Thunder Ridge, region's last ski area, opens for season with snow guns roaring

The snow guns at Thunder Ridge began roaring in early December, laying down a carpet of white to prepare the Lower Hudson Valley’s last remaining ski area for the 2023-2024 season.

Despite the lack of snow, Thunder Ridge just opened for the season and is now taking registration for lift tickets, season passes, lessons, rentals and more.

The snow guns first targeted the area’s Little Thunder beginner area so its roster of ski instructors and ski patrol volunteers can train for the upcoming season, which is expected to run through March. Then came The Face — the steep pitch under one of its three chair lifts that will challenge Section 1 high school ski teams this winter.

In the pantheon of alpine ski areas, Thunder Ridge, located off Route 22 in the town of Patterson in northeast Putnam County, is what you might call a minor mountain. Its summit tops out at 880 feet above sea level, and has a vertical drop of just 403 feet.

But for thousands of Hudson Valley skiers, it’s the place they learned to ski. It’s where families return each winter to introduce their children to the sport, as I did with my sons in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

It’s the destination for all Section 1 high school ski team competitions. And for teens and young adults, what’s more fun than skiing at night under the lights?

Co-owner Dean Ryder skied at the area in the late 1950s when it was founded as Birch Hill.

“It’s a life sport,” said Ryder, president of Putnam County National Bank in Carmel. “When you ski as a kid, you’ll make a ton of friends. It’s a sport you can do as a kid, and you don’t need eight other kids to play with. You meet new people every time you are there. And it’s the same scenario for older people too."

Back in his childhood, Ryder, 77, recalled that there was a slew of ski hills that operated in the Lower Hudson Valley. There were lifts at Fahnestock State Park in Putnam Valley, Mount Storm on Stormville Mountain, Silvermine in Harriman State Park, Ski Stony Point in Rockland County, and the Dutchess Ski Area on Mount Beacon.

“There were so many places to ski," recalls Ryder. "Mount Beacon has some steep trails."

Now there's only Thunder Ridge, the area that was founded 66 years old at Birch Hill.

What to know for 2023-24 ski season

Hours of operation: Thunder Ridge will open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday. On the weekends, the lifts roll from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Rentals: Thunder Ridge has a rental shop that rents skis, snowboards, boots and poles by the day or the season. A complete package is $57 a day.

Lessons: The Thunder Ridge ski school teaches classes for beginners and more experienced skiers. It’s six-week program for kids 4 to 7 has sold out, but there will be an opportunity for group lessons on weekends.

Lift tickets: Skiing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays is $50 for ages 6 to 69, with those under 6 or 70 and older paying $33. Weekend tickets are $79 for teens aged 13 and older and adults up to age 69; $69 for children from 6 to 12 years old; and $33 for those under 6 or older than 69. Twilight tickets, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. are $55 for those 6 to 69, and $45 for those under 6 or older than 69.

Season passes: For unlimited skiing, season passes range for $299 for those under 6 or older than 69 to $735 for those 13 to 65. Passes are $625 for kids ages 6 to 12 and seniors from 65 to 69 years old.

Sign up for Wilson's weekly newsletter for insights into his Tax Watch columns.

David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Thunder Ridge gears up for 2023-24 season for skiers and snowboarders