Highmount

By Jay Braman Jr.
Despite having plenty of skiable snow left, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center closed down its 2009-2010 season on Sunday. Superintendent Tony Lanza said that several factors, including a couple of late-season monster snowstorms, contributed to this being a season to remember.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The fourth-annual Belleayre Mountain Hall of Fame celebration was held in the ski center’s main lodge Saturday evening. The Belleayre Mountain Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to honor individuals who have contributed in extraordinary ways to Belleayre Mountain, the surrounding Catskill Region, and to the athletic discipline of snow sports.

Pine Hill — More than 100 athletes entered the 18th Pine Hill Arms-Belleayre Triathlon this past Saturday representing five states. The ski portion of the race started at the top of Belleayre Mountain and finished at the lower lodge where the biking portion began with a climb to the top of Belleayre Village.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Dean Gitter, the mastermind behind the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, unveiled last week an architectural rendering of the latest plans for the project. This represents the most recent and perhaps last of several transformations made to the plan, first announced and under review since 1999.

By Jay Braman Jr.
No fewer than 59 people lost their jobs at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center Sunday, the state-owned facility at Highmount in the Ulster County Town of Shandaken. On Monday Belleayre’s Superintendent Tony Lanza attempted to downplay the layoffs, saying they happen every year late in the ski season.

Highmount — The A. Lindsey and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation was honored for its long history of charitable work at the 24th annual Snowball held Saturday at Belleayre Mountain. Charlotte Hill, vice chair of The O’Connor Foundation, accepted the Spirit of the Catskills Award from Coalition to Save Belleayre Chairman Joe Kelly.

By Jay Braman Jr.
It’s official. Belleayre Ski Center is open for the season. Mother Nature finally sent the needed cold weather to the Northeast last week, along with five inches of natural snow over the weekend enabling Belleayre to open for its 60th season.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Crisp temperatures are helping maintain optimism in the region about Belleayre Ski Center’s tentative opening date of Nov. 14. With a cold front predicted for midweek it is possible that the snow guns can be fired up to begin blanketing select trails with enough snow to give early birds a shot at the slopes a full two weeks before the typical Thanksgiving weekend opening.

The German-American Club of the Northern Catskills, Inc. recently celebrated its 10th annual Oktoberfest at Belleayre with almost 700 revelers.

By Jay Braman Jr.
Belleayre Mountain Ski Center has been named Ulster County Tourism Business of the Year by a committee representing the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce and the Ulster County Development Corp.
The awards recognize county entrepreneurs and businesses for leadership in their sectors, achievement of outstanding results and dedication and commitment to furthering business and the quality of life in Ulster County and the Hudson Valley.