It was good getting the FourRunner Quad back after more than a week of absence. Ski lifts have been in the news more often than usual this winter! Chairs fell off lifts at Attitash and Heavenly, both Vail resorts. Hope Vail has good insurance! A gondola car fell at Kicking Horse in Canada. There were lift evacuations at Cannon Mountain, Winter Park, and Telluride that made the news. While the FourRunner didn’t have to be evacuated, I talked to someone who was on it when the lift stopped and she said it took quite a while before they got to the top.

The Mineral Basin quad at Snowbird also needed repairs this season that required over a week of downtime. Part of their downtime was due to a major storm that limited the ability to work on the lift. That lift serves a significant portion of their acreage and turns a good ski area into a great ski area!

Another ski area with lift problems is Whaleback. Whaleback is located just off Interstate 89 east of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Anyone who has driven south on I-89 is familiar with the area. Their primary lift is a chairlift that was installed in 1971. On February 27th of this year the lift had to be shut down due to a gearbox bearing failure. To fix this is a major undertaking in terms of both time and money. So the area finished out its season with just a T-Bar that doesn’t serve the whole area. Fundraising for the repairs has started and I’ll talk about how you can help later in this column.

The 2025-26 season will mark the 70th anniversary for Whaleback although it wasn’t originally called Whaleback.

Ernie Dion was born in Irasburg, Vermont and became one of the best American- born ski jumpers in the United States. He won 19 state jumping titles, including Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire Championships! Dion was named to the 1940 Olympic team, but WW-II canceled those games.

Dion became a coach at Dartmouth and started a junior ski team in the Hanover-Lebanon area. In 1955 this led him to acquire property along the Stony Brook in Enfield and build Snow Crest Ski Area with a 1,500-Foot J-bar, warming hut and seven trails. Dion’s major contribution, however, was his progressive program for the area’s youngsters. He founded a Ski Week Program to be held during the school’s winter vacation periods.

Dion would sell the area in 1968. The new owners had some adjustment problems as after one season, the area closed for the 1969-70 season.

However for the 1970-71 season the area re-opened with a 2520 foot double chairlift which also added several new trails. The following season, 1971-72, the name would be changed to Whaleback!

The next significant change for Whaleback was in 1984 when new owners took over and installed snowmaking plus lights for night skiing. By 1990, the ownership was in deep debt and put the area up for sale. When there were no takers, the Green Mountain Bank foreclosed and took over the area. Whaleback did not operate for three seasons (1991-1993).

The area was purchased from the bank for a reported $280,000 by new owners, the Herberts. They would operate the area through the 2001 season, but then put it up for sale. Whaleback would close again until 2005.

A group of investors organized by Olympic Freestyle skier Evan Dybvig purchased the area with the goal of making a year-round freestyle training facility. The area reopened for the 2006 season. However by the spring of 2013, the Whaleback curse came back and the Randolph National Bank foreclosed on the property.

Whaleback supporters founded the non-profit Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation (UVSSF). In October 2013 Whaleback Mountain became a non-profit ski area. Using some equipment purchased from Balsams Wilderness, Whaleback was able to fire up its snowmaking system and reopen in December 2013.

From the UVSSF2023-24 Annual Report:

“For 11 years now, Whaleback Mountain has operated as a non-profit entity serving as a beacon of community and snow sports excellence in Enfield, New Hampshire. We’re not just a ski area; we’re a home for snow enthusiasts, a place where friendships are forged, and memories are made amidst a welcoming atmosphere, diverse terrain, and an unmatched “old school” experience.”

Now they face the challenge of fixing their chairlift in the off season. They need to raise $250,000 and have already raised $100,000 towards that goal. Check out their website (www.whaleback.com) and consider making a donation to help them meet their goal!