Thunder Ridge Ski Area

Last updated
Thunder Ridge
Thunder Ridge Ski Area Logo.jpg
Thunder Ridge Trail Map.png
Thunder Ridge Trail Map
Location Patterson, New York
Nearest major city Pawling, New York
Vertical403 ft.
Top elevation880 ft.
Skiable area90 acres (360,000 m2)
Runs21
Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg 48% easiest
Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg 19% more difficult
Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg 33% most difficult
Lift system 3 chairlifts, 4 magic carpets
Terrain parks Fawn Meadow, and Little Thunder (March Only)
Snowmaking Yes, 90% coverage
Night skiing Yes
Website http://www.thunderridgeski.com/

Thunder Ridge is a small ski area located in Patterson, NY. Because it is located just 75 minutes from New York City, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders from across the New York area. While it does not receive a lot of snowfall, Thunder Ridge does have snowmaking capabilities which can cover 95% of the mountain. Because it is open at night, Thunder Ridge is a haven for high school ski racing. The mountain hosts part of Hudson Valley League racing. [1] In 2014 the area came under new management, after the previous managers could no longer afford to take care of the property as a result of the Great Recession. [2]

Contents

History

Under previous ownership the mountain was known as Birch Hill (1957–1968), Big Birch (1968–1995), Thunder Ridge Ski Area (1995–present).

After coming under new ownership, many of the old trails were 'decommissioned' and other trails given priority. Old Map. Since 2018 around 95% of the mountain is covered with snowmaking equipment, up from 75% under the old ownership. Since 2015, equipment has gone through a major upgrade including the purchase of a new Bombardier Prinoth BR350 groomer [3] [4] and three new Demaclenko snow guns [5] and Ratnik snow guns. [6] In addition, new transformers were added allowing the mountain to produce more snow at a steady and faster rate. [7]

Throughout the 2020–21 North American winter more trails were opened (22 at max) due to record snowfall and consistent weather. This marked the first time in almost four years where more than 20 trails had been open for more than two weeks straight. [8] As part of the 2020–21 season, an older Bombardier groomer was revamped and upgraded, to expand the grooming capability throughout the mountain. [9]

Trails

Thunder Ridge Ski area has 21 trails. 9 of which are accessible from the Triple Chair, 6 from the double chair, 4 from both chairs, and 5 bunny trails. It has 8 Black Diamonds 4 Blue Squares and 12 Green Circles.

Accessible from Triple Chair
NameRating
Lovers Lane Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Fawn Meadow Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Santa Fe Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Evergreen Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Sunset Run [10] Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Competition Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Fools Delight Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
The Face Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Blackberry Pass Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Accessible From Double Chair
NameRating
Bull's Run Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Don's Drop Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Deer Pasture Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Wildcat Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Timber Wolf Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Eagle's Lair Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Halfpipe Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Accessible from Both Chairs
NameRating
Sissy Schuss Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
The Road Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Don's Drop Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Lovers Lane (since 2019) [11] Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Halfpipe Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Bunny Hills
NameRating
Little Thunder Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Fun Run Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
You Can Do It! Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Movin Up Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Little Thunder Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg




Lifts

Top of the main lift (the triple) as seen from the 'Top medical depot'. Thunder ridge top of the triple.jpg
Top of the main lift (the triple) as seen from the 'Top medical depôt'.

Thunder Ridge currently has 3 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets. In 1958 a T-Bar opened at then Birch Hill [12] - servicing the main part of today's ski area. Numerous Tows were also installed on the mountain. Sometime in the 1960s, a Borvig double chairlift was installed to the summit; it remains the area's longest and oldest lift. In about 1967, a short double chairlift was installed which today served Little Thunder. In 1986, a Borvig triple chairlift was installed to supersede and eventually replace the T-Bar lift, which it did. In the early 2000s, four Magic Carpet lifts were installed on Thunder Ridge to replace the Tows. Remnants of the tows can still be seen to this day.

During the mid-1960s the Mahopac High School ski team raced and trained at Birch Hill, as did the teams from Carmel and some other Putnam County and Northern Westchester county schools. The lodge was a simple place with a gravel floor.

Today the area maintains 7 running lifts; 4 Carpets (one open all the time (You can do it, "Toyland"), two open on the weekends, one used as a backup), a triple lift (main lift, "The triple"), a double lift (secondary lift, "The double"), and one small double lift (beginner lift, "Little Thunder"). There today remains three neglected tows (one serving the halfpipe, and one serving the terrain park, and one which servde the old terrain park). Both the triple and double were re-surfaced and gained more modern accessories and safety equipment in the late 2010s.


Related Research Articles

Ragged Mountain Resort

Ragged Mountain is a ski resort located on the northern side of Ragged Mountain in Danbury, New Hampshire, in the United States, with a vertical drop of 1,250 feet (380 m) and spread across 250 acres (100 ha). Offering three terrain parks and many glades, the resort is home to the only six-person chairlift in New Hampshire.

Sugarloaf (ski resort) Ski resort in Maine, USA

Sugarloaf is a ski area and resort located on Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, western Maine. It is the second largest ski resort east of the Mississippi in terms of skiable area and snowmaking percentage (95%); its continuous vertical drop of 2,820 feet (860 m) is the second longest in New England. Sugarloaf recorded a total of 352,000 skier visits in the 2005–2006 season, ranking it second among Maine resorts and 11th in New England.

Dollar Mountain is a ski hill in south central Idaho, part of the Sun Valley ski resort. The treeless Dollar caters primarily to beginner and lower intermediate skiers; the primary mountain for advanced skiers is Bald Mountain, or "Baldy", next to the city of Ketchum.

Copper Mountain (Colorado) Mountain and ski resort in Colorado, USA

Copper Mountain is a mountain and ski resort located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles (120 km) west of Denver on Interstate 70. The resort has 2,465 acres of in-bounds terrain under lease from the U.S. Forest Service, White River National Forest, Dillon Ranger District. It is operated by POWDR.

Sugarbush Resort

Sugarbush Resort is a ski resort located in the Mad River valley in Warren, Vermont, owned by Alterra Mountain Company. It is one of the largest ski resorts in New England. The resort encompasses more than 4000 acres (16 km²) total, 484 trail acres (2.34 km²) skiable, 53 miles (85 km) of trails, and 16 ski lifts. Sugarbush has 111 ski trails, 18 additional marked wooded area, substantial off-piste skiing and riding, a summit elevation of 4,083 ft (1,244 m), and a vertical drop of 2,600 feet (790 m), second largest in Vermont after Killington, and the third largest in New England after Killington and Sugarloaf.

Mount Snow Ski resort in Vermont, United States

Mount Snow is a mountain resort and ski area in southern Vermont located in the Green Mountains. It is Vermont's closest big mountain to many Northeast metropolitan areas.

Bromley Mountain

Bromley Mountain is located in southern Vermont, United States and is part of the Green Mountains. It is located in the town of Peru, Bennington County, seven miles (11 km) east of Manchester, Vermont and just west of the Peru town center. It is a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding.

Berkshire East Ski Resort

Berkshire East Ski Resort is a medium-sized alpine ski area in the northeastern United States, located in the Berkshires on Mount Institute in Charlemont and Hawley, Massachusetts.

Hunter Mountain (ski area)

Hunter Mountain is a ski resort located in Greene County, New York about three hours northwest of New York City in the town of Hunter, New York. It features a 1,600-foot (488 m) vertical drop.

Ski Sundown Ski area in New Hartford, Connecticut

Ski Sundown is a ski area located in New Hartford, Connecticut. There are 16 trails, 15 of which are lighted for nighttime skiing. In terms of difficulty, eight of the trails are easier, four are intermediate and three are difficult and one is most difficult. Popular trails include Tom's Treat, which winds its way down the mountain for one mile and includes a mini terrain park (1.6 km), and Gunbarrel, a steep pitch straight down the mountain which offers free NASTAR as well as CISC-sponsored races. The ski area features two terrain parks, the easier on Tom's Treat, and an expert terrain park on the black diamond run Stinger. When there is enough snow, the mountain seeds moguls on the Exhibition and Gunbarrel trails. The mountain opened its newest trail, Satan's Stairway, a double black diamond trail in the Winter 2014/2015 season. Five lifts service the mountain, with three triple chairs, and two conveyor lifts. Ski Sundown has 70 acres (280,000 m2) of skiable terrain. Ski Sundown also includes 15 out of 16 trails lighted for night skiing, usually until 10 PM

Pajarito Mountain Ski Area

Pajarito Mountain Ski Area (Pajarito) is located on the north face of Pajarito Mountain, one of the Jemez Mountains in north central New Mexico, west of Los Alamos. It is located on 850 acres (3.4 km2) of privately owned land. Pajarito Mountain is owned and operated by volunteers and Mountain Capital Partners. A typical season runs from Christmas to early April, but an outstanding season may run from Thanksgiving to late April. Pajarito now has a snowmaking system and it is producing snow. Season passes are available with discounts available for early season purchase.

Pebble Creek, Idaho

Pebble Creek is an alpine ski area in the western United States, located in southeastern Idaho in the Portneuf Range in the Caribou National Forest. It is east of Pocatello in eastern Bannock County, four miles (6 km) east of Inkom.

Beaver Mountain Ski resort in Utah, United States

Beaver Mountain is a ski area in the western United States, in northern Utah. First opened 82 years ago in 1939, it is located near the summit of Logan Canyon in the Bear River Mountains, west of Bear Lake and near the border with Idaho. While smaller and less developed than a number of Utah ski resorts, Beaver Mountain is very popular with residents of nearby Logan, Utah State University, the surrounding Cache Valley, and the Bear Lake region, including southeastern Idaho.

Catamount Ski Area is a ski resort located on Mount Fray of the Taconic Mountains in Hillsdale, New York and South Egremont, Massachusetts. It is one of the few remaining family-owned ski areas in New England. Catamount is also one of the largest ski areas in the Berkshire/Taconic Mountains. It has slowly become a world-class all-season resort that is in the unique location in between NY and MA states. In addition, Catamount is home to one of the largest youth ski race programs in the Northeast.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort All-season resort in Pennsylvania, US

Seven Springs Mountain Resort is an all-season resort located in the borough of Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. It has a relatively high elevation for a Pennsylvania ski area, at 3,001 feet (915 m) above sea level. Other activities include downhill bike park, canopy tours, ziplining, sporting clays, fishing, hiking, and golfing in the summer and skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing in the winter. The ski season at Seven Springs typically begins on the day after Thanksgiving and continues through mid-April, weather permitting.

Ski Ward

Ski Ward Ski Area is a small ski area located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

Easton Ski Area

Easton Ski Area, part of the Eaglebrook School, is a small, private alpine ski area located on the western slope of the Pocumtuck Range in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Sunday River is a ski resort located in Newry, Maine, in the United States. It is one of Maine's largest and most visited ski resorts. Its vertical drop of 2,340 feet (710 m) is the second largest in Maine and the sixth largest in New England. Sunday River has the most terrain among the East Coast skiing destinations, including six different peaks. The resort features 135 trails across eight interconnected mountain peaks, and is serviced by a network of 15 lifts.

Sommet Edelweiss

Sommet Edelweiss is a ski area located in Wakefield, Quebec, 30 minutes north of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in the Gatineau Hills.

The Mount Buller Alpine Resort is a ski resort located in the Alpine region of the Australian state of Victoria.

References

  1. ↑ Ng, Matthew (2007-01-29). "Horace Mann debuts in Section 1 skiing competition". The Journal News.
  2. ↑ http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2014/09/12/thunder-ridge-ski-area-expected-open/15537391
  3. ↑ "The crew is working on the Fawn Meadow Park, look for it to be open soon". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Filling up before heading out last night. We have begun to push out the piles and will be making snow again very soon. We'll see you on the hill by the weekend". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "These hard workers are getting some time off, come over and enjoy all the snow they have put out. Open Saturday 9am-9pm, and Sunday 9am-5pm". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "It's always nice to see the hill starting to get covered in snow! We need a few more weather windows to open, but we are getting closer". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Improving for the future, we are not letting this pandemic slow us down. In only a few months we'll see you all on the snow". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Thunder Ridge Ski Area". Thunder Ridge Ski Area. 20 February 2021 -> Lifts 4, Trails 22, Base 20-40". Retrieved 2021-02-21.CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ↑ "The grooming team is out batting the elements. They are packing the snow on our easier terrain and setting a base for the new snowfall overnight. We will re-open tomorrow morning, see you on the hill!". Thunder Ridge Ski Area — Instagram. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  10. ↑ No snowmaking equipment permanently placed on the trail.
  11. ↑ In 2019 the Half-way station for the Double Lift was re-opened.
  12. ↑ "#tbt 1958 the year the Hall T-Bar was installed!". www.instagram.com. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 2020-12-18.

Coordinates: 41°30′26″N73°34′52″W / 41.50722°N 73.58111°W / 41.50722; -73.58111

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.