Plea from Hickory Ski Center

Buy Season Passes so They Can Buy Insurance and Open with Lift-Served Skiing

Hickory Ski Area in Warrensburg is calling for skiers and riders to purchase season passes right away. They are at a crossroads. They have their lift inspections scheduled, sticks are on, the lodge is ready, the slopes are (almost) ready.

What they are missing is liability insurance required for state certification of their lifts for operation. Historically they have raised funds to cover insurance and other operating costs through the sale of season passes. They have been hesitant to do that given the challenges they’ve faced with lift certification. They no longer have a choice. Their timeline is short. They have until December 15, 2023 to raise sufficient funds to cover their full insurance premium payment of $38,000.

Yes, it is outrageous, and they have explored all options over the last two years to lower this amount, with no success. They anticipate that this premium will be reduced in subsequent years because the cost reflects their lapse in insurance coverage, placing them in a high-risk category, and that they would be offered quarterly or monthly premium payment options.

They have been able to cover off-season operational expenses with events, the café, access fees for hiking and skinning, and with financing from owner Bill Van Pelt, and the Hickory Legacy Foundation. In addition, the foundation has installed lighting for night skiing and the new disc golf course which will open in the spring.

The team appreciates all the support that has come from their extended Hickory family, local businesses, and those organizations that have provided grant funding. The foundation continues to seek grant funding opportunities, events are being planned, they are collaborating with new partners, and without season pass sales now, they do not have the funds to pay the insurance premium.

They are now asking our Hickory skiing family to do their part in supporting our efforts to reopen the mountain for skiing with lifts operating, by purchasing season passes. They are finishing up the purchasing platform on their website: www.skihickory.com. They will have individual passes for upper and lower mountain skiing, couples discount, family packages and bundles, as well as single day tickets available. They will publish pass prices when they go live for pass purchases, anticipated on Tuesday, December 5.

If the lifts don’t spin, they will refund season pass payments in full. Email with any questions: hickorysc2@gmail.com.

Hickory ski schedule & pricing. 

Anticipated operating schedule (depending on weather): Wednesday to Friday: 2pm-8pm. Saturday: 9am-8pm. Sunday: 9am-4pm. Sample pricing until December 15: Upper/All Mountain season passes cost $500. Lower Mountain season passes cost $300, $100 for ages under 18.

How You can Help

Contributions may be made directly to Hickory Ski Center via their website: skihickory.com. Or GoFundMe: gofund.me. Tax deductible donations may also be made to the Hickory Legacy Foundations that supports programs at the mountain: hickorylegacy.org.

SKI THE LEGEND –The Hickory Team