Snow Ridge: Back at Full Strength

Snow Ridge has gotten a lot of attention from us this year, for good reason. Or maybe more accurately, for a bad reason. On August 7 of last year, the hill was ripped by an EF-3 tornado. Tornados are bad, and when they come to ski areas, late in the off-season, they are really bad. Snow Ridge scrambled to get ready for winter.

We covered the event, and the even more astounding recovery. Evidence of the storm is still obvious as many downed trees remain. But every functioning piece of the ski operation has now been restored. On Thursday, the last piece of the puzzle, the North Chair, was certified to run.

The lift was scheduled to spin on Saturday, for the first time this season. For me, that was reason enough to make the trip. The other factor, new snow in the forecast, made it both easier and harder to make the drive through the mountains. It’s a familiar combination of motivation and snowy roads.

Thursday night, I did something I almost never do anymore; I left work at 5pm to drive. If I leave at that hour, by the time I arrive at the cabin, it’s 10pm or even later. I have to build a long-lasting fire, and then try to get to sleep. It’s not easy to get it all done, and be rested enough to ski well the next day. I usually end up staying up for a few hours to unwind, especially after a tough drive.

Thursday night, I drove into a snowstorm on I87. North of Albany it was especially tough, moving at 35 mph while passing cars in the ditch. This was my first time using the CRV hybrid in the snow. It seemed that the extra weigh over the rear wheels makes a difference, stopping, and driving uphill in unplowed snow.

I did what I had to do and skied Gore the next day, a bit short on sleep. A great day, it was cold, and a firm base was covered in 6 inches of new snow. I continued my season-long pattern of seeking out low angle terrain.

Because I was headed to Tug Hill early on Saturday, I played it like a local, quitting around 1pm. I skied our nordic trails in the afternoon and after dinner in town, I crashed for a 5am Snow Ridge alarm. In the morning I made coffee, loaded the woodstove, put on my ski stuff, and headed west on Route 28. It was snowing lightly as it did all weekend long. The drive wasn’t too bad, but it required patience, not necessarily my strong suit, when I’m chasing snow.

The crux of the drive to Snow Ridge is on the Moose River Road.  Lewis County is good about clearing it, but it’s a dirt road, and in winter, it is going to be snow covered, even if it’s plowed.  Over much of the route you don’t see other vehicles, which is helpful. Still, it’s smart to be in control of your four-wheel drift.

My plan was to meet Robert at 8am, an hour before lifts. I arrived at 8:10, a decent performance on a snowy, winding road. Robert texted he’d be late, but neither of us were sweating it. While first chair was the goal, the real prize on Saturday was the untracked lines in the Snow Pocket; and it opens at 11am.

Robert and I connected out by the Ridge Runner lift, and he introduced me to Evan and Tiff. Evan has ridden with Robert and been featured in stories on NYSkiBlog. We’ve been looking for a western NY writer forever, I was secretly hoping I could tempt Evan to write for us. I admit, I didn’t keep it a secret for long.

We rode Ridge Runner several times, to access the North side trees.  A few hundred feet of elevation made a big difference as the snow was plenty deep up high, but thinner and more skied up, down low. We poked around but mostly kept to the Silver Glades. The coverage was decent and from there, we could keep our eye on the status of the North Chair.

We could ski everything from the Ridge Runner, but we wanted to be there for the re-opening on North. We were about to duck into the trees one more time, when we saw skiers loading the lift down below us. We flew down Silver Smith and took our turn. Sincere thanks to Nick and Cyndi, the crew, all the volunteers, and all of the locally-owned NY ski areas that contributed to the reconstruction of the lifts at Snow Ridge.

We tried to time our arrival at the Snow Pocket, so we could be as close to the front of the ‘line’ as possible. Line is ‘in quotes’ because the Pocket is a bit out of the way, and riding the lift is work. These things often keep the line short.

At 10:30 we were at the Ridge Runner considering our options, when Nick Mir texted Robert… game on at the Snow Pocket. It was early and we were late! Riding the lift looked faster then skating over, and that’s what we did.

For those who don’t know, the Snow Pocket is on south end of the ridge that forms Snow Ridge ski area.  The ridge is actually the eastern border of the Tug Hill. When you load a lift at Snow Ridge you do so, from the floor of the Black River Valley. As you ride up  the lift, you ascend onto the Tug.

The Snow Pocket does seem to collect snow, more than some of the other slopes. The Pocket is narrow so it catches and retains snow.  It also seems possible that the North and South slopes — so wide to begin with, and now almost connect by the tornado — lose some of their snow to north winds that deposit that snow in The Pocket. Whatever it is, the skiers I know cherish a chance to get first tracks in the Snow Pocket.

The lift is a T-bar and it’s significant work to ride it, especially when riding alone. It’s not a bronco to tame like Poma lifts at Hickory. But it is work to ride. The lift schedule is generally limited to weekends and holidays and that means the Pocket gets less traffic and retains natural conditions longer. From my POV, it’s not a stretch to consider those turns earned.

The first two runs were primo.  We weren’t first, but on both runs I sliced off dozens of untracked turns.  Snow was likely a little heavier than the day it fell, but surfaces were consistent, turnable and smile inducing. We rode the Snow Pocket until we could ride no more. Then we moved to the deck for a midday break.

Nick came by, he was smiling, with his two dogs in tow on some pretty long leashes. I’m a big Nick Mir fan. He’s friendly and accessible, and he loves what he does; he’s a great representative for small family-owned mountains in New York state. I asked him about the season, and he said he felt like it was finally starting to take off.

“After getting North Chair back online and receiving two feet of snow this past weekend, you can imagine the relief I felt looking up at a hill full of skiers. It has been a serious challenge and a real team effort these past 6 months. My family and I are forever grateful for everyone who helped get to this point.”

Snow Ridge is back at full strength. A ticket to ride is the best money you can spend, come out and ski.

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This Friday 2/23 is the Snow Ridge Annual Free Ski Food Drive.

Bring 10 canned or non-perishable food goods and receive a free lift ticket!

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NYSkiBlog is joining with The Indy Pass to bring exposure to independent mountains.
This piece is part of our effort. For more information visit the Indy Pass.

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