Rice Mountain Ski Area
Dixville, New Hampshire
Proposed in the 1960s
Rice Mountain as seen from Table Rock (2024)
Overview
Towering over the eastern side of Dixville Notch, 3,383 foot Rice Mountain was briefly considered as a location for New Hampshire's northernmost ski area.
The first known attempt at lift served skiing at the Dixville Notch region was in the winter of 1956-57, when a 1,000 foot long rope tow was installed serving an intermediate slope. It is not known where the slope was located, or for how long it operated.
In late 1961, Balsams Grand Resort owner Neil Tillotson formed Dixville Notch-Colebrook Ski Area, Inc., serving as the company's chairman.
Around this time, Earle Chandler surveyed land near Table Rock and Rice Mountain for the New Hampshire Department of Economic Development. Chandler and Sel Hannah reported that the notch had encouraging characteristics for a ski area development, with snow cover that could provide skiing from mid-December through the spring. The report was presented to Dixville Notch-Colebrook Ski Area, Inc. toward the end of the summer of 1962. Chandler was later involved in the Big Bear development, as well as Ragged Mountain.
Rice Mountain map
In the end, the location on the Colebrook side of the notch was chosen over the Rice Mountain site on the Errol side reportedly for economic reasons (likely due to its proximity to the hotel and utilites). The Wilderness ski area opened in December of 1966. Had Rice Mountain been selected, the area could have featured a vertical drop of nearly 1,900 feet, as compared to the 1,000 feet at the Wilderness ski area.
Today
Rice Mountain as seen from Table Rock (2024)
There are no known remains of the Rice Mountain ski area proposal.
Resources
Balsams Wilderness - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com
Last updated: November 5, 2024
|
|
