Hunter is one of those mountains that people either understand or complain about. It's close enough to pull huge demand from the New York market, steep enough to matter, and busy enough that the mountain can feel like a pressure cooker on the wrong weekend. That doesn't make it bad. It makes it specific.
The reason Hunter stays relevant is that it has real pitch and real access. For stronger skiers in the Catskills orbit, that combination is hard to ignore. It can deliver a satisfying day when the snow is good and you get ahead of the crowd.
The problem is that everyone else knows it too. Parking, lines, scraped-off trails, and peak-weekend behavior can become part of the terrain. Hunter is best recommended with a timing strategy, not as a casual default.