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
StatusOperating
Vertical403 ft.
Top elevation880 ft.
Skiable area90 acres (360,000 m2)
Trails 21
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 Yes, 1
Snowmaking Yes, 90% coverage
Night skiing Yes
Website Website

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]

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. 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 two new groomers, [2] [3] ten new snow fans, [4] and snow guns. [5]

Trails

Thunder Ridge Ski area has 23 trails, nine of which are accessible from the Triple Chair, six from the double chair, four from both chairs, and five bunny trails. It has seven black diamonds, five blue squares, and nine 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
  • Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Evergreen Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Sunset Run [6] Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
Upper Competition Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg
(Lower) 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
  • Deer Pasture
  • Don's Drop
Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
  • Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
  • Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg
Eagle's Lair Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Wildcat Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Timber Wolf Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg
Accessible from Both Chairs
NameRating
Sissy Schuss (old Halfpipe) 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) [7] Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.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
Mini 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'.

As of 2022, Thunder Ridge has three chairlifts (Two doubles and one triple) and four magic carpets. In 1958 a T-Bar opened at then Birch Hill [8] - 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 seven running lifts; four 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"). Today there remain three neglected tows (one serving the halfpipe, and one serving the terrain park, and one which served 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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronet Peak</span> Mountain in New Zealand

Coronet Peak is a commercial skifield in Queenstown, New Zealand located seven kilometres west of Arrowtown, on the southern slopes of the 1,649-metre peak which shares its name. A popular ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, Coronet Peak offers a long snow season, well received skiing and snowboarding terrain and lift systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarloaf (ski resort)</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranmore Mountain Resort</span> Ski area in New Hampshire, United States

Cranmore Mountain Resort, operating in the summer with a Mountain Adventure Park, is a ski area located in North Conway, New Hampshire, United States. It began operations in the winter of 1937–38, and was owned until 1984 by the Schneider family. During the late 1980s and 1990s, ownership of the resort changed hands several times; it is now owned by a group of New England businessmen and is undergoing several years of expansion and modernization.

Dollar Mountain is a ski hill in the western United States 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain High</span> Winter resort in California

Mountain High resort is a winter resort in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County in California. Mountain High is one of the most-visited resorts in Southern California. The resort is located along State Route 2 west of Wrightwood, California. The elevation of the resort is 6,600 feet (2,000 m) to 8,200 feet (2,500 m) for the Mountain High East Resort, 7,000 feet (2,100 m) to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) for the West Resort and 7,200 feet (2,200 m) to 7,800 ft (2,400 m) for the North Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Mountain (ski resort)</span> Alpine ski resort in Ontario, Canada

Blue Mountain is an alpine ski resort in Ontario, Canada, 10 km west of Collingwood. It is situated on a section of the Niagara Escarpment about 1 km (0.6 mi.) from Nottawasaga Bay, and is a major destination for skiers from southern Ontario. The local area forms the newly incorporated town of The Blue Mountains, Ontario. On average, Blue Mountain sells more than 750,000 lift tickets per year, making it the third-busiest ski resort in Canada, after Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia and Mont Tremblant in Quebec. It is one of the largest resorts in Ontario and has been extensively built out, featuring 42 runs, 16 chairlifts and three freestyle terrains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromley Mountain</span> Ski area in Vermont, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire East Ski Resort</span> Ski resort in Charlemont, Massachusetts, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Summit at Snoqualmie</span> Resort in Washington, United States

The Summit at Snoqualmie is a recreation area in the northwest United States, located on Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. It provides alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, mountain biking, winter tubing, and scenic lift rides. Owned and managed by Boyne Resorts, it is 52 miles (80 km) east of downtown Seattle on Interstate 90.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pajarito Mountain Ski Area</span> Ski resort in New Mexico, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Mountain Ski Area</span> Ski area in Vermont, United States

Magic Mountain is a ski resort located on Glebe Mountain in Londonderry, Vermont. It features a 1,500-foot vertical drop. The summit is at 2,850 feet and the base at 1,350 feet.

Horseshoe Resort, formerly Horseshoe Valley Ski Club, is an Ontario ski resort and four season vacation destination. Located north of Barrie, the resort is about 1 hour 15 minutes driving time from Toronto. The resort enjoys a long ski season due to snow making abilities. Acquired by Freed Hotels and Resorts in 2021, Horseshoe Resort is spread out over 680 acres (280 ha) of land. The resort offers 28 ski runs, over 30 kilometres of Nordic trails, 12-hole Valley golf course, Amba Spa, 101 rooms at the on-site inn, 40 condo-style suites, two year-round restaurants, 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) of meeting and banquet facilities, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a full gym, and over 25 miles (40 km) of trails connected to the Copeland Forest suitable for hiking, biking and snowshoeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nub's Nob</span> Ski area in Michigan, United States

Nub's Nob is a ski area in Pleasantview Township, Michigan, United States. It is near Harbor Springs. Opened by Norman and Dorie Sarns in 1958 as a small ski hill, it has sprawled out to a fairly large ski destination with nine lifts. The area gets its name from the nickname of founder Norman "Nubby" Sarns.

Catamount Ski Area is a ski resort located on Mount Fray of the Taconic Mountains in Hillsdale, New York and South Egremont, Massachusetts. Catamount is one of three ski areas in the southern Berkshires; the others are Butternut in Great Barrington, and Otis Ridge in Otis. It is one of the few remaining family-owned ski areas in New England. In addition, Catamount is home to one of the largest youth ski race programs in the Northeast.

Belleayre Mountain, in Catskill Park, New York, United States, is a ski resort owned and operated by the Olympic Regional Development Authority or ORDA. It is the only Catskill resort that contains a gondola and attracts many new visitors from New York City. Skier and snowboarder visits have grown from 70,000 in 1995 to more than 175,000 in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski Ward</span> Ski area in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Mountain Ski Resort</span> Ski area in New York, United States

Bristol Mountain, formally known as Bristol Mountain Winter Resort, is a ski resort located in South Bristol, New York, in the Finger Lakes region. It is located 30 miles (48 km) from the center of Rochester, New York, the nearest major city to the resort, and about 10 miles (16 km) from Canandaigua on NY 64.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bousquet Mountain</span> Ski area in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Bousquet Mountain is a local ski area serving skiing and snowboarding located on a northern summit of Yokun Ridge in Pittsfield, Massachusetts within the Taconic Mountain Range. It is now owned by Mill Town Capital and shares a Summit pass with Berkshire East and Catamount Ski Area.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenney Mountain Ski Resort</span> American ski area in New Hampshire

Tenney Mountain Ski Resort is a ski area in Plymouth, New Hampshire, located on Tenney Mountain. It closed in 2010 after operating for 45 years, but reopened for ski operations in March 2018. It closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and did not operate during the 2020–21 or 2021–22 seasons, while allowing backcountry access. It reopened in February 2023.

References

  1. Ng, Matthew (2007-01-29). "Horace Mann debuts in Section 1 skiing competition". The Journal News.
  2. "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.
  3. "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.
  4. "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.
  5. "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.
  6. No snowmaking equipment permanently placed on the trail.
  7. In 2019 the Half-way station for the Double Lift was re-opened.
  8. "#tbt 1958 the year the Hall T-Bar was installed!". www.instagram.com. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 2020-12-18.

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