(The first in a series of articles on summer projects at Olympic Authority mountains)
Already among the Northeast’s preeminent ski and snowboard resorts, Gore Mountain is hard at work building an even better future. The vision is a multi-faceted one that will serve to elevate the guest experience, transform its appeal as a year-round travel destination, build on its already strong visitor numbers, stabilize the local economy, and assure always improving environmental sustainability of its operations.
Important projects are already underway this summer, including the replacement of the Bear Cub Poma Lift with a new conveyor-load quad to provide optimal learning experiences for beginning skiers and riders. The Gore Team is also adding more efficient snowmaking, installing new infrastructure on Little Gore Mountain at the North Creek Ski Bowl.
Then in the spring of 2024, Gore will break ground on three other major re-development projects planned to transform the Ski Bowl. They include a new lodge and restaurant, a replacement of the old Hudson triple chair with a new, high-speed detachable quad, and an exciting, new summer attraction.
Projects for Summer 2023
This summer’s work on the Bear Cub lift at the base of Gore Mountain will remove an older sit-disc lift and replace it with a new quad chair lift and conveyor-loading system. Because the new lift will be much easier for beginners to ride in addition to effortlessly handling greater numbers of visitors, this change is a great stride forward in helping those new to the sport access the terrain they need to learn and develop skills.
Big changes area also coming to the snowmaking infrastructure at the Ski Bowl. By adding a new valve house at the top of the Hudson Triple, the Gore Snowmaking Team will be able to add new high-efficiency snow guns for the first time on the Moxham and 46’er trails. That translates to much improved skiing there in the coming 2023/24 season as well as preparing the Ski Bowl for increased activity in the 2024/25 season with excitement generated by the new lodge and lift.
Behind the scenes projects include a significant power upgrade and burying of lines. The upgrade will power the new lift, provide greater reliability in all conditions, and provide power at the top of the Hudson chair. New seasonal lockers are also being installed to make life easier for regular guests by removing the need to carry in gear every visit. And, of course, as with any large and so frequently used structures, there are regular needs for new carpet and paint around the lodges.
Projects for Summer 2024
The North Creek Ski Bowl, established in 1934, is owned by the Town of Johnsburg and is a year-round facility offering a variety of outdoor recreation. In December 2002, the Town of Johnsburg board members approved a contract with the Olympic Authority. The Olympic Authority has since operated and maintained several winter activities at the Ski Bowl. Gore Mountain has installed chairlifts there, improved trails and snowmaking, modernized and expanded the Joe Minder Lodge, and developed a professional Nordic Center with certified racecourses for State Championships and high school and college races.
In the spring of 2024, just after the 90th anniversary of the first ski train to bring 387 skiers to North Creek, Gore will break ground on a new 18,300-square-foot lodge, complete with a restaurant and two levels of outdoor patios, all positioned to become a popular destination for additional summer activities. The completion of the lodge is slated for 2025.
Also next summer, the old Hudson chair lift at the North Creek Ski Bowl will be replaced with a new, high-speed detachable quad that will lift will service all levels of ski trails, including the green circle Peaceful Valley trail as well as blue squares Moxham and Oak Ridge trails and the black diamond 46er trail as well as the Half & Half, JJ’s, and the Ski Bowl Glades. The new lift will also better accommodate the snowmaking upgrades. These important upgrades will be in place for the 2024/25 season in advance of the new lodge.
Additionally, giving an adrenaline-filled boost to the current range of summer activities at the Ski Bowl is the summer of 2024 installation new summer attraction, a unique activity sure to bring many new visitors to North Creek.
These big upgrades make the winter of 2024/25 a now eagerly anticipated one at the Ski Bowl and will make the summer of 2025 its first really big summer. They also constitute the implementation of Gore Mountain’s multifaceted vision, serving to realize a year-round travel destination that will provide a profoundly positive impact on the region in the decades to come.