all about apres, apres ski, apres ski party, Hunter Mountain, Rich Stoner, ski, ski resort, Spring Ski Festivals - March 26, 2019

Fortuitous Weather Makes For the Perfect Bumps and BBQ Weekend at Hunter Mountain

The Hunter Mountain weather heading up was questionable at best. This ski resort is not that far north of me in New Jersey and by me it was warm and rainy Thursday night leading into Friday. Not exactly ideal when it comes to ski conditions. The snow report online for Hunter seemed just as iffy. There was a lot of “mixed precipitations but there’s a chance it changes to snow” phrases used throughout. Historically, I've been on the wrong end of these types of forecasts. Sort of like the Mush from A Bronx of the snow forecast world. Determined to make the best of it though, we headed up to take in the Bumps and BBQ Party that weekend. Boy were we rewarded. The odd part is that there was absolutely no precipitation on the way up until we got off the exit on the New York State Thruway, then it was all rain. However, Hunter it seemed, if only for this one weekend, was harbored in its own micro-climate. We made one turn up the road towards town and boom! There it was, snow and a decent amount of it. Combined with some rather strong winds the blizzard like scene was out of the ordinary for this late in the spring ski season. It continued to snow throughout the night and thanks to those winds, crowds were scared away in the early morning. We were rewarded with first tracks on fresh pow and some of the best conditions that I have experienced in the East all ski season long. That wind also pushed the Bumps and BBQ event to Sunday which worked out perfectly. We reaped the benefits of the snowy conditions on Saturday skiing a good portion of the day and rewarding ourselves with craft beers at après ski. Then on Sunday we took in the Bumps and BBQ Party in all its glory on a spring bluebird day. With temps nearing 50, not a cloud in the sky and a mass of spectators enjoying a highly entertaining setup, it was all that you would expect out of an après ski party and the perfect ending to one of the best ski weekends of the season.