Mount Tom quarry and ski area

An aerial view of the quarry crater at Mt. Tom. The two hikers near the center of the photo give an idea how large the hole is.

The quarry, shown here in 1998, while it was in operation. When it closed for good in 2012, the quarry crater was much larger. Republican file photo by Christopher Evans

An aerial photo taken in May 2002, shows the sinuous trails of the former Mount Tom Ski Area, visible four years after the Holyoke area closed. At lower right is the Mount Tom Quarry.

Excavation at the Mt. Tom quarry is seen from the air on Friday, August 7, 1998.

Aerial view of the quarry while it was in operation in 2002. When it closed for good in 2012, the hole was much deeper.

The quarry is shown here in operation in 1999.

A Republican photo from 1999 showing the Mt. Tom quarry in operation. When it closed for good in 2012, the hole would be much bigger.

The cliff face at the former Mt. Tom quarry has attracted hawks and other wildlife. Here, a man in the lower right stares up at the wall..

Two hikes stand inside the crater of the former quarry at Mt. Tom. The state is seeking to acquire the property and preserve it as a natural habitat.

This photo illustration of the former Mount Tom quarry in Holyoke details how high the cliff face is. The state Department of Conservation & Recreation says it intends to install warning signs and rope off the perimeter to warn hikers. No such signage currently exists. The quarry has been inactive for almost a decade. (PATRICK JOHNSON / THE REPUBLICAN)

Aerial view of the former Mt. Tom quarry and the now abandoned ski area.

People use the bottom of the Mt. Tom quarry as the setting for a photo shoot.

A photo shoot at the bottom of the former quarry on Mt. Tom. Multiple sets of tire tracks can be seen in the dirt. If the state gains possession of the site, officials are planning steps to block vehicles.

A lone hike walks down the side of Mt. Tom toward the side of the former ski lodge. The state is interested in maintaining Mt. Tom as a resource for nature and outdoor activities.

The burnt-out shell of a building at the former ski area. Since in closed 20 years ago, buildings on the property have been vandalized and set on fire.

Remains of a building at the former Mt. Tom Ski Area. Several buildings have been razed because of continued fires and vandalism.

People swim in the Mt. Tom wave pool in 1989 back when the ski area was operation. Republican file photo

Site of the former wave pool at Mt. Tom ski area. It's now used mostly by skateboarders if it is used at all.

Another view of the vacant wave pool at the former Mt. Tom Ski Area.

Aerial photo of Mt. Tom showing the former quarry and the paths of the former ski slopes. The quarry is at the center of a dispute between the state, which wants to preserve it, and two Holyoke businessmen who want to fill it in .

A photo from 1999 showing work underway at the quarry site on Mt. Tom. The quarry has been inactive since 2012, and the crater is much larger than shown here.

Site of the former Mt. Tom Ski Area's water slide. Abandoned for 22 years, it has standing water and is covered with graffiti.

A Holyoke assessors map of Mt. Tom and the owners of which parcels. The state DCR is trying to gain title to the quarry, shown in blue. The owners of the quarry in December purchased the former ski area, shown in read. Both properties are surrounded by land owned by state, federal and non-profit agencies.

Aerial photo of the cliff face at the former Mt. Tom quarry. Note the hiking path that goes along the cliff. DCR officials want to install warning signs and an rope to prevent people from falling.