West Mountain Plans Major Upgrades

A quick drive from anywhere in the Capital Region, West Mountain off Northway Exit 19 in Queensbury has been a skiing, snowboarding, tubing destination for decades. Now there are plans underway for an $85 million dollar upgrade that includes new lifts, better snow making equipment, and a massive new development that will feature a 60-80 room hotel, over 60 condos, along with dozens more homes and duplexes. In addition, the new mini-town will include a coffee shop, restaurant, and ski shop. 

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Spencer and Sara Montgomery bought West Mountain in 2013 and have made several upgrades to the facility over the years, including newer and faster lifts, better lighting, and improved snowmaking. This latest concept is aimed at making Queensbury a ski resort town. He’s ambitious about getting the process started. 

I would like to have the approvals in place this spring and hopefully get started this year. I don’t think that’s too overly optimistic. We’ve had a lot of good feedback locally and from the town. I think they’re behind us putting a ski-and-stay resort here.

If approved, the process could take 3-5 years to complete.  

West Mountain opened on Christmas Eve 2021 after a delayed start due to warm weather.

We literally got it pieced together just in time or we would have been in trouble. People are appreciative to be outdoors, even more so than last year. They just really seem to be in a good mood. It was our second-busiest holiday week ever. If you asked me to complain about it I couldn’t. The tubing park was open and sold out every day and our restaurant, which was closed last year because of COVID, was at full capacity.

According to their website, they currently have ten trails open as well as the tubing park. If weather complies, more trails will open during the month of January.  

There’s already talk of significant snowfall coming to the Capital Region next week. That along with the cold temps and increased snow making, will make it more than likely West Mountain will see a big increase in traffic over the next couple of weeks.  

[Saratogian]