often groomed. And rather than discourage you from plunging into the trees, Plattekill openly invites you to «ski anything you can» on the mountain, provided you’re inbounds. Frankly, I dont believe I’ve ever seen better and more varied terrain for all levels at a place this small.
Perhaps the best thing about Plattekill is that there are NEVER crowds, even on weekends. I’d rather pull my toenails out than ski in a «sardine tin Saturday» at Hunter or Belleayre, yet even on Saturdays you’ll have no lift lines at Plattekill.
When you’re done skiing, there’s not much après-​ski scene. But the upstairs bar in the lodge is clean, and quaint, with views of the slopes, and if the weather is sunny, it’s wonderful sitting outside on their back deck with a beer in hand, watching some skiing. Lastly, this is a great place, family friendly, people know each other, and it’s exactly the sort of place where someday when I have kids, I’ll want them to learn. Yes, I realize it sounds like I probably work in their marketing department (or should), but I swear that’s not the case! I simply love little Platty!
THE STATS THAT MATTER
Summit Elevation: 3,500 feet
Vertical Drop: 1,100 feet
Skiable Area: 75 acres
Longest Run: 10,560 feet
Annual Snowfall: 240 inches
Snowmaking: 85%
Uphill Capacity: 4,500 per hour

Can’t say anything about skiing here as we regularly go there in the summer to race downhill bikes. It’s a really great park for that, very varied trails from serious expert to beginner. The staff are very friendly and helpful towards all the riders. Serves some great burgers on the patio during race days along with adult beverages. While its an older style resort, its small enough care, and not run by a corporation, if you have any issues then the owner/​manager is normally on site and will be happy to talk with you directly.

Sorry to read that other post. I went their with my sister and her hubbie and two pre teen kids. We loved it! Ski instructor was great with the kids. Parked our stuff on a table and came back and it was still there. Brought our own lunch so not to eat the normal stuff they serve at ski slopes. They had new snow making, trails were in great shape. Rental guy was friendly and really helpful. Jumped out from behind the counter to help the kids. Front desk gave great recommendations for places for dinner. We went back for the tubing after dinner. Businsesses should never have a bad day but maybe they did. It’s a small family run resort so maybe that counts for it — but that was one of the reasons we loved it.

This mountain isn’t a bad mountain just the customer service at this mountain is horrible. I will not be taking my money here ever again. My husband took a spill and lost his lift ticket because they were printed on crappy paper… but we still had the receipt… so we went back to the desk to get another ticket printed and they wouldn’t give us one! We even went back to the same person that checked us out to begin with and she wouldn’t give us another lift ticket to replace it and said we had to buy a new lift ticket which is ridiculous.