Thunder Ridge Ski Area

Thunder Ridge Ski area has 21 trails. 9 of which are accessible from the Triple Chair, 6 from the double chair, 4 from both chairs, and 5 bunny trails. It has 8 Black Diamonds 4 Blue Squares and 12 Green Circles.

After coming under new ownership, many of the old trails were 'decommissioned' and other trails given priority. Old Map. Since 2018 around 95% of the mountain is covered with snowmaking equipment, up from 75% under the old ownership. Since 2015, equipment has gone through a major upgrade including the purchase of a new Bombardier Prinoth BR350 groomer[3] and five new Demaclenko snow guns[4][5][6] and Ratnik snow guns.[7]

In 2020, as part of the mountain's effort to reduce its carbon footprint, new electric motors were installed throughout the base area.[8]

Accessible from Triple Chair

Name	Rating
Lovers Lane
Fawn Meadow
Santa Fe
Evergreen
Sunset Run (very limited use)
Competition[9]
Fools Delight[10]
The Face
Blackberry Pass
Halfpipe

Accessible From Double Chair

Name	Rating
Bull's Run[11]
Don's Drop
Deer Pasture
Wildcat[12]
Timber Wolf[12]
Eagle's Lair[13]
Halfpipe

Accessible from Both Chairs

Name	Rating
Sissy Schuss
The Road
Don's Drop
Lovers Lane (since 2019)
Halfpipe

Bunny Hills

Name	Rating
Little Thunder
Fun Run
You Can Do It!
Movin Up
Little Thunder

Top of the main lift (the triple) as seen from the 'Top medical depôt'.

Thunder Ridge currently has 3 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets. In 1958 a T-Bar opened at then Birch Hill[14]- servicing the main part of today's ski area. Numerous Tows were also installed on the mountain. Sometime in the 1960s, a Borvig double chairlift was installed to the summit; it remains the area's longest and oldest lift. In about 1967, a short double chairlift was installed which today served Little Thunder. In 1986, a Borvig triple chairlift was installed to supersede and eventually replace the T-Bar lift, which it did. In the early 2000s, four Magic Carpet lifts were installed on Thunder Ridge to replace the Tows. Remnants of the tows can still be seen to this day.

During the mid-1960s the Mahopac High School ski team raced and trained at Birch Hill, as did the teams from Carmel and some other Putnam County and Northern Westchester county schools. The lodge was a simple place with a gravel floor.

Today the area maintains 7 running lifts; 4 Carpets (one open all the time (You can do it, "Toyland"), two open on the weekends, one used as a backup), a triple lift (main lift, "The triple"), a double lift (secondary lift, "The double"), and one small double lift (beginner lift, "Little Thunder"). There today remains three neglected tows (one serving the halfpipe, and one serving the terrain park, and one which servde the old terrain park). Both the triple and double were re-surfaced and gained more modern accessories and safety equipment in the late 2010s.

• Thunder Ridge Ski Area-Official Website