Snow Ridge, Early Ski Mecca - Part II of My Ski Roots

Snow Ridge Ski Resort

Snow Ridge Ski Resort is on the Tug Hill Plateau in Turin, north of Syracuse and Rome, New York. Because it is positioned at the east of the end of Lake Ontario, the plateau gets dumped on with lake effect snow.  I mean dumped. Season totals average 230 inches; that's 19+ feet of snow. When the North American ski industry was in its infancy, natural snow conditions made this the perfect spot to establish one of the biggest capacity ski areas in the East. The slopes opened just in time for Christmas in the 1945-1946 season.

By the mid-1950s, alpine skiing was quickly growing as a popular pastime. The New York Times reported 48 ski areas in the state. A majority of them were serviced by a single rope tow or J-Bar. A select group offered T-Bars. In Turin, New York, Snow Ridge had extensive lift service. By 1953, they already boasted the largest uphill capacity in the East at 8,000 skiers per hour, serviced by 6 rope tows. By 1956 they installed a T-Bar and a J-Bar.  Did I mention the cost of a lift ticket was around $3.00?

The resort was booming. Between the 1950 and 1960 census, the population of Turin grew eighteen percent.  Yes, it grew from 273 to 373 residents. The small community was receiving plenty of guests who wanted to ski or learn to ski from Snow Ridge’s reputable ski school.  Visitors traveled to the little ski mecca from Buffalo, Manhattan and further.  

Flash Back to 1956

Two groups of friends from the Buffalo region each set their sights on a downhill ski trip at Snow Ridge on a weekend in 1956. From the springlike conditions in their photos, I would say it was March.

Andy and a few friends drove up in a 1954 Oldsmobile 88 with whitewall tires on 15 x 5.5-inch rims.  This was a far cry from riding in today’s SUVs with snow tires, traction control and all-wheel drive. Snow Ridge hadn’t put in the main parking lot yet. Locals tell me cars just lined up and tailgated along the drive in front of the ski area.

Arline rode up to Snow Ridge with at least one of her girlfriends. I don't have a lot of details about her group, but suspect it was a trip to celebrate her 24th birthday.

When each group arrived in Turin, there were no big hotels, only a few small properties. The community pitched in to accommodate travelers. Over a dozen local families and farms opened their properties to skiers and more homes in surrounding towns took in guests. Rates averaged about $2.00 - $2.50 a night per person, sometimes that included a home-cooked meal or two. The McGee House was hosted by Mrs. Herbert McGee. Guests called it Ma McGee’s. It was one of the larger properties, accommodating up to 20.  That’s where both Buffalo groups found a place to stay and that’s where my parents met, on ski trip to Snow Ridge in Turin in March, 1956.

I have copies of a postcard advertising McGees. It shows cheerful skiers gathered in the parlor. I imagine the air was filled with jokes, music and stories of adventures on the hill. The postcard photographer must have been at McGees on that same weekend in 1956, because I can spot my parents and their friends in the postcard.

Fast Forward to the 2025-2026 Ski Season

I’ve always wanted to explore the ski area where my parents met. I wasn’t 100% positive it was Snow Ridge until I discovered the postcard and a few other clues that matched up with stories I’d heard. Once I was certain, I was determined to ski there.

In the winter of 2025-2026, Snow Ridge set a date to celebrate their 80^th ski season in operation. The timing also happened to mark 70 seasons after my parents first visited there and the 1oth season in operation under the current owners, mother and son team, Cyndy Sisto and General Manager, Nick Mir. My sister and I decided there was no better time to discover the area for ourselves.

Turin is a bit of a commute for me, roughly 4 hours one way. Did I mention the mountain has a 500-foot vertical? Perhaps this is why I had not visited Snow Ridge before? I could reach other ski areas with more vertical within a shorter drive. But ever since Snow Ridge came onto my radar, I’ve been aware of the buzz around their epic snow conditions, tree runs and hospitality. I was very curious to check it out.

Once we turned off the New York State Thruway and passed through Rome, the snowbanks began to grow and grow. At times snow was piled high as the roof of a barn or home. The countryside was quiet.  The road was good and easy to travel. We had to break a few times for farm tractors plowing drives. Signs alerted us this was also a horse and buggy route. I wondered how much longer than 4 hours the drive took in 1956 on simpler roads with 15 x 5.5-inch whitewall tires?  Eventually we saw the plateau rise in front of us and knew we’d be skiing soon.

As we approached the resort, the first building we saw to stop at was Tavern 230, with big lettering for SNOW RIDGE on the roof. We walked inside to get the lay of the land and were greeted by super friendly staff, happy to learn what brought us out skiing today. By the way, I recommend the food at Tavern 230. My sister said it was the best lunch she had all season.

Snow Ridge is on the Indy Pass and with its reputation for snow and terrain they continue to receive plenty of new visitors like my sister and me. It seemed to me the locals know one another. When a newcomer walks in, they take notice aim to make guests feel welcome.

80 Years of Great Skiing and Community

After we got our bearings, we headed over to the lodge to suit up. There was a special area set up for the 80^th anniversary of Snow Ridge with displays and bins full of old photos and brochures. We came back those bins later in the day and had a great time finding photos from our parents’ era, and recognized a couple names of prominent Buffalo families among the labeled records.

Ski conditions were great. True to the area's wintry reputation, we arrived to 8 inches of fresh snow. You don't need high-speed lifts to get to grab fresh tracks here. Trails are spread across the Ridge, so skiers have plenty of space. You can ride a leisurely double and enjoy the conversation as you head up the hill. Fresh tracks could be found all day.

Snow Ridge has a family-friendly vibe. Liftees are cheerful. Skiers and riders of all abilities share the runs. There's even small area near the base of one of the lifts with farm animals for the kids to visit. If you don't want to take a couple different lifts to ski from one end of the ski resort to another, you can hop on a wagon ride.

What about the glades I heard about? It's true. There are some great spots to duck into the woods to challenge the advanced skiers. What I tried was great. Unfortunately, I was nursing an injury so I played on the edges and didn't adventure very far. Guess that just means I need to come back another day and explore.

During one lift ride, my sister and I were puzzled by what we saw. We noticed all the trees along trail's edge to our left were snapped in half. I had never seen anything like it. This did not look like the result of an ice storm. Trees were not bent. They were not cut, just ripped and toppled at the mid-section. We hadn't noticed the broken trees while skiing the run below us. The treetops fell away from the slope and were tucked into the ravine keeping the trails clear. Viewing from the lift, we wondered what caused the mangled row of trees. It didn't make any sense to me. Later I learned the answer.

Disaster and Community Support

In August of 2023, an EF-3 tornado hit Snow Ridge and Turin. Wind speeds reached 140 mph. Four lifts were severely damaged, a groomer crushed and buildings damaged. A small resort facing this kind of damage could have closed down for good. But the community came from all around to help clean up and put Snow Ridge back together. Volunteers from other ski areas and businesses helped as well.

Time after time, community has been a backbone to Snow Ridge's 80-year history. We already talked of how farmers and residents opened their homes in the early days to make room for travelers and support early growth.

Over the years, locals also helped with snow conditions. Believe it or not, the mountain did not install snow making until 1993. Perhaps that's because they receive so much. If snow was needed to fill in somewhere, snow was moved by truck and yes - locals helped pack the snow.

The 2023 tornado and recovery effort proved nothing could keep this mountain down. Not as long as the community surrounded it.

Let me tell you more about the people at Snow Ridge.

I wanted to buy something in the ski shop. The staff was on break and the door was locked. A passerby noticed me at the door. I was willing to come back later, but they insisted on running to find someone to help me. The woman who opened the shop was very helpful. As we chatted, I shared the story of my parents meeting at Snow Ridge. She encouraged me to pop over to the ski school and ask for Jimmy to talk more. Before we finished our dialog, I realized she was mountain co-owner Cyndy Sisto. I've skied many places in my life. Rarely have I met an owner. I'd been there only a couple hours and she was opening the shop for me and taking time to listen to my stories.

Meeting Jimmy at the ski school was a treat. Jimmy is an instructor here and proud to tell me he's 80 and learned to ski here as a small child. His fellow ski instructor, 70 years of age joined the dialog. Neither looked a day over 65. They told me stories about Snow Ridge's past.

By a bonfire later on, I met a woman who grew up skiing at Snow Ridge. She brought her 80-year-old father to enjoy the event. She and her father both skied at Snow Ridge since early childhood. She said they just couldn't miss the opportunity to celebrate the resort's anniversary. Pretty cool, I thought - people are so loyal to this place. Pretty cool as well - that I met some people today who quite possibly were cruising about the runs here as kids 70 years ago, the same weekend my parents met. Maybe they shared a T-bar ride that day, who knows?

Snow Ridge first caught my attention from my own family history, then for their weather patterns and tree skiing. It won a spot in my heart for how much community and hospitality they pack into 500 feet of vertical. I look forward to going back to explore the glades further someday.

Cheers to Snow Ridge and the next 80 years. I'll close with a clip from the toast at the end of the ski day.

This Post About Snow Ridge is Part of a Series, Discovering My Ski Roots

Part I: Emery Park, A Family Beginner Area

Sources: Census Data, Historical Brochures, Family Photos, NYS Tug Hill Commission, Personal Accounts, SnowRidge.com, Ski Area Management, New York Times.