Thunder Ridge Ski Area
Thunder Ridge | |
---|---|
| |
Thunder Ridge Trail Map | |
Location | Patterson, New York |
Nearest city | Patterson, New York |
Vertical | 600 ft. |
Top elevation | 1270 ft. [?] |
Skiable area | 90 acres (360,000 m2) |
Runs |
21 |
Lift system | 3 chairlifts, 4 magic carpets |
Terrain parks | Yes: 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 90% 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 management of the Putnam County National Bank after the previous managers retired.[2]
Under previous ownership the mountain was known as Birch Hill (1957–1968), Big Birch (1968–1995), Thunder Ridge Ski Area (1995–present).
Trails
Thunder Ridge Ski area has 21 trails. 9 of which are accessible from the Triple Chair, 6 from the double chair, 2 from both chairs, and 4 bunny hills. It has 7 Black Diamonds 4 Blue Squares and 10 Green Circles.
Name | Rating |
Lovers Lane | |
Fawn Meadow | |
Santa Fe | |
Evergreen | |
Sunset Run | |
Competition | |
Fools Delight | |
The Face | |
Blackberry Pass |
Name | Rating |
Bull's Run | |
Don's Drop | |
Deer Pasture | |
Wildcat | |
Timber Wolf | |
Eagle's Lair |
Name | Rating |
Sissy Schuss | |
The Road |
Name | Rating |
Little Thunder | |
Fun Run | |
You Can Do It! | |
Movin Up |
Lifts
Thunder Ridge currently has 3 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets. Sometime in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a T-Bar opened at Thunder Ridge, then called Birch Hill. This lift serviced the main part of the ski area. Numerous Tows were also installed on the mountain. Sometime in the 1960s, a Borvig Double Chairlift was installed. This lift was the longest lift in the ski area and went to the summit of Birch Hill. This is the oldest chairlift that still operates at Thunder Ridge. In about 1967, a short Double Chairlift was installed. This lift is the shortest chairlift in the ski area and was later superseded by a Conveyor lift (Magic Carpet lift) in the 2000s. In 1986, a Borvig Triple Chairlift was installed at the ski area, now called Big Birch, to supersede and eventually replace the T-Bar lift. The T-Bar was left to run backup but stopped spinning years later. It currently sits abandoned to this day. In the early 2000s, 4 Magic Carpet lifts were installed on Thunder Ridge to replace the Tows. Remnants of the tows can still be seen to this day.
References
- ↑ Ng, Matthew (2007-01-29). "Horace Mann debuts in Section 1 skiing competition". The Journal News.
- ↑ http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2014/09/12/thunder-ridge-ski-area-expected-open/15537391
External links
Coordinates: 41°30′26″N 73°34′52″W / 41.50722°N 73.58111°W