Powder Ridge Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Powder Ridge Park |
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View downhill from the Middlefield ski slope at sunset in Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort.
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| Location | Besek Mountain |
| Nearest city | Middlefield, Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°30′07″N 72°44′14″W / 41.502006°N 72.737172°W |
| Vertical | 550 ft (170 m) |
| Skiable area | 80 acres (32 ha) |
| Runs | 20 |
| Snowfall | 60 inches (150 cm) |
| Website | http://powderridgepark.com/ |
Powder Ridge Ski Area is a fun ski area located in Middlefield, Connecticut. It first opened on January 22, 1961. After closing in 2007, it reopened in 2013 as Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort. You can find it on Besek Mountain. Powder Ridge Park is also connected to the Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park in nearby Portland, Connecticut.
History of Powder Ridge
Powder Ridge started operating in 1959. Back then, it was called Powder Hill. Two brothers, Louis and Herman Zemel, who owned an appliance store, started it. At first, it only had simple lifts that pulled you up the hill. But between 1963 and 1965, they added three new double chairlifts.
In 1970, the area changed its name to Powder Ridge. A big music event, the Powder Ridge Rock Festival, was planned there. However, the festival was cancelled. Even so, thousands of young people came to the ski area, hoping for a concert like Woodstock. Only one singer, Melanie Safka, actually performed.
In 1972, Powder Ridge grew even more. They built the first "quad chair" in New England. This lift could carry four people at once! It was called the "747 lift" because it went over a difficult ski run called the 747.
The Zemel brothers also had a company that made snow. This helped Powder Ridge have snow even when it didn't snow naturally.
When Louis Zemel passed away in 1981, his family took over running the ski area. Powder Ridge also had summer activities. They had a swimming pool and tennis courts for members. The restaurant hosted parties and events in the summer too.
In the 1980s, Powder Ridge had several ski runs. There was a long beginner slope. The Middlefield slope was half a mile long and often the first to open. The Glade was a narrower run. The 747 run was known for being more challenging. There was also the Dinosaur run, named after some dinosaur footprints nearby.
You could even ski at night at Powder Ridge! The slopes stayed open late on Friday and Saturday nights. The ski area also worked with Connecticut schools to create ski clubs for students.
In 1990, a company called White Water Mountain Resorts bought Powder Ridge. They wanted to make it a place for fun all year round. However, some local people worried about more cars on the small roads.
Later, in 2001, two chairlifts were upgraded to carry three people instead of two or four. Around the mid-2000s, White Water's plan to build a water park was not approved by the town. White Water then decided to sell the ski area.
Powder Ridge faced financial problems. In 2006, it was announced that the ski area might not open for the winter. It did open that winter but closed permanently after the 2006-2007 season. The town of Middlefield tried to buy Powder Ridge several times. Finally, in 2008, the town bought it for $2.55 million.
The town wanted a private company to run Powder Ridge. After some plans fell through, Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park bought Powder Ridge in 2012. They agreed to invest money to fix up the ski area. The sale was completed in September 2012.
After some work, Powder Ridge reopened for skiing in early January 2014. When it reopened, Powder Ridge made a new rule: everyone skiing or snowboarding on the mountain had to wear a helmet. This made them the only mountain in Connecticut with this rule!
Mountain Fun Facts
Powder Ridge has 19 named trails for skiing and snowboarding. These trails cover about 80 acres (32 ha) of land. They can make snow on 68 acres (28 ha) of the area. You can also ski at night on 40 acres (16 ha) of the trails.
About 42% of the trails are for beginners, which means they are easy. 37% are for intermediate skiers, and 21% are for advanced skiers. There are no runs just for experts. The ski area has a total of 6 lifts to take you up the mountain.
The mountain has a vertical drop of 417 feet (127 m). This is the difference in height from the top of the mountain (800 feet (240 m) high) to the bottom (383 feet (117 m) high).
Park Features
The whole park covers 255 acres (103 ha). It has special areas for different activities. You can enjoy freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing. There are also places for racing and snowbiking. The park even has cool features like rails, jumps, and a big half-pipe for tricks!
You'll also find a restaurant and lodge where you can eat and relax. There's a store too, where you can buy gear. The Mattabesett Trail, a hiking path, crosses the top of Powder Ridge.
Summer Adventures
Powder Ridge isn't just for winter! In the summer, you can do lots of other fun things. They offer disk golf, which is like golf but with frisbees. You can also try synthetic skiing and snowboarding, which means you can practice even without real snow! Mountain biking, tubing, and zip lines are also popular summer activities.
