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Located just off Interstate 89 southeast of Lebanon, Whaleback's skiing history dates back to a small operation called Snow Crest.
Snow Crest Ski Area
The base area during the Snow Crest days |
Snow Crest ski area was developed by Lebanon Outing Club ski jumping champion Ernest Dion as a small, local operation. The ski area debuted for the 1956-57 season with a 1,500 foot long by 350 foot vertical T-Bar. Terminating at the top of the present day Spout and Blow Hole trails, the T-Bar served intermediate and expert terrain. In addition, a 600 foot rope tow for novices was located on the lower Spout slope. A third row may have been in operation as well.
The Spout rope tow was replaced with a 1,000 foot T-Bar in 1960 or 1961. Also around this time, Enfield selectmen chose 'Purmont' as the name of the fictional town for use of a future Interstate 89 exit adjacent to Snow Crest.
First Closure
Dion likely sold the ski area to Richard Catlin in December of 1967. While Interstate 89 opened in 1968, Snow Crest ski area closed. In December of 1968, Catlin sold the ski area to Jim Griffiths' Whaleback Mt., Inc.
Snow Crest Reopened, Renamed
The Poma lift during the 1980s |
Snow Crest reopened for the 1970-71 season with a new 2,520 foot long Heron Poma double chairlift. Replacing the original T-Bar lift, the new chair served new upper mountain trails. The ski area was formally renamed Whaleback for the 1971-72 season.
A lower mountain Poma lift was likely installed for the 1979-80 season, serving Blubber and Lower Ivory Run.
As was the for many ski areas with little to no snowmaking, Whaleback struggled during poor winters in the early 1980s. The 1982-83 season did not get underway until the second half of January.
Following the 1984 season, Tom Kent, Dave Clark, and Jeff Reed purchased Whaleback. Investments were made in snowmaking for 1984-85 and in top to bottom night skiing for 1985-86. In addition, a brief experiment with providing laundromat for busy skiers was started in 1985.
Second Closure
While the owners were able to expand Whaleback's operations and skier visits, they found themselves in financial trouble. As a result, the area closed following the 1989-90 season.
In April of 1993, Jim Griffiths' daughter Sarah and her husband Tim Herbert purchased Whaleback from Green Mountain Bank and reopened it for the 1993-94 season. Snow tubing was added for the 1997-98 season.
Third Closure
An idle Whaleback during its third closure (2002) |
With operational costs outweighing operational income, the Herberts closed Whaleback following the 2000-2001 season. Four years later, a group led by Olympian Evan Dybvig purchased Whaleback.
With a new focus on freestyle sports, the ski area reopened for the 2005-2006 season. Year round activities were subsequently developed, including paintball, summer jibbing, and bike camps.
Back to the Auction Block
In March of 2013, owner Evan Dybvig announced that the ownership was over $1 million in debt and would be forced to liquidate the ski area. An auction occurred on August 1, 2013, at which mortgage holder Randolph National Bank placed the only bid, purchasing the area for $848,000.
Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation Takes Over
Night skiing at Whaleback (2014) |
Meanwhile, John Schiffman created Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation as a New Hampshire Non-Profit Corporation on June 3, 2013. The organization signed a lease and purchase agreement with the bank in mid-September 2013 and took control of Whaleback in November 2013. An initial $100,000 fundraising campaign was executed in two weeks time, generating enough money to get the ski area up and running for the 2013-2014 season. Last minute base area work, such as a new kitchen, septic system, and well, was conducted to get the facility back up to code. Using some equipment purchased from Balsams Wilderness, Whaleback was able to fire up its snowmaking system and reopen in Decemeber 2013.
After a successful 2013-14 season, Whaleback struggled to get out of the gate during mild weather at the start of the 2014-15 season. Though it was unable to open until mid January, Whaleback was able to attain its latest closing day in recent memory, wrapping up operations the last weekend of March.
Following a bad 2015-16 season in which Whaleback was only open for 50 days, the UVSSF completed a fundraiser to reconfigure the mountain's novice area. One year later, a refurbished T-Bar was installed between the two beginner lifts, roughly following the lift line of the former Pomalift.
NewEnglandSkiConditions.com Reports
| Month |
Average Percent of Terrain Open |
| December | 29% (5 reports) |  | | January | 26% (4 reports) | | | February | 53% (5 reports) | | | March | 92% (5 reports) | |
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| Recent Conditions Reports |
 | Jan. 4, 2019 by rocket21
Loose Granular, Variable Conditions |
 | Dec. 30, 2018 by newenglandskier13
Frozen Granular, Variable Conditions |
 | Dec. 14, 2018 by rocket21
Loose Granular, Packed Powder |
 | Mar. 25, 2018 by newenglandskier13
Spring Snow, Packed Powder |
| Mar. 23, 2018 by rocket21
Wet Packed Powder, Spring Snow |
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| Whaleback Mountain on NewEnglandSkiConditions.com |
NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News
| Recent Articles |
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| Multi-Year Lift Installations: The New Norm? - Aug. 4, 2018 | | Management Changes Announced at Whaleback - Jan. 23, 2018 | | Lift Construction Season Enters Final Phase - Oct. 29, 2017 | | Whaleback Postpones T-Bar Installation - Dec. 7, 2016 | | Lift Installation Projects Continue as December Approaches - Nov. 27, 2016 | | Lift Installation Projects Continue as Ski Season Approaches - Nov. 13, 2016 | | Ski Lift Installations Gearing Up in New England - Aug. 30, 2016 | | Whaleback Moving Forward with Surface Lift Project - Jul. 7, 2016 | | Whaleback Names Gerd Riess New Mountain Manager - Jun. 1, 2015 | | Smaller New Hampshire Areas Plagued by Equipment Problems - Mar. 23, 2015 | | Whaleback Mountain NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News Page |
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
| 2010s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2018-19 | $45.00 | | $350.00 | | 7.8 days | December 14 | | | | | | 2017-18 | $45.00 | | $399.00 | | 8.9 days | December 16 | April 1 | | | | | 2016-17 | $45.00 | | $420.00 | | 9.3 days | December 17 | March 18 | 13,000 | | | | 2015-16 | $43.00 | | $399.00 | | 9.3 days | December 31 | February 28 | | | | | 2014-15 | $45.00 | | $399.00 | | 8.9 days | January 13 | March 29 | | | | | 2013-14 | $40.00 | | $399.00 | | 10.0 days | December 30 | March 16 | | | | | 2012-13 | $40.00 | | $399.00 | | 10.0 days | December 28 | March 17 | | | | | 2011-12 | $40.00 | | $370.00 | | 9.3 days | December 26 | March 18 | 10,000 | | | | 2010-11 | | | $370.00 | | | December 18 | March 20 | 12,000 | | |
| 2000s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2008-09 | | | $350.00 | | | | | | | | | 2007-08 | $39.00 | | $350.00 | | 9.0 days | | | | | | | 2006-07 | $39.00 | | $399.00 | | 10.2 days | | | | | | | 2005-06 | $35.00 | | $300.00 | | 8.6 days | | | 15,000 | | | | 2000-01 | $29.00 | | $379.00 | | 13.1 days | | | | | | | 1999-00 | $29.00 | | $379.00 | | 13.1 days | | | | | |
| 1990s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1998-99 | $27.00 | | $339.00 | | 12.6 days | December 21 | | | | | | 1997-98 | $25.00 | | $339.00 | | 13.6 days | | | | | | | 1996-97 | $22.00 | | $319.00 | | 14.5 days | | | | | | | 1989-90 | $22.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1980s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1988-89 | $20.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1987-88 | $18.00 | | | | | | | 32,000 | | | | 1985-86 | $15.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1979-80 | $8.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1970s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1976-77 | | | $115.00 | | | | | | | | | 1971-72 | $6.50 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1960s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1964-65 | $3.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1963-64 | $3.50 | | | | | | | | | | | 1962-63 | $3.50 | | $45.00 | | 12.9 days | | | | | | | 1961-62 | | | | | | | April 1 | | | |
Visitor Memories
External Links
Whaleback - official site
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Last updated: June 19, 2018
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