MONTICELLO, NY — The Catskill Mountains have been home to Holiday Mountain Ski and Fun Park since its doors opened in 1957. The ski resort has officially been adopted by a new owner and promised to be restored to its former glory. 

Michael Taylor, CEO of Combined Energy Services, announced his resort acquisition at a public forum on June 10. Over 100 community members eagerly gathered to view a slideshow presentation of what’s next to come. 

This is not the first time the famous Catskill resort destination has been in the Taylor family’s possession. Taylor’s great-grandmother originally opened the resort’s doors to the public before selling the land to the Town of Thompson for a bargain price of $5,000. 

After nearly seven decades of family fun, the park was once again on the market. For the past 20 years, Holiday Mountain functioned under the ownership of Craig Passante. The Passante family also operates another Catskill favorite, the Villa Roma Resort. 

Over the course of the past few years, attendance at the mountain has seen a decline. 

Town of Thompson Supervisor William Reiber Jr. admitted that weather conditions have played a major role in the dwindling tourist numbers at the resort.

“They hit a run of bad luck with the weather… it’s the biggest killer,” Reiber said. 

As land in the Catskills is a gold mine, housing developers circled the property like vultures. One development company, in particular, offered Passante half a million dollars more than Taylor’s initial bid. 

Finding the highest bidder was the last thing on Passante’s mind, said Taylor. Holiday Mountain holds historic value for the upstate town and is home to millions of families’ fondest winter memories. Ultimately, Passante sought out a buyer whose goal to was keep the charm and integrity of the mountain. With an affirmatory handshake, a deal with made between the Sullivan County locals. 

Due to extensive erosion from weather and the motor-course track, Holiday Mountain has considerably shrunk from its original layout. Taylor’s plan is to expand on the abundance of land that the property already sits on while additionally leasing more land to the right of Holiday Mountain’s steepest hill, Roman Candle. Within the next few years, Taylor aims to open up this side of the mountain and create thrilling double black diamond runs for the more experienced riders. 

By their opening weekend in the winter, Taylor plans to have 17 fully functional slopes for riders to enjoy. The #2 chairlift, Turkey Trot, will also be open to guarantee full access to the mountain. Once a two-person seater, the entire lift is being replaced to allow four riders per chair.

Over the years there has also been a substantial increase in shrubbery and trees coating the walls of the slopes. This has prevented riders from utilizing the mountain in its entirety and is one of the leading causes of riders colliding with one another. To ensure that there is enough space to increase occupancy at the mountain, all slopes will be revived to their original width. Cutting back the excess trees will also allow for better lighting for night-time riders. 

One of Taylor’s primary objectives is to revamp the snow sports school. 

“Overall, this is about getting kids back on skis and snowboards,” Taylor said, discussing the reason why he purchased the mountain. 

The rental shop is a necessity for all beginners, as owning personal equipment can be expensive. To grant his customers the tools for a successful riding experience, Taylor scrapped all old rental gear and stocked the shelves with 125 new snowboards, 150 skis, and 400 helmets. 

Taylor has been developing a nonprofit program for kids who are unable to afford the traditionally expensive winter activity. This after-school initiative would allow the next generation of riders to learn and grow on the Holiday Mountain slopes, he said.

When entering the resort, visitors will notice a change in terms of lodging. Holiday Mountain will now operate out of two separate lodges: the North Lodge (previously the arcade building) and the South Lodge. Immediately upon arrival, guests will see the North Lodge. This first building is home to the current fun park and upcoming snow-tubing attraction. 

The snow tubing has received a sizable expansion. There will be 12 lanes for tubers to race down and a conveyor belt to avoid the dreaded walking portion of the activity. 

About a quarter-mile down the gravel path is the South Lodge. This will be the main lodge for visitors looking to ski and snowboard. 

For a simpler purchasing approach, Holiday Mountain will open a brand-new e-commerce portion of its website for visitors. Guests will be able to access the website to book private lessons through the snow sports school and purchase lift tickets. With a QR code that will be emailed to the buyer, guests are able to skip massive lines and scan the code at a kiosk to print their daily passes, Taylor said.

To improve the chances of having a rewarding opening season, Taylor has invested a majority of the renovations in the mountain’s snowmaking systems. 

“The biggest thing [Taylor] is doing is the increase in the capacity of the pumping system to get water on the mountain. This should cover the mountain [with snow] in about 40 hours,” Reiber said. 

Although Holiday Mountain used to close due to inclement weather or insufficient snow production, Taylor said he is determined to keep the mountain open and operating throughout the entirety of the winter season.

“If it snows, we’re open!” he added. 

The winter season is not for a few months; however, Holiday Mountain’s fun park is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 noon to 7 p.m.