Statewide Programs for Kids
Good news for parents and grandparents – The SKI NY Passport Program-Kids Ski Free is back for the 2022-23 Season. Kids in 3rd and 4th grade can ski free with parents at mountains including Belleayre, Gore, Greek Peak, Holiday Valley, Snow Ridge, Swain and Whiteface Ski Areas.
Ski Mountain Updates – Alphabetically
Belleayre Mountain has added more than 50,000 feet of new pipe, high efficiency pumps and an arsenal of new snow guns that greatly decrease energy use while greatly increasing snow output. There’s also a new heated patio and outdoor foodservice area, extensive new pavement, and a new and expanded retail shop on the main level. (Catskills)
Catamount Mountain Resort expanded night skiing, new base area courtyard and a re-configured learning area, including a lower mountain quad chair and a new summit triple, extensive upgrades to the snowmaking system and 100 additional snowguns on several trails. There’s also a new snowtubing park with a magic carpet lift and lights for night tubing. (Capital-Saratoga)
Gore Mountain features an all-new 60-foot wide, intermediate trail with grooming and snowmaking. It begins at the top of Burnt Ridge Mountain and parallels the Barkeater Glades before ending just uphill of the Roaring Brook Bridge at the bottom of what’s known as The Pipeline. It makes access to Little Gore Mountain and the Ski Bowl faster and more direct.
A new 18,000+ square foot four-season base lodge is being added to the North Creek Ski Bowl, expected to be completed in 2023. It will feature a new restaurant, a tavern, two levels of patios with scenic views, central ticketing services, a full-service center for mountain biking, hiking center, chairlift rides and a unique rail-zipline ride. Within walking distance of North Creek’s village center, the new lodge also will serve Nordic and alpine night skiing activities. (Adirondacks)
Greek Peak Mountain Resort has invested over $1.3 million for a new triple-chair lift, a $700,000 snow-making upgrade and new family trail ski project. As the largest ski resort in central New York, this brings Greek Peak’s ski trail total to fifty-six. (Central New York)
Mount Peter has recreated Valley View Learning Center with three progressive trails, each with its own carpet lift. Also they have increased their rental fleet by 30% and parking capacity by an additional 20%. (Hudson Valley)
Mt Van Hoevenberg launched the all-new Mountain Pass Lodge as an integral part of Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s transformation, plus these other upgrades –
In a major advancement for the sports of bobsled, luge, and skeleton, a new indoor push track is now the only such indoor refrigerated facility in the United States. Athletes from around the world travel to Lake Placid to train and compete here throughout the year. The multi-sport refrigerated bobsled, luge, and skeleton track is one of the world’s premiere facilities and among the most challenging. There’s an expansive new awards platform and podium right below the track adjacent the Lodge.
A new biathlon stadium is conveniently located near the lodge and features paved roller ski trails with outstanding, accessible new accommodations for spectator viewing.
An all-new Climbing Center is one of the region’s largest, serving all ages and abilities year-round. The center offers 1500 feet of climbing space, including bouldering walls and a 30-foot top-roping wall with auto-belays and multiple lead options.
A new SWIX concept store is the only one of its kind in the country and features the latest tech wear as well as SWIX cross-country ski products and items from its partner brands.
In addition to new competition trails as part of its 55kms of cross-country ski trail network, Mt Van Hoevenberg is now home to one of the world’s most advanced snowmaking systems dedicated to a Nordic facility. That makes maintaining top conditions easier and the venue highly attractive to the sport’s organizing bodies for national and international competitions. (Adirondacks)
Peek ‘N Peak Resort has invested over $3 million to improve this season, a redesigned rental shop, a new outdoor deck, two new Piston Bully groomers and miles of snowmaking lines. The resort also has switched to a new cashless system. (Chautauqua-Allegheny)
Plattekill has widened its most popular “Powder Puff” beginner trail to give beginners more room and added new snowmaking on the trail, plus an all-new beginner trail that wraps around to the “Lower Powder Puff Trail”. Although it won’t have snowmaking yet this season, the trail will open on natural cover – so fingers crossed. Improvements to the base lodge include new steps to the deck area. Expanded guest services now include a new feature to the online webstore that will allow guests to rebook tickets, and new ski and snowboard rentals with all the latest equipment. (Catskills)
Song and Labrador have 200 New Energy Efficient LED Lighting fixtures on the hill at both ski areas, Lift Upgrades, 40 new snow guns, extensive remodeling of Song Mountains main Lodge and new rest rooms and locker room at Labrador. They will be adding to their groomer fleet for 2023-24. (Finger Lakes)
Snow Ridge now offers up to 33 total trails, including two new for this season. Upgrades to Little Mountain include dismantling the old Snowy Meadow Chair to widen Easy Rider, and slowing down the running speed of Little Mountain Chair to make it easier to use. There’s a new NASTAR course on South Slope this season, a Saturday night adult race league and expanded retail shop. (Adirondacks)
Swain is opening a new year-round daycare center for the local community which will provide care on weekends and holidays for ski resort guests. The magic carpet has been lengthened to expand the beginner’s learning area. Snowmaking has been updgraded with new guns and additions to the grooming fleet. Also, the main lodge, got a refresh, including new carpets and painting. (Finger Lakes)
West Mountain will have RFID Access Gates to their lifts across the whole mountain. (Adirondacks)
Whiteface Mountain has many new improvements including the Warhorse Quad Lift. Named in honor of Andrew Weibrecht, three-time Olympian and Lake Placid native, the new lift provides greatly increased capacity along with easier and more direct access from the base to both the top of beginner runs and to the freeway lift. Trails essential to major competitions were widened and snowmaking capacity increased while also improving the sustainability of snowmaking systems.
ORDA is achieving greater efficiency in snowmaking, due to smart investments in systems and equipment, and because snowmaking accounts for approximately 70 percent of ski resort energy requirements, sustainability is a high priority. The vast majority of this mountain’s (and Gore’s) power is produced at a dedicated solar installation, essentially allowing ORDA to turn sunlight into snow. There is also a new Bear Den Lodge and Learning Center. (Adirondacks)
Windham Mountain invested more than $9 million in capital improvement projects over the summer, including a brand-new high-speed quad chairlift, significant upgrades to automated snowmaking, and the purchase of 450 acres of land. (Catskills).
See you on the slopes!
