Powder days on the Tug Hill Plateau: Snow Ridge’s Deep Snow and Indie Spirit
Shredding the gnar at Snow Ridge. All photos courtesy Snow Ridge.
If you’ve skied in the Adirondacks (or you’ve been dreaming about it all season), you know winter here isn’t one-size-fits-all. The Park’s ski culture is big, varied, and wonderfully local — from iconic peaks to low-key community mountains where the vibe is friendlier than the lift line is long.
For this episode of ADK Talks, we’re heading west of the Blue Line — to Turin, NY, on the legendary Tug Hill Plateau.
Turin isn’t technically inside the Adirondack Park boundary, but the Tug Hill is absolutely part of the broader Adirondack region’s geography and ecosystem: a place where storms stall, stack, and (sometimes) deliver snow faster than you can refresh your weather app.
And right in the middle of that lake-effect sweet spot is Snow Ridge, a fiercely independent ski area with a devoted following — and some of the deepest, softest natural snow you’ll find anywhere in the East.
Why this episode matters (especially if you’re planning Adirondack skiing).
This conversation isn’t a technical operations deep dive. It’s the human story behind an independent mountain — and a practical guide for skiers and riders who want to discover a less crowded, more personal experience without giving up the thrill of real winter.
Catching air at Snow Ridge.
Nick Mir co-owns Snow Ridge with his mother — a rare family partnership in an industry increasingly dominated by mega-resorts and mega-passes.
Together, they’ve spent the past decade modernizing what needs updating while protecting what locals love most about the place.
You’ll hear about:
What makes Tug Hill snow different (and why it can be dumping at Snow Ridge while it’s dry ten miles away)
What it truly means to run a small ski area — yes, including the unglamorous parts
What’s new this season, including meaningful infrastructure updates and the return of a key lift
Why small mountains can deliver big days — and why your dollars matter more than ever when you ski independently owned places
Tug Hill 101: the mighty “snow machine” just outside the Blue Line.
If you’re new to the Tug Hill Plateau, Nick explains it in plain terms: cold air moves over Lake Ontario, picks up moisture, and then drops that moisture as snow when it hits land. The result is a kind of localized winter superpower — a narrow band can set up and “nuke” Snow Ridge while nearby towns see almost nothing.
Nick describes it perfectly: it can be “three inches a minute” at the ski area, and then you drive ten miles and wonder if you imagined the whole storm.
Snow Ridge’s long-term average is about 230 inches per year, and Nick notes that if they don’t hit that number, it’s “not common.” That’s a big reason Snow Ridge has earned its reputation as one of upstate New York’s most consistent places for natural snow — and why powder days draw travelers from far beyond the North Country.
Trail map courtesy Snow Ridge.
Can you predict snowfall? Kind of — and kind of not.
Every skier wants the secret forecast that never misses. Nick’s honest answer: Tug Hill still surprises people who’ve lived there for years.
He shares a few practical ways Snow Ridge keeps tabs on what’s coming, including a regional forecaster Nick follows (plus the “wind direction reality check” that anyone who lives in a lake-effect zone eventually learns). In other words, there are tools, but the Tug Hill still gets the final word.
And yes — as of the date this episode is dropping, Snow Ridge was already roughly 75 inches into the season with another storm on the way, setting up for what he called a potentially “epic” opening.
The indie ski owner reality check (and why it makes Snow Ridge special).
One of the best parts of this episode is how clearly Nick describes the difference between owning an independent ski area and simply working in the industry.
Bluebird day at Snow Ridge.
He grew up in ski operations, spent time out West, and still admits he underestimated the sheer breadth of what ownership requires.
It’s not just lifts and trails — it’s everything from maintenance to staffing to the kind of behind-the-scenes problem-solving guests never notice unless something goes wrong.
At one point, Nick says he was unclogging a septic line the week before recording. That’s the point: independent ownership is not a “stand back and watch” job — it’s the work of a family and a team who care enough to do what needs doing.
That care shows up everywhere Snow Ridge chooses to invest:
They’ve dramatically expanded snowmaking capability since taking over (they inherited only a handful of snow guns and have been upgrading steadily).
They’re improving behind-the-scenes systems that make guests more comfortable — including major lodge updates.
They’re making smart infrastructure decisions without trying to turn Snow Ridge into something it isn’t.
Culture you can feel: small mountain warmth, big storm energy.
Nick describes Snow Ridge’s personality in one word: quirky — in the best way. It’s friendly, it’s communal, and it’s the kind of place where skiing solo doesn’t stay solo for long.
Even better: Snow Ridge’s community isn’t just “nice.” It’s experienced. Nick mentions staff members with decades of service, including one lift operator in his 55th season — a detail that says more about the culture than any slogan ever could.
And for skiers who want more laps and less waiting? Nick says it plainly: if you stand in line for more than a couple of minutes at Snow Ridge, it’s unusual. That’s part of the appeal for families and travelers trying to avoid the pressure-cooker vibe at larger destinations.
Snow Ridge’s welcoming main lodge.
What’s new this season + events to put on your calendar.
Nick shares several updates skiers will care about:
Snowmaking improvements that help open terrain sooner
The return of Tavern 230 under in-house operations
A major lift milestone: their North Chair is returning after being down for two seasons due to storm damage (a tornado impacted lift towers; the chair is coming back into service)
Then there are the events — a big part of Snow Ridge’s community identity:
A Christmas Eve community day tied to food pantry support and/or a donation to their newly formed nonprofit effort focused on getting local kids outdoors
A New Year’s Eve torchlight parade and bonfire
Fun mid-season features like rail jams and park events
And the beloved spring season classic: the pond skim, complete with costumes and spectacular spills
Why ski Snow Ridge — and why it helps the Adirondacks, too.
Snow Ridge sits just outside the Park boundary, but it strengthens the Adirondack winter economy in fundamental ways: it draws visitors to the greater region, supports year-round recreational culture, and offers skiers another compelling option that’s local, affordable, and rooted in community rather than corporate scale.
The golden hour at Snow Ridge.
Nick also connects Snow Ridge to the broader “Adirondack region” identity — you’re close to Old Forge, close to the Park line, and surrounded by a landscape that shifts quickly from plateau to river valley to foothills.
And if you stay to the end, Nick shares an insider tip that expands the map beyond ski trails: Lewis County’s world-class whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and outdoor recreation — a reminder that winter stories and year-round stories are often closer together than we think.
Listen + plan your visit.
If this episode inspires you to chase powder, explore a different corner of the Adirondack region, or support independent ski mountains that keep winter culture alive, you’ll want to keep Snow Ridge on your radar.
Where to learn more: SnowRidge.com
And for more Adirondack stories, ski intel, and local guides, visit ADKTaste.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
Snow Pocket: the legendary powder zone that defines Snow Ridge skiing.
One of the most talked-about features at Snow Ridge is Snow Pocket — a naturally snow-holding area on the mountain accessed by a historic T-bar and beloved by locals for one simple reason: it consistently holds deeper, softer snow than anywhere else on the hill.
During the podcast, Nick Mir explains that Snow Pocket isn’t a marketing gimmick — it’s a product of terrain, exposure, and Tug Hill’s lake-effect weather patterns. When storms line up just right, this part of the mountain lives up to its name, collecting snow while other areas are merely covered. It’s also intentionally left untouched by modernization; Snow Ridge has chosen to preserve the old-school T-bar access rather than replace it with a chairlift, maintaining both the character and the skiing experience that longtime fans love.
For skiers chasing authentic Adirondack-region powder — the kind that rewards timing, local knowledge, and a willingness to ride surface lifts — Snow Pocket represents what makes independent ski areas like Snow Ridge special. It’s not about scale or spectacle; it’s about finding the right line on the right day, in the right place.
Watch the short video below for a firsthand look at Snow Pocket in action and why it’s become one of the most legendary zones on the Tug Hill Plateau.
Snow Pocket at Snow Ridge — a T-bar-served zone on the Tug Hill Plateau known for holding deeper, softer lake-effect snow.
Mentioned in this podcast.
Places to stay, shop, eat, and things to do near Turin, NY.
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