|
|
Located just west of Bangor, Maine, Hermon Mountain has been serving local (and in many cases due to its proximity to the airport, international) skiers for over half a century.
Rope Tow Years
Hermon Mountain likely dates back to 1964, when Albert Jackson acquired a tract of land. A native of Skowhegan, Jackson had served as an electronic technician's mate in the Navy during World War II, eventually working for the New England Telephone Company. In June, a small advertisement appeared the Bangor Daily News announcing the opening of Hermon Mountain Ski Area on Jackson Beach Road.
Featuring a rope tow, a headed lodge, and a ski rental shop, Hermon Mountain likely debuted just before Christmas of 1964. Jackson's son Bernard took on a management role. Looking to maximize skiing revenue, floodlights were installed in time to offer night skiing in early March.
Early Growth
Hermon in the 1960s |
Hermon Mountain moved forward for the 1966-67 season by installing a 2,000 foot long Poma T-Bar. Around this time, Hermon High School principal Harold Brown directed the ski school, helping to launch area school group programs.
A new lodge was constructed for the 1967-68 season. During that season, Hermon hosted the "Little Olympics" as part of Bangor's 10-day Paul Bunyan Winter Carnival. A snowmaking system of some sort was in use at this point, as it was leveraged when rain wiped out the area's base in February.
A new trail may have been added for the 1968-69 season.
Harvey Packard served as ski school director in the late 1960s, splitting his time between Hermon and Big Squaw.
The 1970s
Hermon in the 1970s |
The 1969-70 season was a struggle at times, as poor weather forced Hermon to miss some key periods. Of the 50 days the area operated, 40 were on man-made surfaces.
A new expert trail "which will challenge the ability of any skier" was added adjacent to the T-Bar for the 1970-71 season, while snowmaking was expanded to cover beginner terrain.
Night skiing was added to an intermediate trail fro the 1971-72 season.
A second T-Bar was added in 1972, serving novice terrain. In conjunction with the expansion, Albert Jackson transferred the ski area property to Mt. Hermon Ski Area, Inc. By the time 1974-75 started, Hermon was advertising snowmaking and lights on nearly all of its terrain.
Hermon in the 1970s |
On November 10, 1976, Jackson's Mt. Hermon Ski Area sold the property to Hermon Mountain Ski Area, a company owned by a young couple named Terry and Pamela Duran. A Vietnam veteran, Terry operated a sawdust hauling company.
The Durans invested in a $120,000 base lodge expansion for the 1978-79 season, obtaining a liquor license for a new lounge. Despite the investment, business dropped by 50% due to bad weather.
The 1980s
The rough 1979-80 winter was another struggle, with a photo of bare slopes hitting the Bangor Daily Sun in mid-January. An early March ad pronounced "we've got snow!"
Hard times continued in 1980-81, when the base lodge burned to the ground on January 3, 1981. Firefighters battled in extreme cold during the early morning hours, but were unable to save the building. Beyond the blow of losing the minimally-insured structure, Duran lamented the loss of the rental ski fleet, telling the Bangor Daily Sun, "They're all gone. For an area like ours, it's going to be tough to replace." An adjacent garage likely served as a makeshift lodge for the remainder of the season.
The 1981-82 season had a better start, with Mother Nature permitting Christmas Week operations for the first time since 1977.
An SMI snowgun at Hermon in the mid 1980s |
In February 1984, a group of area attorneys announced the acquisition of Hermon Mountain. Organized as Hermon Slope, Winfred Stevens, Paul Chaiken, David King, Paul Rudman, Phil Buckley, and Mike Friedman acquired the area from the Durans on March 12, 1984. At least two of the owners had never even skied before, let alone operated a ski area. Friedman told the Bangor Daily News that "Firstly, the money was right. The mountain had not been used much and the previous owner ran a restaurant and didn't have much time for it. Secondly, everybody talked about how nice it used to be. It was a nice place to go. We thought we could turn it into a nice area."
In October, the group named Bernard Jackson and his wife Candi co-managers of the ski area.
During the summer of 1985, the town of Hermon applied for a grant to provide a $48,000 loan to Hermon Mountain for capital equipment. The snowmaking system was upgraded that off-season, as well as the base lodge. Owner Mike Friedman justified the total $100,000 investment in snowmaking because of a "history of not having much snow in the past four or five years." James Hancock served as general manager for the 1985-86 season, which saw 74 days of operations. Hermon also hosted its first annual Winter Carnival.
Further snowmaking improvements were made for the 1986-87 season. Despite a slow start with only one trail open after Christmas, Hermon had posted a record 600 skiers in one day following an early January snow storm. Its second annual Winter Carnival was a three-day event that included races, contests, a dance, and a costume parade
Following the 1986-87 season, Hermon Mountain was placed on the market, listed as "for sale as a going enterprise" which consisted of "75 acres with development potential." The two expert trails were widened for the 1987-88 season. The 1988-89 season saw Hermon offering snowboard instruction.
New Hermon Mountain
The base area (2015) |
Bill and Marlene Whitcomb formed New Hermon Mountain, Inc. in late 1988, formally acquiring the ski area on November 21, 1989. Whitcomb, a former ski patrol director, announced a three-phase plan which consisted of more snowmaking, a chairlift, and a base lodge expansion. The Whitcombs quickly made positive traction in the community by adding visual impaired ski programs, Maine Army National Guard training, and expanded race programs. The area also hosted mountain bike races during the summer.
Hermon Mountain founder Albert Jackson passed away on June 25, 1994 at the age of 68.
After a decade of building up New Hermon Mountain, the Whitcombs installed a refurbished double chairlift for the 1998-99 season.
Aging night skiing lights were replaced for the 2001-2002, while the snowmaking electrical system was improved. A tubing operation was added for the 2002-2003 season, diversifying winter activities.
A large scale lodge expansion was conducted for the 2005-2006 season.
NewEnglandSkiConditions.com Reports
| Month |
Average Percent of Terrain Open |
| January | 40% (3 reports) |  | | February | 85% (1 report) | | | March | 69% (5 reports) | |
|
| Recent Conditions Reports |
 | Mar. 13, 2024 by newenglandskier13
Corn, Frozen Granular |
 | Mar. 4, 2023 by newenglandskier13
Powder, Powder |
 | Mar. 11, 2022 by newenglandskier13
Spring Snow, Spring Snow |
 | Feb. 11, 2022 by newenglandskier13
Spring Snow, Spring Snow |
 | Jan. 12, 2022 by newenglandskier13
Packed Powder, Frozen Granular |
|
|
| Hermon Mountain Ski Area on NewEnglandSkiConditions.com |
NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News
Image Gallery
Lifts
Click on lift name for information and photos
Maps
Year by Year History
Adult Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket; Adult Full Price Unlimited Season Pass. Window price, including RFID fee and taxes when known.
| 2020s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2023-24 | $55.00 | | $530.00 | | 9.6 days | December 23 | March 13 | | | | | 2022-23 | $55.00 | | $530.00 | | 9.6 days | December 30 | March 26 | | | | | 2021-22 | $55.00 | | $520.00 | | 9.5 days | December 27 | March 20 | | | | | 2020-21 | | | | | | December 28 | March 21 | | | | | 2019-20 | $35.00 | | $385.00 | | 11.0 days | December 19 | March 15 | | | |
| 2010s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2018-19 | $32.00 | | $350.00 | | 10.9 days | December 15 | March 31 | | | | | 2017-18 | $32.00 | | $350.00 | | 10.9 days | December 21 | March 31 | | | | | 2016-17 | $27.00 | | $275.00 | | 10.2 days | December 17 | March 26 | | | | | 2015-16 | $27.00 | | $275.00 | | 10.2 days | December 26 | March 13 | | | | | 2014-15 | $27.00 | | $275.00 | | 10.2 days | December 21 | March 29 | | | | | 2013-14 | $27.00 | | $275.00 | | 10.2 days | December 13 | March 29 | | | | | 2012-13 | $25.00 | | $275.00 | | 11.0 days | | | | | | | 2011-12 | $25.00 | | $275.00 | | 11.0 days | December 23 | March 17 | | | | | 2009-10 | | | $275.00 | | | | March 13 | | | |
| 2000s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2008-09 | $25.00 | | $275.00 | | 11.0 days | | March 22 | | | | | 2007-08 | $20.00 | | $255.00 | | 12.8 days | | | | | | | 2006-07 | $20.00 | | $255.00 | | 12.8 days | | | | | | | 2004-05 | $20.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1990s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1997-98 | | | | | | December 5 | | | | | | 1996-97 | | | | | | | March 30 | | | | | 1995-96 | | | | | | December 2 | | | | | | 1994-95 | | | | | | December 16 | | | | | | 1992-93 | | | | | | December 11 | | | | | | 1991-92 | $17.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1990-91 | | | | | | December 15 | | | | | | 1989-90 | $15.00 | | | | | December 1 | | | | |
| 1980s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1987-88 | | | $235.00 | | | December 19 | March 20 | | | | | 1986-87 | $13.00 | | $200.00 | | 15.4 days | December 23 | | | | | | 1985-86 | $11.00 | | | | | December 10 | | | | | | 1984-85 | | | | | | December 25 | February 10 | | | | | 1981-82 | | | | | | December 17 | | | | |
| 1970s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1977-78 | | | | | | December 17 | | | | | | 1971-72 | | | | | | December 4 | | | | | | 1970-71 | | | $80.00 | | | | | | | | | 1969-70 | $3.50 | | | | | December 20 | March 21 | | | |
| 1960s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1964-65 | $2.00 | | $30.00 | | 15.0 days | | | | | |
Visitor Memories
| "Our oldest daughter learned to ski here when se was 4, 1985. What a great family area. Just a T-bar in those days but that was plenty. We have a lot of great memories from Hermon Mountain. " | | Peter Provencher, May. 27, 2022 | | "I was the (Kitchen Lady) (Cook) still get called that after all those years later.you are in my back yard and still enjoy watching you make snow after all theses years." | | Cindy Boudreau, Feb. 6, 2017 | | "I was a member of the National Ski patrol back in the 1960's working at this ski area while stationed at Dow AFB. Great memories of this little mountain." | | Richard Davis, Nov. 20, 2016 |
|
External Links
Hermon Mountain - official site
Hermon Mountain Ski Area - SmallSkiAreas.com
|
Last updated: July 12, 2022
|
