Enfield
Backed by a grant from the Hanover-based Byrne Foundation and private donations, Whaleback — since 2014 governed by the nonprofit Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation — has made strides toward its west-side expansion project and needed maintenance this offseason.
A new pump house has been built by volunteers in-house, equipped with more storage capacity and the ability to disperse water more efficiently, according to UVSSF board member and chief operating officer Robert West. Ground has also broken on a new 800-foot T-bar to be stationed between the magic carpet and rope tow lifts, providing access to several intermediate and beginner trails.
Many of the area’s other trails have received much-needed brush removal and trimming, and lighting improvements are ongoing.
Perhaps most significant is the acquisition of two additional newer-model snow guns capable of producing in temperatures as warm as 32 degrees, mountain manager Gerd Riess said. Whaleback possessed two such snow guns last year and experienced a huge improvement over the mid-1990s models upon which it previously relied. They generally required temperatures in the low 20s or colder to work effectively.
Increased snowmaking, of course, means fewer closures. Last season, the ski area hosted about 13,000 visitors and was open for a total of 68 days beginning on Dec. 17. In 2015-16, before Whaleback acquired two of the newer snow guns, opening day was delayed until Jan. 10, missing out on school holiday vacation week and the revenues that come with it. Interrupted by periodic closures, the mountain was open for just 50 days total as several instructional camps and some Thursday Night Race League sessions were cancelled.
“Last year was much better,” West said. “We had improved snowmaking and had a better grasp on how to make everything work. We expect it to be even better this year.”
The T-bar originally was intended to be installed prior to last season, but construction delays meant it would have been more expensive to be installed during wintertime, West noted. He expects it to be installed and certified for use by the end of November.
“The T-bar will be a great sort of intermediate lift for kids who are getting too good for the magic carpet and rope tow, but not quite ready for the chair lift,” said West, whose son, Anson, is 4 years old and skis at Whaleback. “We’re excited to have it up and running.”
Long an area institution for introducing elementary school-age kids to skiing and snowboarding, Whaleback last season hosted nearly 700 children in its after-school programs, lessons, competitive teams and winter camps. It hopes to increase the breadth of those programs this season under first-year ski school director Rebecca Reed, a Norwich resident who has previous experience as a Whaleback Core team coach.
Whaleback hosted kids from five schools and a pair of recreation departments last year, according to UVSSF marketing manager Nora Barre. Reed hopes to develop even more relationships to get youngsters strapping on the boots and skis — and to improve the overall quality of instruction.
“I have spent the last four months redeveloping the ski school,” Reed wrote in an email. “I am starting with a clean slate and am redeveloping from the ground up. … (I plan to) surround myself with quality (instructors) who, from the start, are invested in making the Whaleback Ski School programs the best in the Upper Valley.”
Whaleback staff and volunteers unequivocally point to witnessing the skills development and experience of young skiers and riders as the most rewarding aspect of their efforts. West had the pleasure of leading a beginner group from the Plainfield School last year.
“They were really (tentative) at first, not even really wanting to go up the lifts, and you could just see them getting better and better,” West said. “By the end of the year, they were coming down trails on their own and just putting their arms up in celebration. They were really excited. It was awesome to see.”
Whaleback also strives to be appealing for adult skiers, from its Thursday Night Race League to affordable season passes and various partnership incentives. For example, Whaleback pass holders receive free tune-ups and discounts at Golf & Ski Warehouse in West Lebanon, Barre said, as well as up to 50 percent off lift tickets at several neighbors, including as Killington, Ragged, Mount Sunapee and the Eastman Nordic Center.
This season, Whaleback has enrolled in the Freedom Pass program for smaller, independent ski areas. Under this program, those with unlimited Whaleback passes are eligible for three complimentary lift tickets at each of seven partner mountains, including Dartmouth Skiway and Vermont’s Bolton Valley and Magic Mountain.
Riess is looking forward to his third season at the ski area, especially in light of the recent improvements.
“I think there’s a lot to be excited about with the way things are going,” Riess said. “There was a lot of stuff that needed to be done that we’re getting done, and it’s all going to make us more reliable.”
For more information or to make a contribution to Whaleback, visit www.whaleback.com.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.