Greek Peak Mountain Resort has installed the final snowgun in a $3 million snowmaking overhaul, capping a project that crammed four years of planned upgrades into a single summer. Crews in Virgil put in more than 200 new snowguns over the past two weeks alone, part of a broader push the resort says will let it open more terrain earlier once winter arrives.
The project, known internally as Greek Peak East, was originally supposed to unfold over four years as a $2.51 million investment unveiled in July 2025, according to SAM Magazine. Resort leadership opted in March 2026 to fast-track the remaining phases into one summer, ballooning the budget to $3 million in the process. As reported by WXHC, Greek Peak called the upgrades a game-changer that will enable more terrain to open earlier in the season.
The buildout added new HKD KLIK snowguns and hundreds of horsepower in pumping capacity across ten trails: Arcadian Gate, Lower Arcadian Gate, Crisaean Way, Arethusa Way, Mars Hill Connection, Upper Mars Hill, Marathon, Upper Pollux, Alpha, and Olympian. The HKD KLIK hydrants themselves feature permanently connected air and water hoses, a design SAM Magazine's equipment coverage notes eliminates manual hookups and lets snowmaking crews start up and shut down fast when temperatures suddenly dip.
Olympian's Steepest Run Gets Artificial Snow for the First Time
Among the additions, the one most likely to excite advanced skiers is Olympian, Greek Peak's double black diamond and steepest trail. The run previously relied strictly on natural snowfall and often required thin-cover caution signs early in the season, per Unofficial Networks. Olympian's exclusion from the snowmaking system left a gap in the resort's expert offerings.
The outlet's reporting also pegs the overall scope of the work at 33,000 feet of new pipeline, and SAM Magazine's construction report says the final phase replaced a 250-horsepower pump with a 500-horsepower pump, a combination that boosts the mountain's total snowmaking water capacity by roughly 20%. That kind of volume matters because it lets crews pump more water through the system during the short windows when temperatures actually drop cold enough to make snow.
Pipes Hauled Across Snow Before Spring Thaw
Construction actually began before the 2025–26 season even ended. The same SAM Magazine account describes crews fusing 6-inch HDPE air lines and 8-inch steel water pipes into long sections, then hauling them across the remaining snow cover into position on the resort's eastern trails.
Wes Kryger, president of Greek Peak Mountain Resort, previously said the investment demonstrates the resort's commitment to snow reliability, terrain coverage, and consistent winter conditions. The resort has framed the acceleration of its original four-year plan as a way to realize mountain-wide operational gains years ahead of the original schedule.
A Bigger Bet on a Shorter Season
Greek Peak logged 114 operating days during the 2025–26 season, up from 108 the year before, according to OnTheSnow. With 220 skiable acres, 55 trails, 952 feet of vertical drop, and eight lifts, the resort is the largest ski area in Central New York, drawing visitors from Syracuse and Binghamton. Founded in 1958 by Al Kryger, Greek Peak marked its opening season with remarks from then-Governor Averell Harriman, a detail the resort highlighted in its own account of the mountain's lift and terrain history.
Business partners John Meier and Marc Stemerman bought Greek Peak out of bankruptcy in 2013, and the Meier family took full ownership in late 2019, according to Cortland Voice. That ownership history underscores why a sudden jump from a phased, multi-year investment to a single-summer, $3 million push counts as an aggressive bet.
The stakes extend beyond one mountain. For a resort positioning itself as Central New York's biggest draw, locking in more reliable early-season snow could matter to skiers hoping to hit Olympian before the holidays.
