KINGSTON – The 126 inches of snow on the slopes at Belleayre Mountain ski resort in Ulster County this winter are apparently acting as a magnet to skiers.

With the spring skiing season just around the corner, the state-owned Belleayre Mountain center is hoping to break its 2007-2008 season total of more than 181,000 skiers. Through this past Presidents’ Day weekend, more than 125,000 people hit the slopes so far this winter.

More skiers mean more tourists, said Ulster County Tourism Director Rick Remsnyder. “Belleayre has such a great economic impact on Ulster County,” he said. “You can see the ripple effect of the Mountain in the number of people in the streets and shops of Ulster.”

Ski resort Superintendent Tony Lanza said he expects they will “catch up” to that record year of two seasons ago. He is predicting between 177,000 and 187,000 skiers this year.