Trip Log - Top Of The Mountain Concert

All By Its Lonesome!

    This past Labor day three day weekend I stumbled upon an unusual venue for an RV trip. Turns out Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort in New York has a whole bunch of events in the summer AND the powers that be in the NY State government have decided it's OK for RV's to park overnight (1 night) in certain places on the mountain to boost awareness of the resort as a whole! Whoa! Say what??!?! Yes...you read that correctly, dry camping on the top of a mountain (2800 ft) with spectacular views in a state run resort. Way cool. I had to try it. So off we went!

Be aware, that climbing mountains in an RV can be a bit of a laborious process. Getting from the road height of 150 ft. to the 2800 ft. elevation of the top of the mountain (well almost the top, looks like there is another ski lift going a bit higher than the lot we were in) is going to take some time as the road there is pretty steep grade. Take your time! There is no rush. I used second gear and made about 45 mph the whole climb and kept engine and transmission temps in the green. Amazing views during the climb. There are a couple of dual lane passing zones for impatient motorists to pass.

Once at the top, you check in with the manager (an incredibly cool guy who goes by the name, "Captain Ron." Yes, I made a Kurt Russell reference to which his reply was a pitch perfect pirate impression! Although he didn't have an eye-patch I let him slide! He told us we could park anywhere in the lower (employee only) parking lot. When we chose a place, he even came down to suggest one with a better view! Now that's courtesy!

Yes, Paper Plates..I was Being Lazy!

The altitude made it nice and cool, with temps never getting above 71 degrees with a nice breeze wafting through the RV. It got a bit cooler at night, but never cool enough to need the furnace. The morning was foggy, but the view was fantastic. Clouds creating interesting shapes, shrouding all the surrounding peaks. It was also incredibly quiet. We settled in, made a great dinner and then went up to see the concert at the top of the mountain. Oh, right.. with all the amazing views and friendly folks I almost forgot to mention the music festival they were having that night.

Three bands (Lily and the Parlour Tricks, Big Data and The Hold Steady as well as Joni Fatora on the smaller stage prior to the main event!) all of them from Brooklyn, New York. All on a stage under a massive white tent on the top of the mountain! How's that for cool factor? After a great concert, we retired to the RV for a movie and a snack. Actually, it turned out to be a couple of episodes of an old TV show called, "Greg The Bunny" and a snack. Then sleep with the mountain breeze drifting in.

Well rested in the morning I made a hearty breakfast and we wandered around the resort for a few hours, never seeing another person! Then back down the mountain to explore some small towns we passed on the way in. Like the best RV trips.. relaxing and enjoyable. Good food with great company. What else can one ask of RV'ing? Every time I take a trip, I hope it will be as perfect as this. With summer coming to a close and the opportunities for RV trips diminishing at an ever increasing rate, I cherish these trips. They have to keep my mind occupied over the long winter to come.

Was there a down side? Depends on how you look at things. I only managed to get data in/out from my cell phone twice the whole time we were there. And NO CALLS at all. This could be a good or bad thing... depending on your particular point of view. Cell service came back about 200 ft. lower though. I'm already looking into next year's event schedule for a return trip.

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com