Mt. Peter celebrates 70th anniversary

Warwick - There was a time when skiers would have had to carry their gear and climb to the top of Mt. Peter for the privilege of making each downhill run. On Saturday, March 18, Mt. Peter held its annual Spring Rally followed by a Pig Roast and 70th Anniversary Party hosted by owners Don and Gail Sampson and daughters Rebecca and Amy. In 1936, R.H. Macy’s Department Store, which had purchased the mountain to promote its fashionable line of ski clothing, developed the ski area and, to the amazement and delight of the skiers at that time, soon introduced a rope tow powered by an automobile engine. Eventually lifts were installed and Mt. Peter Ski Area, one of the three oldest ski areas in the state, became the unique recreational attraction for the Town of Warwick that it is today. In the early days, skiers not only had to be pulled to the top with a rope tow but they also depended on daylight as well as Mother Nature providing all the snow necessary for a good season. By the 1960s, however, Mt. Peter offered skiers a double chair lift, night skiing and a warm ski lodge at the base of the mountain. In 1971 Don Sampson, who at that time was the director of the Mt. Peter Ski School, purchased the resort that he and his wife, Gail, and their daughters continue to operate to this day. During the past 35 years they have completely redesigned the mountain and trails. The Sampsons planted 17,000 pine trees, installed a second chair lift and a beginner’s tow rope, tripled the size of the base lodge, added a cozy pub, an office, a rental shop, increased lighting and snowmaking and built an outdoor pavilion. This spring they will install yet another lift. Today, Mt. Peter Ski Area attracts visitors from Long Island and the entire metropolitan area as well as Orange County residents. Described as “The Friendly One,” the ski area has long been a favorite of local residents who learned to ski there as toddlers and now drop off their own children for a safe day of winter sports. “Being in the downhill business is an uphill battle,” quipped Amy Sampson-Richardson at the recent anniversary party. “We all know that a 70 degree day in January doesn’t exactly make people want to ski or snowboard.” Richardson, however, went on to praise her parents, her sister, the industry and the mountain. “Caring so much, is what has made Mount Peter so great. It’s what keeps people coming back year after year. It’s what keeps my sister and me here, even when we want to throw our hands in the air and walk away. It’s because we love it so much. And it’s that love that makes us roll.”