Bristol Mountain Ski Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bristol Mountain |
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Bristol Mountain in autumn 2009
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| Location | Bristol Mountain, 5662 NY 64 |
| Nearest city | Canandaigua, New York 14424 |
| Coordinates | 42°44′42″N 77°24′16″W / 42.745°N 77.404444°W |
| Vertical | 1,150 feet (350 m) |
| Top elevation | 2,150 feet (660 m) |
| Base elevation | 1,000 feet (300 m) |
| Skiable area | 160 acres (0.65 km2) |
| Runs | 35 |
| Longest run | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
| Lift system | 5 chairlifts (two detachable high-speed), one surface lift |
| Lift capacity | 10,200 passengers/hr not including surface lift (1,500 pph) |
| Terrain parks | One advanced and one beginner |
| Snowfall | 130 inches (330 cm) |
| Snowmaking | near 100% |
| Night skiing | near 100% |
| Website | http://www.bristolmountain.com/ |
Bristol Mountain is a fun ski resort located in South Bristol, New York. It's in the beautiful Finger Lakes region. This mountain is about 30 miles (48 km) from Rochester, New York. It's also only about 10 miles (16 km) from Canandaigua. You can find it right on NY 64.
Bristol Mountain has many different trails for all skill levels. You can find easy trails (green circle) or very difficult ones (double black diamonds). The mountain has a vertical drop of 1,200 feet (370 m). This is one of the highest vertical drops for any ski resort between the Rocky Mountains and the Adirondacks.
Besides skiing, Bristol Mountain offers two cool terrain parks. You can also enjoy cross-country skiing at the top of the mountain. At the bottom, there's a ski shop and a place to rent equipment. Bristol Mountain Resort also runs other exciting attractions. These include Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures & Zip Line Canopy Tour, Roseland Waterpark, and Roseland Wake Park.
Bristol Mountain has helped train some amazing athletes. In January 2018, two athletes from its Freestyle Program joined the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team. They were Morgan Schild (for Freestyle Moguls) and Jonathon Lillis (for Freestyle Aerials). Both learned their skills with coach John Kroetz. Later, in February 2022, Jonathon's younger brother, Christopher Lillis, also competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The resort has modern chairlifts to get you up the mountain fast. Two of these are high-speed detachable chairlifts. The Comet Express lift was added for the 1999/2000 season. The Galaxy Express was installed for the 2009/2010 season. Both lifts take about four minutes to reach the top. In the fall, you can take "Fall Sky Rides" on the Comet Express. It slows down to give you a 15–20 minute scenic trip. You can hike down or ride back. In 2014, the Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventure Park opened. It's a high ropes course with climbing challenges and zip lines.
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Mountain History
Bristol Mountain started in 1964. Fred Sarkis bought the land in South Bristol, New York. Workers cleared 50 of 360 acres (1.5 km2) and built the base lodge. The resort opened on December 12. In 1965, they added snowmaking and a new lift.
A famous visitor, then-Senator Robert F. Kennedy, skied at Bristol in 1967. By 1968, Bristol Mountain became the world's largest ski resort with lights for night skiing. In the 1970s, over 100,000 skiers visited each year. The resort was open seven days a week. They kept improving their snowmaking. By 1985, they could make snow on 100 percent of their trails. This meant they could guarantee over 100 days of skiing each season. They get water for snowmaking from ponds fed by Mud Creek.
In 1969, skiing cost seven dollars for a day pass. Night skiing was four dollars. Even then, Bristol Mountain had the longest vertical drop between the Adirondacks and the Rockies. Back then, they said the drop was 1,000 feet, not 1,200 feet. They used to close later, at 10:30 pm, but now it's 9:00 pm.
In 1999, the first modern chairlift, the Comet Express, was added. This high-speed detachable lift is now the main way to reach almost all trails. From 2009 to 2010, the new Galaxy Express High Speed Quad was installed. A new trail, Lower North Star, was also added for the 2010–2011 season. This new trail is 2,600 feet long and 120 feet wide. It added over seven acres of skiable area.
In the summer of 2014, Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures opened. This is a three-acre aerial park with 7 challenging courses. It has almost 100 tree-to-tree obstacles and 10 zip lines. There's even a special kids' course for ages 4–7. This park is open from May to November. It helps Bristol Mountain be a fun place to visit all year round.
The 2014–2015 winter was very cold and snowy. This made for great snow-sport conditions. Bristol Mountain had a long season, lasting 139 days. They opened on November 20 and stayed open through April. Other winters, like 2015-16 and 2017, were milder. Bristol Mountain relied heavily on its snowmaking to keep trails open. This shows how important snowmaking is for ski resorts.
The 2017–18 season started very early, on November 11. This was their earliest opening since 1991. The season was good until late February when warm temperatures caused some trails to close. Bristol Mountain even opened a run on May 1, making it an almost five-month-long season.
Mountain Facts
Bristol Mountain has 34 trails. About 33% are for beginners, 49% for intermediate skiers, and 18% for advanced skiers. The mountain has 160 skiable acres. The average snowfall each year is about 120 inches. Almost all trails (96%) have lights for night skiing. Also, 97% of the terrain has snowmaking capabilities. Only the Quantum Leap trail does not have snowmaking.
Bristol Mountain uses a lot of snowmaking to keep the trails covered. During busy times, they use millions of gallons of water every day. They also use a lot of electricity and compressed air. This helps them guarantee a great skiing experience.
Chairlifts and Surface Lifts
Bristol Mountain has 5 chairlifts and one surface lift. The surface lift is a conveyor lift for beginners. It's called Lunar Launch and only goes up 60 feet.
- Galaxy Express High-Speed Quad (new for 2009/2010)
- Comet Express High-Speed Quad
- Morning Star Quad
- Rocket Triple
- Sunset Double
- Lunar Launch Magic Carpet
Galaxy Express High-Speed Quad
The Galaxy Express was installed in 2009. It is the newest lift on the mountain. This is a detachable high-speed quad chairlift. It was made by Doppelmayr CTEC. You can find it at the base of Lower Galaxy on the northern side of the mountain. This lift takes you to intermediate and advanced trails. On quieter days, this lift might be closed. The Comet Express can also get you to the northern trails. The ride takes a little over four minutes. It can carry 2,000 people per hour. The lift goes through the woods and over the Upper Galaxy ski area.
Comet Express High-Speed Quad
This lift was installed in 1999 at the base of Lower Rocket. It is the most popular lift at Bristol Mountain. Like the Galaxy Express, it's a detachable high-speed quad chairlift. It was made by Garaventa CTEC (now Doppelmayr CTEC). This lift can take you to all types of terrain, from easy to expert. It gives you access to most of Bristol's trails. It carries 2,000 people per hour. The ride from the bottom to the top takes a little over four minutes. You'll ride over Outer Orbit (a black diamond trail) and Comet (a double-black diamond race trail).
Morning Star Quad
This is a fixed-grip quad chairlift located in the middle of the mountain. It takes you to easy and intermediate trails and a terrain park. Garaventa CTEC made and installed this lift in 2000. It goes up 600 feet. The ride takes about eight minutes. This lift can carry 2,000 people per hour over the Morning Star Trail.
Rocket Triple
The Rocket Triple is a fixed-grip triple chairlift. It's at the base of Lower Rocket. It takes you to intermediate and advanced trails. CTEC made and installed it in 1984. It was moved and rebuilt in 2000. It carries 1,800 people per hour. The ride from the base to the top takes 12 minutes.
Sunset Double
This is a fixed-grip double chairlift at the base of Sunset. It takes you to easy to intermediate/advanced terrain. CTEC updated and reinstalled it in 1992. This makes it the oldest lift still running at Bristol. It carries 1,200 people per hour. It goes up 400 feet.
Lunar Launch Magic Carpet
This conveyor-lift was installed in 2008. It serves the Launching Pad area at the base of the mountain. This area is for beginners and students learning to ski. The lift carries 1,500 people per hour. It goes up a 60-foot rise to the top of the Launching Pad.
Mountain Trails
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Bristol Mountain Ski Resort has 35 slopes and trails. It also has terrain parks. These include a progressive terrain park called Shooting Star. The Morning Star Terrain Park is now on the Galaxy trail. For the 2014–15 season, Family Cross was added on Orion's Belt. There are also Rail Gardens on Galaxy and between Rocket and Meteor. In the 2015–16 season, the Lower Universe trail was added on the North side. The longest trail is about two miles long. It combines three easy trails: Milky Way, Eclipse, and Infinity. This long run goes around the back of the mountain.
The trail names are all related to space. This is because Bristol Mountain opened in the 1960s, during the space race. It's also near the CEK Mees Observatory. The Challenger trail is a special memorial. It honors the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.
Cross-Country Skiing
Bristol Mountain also offers cross-country skiing at the Summit Nordic Center. It has two trails. One of these trails has snowmaking and lights for night skiing. You can't get to the Summit Nordic Center from the main ski base. You need to drive up the mountain to South Hill Road off County Road 32 to reach it.
Images for kids
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Bristol Mountain transmitter coverage map
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Bristol Mountain transmitter
