Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
Hickory Hill Ski center in Warrensburg said it has secured financial assistance from two outdoor companies — Indy Pass and Unofficial Networks — and “may run its lifts for the first time in eight years.”
Last week the Ski Center put out a call for supporters to buy season passes so it could buy the “liability insurance required for state certification of our lifts for operation.”
Hickory’s “plight caught the attention of Tim Konrad, publisher of Unofficial Networks,” Hickory said Tuesday.
Mr. Konrad was quoted, “My family spends much of the winter in the Adirondacks, and I have been ski touring at Hickory since 2015.
“Over the years, I’ve been keeping close tabs on their struggle to reopen lifts, and when I learned how far they had come and how close they were to achieving their goal, I knew we had to do something.”
Mr. Konrad said he contacted Erik Mogensen, CEO of Entabeni and Indy Pass.
Mr. Mogensen was quoted, “We did a quick assessment and decided that Entabeni would step in on this one.
He said, “The more organizations we can get involved to stabilize these small, independent areas, the better our chances of scaling this movement.”
Sue Catana, Hickory manager and daughter of founders Fran and Hans Winbauer, was quoted, “The emergence of Tim and Erik with their lifeline has put us in a position to operate this season with lift certification, and hopefully for many more to come.”
Indy Pass and parent company Entabeni Systems say they “support independent resorts from Europe to Japan, but primarily in the US and Canada.”
Unofficial Networks describes itself as “a leading online destination for mountain adventure.”
Hickory “will join the Indy Pass for the 2023/24 season, and season passes go on sale today at skihickory.com,” said the press release.
“Hickory pass holders will be eligible to purchase Indy AddOn Passes at a 30% discount. The Indy Pass will close the 2023/2024 waitlist on Sunday, December 10th.”
Indy Pass and Entabeni will “consult with Hickory management on how to streamline operations and become more sustainable,” the release said.
Clint Braidwood, president of the Hickory Legacy Foundation, told The Chronicle, “The Hickory Legacy Foundation is thrilled that the mountain is teaming up with Indy Pass for the 23’-24’ ski season. Indy Pass believes in the power of skiing and the positive effect that it has on our communities and our youth. This is exactly what Hickory is about too. We can’t wait to introduce Indy Pass members to the allure of Hickory.”
Hickory Ski Center was founded in 1946. It features “1200 vertical feet and four surface lifts” but has “offered uphill traffic only since 2016,” the press release said.
Hogge & Coleman of Mountain Gazette offer T-shirts to benefit Hickory Ski
Mike Rogge and John Coleman, graduates of Queensbury High School and Glens Falls, respectively, now Editor-Owner and Creative Director of Mountain Gazette, a large format, bi-annual outdoor culture magazine, have also responded to Hickory Ski Area’s plight.
“Long story short, we’re raising money to help Hickory Hill (the former name of Hickory Ski Area) to get their lifts running…,” Mr. Rogge wrote Monday night to The Chronicle.
“Together with Hickory, Mountain Gazette has created three limited-edition merch items to help pay a portion of this financial burden,” he wrote — a T-shirt, baseball cap and sweatshirt — available on Mountain Gazette’s website.
They said they’ll donate 100% of the profits “to keeping this classic, historic ski hill open to backcountry skiers and beginners alike. Together with our community, let’s keep the legend alive.”
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