Over the past 24 hours, a large number of Northeast ski resorts have posted messages like this on their social media pages:

Currently, a major rainstorm is making its way through the Northeast. With most in the region receiving inches of rain, many ski resorts announced that they won’t be operating today. Other ski resorts, like Killington and Stratton, announced that they’d be closing early due to the deteriorating conditions. A growing amount of mountains, like Saddleback and Pleasant Mountain, have decided to remain closed on Tuesday due to various factors. The snow on natural terrain has melted, and mountain operations will have their work cut out for them on the trails that have relied on snowmaking. In addition, flooding is now an issue, especially at Sunday River.

It’s been a mixed bag for the Northeast this season. The ski season has been great for Northern Vermont, as they’ve had some solid base-building storms. Unfortunately, this hosing is likely going to damage the natural snowpack. Other parts of the region, like where I live in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, have been less lucky, with more rain than snow.

After the rain comes through, it seems like many ski resorts will have some chances to make snow in the evenings.

Let’s hope the Heat Miser loses this winter. He’s too much.

Image Credits: Loon Mountain Resort (Featured Image), Stratton Mountain Resort (Header Image), Waterville Valley Resort, Magic Mountain, Pats Peak

A ski area that’s located in the God’s Country of Pennsylvania is on the verge of reopening.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Ski Denton has found a new operator for the ski area. First opened back in 1951, it was known for its retro base lodge and terrain variety. Unfortunately, its remote location (it’s a 255-mile haul away from Philadelphia) factored into its closure in 2014. With Denton Go, LLC signing a thirty-five-year lease, it seems like the new operators are in it for the long run.

John Hallas, who’s director of Pennsylvania’s state parks, said the following in the public press release:

“We’re really excited to work with Denton Go to imagine how greater access and new recreational opportunities at the park can serve residents and draw visitors to the Pennsylvania Wilds region throughout the year… Outdoor assets like Denton Hill are an important part of rural economies, so revitalizing the park will help nearby communities, businesses, and attractions grow and thrive.”

The interesting part of this is that Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is planning to devote $10 million in capital improvements to get the ski resort back up and running. This means that new lifts, trails, and snowmaking guns could be coming. In addition, activities like mountain biking trails and dark sky gazing are planned in the offseason. These new activities are in order to create a more financially sustainable operation. You can read DCNR’s detailed master plan here.

In a press release to Save Denton Hill State Park, Denton Go, LLC, detailed their backgrounds in the local area, along with their plans for the mountain:

The ski area is known for Avalanche, which some people have claimed to be the steepest lift-serviced trail on the East Coast. While this likely isn’t true, it certainly looks steep. This video below is the only one I’ve found of the Avalanche trail. Unfortunately, I think that it was shot by someone who majored in Shaky Cam Studies at the Mt. Night Shyamalan School.

A reopening timeline hasn’t been officially announced for Denton, but this is an intriguing development that will excite local skiers who are longing to shred Avalanche again.

Mountain Stats

Trails: 22

Lifts: 5

Skiable Acreage: 75

Vertical Drop: 650 feet

Location: Ulysses, Pennsylvania

Image/Video Credits: Google Earth, Save Denton Hill State Park, @chestermycheeto

Since 2015, the Poma lifts at the Hickory Ski Center in New York have not spun. Two years ago, the Hickory Ski Center was purchased by locals. Since then, they’ve brought many activities back to the mountain, and are working on bringing back lift-serviced skiing to Hickory.

Last week, Hickory gave an update on the latest happenings at the ski area. One thing that has eluded them so far is reopening the lifts. While the Poma Lifts have been approved to operate from the State of New York, liability insurance costs have blocked them from running them to the public. This month, they’ll be meeting with an insurance company to try and work out a partnership.

If that doesn’t work though, they have another idea for bringing people up the mountain. Last spring, they had an autonomous vehicle company test out their product on Hickory’s terrain. The company is returning for pre-season testing this fall. It has been confirmed by the Storm Skiing Journal & Podcast that this would be the dolaGon autonomous vehicle. It’s unclear if they would still purchase the autonomous vehicle if they’re able to acquire insurance for the Poma lifts.

In terms of the summertime, Hickory has continued to grow its activities. Over the past couple of years, they’ve built out an extensive hiking network, with five different trails to the Three Sisters Peak. The hiking map is available online, with Hickory planning to add them to AllTrails in the near future. An 18-hole disc golf course is also being installed, with its completion expected this fall.

Another idea they have in the future is to add a taproom to the base lodge. Hickory completed the lodge inspections, so they know they can add it. They are working with Hickory Hill Brewery and Event Planning to complete the lease agreement and building permits, with a projected opening in early 2024.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a snowy winter at the Hickory Ski Center.

Mountain Stats

Trails: 19

Lifts: 4

Vertical Drop: 1200 feet

Skiable Acreage: 225

Location: Warrensburg, New York

Image/Video Credits: DolaGon (Featured Image), Hickory Ski Center

Last week, the snowiest ski resort in New York got ravaged by a tornado. Snow Ridge Ski Resort saw damage to four of its lifts and had a tree land on top of one of its snow groomers and much more.

WWNY reports that the damage Snow Ridge faces was worse than what they originally thought. The additional damage that they specified was to the lifts and buildings. The clean-up process has officially begun, with one of the lifts being cleared thanks to the Shue Bros Logging company.

On Monday, Nick Mir, who is the General Manager of Snow Ridge Ski Resort, described the clean-up process to WWNY:

“We have a logging crew that just started today. We already have 1 of the 4 lifts already cleared off. We started with a little mountain. That was the easiest one to start with. So that’s clear and now we can kind of do our thing, start to put that back together and assess the damage on the lift. We’re going to head over to north chair next, and they’re going start right in on that. Try getting the logs off the lift there so we can assess that one and just work our way down to ridge runner and up to snow pocket…We know this is going to be a marathon, so we’ll take it day by day and do what we can.”

If you’re looking to help Snow Ridge out, there are a few ways to assist in the recovery efforts. They have started a GoFundMe, which will go towards repairing the mountain. In addition, they’ll be hosting a volunteer day on August 26th. Alternatively, if you live nearby, go buy a season pass. When you purchase a season pass, you can then do an add-on Indy Pass. Snow Ridge may potentially be receiving financial assistance from Lewis County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to it possibly being eligible for disaster relief.

The video report from Zachary Grady of WWNY is below.

Image Credits: Snow Ridge Ski Resort

Video Credit: Zachary Grady/WWNY

One of the biggest stories in the ski industry this week has been the tornado that ravaged Snow Ridge Ski Resort in New York.

An EF3 tornado ran right through the snowiest ski resort in the state, leading to extensive damage. According to Ski Area Management, this tornado damaged all three of Snow Ridge’s chairlifts, with all the haul ropes snapping. Numerous buildings were damaged at the ski resort, including their yurt, which was completely lost. One of the most striking images from the storm, which is pictured above, shows a tree on top of their snow groomer.

On Wednesday, ABC50 InformNNY traveled to Snow Ridge to chat with Nick Mir, who is the General Manager of Snow Ridge. The video below gives you an idea of the widespread damage that occurred on the mountain.

Yesterday, a GoFundMe was started to help out the New York ski resort. The fundraiser, which is being organized by Cynthia Sisto and Jackie Recine, aims to help Snow Ridge out in their time of need. The funds will go towards tree removal and restoration of the Little Mtn warming hut.

In addition, Snow Ridge will be hosting a volunteer day on August 26th from 10 am-2 pm in order to accelerate the cleanup process. They won’t be supplying equipment, so volunteers will need to bring their own stuff. A free lunch will be provided by Snow Ridge.

You can donate to help Snow Ridge out here.

Image Credits: Snow Ridge Ski Resort, ABC50 InformNNY

We’ve seen some gut-wrenching damage to mountain communities this summer, including in Vermont and in Sweeden. The latest tragedy occurred in New York state.

This week, an EF-3 tornado landed in Lewis County, which is home to Snow Ridge. According to National Weather Service estimates, the tornado had a max speed of 140 mph, a length of 16 miles, and a maximum width of a giant seven hundred feet. In its path was Snow Ridge, which is known as the snowiest ski resort in New York.

On Tuesday, Snow Ridge went to social media to show the extent of the damage. Some of the casualties included a tree landing onto the cab of their Pisten Bully 200 snow groomer, the Little Mtn buildings and chairlift being wrecked, and the yurt being lost.

Surprisingly, ski resorts in New York are no stranger to tornados. In 2021, Woods Valley dealt with damage from one. The tornado at Woods Valley damaged the bottom terminal buildings of their lifts, snowmaking equipment, maintenance facility, lighting equipment, and magic carpet. They luckily were able to reopen for the 2021-22 season.

After the overwhelming response of gratitude from the skiing community, Snow Ridge said the following in the comments section:

“We can not begin to express our gratitude for the outpouring of support from our community. While we continue to assess the full damage, our hearts are warmed by the backing of everyone who has reached out to us and are willing to help us start this journey of rebuilding.

We will keep everyone updated on future plans of clean-up days in the coming days and weeks. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

 The Snow Ridge Family.”

We’ll keep you posted on how to help out Snow Ridge in their time of need.

Image Credits: Snow Ridge Ski Resort

Since being bought by the Beall family and Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners in April, Windham Mountain has had its eye on the future.

A couple of weeks ago, the New York ski resort announced its initial master plan, with its chief focus being to have visitors extend their time at the mountain by staying overnight. This master plan is still in the preliminary stages with the Town Board of Windham, but Windham did say that developments will be ongoing through 2025.

The plans include the addition of a new hotel, along with the building of townhomes, single-family properties, lots, and green space. For the golf course, they want to expand and add activities like a pool, racquet sports courts, and more. For the dining experience, they aim to renovate each of their dining spaces at the ski resort. They are planning snowmaking improvements and lift enhancements.

One of the first additions to the master plan will be coming this fall, with a new mid-mountain restaurant that’s Italian-Alps themed. The other dining project is a new food hall Mediterranean-inspired restaurant inside the existing mid-mountain lodge.

Chip Seamans, who is the President of Windham Mountain, described their primary goal with this master plan:

“It is an exciting time at Windham and we look forward to expanding our season to feature robust year-round experiences while providing an ever-better experience to our loyal guests and members of the community. Our goal is to continue to offer unique opportunities for visitors to enjoy the beauty of the Catskills and immerse themselves in the refreshing destination that is Windham Mountain.” 

Not many New York ski resorts have slopeside lodging, with guests going to places like Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface having to stay off-property. This gives Windham Mountain an opportunity to bring in customers for not just a day, but potentially for a lifetime. You can learn more about Windham’s master plan here.

Image Credits: Windham Mountain

Last week, a ski shop in Pittsburgh saw some damage to their building from an external source. On July 31st, a car that was parked next to Willi’s Ski Shop in North Hills caught on fire. This fire spread to the ski shop.

Luckily, the ski shop didn’t sustain major damage from the fire. In addition, no injuries were reported. It appears that most of the damage occurred to the exterior of the building, with not much fire or smoke getting inside. They did say though that the “fire at our North Hills location, while minor, may force us to rethink a few things.”

Willi’s has three ski shops across Pennsylvania. Two of them are located in Pittsburgh (North Hills and South Hills) while another is situated at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. All of these shops are currently closed, with the Pittsburgh stores not remaining until Labor Day weekend. They are known for these extremely catchy ads that will be stuck in my head for at least a week.

It’s been a rough period for Willi’s lately. Wilhelm Klein, who was the owner of the ski shops, passed away in April. Originally from Austria, he opened the first Willi’s ski shop in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania in 1970. The business has won the best ski shop in the United States three times.

We’re glad to see Willi’s made it through mostly unscathed, and we’ll let you know if they need any help recovering from the damage.

Image/Video Credits: Willi’s Ski Shop, KDKA

The next few years for Gore Mountain in New York will be transformative. Last Friday, Gore, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (which operates the ski resort), and the Town of Johnsburg announced the timeline for the new chairlift, lodge, and zip coaster at the North Creek Ski Bowl. All three projects will break ground in 2024, with the chairlift projected to operate during the 2024-25 season, and the lodge opening in 2025.

NEW SKI BOWL LODGE, CHAIRLIFT, & ZIP COASTER AT THE NORTH CREEK SKI BOWL!
In partnership with the Town of Johnsburg and the State of New York, Gore Mountain will break ground for the North Creek Ski Bowl Lodge, a new Hudson Chair, and Zip Coaster in 2024. https://t.co/yB79J6gi86 pic.twitter.com/Opeci1JgER

— Gore Mountain (@GoreMountain) June 23, 2023

The new two-story lodge will be a year-round facility. The 18,300 square foot building will have a “restaurant and tavern, retail, ski patrol headquarters, and two levels of mountain-facing patios.” The upper level will feature “retractable glass panels that can open up for open-air dining and unobstructed views of the mountain.” 

The Hudson Chairlift, which opened back in 2010, will be replaced by a new detachable high-speed quad. The new lift will be realigned to a new location compared to its predecessor, and will also feature new trails and snowmaking upgrades.

The zip coaster will be the main summer attraction over at the North Creek Ski Bowl. This attraction will be a hybrid between a zipline and a rail system, and feature a zig-zag track. This family-friendly attraction will be a “propelled, electric-powered recreational ride.” Other summer attractions around the North Creek Ski Bowl will include scenic sky rides, mountain biking, and hiking. New hiking and mountain biking trails in the area are also part of the plans.

“After many years of working through the process, we are excited to get this project underway,” said James Bayse, the General Manager of Gore Mountain. “The new lodge will be a full-service hub for year-round activities, and the zip coaster will be a one-of-a-kind draw to our area.”

While this offseason won’t see the major upgrades that are happening next year, there will still be numerous improvements. The Bear Cub Poma Lift will be replaced by a new fixed-grip quad chairlift with a loading conveyor. The new chairlift will service the Sunway trail.

Snowmaking enhancements will be happening over at the North Creek Ski Bowl, which will include a new valve house at the top of the Hudson Triple, snowmaking guns will be added to Moxham for the first time, and updated snowmaking guns will be placed on 46’er.  These improvements to their snow surfaces will help prepare Gore for the 2024-25 expansion.

You can read the full press release here.

Image Credits: Gore Mountain

West Mountain in Queensbury, New York has been reinvigorated in recent years thanks to the ownership of Spencer and Sara Montgomery. Since they bought the mountain around a decade ago, they’ve invested in extensive snowmaking upgrades, three new lifts, widening their trails, and lodge renovations. Their racing team is growing rapidly and is now being led by Olympian Thomas Vonn.

For this offseason, some of their offseason projects include the purchase of a new snow groomer, new carpeting in the main lodge, and adding more mountain biking trails. These changes pale in comparison though of what’s to come.

In 2025, the ski resort will undergo its biggest capital improvements ever. The major planned improvement is the addition of a high-speed chairlift from Doppelmayr. The current debate is whether to install a quad or a six-pack for this terrain pod. Currently, this area is serviced by a fixed-grip triple chairlift.

Around the chairlift’s base terminal will be a new hotel. Called The Woods at West Mountain Ski & Stay Resort, more details about the hotel will be revealed in the coming months.

Four new trails are planned as part of this expansion. A few of them appear to be of easy and intermediate difficulty, while one is an expert bump run.

The longest run is called Full Monty. This is described as a narrow bump run that will be an expert trail, with a vertical drop of 764 feet.

The second trail, called Real Beauty, has riders unload off the new chairlift and then take a right, with a total vertical drop of 67 feet.

The third trail, called Possessed, has riders taking a left from the unloading area, with a 67-foot vertical drop.  This trail allows you to access Full Monty thanks to a new connector run.

The fourth trail, called The Boz, connects Possessed and Full Monty. This mellow run will have a vertical drop of 33 feet.

Ultimately, West Mountain is a ski resort on the rise. We’ll keep you posted here at Unofficial Networks on the latest developments for West Mountain’s expansion.

Image Credits: West Mountain