Industry News
Many ski areas across the country are patiently waiting for enough snow to open this season. One New York ski area is hoping for something different first: cash. Hickory Ski Area, located in upstate New York, needs to raise $38,000 by December 15, 2023, to pay insurance premiums for the season before they can operate. The ski area, founded in 1946 by veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, has faced numerous challenges in recent years to continue operating. Hickory has not spun their vintage 1950s Poma surface lifts in several years, due to unfavorable snow conditions, low pass and ticket sales, and personnel issues. Now, the ski area is hoping to open this season.
The main hurdle Hickory currently faces is obtaining insurance coverage for this season. Two years ago, Hickory’s previous insurance policy lapsed, causing the hill to be classified as high-risk by most insurance companies. This classification requires higher premiums and an upfront payment for the entire season. Sue Catana, General Manager at Hickory, said another challenge they have faced is that “the insurance providers wanted to verify that the lifts were certified for safety by the state, [but] the state needed an insurance certificate to certify the lifts.”
The insurance premium for this year will need to be covered through the sale of season passes (starting on December 5, 2023) and through donations. Catana estimates that Hickory only needs to sell 65 season passes to cover the premium, and stated that she already had verbal commitments for 20 passes. The non-profit arm of the ski area, the Hickory Legacy Foundation, is also seeking grant funding to help cover operating costs.
Though the lifts may not have been spinning for the last several years at Hickory, plenty of people have been getting their turns in on its steep slopes. Hickory made news last winter by offering uphill ski passes to people wishing to earn their turns. Catana said that people have been ignoring the locked gate and skinning uphill for years on the property, so a few years ago she said: “Let’s just turn it around and open the gate…if they’re going to trespass anyway, let’s ask them to do their part.” The hill installed an honor system fee tube ($10/day) and sold season passes on their website ($100). “The response was actually really good. Our busiest day last year was 80 skinners,” said Catana. The ski area continues to sell annual passes that permit uphill access year-round on the property.
Hickory Ski Area offers both some of the steepest terrain in the Adirondacks and a unique community feel. About the community, Catana said, “Everybody there is a friend or family, and if a stranger shows up and skis, they become family by the end of the day.” With the insurance payment deadline of December 15 fast approaching, we will soon know if the historic Poma lifts will be able to spin again this season.
