Hickory Ski Center Anticipates Reopening This Winter

Hickory Ski Center near Lake George, New York is preparing for its big comeback season. After being closed since 2015, it was announced in May of 2021 that the Hickory Ski Center would be reopening. For their first year under new management, the mountain was open for public events, hikers, climbers, bikers, and uphill skinners for shredding. Their goal for this winter is to reopen the lifts once they get approval from the state of New York.

This past spring, I got to talk with David B. Cronheim from the Hickory Ski Center, who described how the comeback efforts have been going. After a busy past couple of months on my end, along with them just receiving six inches of new snow, I thought it would be a good time to tell people about what’s been going on at this revived New York ski area.

Some of their offseason work has included creating a new website, trail clearing, reconnecting the South and North Warren snowmobile trails to the North Country network, renovating their Poma lifts, creating a new space in their lodge for corporate events and parties, hosting various public events, and opening a quick service restaurant in the base lodge: 3 Sister’s Cafe, which is open year-round for breakfast and lunch.

The ski area is being run by the Hickory Legacy Foundation, which is a nonprofit aimed to establish it as a community recreation, education, and ecologically sustainable venue for healthy living. They are doing the following fundraisers right now: Light Up the Mountain, and Unrestricted Operating Funds.

Funds from the Light Up the Mountain cause will go towards installing lights around the t-bar, giving access to night skiing for local schools. The Unrestricted Business Funds cause will go towards supporting the mountain’s business expenses due to inflationary pressures. Some of their developmental efforts include doing after-school programs with local schools and becoming a venue for outdoor education programs.

Hickory originally opened in 1946 with the help of the skiers that were a part of the 10th Mountain Division. The mountain is considered by locals to be the Mad River Glen of New York due to its steepness. Last winter, the ski area dealt with some logistical issues regarding getting their state’s approval to run their surface lifts. In spite of these hurdles, this past winter was a success. Many uphill skinners used the slopes when there was snowfall in January and February. If you want to learn more about the skiing experience at Hickory last winter, check out this article from the Adirondack Explorer.

If you’re interested in visiting Hickory this winter, you should check out the Mountain Access Season Pass-No Lifts, which allows you to “ski, hike, mountain bike, snowshoe, rock climb, or cross-country ski in the Three Sisters Range on contiguous Hickory property.” These passes, which are currently on sale, range from $100 for the winter or spring-summer-fall to $175 for the whole year.

They will be offering two season passes for lift access: The Lower Mountain Pass will give you access to the handlebar and the t-bar with prices ranging from $0-$100 depending on your age group. This pass will become available once they get approval from the state of New York.

The Upper Mountain License goes for $300, and gives you access to the T-Bar and handle tow, along with the upper mountain lifts. Those who purchase this pass are given the opportunity to purchase day tickets for the upper mountain Poma lifts, which feature the steepest terrain on the mountain. This season pass is currently on sale, but Hickory is recommending that guests wait until they pass their lift inspections from the state of New York, as they are an annual non-refundable expense.