Snow Business: Catamount's Lookout Is Certainly A Looker

HILLSDALE, NY — A second trip to Catamount in three weeks was necessary to focus on a new trail that is arguably the best addition to the region in quite some time, especially in terms of the view.

Oh and it skis and rides pretty well too.

Welcome to Lookout.

Lookout is probably the easiest summit trail to find on the mountain. From the top of the Glade chairlift, hang a right toward the New York side of the mountain. Lookout will be the first trail on theft.

It takes a moment to descend, because the view is arguably as good as any on the Berkshires and it's well worth a pause for a few moments. That just adds to Lookout's value. The panoramic view extends into the Catskills — including the front side of Hunter Mountain.

After taking in the scenes, it's time to ride the trail and Lookout doesn't disappoint. The initial plunge says speed and it is accentuated by a start turn to the right into a lesser-pitched cruise.

The preferred hookups after Lookout are the steepish black diamond Marty's run or two blue cruisers — Upper Sidewinder and Fisher's Fluke.

Lookout was fashioned over the summer after Catamount received a permit to expand via a variance of 2 acres from New York State forest authorities.

Catamount General Manager Rich Edwards said the trail will likely be tweaked over the summer and the sharp turn near the beginning will likely be mellowed.

Last summer's focus was on the ridge Ridge Run trail that traverses the summit on the Massachusetts side. A considerable amount of blasting was employed to widen the trail, thus making it much more family friendly than it already was.

Catamount's conditions are as good as any in the region this year. For ticket information, click here. It's recommended that tickets be purchased in advance with more folks staying closer to home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For more on the Ridge Run improvements, Catamount's cabanas and the 2020-21 season from last week's column, click here.

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor who has been writing about skiing and snowboarding for more than two decades. He is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and and former board member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. The snow business column appears periodically during the season.