Black Mountain Beats the Clock (and Bretton Woods) in Season-Opening

Black Mountain broke NH resort records by opening for the season on November 17. Here’s what you need to know.

On November 17, Black Mountain became the first New Hampshire ski resort to open for the season. Season passholders, as well as Indy Pass holders, were welcomed at 7:30 a.m., beating Bretton Woods’s mid-November opening by about an hour. It was Black Mountain’s earliest opening day in 91 years.

Speaking about the record-breaking opening, president/GM/owner of Black Mountain, Erik Mogensen, said, “We’re the little mountain that could — It was really exciting. This place used to struggle to open by Christmas, but we did it!” He added, “I don’t think anybody, including staff, thought this was possible, to be open this early — but we made snow at every opportunity we could. We dialed in our snowmaking system. It’s all part of our plan that being open matters.”

Celine McArthur, who works as a Slopeside Storyteller at Bretton Woods, said of the unexpected competition to see who could open first, “I didn’t realize how big a deal it is to want to be the first open — I think there’s camaraderie and healthy competition between resorts. And I think it’s fun.” Both Black Mountain and Bretton Woods have been working throughout the week to increase snowmaking ahead of a projected weekend rush to hit the slopes.

The decision to open early was fueled by a desire to increase the resort’s financial stability

Black Mountain has been setting trends over the last year. It remained open until May 3, making it the Granite State’s last ski resort to close for the spring. The idea to open first in November came during its extended warm-weather run. Erik Mogensen and the Black Mountain team were also motivated by a desire to create financial stability for the historic property after it nearly closed back in 2023.

“We’ve been on a relentless, nonstop mission to set up Black Mountain for a magical and sustainable future,” Mogensen said. He added, “Being open matters, and we’re thrilled to welcome our skiers and riders back to see what we’ve been up to.” In addition to increasing its snowmaking efforts and getting up-and-running early this year, the crew at Black Mountain has expanded existing trails and added new terrains to help increase the mountain’s vertical drop. It’s the first time in roughly six decades that this type of work has been done.

Other resorts are projected to open soon 

Though they’re already behind Black Mountain and Bretton Woods, several other resorts are projected to open within the next week or so. Loon is opening on Friday, November 21, and Cranmore is expected to open on November 28. Cannon, Waterville Valley, and Tenney will likely open the day after Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter. According to The Conway Daily Sun, King Pine won’t open until December 12, though.

For more information on opening dates, click here.