Windham Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Windham Mountain |
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| Location | Windham, New York, US |
| Nearest city | Windham (CDP), New York, US |
| Vertical | 1,600 feet (490 m) |
| Top elevation | 3100 ft (945 m) |
| Base elevation | 1500 ft (457 m) |
| Skiable area | 285 acres (1.15 km²) |
| Runs | 54 |
| Longest run | 2.37 mi (3.81 km) |
| Lift system | 7 chairs, 5 surface lifts |
| Terrain parks | 6 |
| Snowfall | avg 105 in per year |
| Website | Windham Mountain |
Windham Mountain is a super fun ski resort in Windham, New York, USA! It's located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, about a three-hour drive north of New York City. This awesome mountain has 54 different trails for skiing and snowboarding, plus 12 lifts to take you up, including three fast ones!
The very top of Windham Mountain is 3,100 feet (945 meters) high. From the bottom, you climb 1,600 feet (488 meters) to reach the top. Even if there isn't much natural snow, don't worry! Windham Mountain has special snowmaking machines that cover 98% of its trails. That means almost all the trails can have snow, even on warmer days!
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How Windham Mountain Started
Did you know Windham Mountain almost started as a state-run ski resort? In the late 1950s, people in New York State thought about opening a ski place on what was then called Cave Mountain. But that plan didn't happen.
Instead, a group of private investors bought the land. They opened the Cave Mountain Ski Area in 1960. Just three years later, in 1963, Bob and Tom Sheridan took over. They built a cozy ski lodge and brought in snowmaking machines. At first, these machines could make snow on 12 acres of trails.
In 1981, a new owner named Irv Naylor bought the ski area. He owned other resorts like Ski Roundtop and Ski Liberty. He changed the name to Ski Windham.
Big Changes Over the Years
Windham Mountain has grown a lot over time!
- 1987: New trails were added, and a new lift called the "G" lift opened. This lift took skiers to Windham's second main area, the East Peak.
- 1993: The mountain got its first super-fast chairlift! This "high-speed quad" lift went to the West Peak. By this time, Windham had over 30 trails on two peaks, plus new buildings and a modern lodge.
- 1997: Lights were put on some of the lower trails. This meant Windham became the only mountain in the Catskills where you could go night skiing! How cool is that?
New Trails and Faster Lifts
The 2006-2007 ski season brought even more exciting changes!
- Windham spent $5 million to make things better.
- Three new trails were created: Wedgie, Whiskey Jack, and Wapeka. Wedgie was later renamed World Cup. These new trails made it easier to get from one side of the mountain to the other.
- A new, super-fast chairlift replaced the old G-lift at East Peak. This new lift moves at over 1,000 feet per minute, making it the fastest on the mountain!
- The old G-lift was moved to replace another lift, and a new "magic carpet" was added for beginners.
More improvements happened before the 2013-2014 ski season:
- The area where beginners learned to ski was made much bigger and moved to a new spot. It was renamed Whisper Run.
- Two new trails were added: Whataride Glades (a fun trail through trees) and Windfall.
- Later, two more trails opened: Wolf's Prey in 2014-2015 and Wildcat in 2015-2016.
Skiing and Snowboarding at Windham
Windham Mountain has 54 trails spread out over 285 acres. The trails are on two different mountain peaks: East Peak and West Peak.
- Beginner Trails: 13 trails are perfect for new skiers and snowboarders.
- Intermediate Trails: 24 trails are great for those who are getting better.
- Expert Trails: 17 trails are challenging for advanced skiers and snowboarders.
The mountain also has six special areas called terrain parks where you can try jumps and tricks. And don't forget about night skiing on some lower trails! As mentioned, 98% of the trails can be covered with snow made by machines.
Windham Mountain is also home to the Adaptive Sports Foundation. This amazing group helps people with physical or intellectual disabilities learn how to ski, snowboard, bike ride, and enjoy many other sports. It's a place where everyone can have fun on the mountain!
