Whaleback - Lift Repair

justkeepmovingne

This was an email sent to Whaleback skiers. I received screenshots of the email from friends, and therefore don't have a link to a news break, so I'm transcribing this for your convenience.

Dear Whaleback Community,

We hope this message finds you well and that you've been enjoying the season on the mountain. Today, we're reaching out with an important update about our chairlift - and a critical request for your support.

Two weeks ago, we encountered an issue with our chairlift. We immediately suspended operations of the lift and investigated the problem. We have isolated a mechanical problem and it is now clear that repairs will be needed for Whaleback to offer top to bottom skiing and riding next season. The chairlift suspension and repair needs have created significant financial strain, threatening our ability to continue operations- both this season and beyond. Immediate repairs and replacement parts are essential to restoring the lift and ensuring Whaleback's future.

The Immediate Challenge We Face
Our top priority is repairing the lift while maintaining essential off-season operations - retaining our incredible staff, running summer camp programs, and hosting community music events. To do this, we must raise $250,000 immediately to cover repairs and sustain operations through the off-season.

Our Long-Term Commitment
As outlined in our multi-year strategic vision, we are committed to replacing the chairlift by 2030, honoring the promises we made in 2021 and building on the steady progress we've made since. As we close out the 2025 ski season, we are proud to have made meaningful and timely progress toward our goals in every strategic area.

How You Can Help
We are launching an urgent fundraising effort to raise $250,000, and every contribution-big or small-will help keep Whaleback thriving. Here's how you can make a difference:

Donate: Make a tax-deductible contribution by sending a check to:
UVSSF
160 Whaleback Mountain Rd
Enfield, NH 03748
Or give online by clicking here (link: https://whaleback.networkforgood.com/projects/201012-support-whaleback-mountain)

Spread the Word: Share this message with fellow snow enthusiasts, friends and family who love Whaleback.

The Whaleback community has always been one of resilience, camaraderie, and passion. We're confident that with your support, we can overcome this hurdle and emerge stronger than ever. Thank you for your support and generosity in keeping Whaleback a vibrant, thriving part of our community for years to come.

With gratitude,
Whaleback Management and Board of Directors

Long story short - Whaleback is backed (whoops) into a corner. Chairlifts aren't cheap, and neither are their parts. If you drive by it on 89 and like the view, have skied it, or want to ski it... Now is a great time to donate. Best of luck to them.

justkeepmovingne

On a separate but related note... These days I wonder whether the larger ski industry has bounced back enough from "if there's no chairlift, I'm not going" such that a place like Whaleback could do well with just a T-Bar.

Cheaper to buy, won't have to be used, long lifespan, simpler parts, lower maintenance costs... Potential marketing campaign encouraging people to ski the tallest surface-lift only mountain in New England (sorry Mt Jefferson). Not that there wouldn't be some grading required, but I'd have to imagine it would be much easier to maintain, at the least.

The only downside would be off-season uphill travel. Bikes could ascend still, but people themselves couldn't.

Does make me think... it feels like a suspension loaded secondary T with wheelbarrow style wheels could make summer ascension possible, and might be a long term solution for many smaller ski areas looking to cheapen their maintenance costs while still allowing for offseason lift powered access to their summits. Call it a (capital) "I" bar lift. Sideways "H" bar? TBD.

My career as a mechanical engineer may need to take a small twist...

NELSAP

It's not a bad idea, but I think with Whaleback, the line a T-bar would have to go is quite steep for a family mountain, and if someone were to fall along that section, it would be tough to get them off it if they are a green or even blue skier. You'd almost need two T-bars, going up looker's left halfway and then another to the top to break it up.

newpylong

A few years ago when the board was trying to figure out how to do major maintenance on the double they had Poma come and come up with some cockamamie plan to install T-Bars instead. It required 3 to get to the top. One up the Spout area, another 90 degrees off from that, and another 90 degrees to the left to summit. It could be done with two but it would bisect the entire east side of the ski area. We (previous management) told them how ridiculous this was not only from this perspective but the fact that they would be too steep for anyone but experts to ride them and it would require substantially more snow to cover the tracks on an already terrible snowmaking system. Thankfully they shelved it largely, but still put the Lower Spout tow in that has yet to run.

If they are going to be successful long term, the double will require replacing (amongst other things).

justkeepmovingne

A few years ago when the board was trying to figure out how to do major maintenance on the double they had Poma come and come up with some cockamamie plan to install T-Bars instead. It required 3 to get to the top. One up the Spout area, another 90 degrees off from that, and another 90 degrees to the left to summit. It could be done with two but it would bisect the entire east side of the ski area. We (previous management) told them how ridiculous this was not only from this perspective but the fact that they would be too steep for anyone but experts to ride them and it would require substantially more snow to cover the tracks on an already terrible snowmaking system. Thankfully they shelved it largely, but still put the Lower Spout tow in that has yet to run.

If they are going to be successful long term, the double will require replacing (amongst other things).

That sounds like an extremely reasonable basis against a T-bar for Whaleback. Some ideas are meant to die in the brainstorm room, and that one sounds like it needed to.

obienick

$250k is something major. My guess is all new grips are needed.

newpylong

That's not just for the chair that's operating capital. With 20% yearly NDT a grip issue is unlikely.

lotsoskiing

Sad to hear. I hope they can survive.

millerm277

" We have isolated a mechanical problem and it is now clear that repairs will be needed "

If you're going to ask the public to donate $250k, IMO it'd be nice to actually explain what's wrong with it.

newpylong

That board has always chosen vagueness over details.

lotsoskiing

Is a gearbox replacement $250k? Guessing what it might have been that was so precipitous

newpylong

No, they're using this as a chance to close the gap having to close early and likely summer ops plus the repairs

slatham

" We have isolated a mechanical problem and it is now clear that repairs will be needed "

If you're going to ask the public to donate $250k, IMO it'd be nice to actually explain what's wrong with it.

Agreed. As a non-whaleback skier, though with hopes of having the option, and just wanting to support smaller local area, I need a bit more detail before handing over my money. Seems like this is x for repairs and y for working capital, but who knows? Need more info.

obienick

If they want any chance of making their fundraising goal they need to outline what exactly is wrong with the lift and how the money will be used. From afar it doesn’t seem like these guys know what they’re doing.

Look over to Big Moose, ME and they’ve run fundraising goal after fundraising goal. They brought back snowmaking, they cleared the top, they got cat(s) for cat skiing, they fixed snowmaking from the bad storm damage last Christmas, and now they are well (over $1M so far) on their way to their latest goal of purchasing the land. That’s how you run a non-profit.

riverc0il

I suspect Whaleback has a smaller contributing community than Big Moose. Up there, that is the only game in town for a non-resort local area. The next closest area with a chairlift is 80 miles away.

Compared that to Whaleback, which has Dartmouth and S6 close by for smaller areas and Sunapee and Ragged not much too further. Also within 80 miles are Tenney, Pat's, K, Crotched, etc. People have a lot more options and are not as reliant on a single local area.

newpylong

The problem over the years is that board has continually decided to be vague about the asks. It is something I always argued against and lost. Yes, it makes fundraising difficult without concrete details. The community has floated the mountain for over 10 years now and many would like to give but want to know where it's going.

ski_it

Must be a motor/control drive issue.
All they need is a quarter million people to give a dollar each.
I would assume they sent this appeal to all the CMS people since they use it for practice.

I’ll send them a few bucks..I’ve lost money on worse bets

conrad

Are you able to share why the majority thinks it is better not to share the details?

DrJeff

Are you able to share why the majority thinks it is better not to share the details?

I would hedge a bet that it's because the list of things they need/want to do at Whaleback isn't a small list, and by being a bit vague, rather than very specific, that could give them some flexibility if/when they discover that something that was say #8 on their list of things to do, becomes say #2 on the list when they find out that it's more involved than they originally thought it was

ME2VTskier

If they are going to be successful long term, the double will require replacing (amongst other things).

They need to do away with the vagueness, and look and see how BigRock managed their Dopp Quad install...

But they definitely need to spell out the actual needs/$ People like to know what their money is paying for.