New Hampshire’s Black Mountain is transitioning to a Co-op model that will truly make the ski area for the people.
General Manager Erik Mogensen is doing something unprecedented to say thank you to its loyal skiers and riders. He’s paying their parking tickets:
“I understand that some guests ended up with parking tickets from the town of Jackson during the busy MLK weekend,” Mogensen wrote in a Facebook post. “If you received one, please send me a photo of it, and I will personally reimburse you—no one should be penalized for skiing or riding at Black Mountain, but please follow directions from our parking staff. We are meeting with the town next week to discuss how we can continue to work together on parking and manage the success of Black Mountain.”
The influx of tickets came thanks to a crossroads of factors: New Hampshire was hit with a bunch of snow and cold weather, and the holiday weekend brought more patrons than normal.
Black Mountain’s co-op model will put ownership in the hands of skiers and riders. The Fichera family had owned the historic ski hill since 1995, but in 2024, announced that the resort would close due to staff shortages and soaring costs.
The people over at the Indy Pass, of which Black Mountain is a member of, swept in to keep the mountain open another year, while a the family found a new buyer. Locals filed into a community meeting at the Black Mountain base lodge in October, to hear Erik Mogensen announce the news that the community would take it over for the 2025-2026 season.
“This place needs to be owned by the people that are in this room,” he said. “Period.”
The mountain has a vertical drop of 1,100 feet, and has 45 trails and five lifts. It is a staple in the New England uphill community, and is located right next door to the White Mountain Ski Company. Until 2024, it was the home of Last Skier Standing, which moved to central Maine to avoid varying conditions.
More information will be released concerning the co-op in February, Mogensen said in the Facebook post. Passholders for the current season will have priority in purchasing shares over the general public, and sales for those season passes end on February 17.
“Your enthusiasm and support have been vital to this process, Black Mountain and everything that it stands for has a bright future,” he said. “Thanks for being here.”
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