What’s It Like To Ski At A Private Club?
History and Programs
Credit: HoliMont
In 1932, William Merk observed the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid and vowed to start a ski area in his home in Western New York. His years of skiing with the Ellicottville Ski Club on Fish Hill and the Greer and Holiday Valley peaks inspired him to start a private ski club in 1961. The first trail was built in that year and seven more were cut the following year. As chairlifts were installed in subsequent years, the membership grew to include not only local skiers, but a robust contingent of Canadians who loved the area and joined the membership.
Today, HoliMont is a vibrant private ski club—the largest one in North America— which has programs that include intra club racing, junior racing, junior alpine travel teams, snowboard and freestyle teams along with adaptive programs and a Christmas Ski Camp. They have a wonderful ski school that is affiliated with PSIA and several PSIA examiners and board members on staff.
Terrain
HoliMont has eight lifts serving over 50 trails. See the Trail Map for details. The elevation is modest but with all those trails and lifts, you’ll be making lots of runs per day. Key benefit of a private ski club: No lift lines and great restaurants.
Culture
Credit: Pat McCloskey
With over 200 inches of natural snowfall coming off the Great Lakes, along with a state of the art snowmaking system, HoliMont has a lot to offer the membership. But what about a guy like me who wants to ski there but is not a member? Fear not, for HoliMont is open to the public during the week, and you have the place virtually to yourself. The atmosphere is pleasant as the area is very well run. Families do come during the week, and you can see different generations of skiers eating lunch at a beautifully set table with crock pots simmering on the shelves in the lodge. The aromas are intoxicating. HoliMont is a family area whether you have a membership or you choose to come during the week.
Bottom Line
The trip to Ellicottville, NY, located about an hour south of Buffalo, is noteworthy in that it is quite rural and beautiful with the snow covered farms and hillsides that line the way to the entrance to the town. EVL, as it is called, is home to quaint establishments, ski and mountain bike shops, and great restaurants including the Ellicottville Brewery which is not to be missed.
For more information on membership, go to the HoliMont Ski Area website or call 716-699- 2320 for more information. Weekday rates for non-members are $56 for adults and $50 for 70+. You can go on a weekend if your reservation is made by a member. There is a limit to how many times you can ski on weekends, by the way. Members can only invite the same guest a designated number of times. The weekend rates are adults $70. There don’t appear to be weekend senior discounts. If you go during the week, chances are you might see my wife and me. We are the ones already enjoying the Lake Erie fluff.
Here’s the promo video from HoliMont.
Love skiing Holimont as a Senior. Great slopes, snomaking and excellent grooming. Weekdays are the finest.
Skied Holimont in the 70’s – 80’s and the 90’s. Great place for families to gather have fun and enjoy the out of doors. Which is needed if you live in the Buffalo area or north. Not that we are aging, BUT in the early days it was a dollar a day in the nursery for the kids.