Lost Ski Areas: Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center, 1962 to 2015 : Tuxedo, NY

[@emai165]

Made me sad watching, so much of my childhood was at that mountain. You mention my father in the video. He owned it from 2007-2015. Contrary to what you stated, he did not up and walk away. He sold it to Genting America. Unfortunately they did not get the license from NY gaming comission. Their plan was to do a whole resort and casino and when the casino part was not going to be possible they walked away and left everything the way it is today. Also fun fact- Ally Cat lift was destroyed beyond repair (mechanically) by a very disgruntled operations staff who decided to take out his feelings when he knew he was about to be fired. It didn't run at all the final ski season in 2015. Sadly.

[@averyzucco220]

Thanks for all this info! This added a lot of context so really appreciate that. Sad to see the mountain in this state. Unfortunately it’s a common theme where smaller areas get bought out and the new owners aren’t interested in the ski operations.

[@paulyedward5563]

This is where is learned to ski when I was 3yrs old great video thank you very much for sharing

[@OldSoulMillennial]

Thanks for making this video. I used to ski here with friends from high school 2010- till the final closing. Around 2014 (summer), they set up a paintball course at the top of the hill. They used to drive us up in an old military 8X8 personnel carrier. God I miss this place. I went to high school with a girl who's father was one of the investors when the ownership changed from sterling forest to tuxedo ridge. I remember that the winters between 2013-2015 were terribly warm winters for this ski center. I can totally see why they went under. Was sad to see them loose their house. Prices were definitely the cheapest around, one of the reasons why I always came. I remeber riding up some of the lifts, looking at the peeling paint on the chairs, and just thinking "There must be 15 layers of paint on the steel of this chair." The chairs and equipment where never properly stripped. Just painted over for the next season. Place was held together with bubble gum and paper clips, but that also gave this place its own charm. In 2014, my friend dan and I went to the food hall to grab a burger. The girl behind the counter was flirting with me and I was too dumb to realize it. She gave me her employee discount. Never had the balls to go back up and ask her out. A memory that haunts me to this day.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

I learned to ski at Sterling Forest in the mid 1970s. I remember waiting 20 minutes on a lift line for a run of less than a minute. Sad to see it is gone.

[@khatske]

Coming back to watch the video again makes me realize how much stuff was made here. I still would love to travel to NYC and check out the ski place myself.

[@JoeSmith-gp5dm]

I grew up down the street here and learned to snowboard here as a young kid into my teens. I even worked here at one point it’s sad to see it’s demise.

[@Sleepy_Alligator]

So sad to see, it was a beautiful place. Skied the in early to mid 70s. Also at Mt Peter. Used to be Great Gorge as well, their all night ski parties were a blast. Would always align with like the coldest windiest nights of a season, weirdly predictable. Learned to ski at Hunter Mountain in NY. There was a place near Stirling Forrest where me and friend would take our motocross bikes (RM125, YZ125) and ride. Such a cool area. Sorry to see the change. Have done most of my skiing in NH (Wildcat, Attitash) and Vermont (Killington, Jay Peak) when living in NH. Skied 4 or 5 times a week in NH in the late 70s early 80s. Used to get allot more snow. Some of the best times of my life spent with friends on the slopes with friends. Enjoy your videos though really tinged with sadness balanced against some amazing memories. Sort of haunting, imagining all of the people that had been there, and uncountable people hours of fun times had.

[@TOC1616]

Thanks for making this video. My grandfather taught me how to ski here when it was Sterling Forrest and then I spent many days lapping the park when it was later opened as Tuxedo Ridge. Really sad to see the state it's in, a lot of amazing memories.

[@markjackson1566]

Thanks for the video. Skied at Sterling Forest from 1970 to 1975. The slopes were, from R to L: Double-Rainbow, Tiger Pass, Bunny Hill, Alley Cat, Lynx, Bowl. I think you missed the Lynx. I feel like I remember a rope-tow on the Alley Cat. I actually skied, in 6th grade (1971), with Green Meadow Waldorf School (Spring Valley) classmate Keith Ranieri, who went on to become the notorious cult leader of sex-cult NXIVM. We’d try and take the chair lift up the Tiger Pass with the cute snow-bunnies. Who knew? It was a time when muscle cars were muscles cars, and that "new song," "Good Times, Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin was blasting over the loudspeakers from the jukebox, night-skiing was awesome when the slope lights came on, the sno-cats were zooming around, the ski patrol guys looked like human Swiss army knives with their red jackets with the big white cross on them, and they all wore those cool "spoilers"on the back of their boots, the girls were all pretty in their Nordica yellow banana ski boots and jeans, and the Sterling Forest ski lodge hot chocolate was awesome. The place was always packed. Early 1970's good times! No bad times. Sigh. Gone with the wind....

[@averyzucco220]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing these memories!

[@zoso2o5o]

Great tour of the hill. Shame it couldn’t survive with such a large population close by. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing

[@bonkgaming4796]

Grew up going to that mountain. I learned how to ski there. Really wanted to get a trial sign.

[@lisamarie1816]

It's amazing place at one point to go skiing back than just getting the history is also great to know too.

[@ulricheule2431]

I enjoy the simple video style because its similar to my own style of exploring. You don't have to climb on top of everything or inside every hole like other youtubers trying to fill their exploring videos with "action", seeing the place itself is the main goal. Plus I also have to touch every walve or switch I see :D

[@averyzucco220]

Haha! Yes, I'm much more interested in seeing what's there than tempting fate.

[@timtoms4117]

for only being closed for 6 years it looks really, really rough Thank you for sharing!

[@averyzucco220]

I'm always surprised how fast these places can start to look rough. Thanks for your support!

[@JoeSmith-gp5dm]

It looked rough when it was open I grew up snowboarding here when it become tuxedo ridge until it closed

[@corinnebrown6256]

I enjoyed your video. In the early to mid 80s a lot of us who worked at the IBM building on Long Meadow Road, Sterling Forest, would come here after work. Ski and hang out at the bar to socialize. Great memories ! Back then we used to get a lot of snow. Definitely a big reason why the ski resort closed.

[@averyzucco220]

Sad they're closed too. Thank you for sharing this memory.

[@cycleoflife7331]

I believe the reason behind placing the bull wheel at the top of the mountain were for several reasons such as aesthetics of a clean open area and limited space at the base. Sub ground structure as soft soils like marshes are poor anchors for the weight of the bull wheel and force of the loads. It would either sink or creep up the hill: Probably both! At the top, you had bedrock and space.

[@averyzucco220]

Makes sense! TIL! Thanks!

[@LEPersonal-pf5wz]

Wow..total blast from the past. I lived in Ramsey, NJ at the time and my brother and I as well as other friends used to go there often. I wish you had started from the lodge and worked your way around so i could get a better lay of the land, so to speak, but eventually i could recognize what lifts and slopes we took back in the day. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Sterling forest was also close by with their gardens and safari park? It's really straining my brain to think about how much time i spent there 50 years ago, but it was better than the Ramapo Mountain that was closer but dismal in terms of scale compared to places further north like Hunter Mountain, and of course Killington in VT. I think the Safety bar ski rests on the chairs were cut because they used them in the summer to bring people to the top of the hill???

[@davidwadsworth8982]

There were two other lost Ski Hills near this one. Silvermine in the Hariman State Park and Ski Stony Point exit 15 Gate Hill Road Palisaides parkway..

[@sal9708]

used to work here on the tubing hill

[@awaz2023]

Thanks for the video. I used to ski this area a lot, from 1982-1988, when it was Sterling Forest. I was in school and it was twenty minutes from my house, so I probably skied there more than a hundred times. I'd go after school when I had my driver license, and just ski until they closed, I think at 10pm every night. I had a season pass, and even a "VIP" pass so that I could cut the line on weekends. Believe it or not, it could get really crowded on weekends. Not much vertical, but it beats not skiing! Sad to see it in such poor condition and hear that The Bowl and Alley Cat were barely open in the latter years. Alley Cat was my favorite trail, and as someone else described, at the bottom, if you were headed to the lodge, you could ski right through the loading area to maintain speed to get to the lodge. The lifties never seemed to care, except on weekends when that part would be blocked off. I don't live in the area any more, and they say you can't go home again, but it's too bad that this place could not survive ad/or be revived into something nice for families in the area.

[@averyzucco220]

It reminded me a lot of the mountain I learned at (Doe Mountain now Bear Creek) in PA. Similar type of crowd too being in the suburbs of a major metro area.

[@jackfurmanek4290]

I learned how to ski there once when I was five, back when it was still Sterling Forest. My friends and I eventually spent the better parts of our childhood winters here once it reopened as Tuxedo Ridge. During that time, the Hall was always fenced off as I guess it was too much for them to repair and they never thought that there'd be enough snow to for people to ski on it. Plus it was so far out of the way and disconnected from the lodge that they likely thought that no one would want to go on it. I recall the Alley only opened once, and only for about an hour. I went on it, and by the time I went down it was closed. To be honest, it was a poor chair design and path that added the risk of getting hit in the face by dangling feet. Despite this, they did not at first fence off a service trail leading to the trail the lift serviced. That allowed my friends and I to go down the alley even though the lift was never opened. They eventually fenced it off during the last year that they were open. The third lift was known as the Bunny Hill, and it was for beginners. It had a very poor design that once caused one of my skis to fall off as it sort of pressed you into the ground once you sat down on it. Besides that, we all loved this place. I learned to ski here, and it was much less crowded then mount peter. I could go down every trail, and I had the time of my life. When my friend's older brother got work here in the winter, I was looking forward to working there the next year myself as I would finally be old enough. Then, that damn casino company had to buy out the land and close it when they didn't get their way and my first guarenteed job was denied. I miss this place so much.

[@khatske]

This place might have been a great place to ski at in 1980 to 1985 if my family had found out about it.

[@djenerateFL]

I love this series of videos. Unfortunately, there's not many photos or videos out there of Big Vanilla at Davos in NY. There's still a lot of terrain and remains that are accessible for exploration according to Google Earth. Maybe someday if you find yourself in Sullivan County you could take a look around. There's a pretty good story to tell of that in that lost ski area! Thanks for your excellent work!

[@skiscool]

Nice video! This was a great place to go to on weeknights, even if you were not in NASTAR they would time you on the slalom run.

[@TOC1616]

The terrain park moved around a few times over the years. In the mid to late 90s it was a single jump straight above the lodge that was built by local kids. When it reopened as Tuxedo Ridge it was some small jumps and some super sketchy rails setup again right above the main lodge. In 2010ish they built a pretty nice park with legit booters, boxes, corrugated pipes and steel rails on Allycat; it was a really sweet self contained setup which you could lap all day without having to navigate beginners. Towards the end of Tuxedo Ridge they moved the park all the way to the right side of the mountain (looking up), above the snow tubing setup that they added in later years.

[@Woozler554]

I'm surprised this place is still closed. Last season and the season before, nearby Mountain Creek in NJ had massive crowds. Tuxedo Ridge was pretty popular in its day, and I'm sure it could pick up the spillover from Mountain Creek if it was to reopen. I'm surprised no one has tried to cash in on that.

[@paulyedward5563]

someone bought the property so they could put up a casino resort which fell through. someone needs to buy it and reopen it as a snowboard ski freestyle park with halfpipes and all. beautiful resort

[@MichaelAbramo]

@@paulyedward5563 And downhill mountain biking in the warm seasons. Simplest model that appears to work

[@cycleoflife7331]

Mountain Creek has a thousand feet vertical. The runs are longer and way steeper. Tuxedo ridge is under 400 feet. You’d have to drive to Blue Mountain or Elk Mountain, PA or Hunter, NY for anything bigger.

[@apinunluksanachindamawson4805]

@@MichaelAbramo they have a paintball park at the top too. You can drive up the mountain and go paintballing. I played there once with my family when it was closed

[@apinunluksanachindamawson4805]

@@cycleoflife7331 unheard 450feet

[@aronslegogbcs1057]

interesting, you should visit mount mckay if you can, there are the remains of 2 poma double chair lifts there

[@averyzucco220]

I'll have to check it out! Thanks!

[@SerenityMiya2009]

I really love your videos. I have tons of pictures from an old ski hill that closed in 1978. I’ll see if I can find you on FB or somewheres and send them to you.

[@averyzucco220]

Thank you!

[@DCBillW]

I believe the lodge was there before 1976, if memory serves correctly.

[@averyzucco220]

Thanks! I wasn't sure on the exact date. It definitely looks 70s at least.

[@benjaminvornbrock9769]

keap up the good work man i love the videos

[@averyzucco220]

Thank you for the support!

[@joevideo1]

i learned to ski here (Sterling Forest)! So sad.

[@cycleoflife7331]

So sad to watch these areas slowly disappear to the wilds. Hope that locals maintain the slopes to ride for when it snows enough to skin up and ride.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Dude that is a tragedy. West Point has a little ski area, I think, nearby.

[@sooneron]

Great vid, Avery! I would like it better if you had a map super-imposed or something for reference.

[@averyzucco220]

Thanks! I'll definitely keep that in mind for the future!

[@Jerseydaze1]

Have you considered doing a video on Cortina in the Catskills?

[@averyzucco220]

I have! It's definitely on my list but I need to arrange a longer trip for areas in the Catskills. It will happen but will take time.

[@JayCogen]

The Bowl was a black run because that's where the terrain park was.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

Never seen lifts so close to the ground.

[@TOC1616]

From 1986 to 2015 I remember The Bowl being open only one of those seasons, I want to say 2009?

[@mondoenterprises6710]

2015 ! It didn't take long for that to fall into disrepair! How sad. That area could have used that ski area.

[@caddieguy6510]

Looks like this place had so much old equipment it would have needed a lot to compete with modern ski technology. The owners probably saw the cost benefit analysis and just decided to abandon the ski area

[@ameliag718]

Used to ski here on weeknights back in 4th grade lol. I remember hearing "trouble" by taylor swift and someone said it was her new song.

[@RTDF516]

Probably hard to envision but believe there used to be an two-person gondola back in the Sterling Forest days- (??- those in the know please confirm!) ...wondering if the lift parts you found might have been some vestigial remnants!

[@averyzucco220]

The unused top station was part of the original summit double chair which was moved, I think to become the Alley Cat lift. Never heard of the gondola. Maybe somebody has some old photos in an attic somewhere!

[@mattyblanchard5905]

Hey I had to stop skiing because of injury do they still run NASTAR...I UsedTO RACE EVERY WEEKEND AT MT.TOM IN HOLYOKE,MASS

[@DrRocksCarsandCoasters]

It should be a crime to leave a Hall, Poma, and Borvigs abandoned like that! Those Heron-Pomas are a dying breed of lifts!

[@averyzucco220]

It is really unfortunate. They were all in fairly good shape all things considered. I can think of several mountains that have had lift issues over the last few years and were in need of spare parts that could have made use of these.

[@DrRocksCarsandCoasters]

@averyzucco220 Definitely, I believe Bowl and Alley Cat lifts hadn’t opened in the last few years of the area.

[@kendrickmaeldun]

Went there 2 days ago. It is completely trashed now. All the buildings smashed up and vandalized. Too bad because it was hosting Spartan races as recently as 2019. Another COVID fatality I guess.

[@averyzucco220]

It's a shame especially for only being vacant a few years.

[@bonkgaming4796]

I been wanting to go there. Grew up skiing there would love to see it one last time.

[@TOC1616]

Wish I could buy one of the original trail signs

[@RTDF516]

Sad... remembering the Renaissance Faire is close by somewhere across the road- thinking they could have accessed some of the ski area facilities.

[@ericlakota1847]

Dosent take long to fall apart like you sead

[@mrffej66]

I had heard this was bought by a casino group in 2015 but they couldn't get licensing.

[@bonkgaming4796]

Yes that’s what happened!

[@Woozler554]

mrffej66 - Unfortunately, you are correct. The owners were gambling (pun intended) on a casino being built in the area, but in never came to pass and they crapped out (again, pun intended).

[@ericlakota1847]

They bought it ran it a few years realized mountain is worth more as a cell tower after insurance and every thing

[@MsMsmak]

What an environmental burden for a small village to bear. Its just a dump now, and there's no money to bring this back to being a ski area or deconstructing it to let nature heal. Really sad.