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December 20, 2023Member Spotlight: Maple Ski Ridge
Maple Ski Ridge, located in Schenectady, was established in 1963 by the Mulyca Family, celebrating their 60th anniversary this year!
The ski area is on the site of the Mulyca Family Farm. The family decided to put up a rope tow in the back pasture and Maple Ski Ridge was born. One of the early rope tows here at Maple Ski Ridge was called the “Truck Tow” because you literally sat in the cab of an old truck and hit the gas pedal to run the lift.
Their leadership team still has “kitchen table” meetings. They meet for dinner once a week to discuss what’s going on and what needs to get done. They have 2 dogs who live at Maple – both small black and white mixed breeds, Sadie and Bandit, favorites of their staff and customers.
Maple Ski Ridge has exceptional snow quality and their grooming is second to none. Because they are small and cater to beginners and learners, they put a lot of attention into the small details like the quality of their snow and their grooming to make guest experiences as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Their lesson program is amazing, providing lesson options available for all ages and levels for both skiers and riders. They have over 80 instructors on staff during the winter to teach their snowsports learners. You will hardly find an ice patch at Maple Ski Ridge thanks to Carolyn LaHart, who is both one of the owners and the woman in charge of snowmaking and grooming. She is very particular about the quality of the snow.
Maple Ski Ridge Snowsports School spends extra time training their instructors so they have the knowledge necessary to teach their chosen snowsport. They highly encourage their instructors to participate in getting their instructor certifications through PSIA/AASI, the world’s largest organization dedicated to teaching people how to ski and snowboard. Over 50% of their instructors are PSIAA/AASI certified.
As a member doing business in the Capital Region, they have tapped into the Chamber as a resource to help make connections with local businesses and would like to learn how to utilize the chamber more in the next few years.
“Living and working in the Capital Region is literally like having the best of both worlds – the amenities of a larger city with the small-town atmosphere of rural America.”
Some of the nicest things a customer has ever said to you about their business is written in a thank you note from one of their customers. “It warms our hearts and encapsulates all that we stand for:”
“Skiing is such a wonderful sport! I will live longer, healthier, and happier because of what I did this winter and none of it would have been possible without Maple and its awesome staff”.
– Ashok R.
