Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. We were hosted. All opinions are my own.
My kids are city kids through and through but we make arrangements to get out of New York City as a family in order to unplug, unwind and slow down a bit. The boys have really taken a liking to snow sports and we have visited a few ski resorts in Vermont which are several hours drive away. Instead of planning a whole weekend trip to visit the slopes, we decided to check out Thunder Ridge Ski Area which is about a 1.5 hour drive from our house.
Thunder Ridge Ski Area is located in Patterson, New York with 22 trails, 3 chair lifts and 4 magic carpets. It is the perfect mix of trails for the newest skiers and some challenging ones for the more advanced. This family friendly mountain is the perfect size for family skiing or skiing with friends like our snowboarding experts at Apple Moms in the Hudson Valley.
Daily ski and snowboard lessons are offered in groups or private, reserving lessons in advance definitely makes the experience easier, especially with little ones. There are Mommy/Daddy and me lessons for ages 3-5 and a variety of lessons for older skiers/snowboarders who are broken up into groups by ability level. The boys each took a 90 minute group lessons where they were paired up with skiers of similar abilities and taken out to different areas to work on their techniques. Group lessons are offered several times a day and are a great way to be introduced, get acquainted or work on your skills. Thunder Ridge rentals are available including helmets.
Skiing closer to home also means that we can invite and meet up with local friends on the mountain and get some runs in together. The boys really enjoy being out on the mountain with their friends and I really like that even though they all possess varying abilities, they stick together asa pack on the mountain, looking out for each other.
Being local also means that they can celebrate special days together…how about having some birthday cupcakes slope side! What a fun and unique way to celebrate turning 10! Happy Birthday to our sun & ski buddy from Raising Three Savvy Ladies!
Since, Thunder Ridge is so close to NYC, the drive is totally manageable but there is also the option to “Ride the Ski Train” and take the Metro North train to the slopes at you leisure. The Thunder Ski package includes a discounted roundtrip train ticket, lift ticket for the day and FREE shuttle ride to/from the Patterson, NY train station. A visit to Thunder Ridge makes a great day trip that is close to home! Hunter Mountain is another fun family ski resort in NY.