Letter From the GM – Best Run of My Life

In the fall of 2024, I rode the Summit Double for the first time. The chairlift was legendary, and the terrain beneath it begged to be skied. At the top, I decided that I would, in fact, buy Black Mountain, in no small part because of the classic and steep New England trails I had just passed over. I was ready ski the heck out of that route.

Like many things on this journey, reality was different. The top lift line section is extremely rugged and requires a great deal of snow. The middle sections get hammered with direct sunlight all day. The bottom section is a cliff, and the barbed wire fence proves it. All of it lacks snowmaking. Parts and pieces have opened for a few runs at a time in the Mountain's history, but never has this iconic terrain under our iconic lift been skiable all at once.

If you have been to the Mountain this season, you have seen the remarkable amount of snow we have made, as we aim for very ambitious late-season operations. More importantly I believe, is where we have made it. Thanks to a small dedicated team and thousands of feet of manual hose, routes that have never seen snowmaking now have our full attention. That snowmaking sits atop aggressive summer trail reclamation projects. The winch cat is pushing piles and laying down corduroy in absurd places. This mountain is ready to take full advantage of any snowfall.

With the incredible amount and quality of natural snow we have received, this is going to be a weekend to remember. Friday Night Lights has a magical single-track route through the woods. Tickets, lessons, and rentals are selling out quickly. Most of our employees will park off-site, so that you can park on-site. The live music lineup just keeps getting better. Warming temperatures and sunny skies mean it is time to celebrate the sport and culture of skiing at the Alpine Cabin. The DJ is back and yesterday, we unloaded pallets of Champagne.

On top of it all, Black Mountain is enjoying some of the best conditions in the country, and in our history. 100 percent of our lift-served terrain is open, and the dream of skiing from the true summit of our property comes true this weekend. On Saturday at 11 am, we will cut the red ribbon on our extreme hike-to trails. "Back Out", "Black Out", and "Champagne Problems" open for the first time. This little mountain skis big, and it is about to ski so much bigger.

I have enjoyed changing the reality of what skiing and riding look like at Black Mountain, and the hundreds of rides on the double lift have only cemented my first impressions and motivations to do so. After breaking the winch cable, and with just hours to spare, all the operational details came together Sunday night, and the mega storm started dumping less than an hour later. On Monday morning, Jackson, New Hampshire, felt more like Jackson, Wyoming.

I finally skied the heck out of that route from top to bottom. For many reasons, it was the best run of my life. So far.

Thanks for being here.

Thanks for being here.

Erik Mogensen

President and General Manager

Black Mountain Community Corporation