Skiing

Ski with the New York-North Jersey Chapter

The New York-North Jersey Chapter of AMC has a winter ski program that includes Nordic cross country, alpine (downhill), Nordic backcountry/XCD, and backcountry alpine touring (AT)/telemark activities.

Typical trips include:

  • Cross-country day trips to touring centers which have groomed trails, set tracks, a warming hut, and a trail fee. Equipment rentals and lessons are usually available.  The groomed trails offer skiing for both novice and experienced skiers. Beginners can take a morning lesson offered by the center and then re-join the rest of the group in the afternoon.
  • When we’re fortunate enough to have a big snowstorm, we offer cross-country day trips to state parks and forests where skiing is off track on woods roads and trails. No trail fees, on site equipment rental or commercial lessons. Check the trip description or with the leader for the required skill level.
  • Alpine downhill day trips for skiers and riders. The group usually divides according to skill level and gathers at lunch or après ski. Destinations are often ski areas which have bus service from Long Island, New York City, and North Jersey available (e.g., in the Catskills or Taconics).
  • Full-on backcountry alpine touring/telemark outings. These are meant for advanced level winter hikers who are also accomplished downhill skiers and who have the required equipment (ask the outing leader for details).
  • Weekend trips to the Adirondacks, Catskills, NY State’s Tug Hill or Vermont’s Green Mountains. Check with the leader regarding transportation, lodging, and meal arrangements.

Trip leaders do not provide lessons for first-time skiers. If you are a beginner, we most highly recommend that you take a lesson to start. You will enjoy yourself much more than if you try to wing it by yourself.

  • Lessons from professional ski schools are available at alpine downhill areas.
  • For novice cross-country skiers, the following areas within a 2.5-hour drive of New York City offer equipment rental and lessons:

Cross-country skiing at AMC’s Mohican Outdoor Center

AMC’s Mohican Outdoor Center in the Kittatinny Mountains of New Jersey can be used as a base for cross-country skiing (assuming deep enough snow cover). Find out more about transportation to and reservations at Mohican. There are several good tours within a few miles, especially Blue Mountain Lakes. Remember, ski with a partner, and please don’t go out in the woods alone in winter.

Other cross-country skiing in New York and New Jersey


Check the AMC Activities Database for scheduled trips.

  • Go to Outdoors.org, click Adventures, then click Skiing (in season). From there you can use the Activities Database to search for ski outings by date(s), chapter, state, region, type of skiing, etc.

For more information about our skiing program email ski@amc-ny.org


More good stuff for skiers…

Join the Hudson Valley NY Skiers Google group (email amcski-nynoj@googlegroups.com) for more up to date info about snow conditions, equipment info, and upcoming trips. When you send your request to join, please make sure to mention that you are an AMC member and that you’re a skier. Please also include what kind(s) of skiing you enjoy.

For more detailed information about skiing in areas accessible within a day’s drive from NYC, check out the Ski The Northeast website. There’s lots more information there.

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What types of skiing do we do?…

Our leaders and members enjoy a few different kinds of skiing.

DOWNHILL SKIING AT SKI RESORTS: 

Our leaders sometimes lead outings to ski resorts. These are usually on weekdays. These outings are usually focused on using Alpine Touring (“A.T.”) or telemark gear for ‘skinning’ up the resort’s trails to ski back down. However, there’s nothing wrong with joining that outing and riding the lifts for a day with a few fellow AMC members.

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING: 

Nordic centers provide groomed trails suitable for classic or freestyle (skate) technique cross country skiing. These commercial facilities usually offer ski rentals and have a lodge with cooked food and beverages available for sale.

We lead some trips for cross country skiing at Nordic centers like Lapland Lake, Mt Van Hoevenberg, or the Osceola-Tug Hill XC Ski Center upstate, or the Trapp Family Lodge or the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont.

Close to home, there are two very popular cross country skiing destinations on the Shawangunk Ridge that still get fairly reliable snow, Minnewaska State Park and the Mohonk Reserve. Both have groomed carriage roads that are great for either classic or freestyle cross country skiing.  Note that these facilities do not offer ski gear rentals or food service.

BACKCOUNTRY SKIING (Alpine Touring and Telemark): 

When most people think of ‘backcountry skiing,’ they think of people climbing mountains (using climbing skins on the skis) into the high alpine to ski back down the steep slopes and couloirs. Our leaders enjoy this kind of thing, but this activity absolutely requires that participants are expert downhill skiers with extensive winter hiking experience, and their own appropriate equipment. Some outings may require basic mountaineering skills like the use of crampons and ice ax, or avalanche safety skills. We do also offer some less intense outings to the Catskills and southern New England for skiing old ski trails like the Thunderbolt Ski Trail on Mt Greylock in Massachusetts, or little-known forested slopes in the Catskills. These outings still require expert downhill skills and solid winter hiking experience.

NORDIC BACKCOUNTRY SKIING: 

This is a more cross-country-oriented type of backcountry skiing. The idea is to take metal-edged, fish scale-based skis out onto woods roads or gentle hiking trails on rolling terrain. Bushwhacking through forests and skiing on frozen ponds are also favorite activities. This type of outing requires that participants are expert cross country skiers with extensive winter hiking experience (e.g., on snowshoes).

For more information… 

Join the Hudson Valley NY Skiers Google group (email amcski-nynoj@googlegroups.com) for more up to date info about snow conditions, equipment info, and upcoming trips. When you send your request to join, please make sure to mention that you are an AMC member and that you’re a skier. Please also include what kind(s) of skiing you enjoy.

For more detailed information about skiing in areas accessible within a day’s drive from NYC, check out the Ski The Northeast website. There’s lots more information there.

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