Holiday Valley Opening Day
Holiday Valley Opening Day will be December 3rd. Holiday Valley has some of the best and most extensive snow making in the east.
Holiday Valley opening day is nearly here. Holiday Valley Opening day will be December 3rd. Of course, this is weather permitting and we will be hoping for some classic lake effect Ellicottville snow.
Even without that, however, Holiday Valley has some of the most advanced and most extensive snow making in the east. As long as the temperatures get far below freezing, they will be making snow.
You can find old posts on opening day at Holiday Valley on our sister website where you can also find more stories on Ellicottville Real Estate. And, of course, check back in here for all things Ellicottville and Ellicottville Real Estate.
Holiday Valley wins #2 Ski Resort in the East
Holiday Valley #2 in the East. Ski Magazine names Holiday Valley the 2nd best resort in the East. Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, finished above the likes of Mont Tremblant in Quebec and Killington and Stowe in Vermont.
Ellicottville’s own Holiday Valley makes the big time! Voted #2 in the East in Ski Magazine’s annual survey for 2021. In the process, Holiday Valley finished higher than famous ski resorts such as Mont Tremblant in Quebec as well as Stowe and Killington in Vermont.
Ellicottville has long been dubbed the “Aspen of the East”. Maybe it’s time for Aspen to be called the Ellicottville of the West. Aspen finished a creditable 3rd in the Best of the West rankings!
What Ski Magazine Said
“This western N.Y. mountain is a small hill that punches above its weight. The skiing is pure fun and the friendly atmosphere makes all comers feel welcome.”
Hard to to argue with this. Holiday Valley manages to pack over 60 runs in to its 290 acres. Each run is meticulously groomed and benefits from the most extensive automated HKD snowmaking in the East. And some crazy lake effect snow doesn’t hurt either.
Holiday Valley is also well blessed with some amazing après-ski. Ellicottville is an authentic ski-town. On the same night you can find people enjoying fine dining at Dina’s or dancing on tables at one of the many bars.
There is a good variety of lodging and that will obviously be improved even further when 42 Degrees North’s ski chalets hit the market. You can see more on our Ellicottville ski chalets here.
What Holiday Valley Had to Say
Holiday Valley was justifiably proud of their achievement. This was the highest that Holiday Valley had ever finished and they beat out some top names to do it. Here’s what resort president Dennis Eshbaugh had to say:
“…is quite an accomplishment. Our founders would be very proud of what they started 64 years ago. We have worked hard over the years to continually reinvest in the resort and provide a good work environment for our employees. And then there’s Ellicottville which provides the après experience with great dining, shopping and nightlife. But there’s one thing that can’t be purchased and that’s the friendly attitude of our staff and all the locals that puts the visitor’s experience over the top. We are humbled and honored by our customers’ loyalty.”
Well said! At 42 Degrees North, we’re proud to be part of the Ellicottville experience and the Ellicottville Real Estate scene. And we’re looking forward to Holiday Valley taking that number 1 spot!
The Rankings in Full
Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont
Killington, Vermont
Mont Tremblant, Quebec
Mad River Glen, Vermont
Jay Peak, Vermont
Whiteface Mountain, New York
Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire
Sugarloaf, Vermount
Sugarbush, Vermont
Snowmaking at sunset at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville (photo courtesy of Holiday Valley)
Remember to check in regularly for all that’s new in the Ellicottville real estate market. And you can catch up on older Ellicottville real estate stories at our previous site.
Ellicottville in the Fall
Beautiful fall colors over 42 Degrees North, Ellicottville. Great shots from the drone.
Skiing is what put Ellicottville on the map, but it is beautiful in all seasons. Fall in Ellicottville is spectacular! Our partners as Eagle 1 photography recently took the drone up on a flight and captured some great shots for us. Unfortunately, the colors haven’t been quite as spectacular this year. This is as a result of the milder nights we had in October. The best color years are usually when there is a big temperature contract between night and day. However, even a less spectacular year is still pretty great so please enjoy!
Flying Over Lot 7
Vibrant Fall Colours Over Lot 7 at 42 Degrees North. Lot 7 dominates the bottom left hand side of this photo. Lot 1 in Phase 2 is in the top left hand corner. Lots 12 and 13 from Phase 2 are to the right.
Flying Over the Communal Area
This photo shows the communal area dominated by the patch of spruce trees in the middle. In the distance in the top right, you can see another line of spruce trees. This marks the end of the road in Phase 2. It also the highest point in Ellicottville - a few feet higher than Holimont and Holiday Valley.
The View Towards Ellicottville, Holiday Valley and Holimont
This great picture shows just how close 42 Degrees North is to Ellicottville. You can see Holiday Valley and Holimont. If you look really closely, you can even see one of the fairways at the Double Black Diamond at Holiday Valley. Where else on the Ellicottville real estate scene can you get this amount of privacy and seclusion so close to Ellicottville?
Flying Over Lots 5, 6 and 7
Another great shot. The drone is probably over lot 5 in this shot. It then looks over lots 6 and 7 in Phase 1 and over the whole of Phase 2. Once again, you can see the patch of spruce trees in the distance that marks the end of the road. From there, you really are on top of the world.
Winter is Coming
It’s fall now, but winter is coming and we’re one day closer to ski season. As soon as the snow comes, we’ll send the drone up again and get some great winter shots.
In the meantime, if you are looking for a ski chalet in Ellicottville, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. 42 Degrees North is poised to be the most exciting resort development on the Ellicottville Real Estate scene.
Ellicottville Social Media Round Up
Ellicottville Fall Festival Social Media Review
This is our (mostly) weekly round up of social media from some of our favorite Ellicottville accounts.
Ellicottville Fall Festival
The colors (or colours) are just starting to pop in Ellicottville. With things getting back to normal a little bit, it’s time for the Ellicottville Fall Festival and there’s a lot going on! Ellicottville Fall Festival coincides with Canadian Thanksgiving. With the border still closed, there won’t be as many Canadians flocking to Ellicottville as usual, but other than that, it is business (and fun) as usual.
Ellicottville Brewing Company
As always, the Ellicottville Brewing Company is rolling out a packed line up for Ellicottville Fall Festival. It starts on Friday October 8th and runs through the weekend to Sunday night. There is a wide variety of musical acts, great food and, of course, an amazing selection of craft beers brewed right on site in Ellicottville.
Ellicottville Tap and Bottle and Taqueria
To celebrate Ellicottville Fall Festival, Ellicottville Tap and Bottle and Taqueria is offering specially created Tacos until 8pm. From 8pm, it’s all about the party! Full bar service, craft cocktails and over 30 new beers from across New York State.
Ellicottville Nominated for Best Small Town for Adventure
Ellicottville has been nominated as one of the top small towns in America for adventure. Ellicottville Outbound is reminding you to vote. When we voted, Ellicottville was in eighth place so get voting! Click here to vote!
Holiday Valley Yodeler Update
Holiday Valley has been getting us excited for skiing all year with it’s updates on the progress of the new High Speed Yodeler Quad coming to Holiday Valley this winter. The Holiday Valley lift system is already amazing and this will just add to it. Check out Holiday Valley’s Facebook page for more updates!
Ellicottville Real Estate Review
Ellicottville Real Estate Review - September 22nd
When you decide whether to buy at 42 Degrees North, we understand that you will want to see how it compares to other chalets in Ellicottville. While you will obviously want to do your own due diligence, in the coming posts, we will look at properties that have sold in Ellicottville and compare them to the chalets for sale at 42 Degrees North.
6709 Upper Rd, Ellicottville
Ski Chalet at 6709 Upper Road, Ellicottville.
This 6 bedroom 3512 sq ft home overlooks the slopes of Holiday Valley. It sold for $705,000 on August 12th 2021. It is obviously a great chalet close to Ellicottville, but let’s see how it compares to a similar chalet at 42 Degrees North. The comparison we will use is the Elk Creek Model on Lot 2 which is currently for sale at $620,000.
Location
6709 Upper Road has a fabulous location. It isn’t ski in - ski out, but it is across the street from the slopes at Holiday Valley and it has views of the slopes. It’s a short drive down to Holiday Valley resort. According to Google Maps, it is 1.3 miles from Holiday Valley or a 3 minute drive. It is 3.9 miles from Holimont or an 8 minute drive. The Ellicottville Brewing Company is 2.5 miles or an 8 minute drive.
Lot 2 at 42 Degrees North also features views of the slopes albeit from a little further away. Holiday Valley is 3.8 miles away or a 7 minute drive. Holimont is 3.9 miles away or an 8 minute drive. The Ellicottville Brewing Company is 2.8 miles or a 6 minute drive. Again, this is all according to Google Maps.
So, 6709 Upper Road is definitely closer to Holiday Valley. The two chalets are exactly the same distance and driving time from Holimont. 42 Degrees North is slightly further from Ellicottville Brewing Company, but actually a shorter drive. It’s pretty close and some will certainly prefer the seclusion that 42 Degrees North offers, but for proximity to Holiday Valley, we’ll give 6709 Upper Road a slight edge.
The Chalets
These two Ellicottville ski chalets are quite similar in size. 6709 Upper Road is slightly bigger at approximately 3500 sq ft vs the Elk Creek which comes in at 3380 sq ft. 6709 Upper Road has 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms while the Elk Creek can be configured as either a 6 or 7 bedroom home and with 3 to 5 bathrooms.
Both chalets are well built and functional, but different in age. The Elk Creek is obviously a new build so you have a brand new home and one that can be somewhat customised to your needs and wants. The chalet at 6709 Upper Road is a little older so naturally it will show some wear and tear. The Elk Creek’s design style is a little more contemporary as you would expect from a newer home.
On balance, while both are lovely homes, we give the edge to the Elk Creek at 42 Degrees North
Lot Size
An easy comparison here with 6709 Upper Road having a decent 0.49 acre lot size, but lot 2 at 42 Degrees North prevailing with an extremely generous 5 acres. Advantage 42 Degrees North
Price
Always kind of important! With a list price of $620,000 vs 6709 Upper Road’s selling price of $705,000, the Elk Creek is the winner here.
The Verdict
Two amazing Ellicottville ski chalets. We gave the edge to the Elk Creek in three of the four categories, but everyone’s view is going to be different. You are welcome to add your thoughts in the comments below. We do moderate them, but all reasonable opinions welcomed (even if you don’t agree with us!)