Many of Unofficial’s ‘Ski Hill Shoutouts’ are dedicated to ski areas that skiers or snowboarders have passed while en route to Stowe, Mad River, or Gore. However, few are as nondescript as New Hampshire’s Mt. Eustis.
Located on the outskirts of Littleton in the White Mountains, Mt. Eustis has a storied and almost forgotten history. Founded by the Littleton Outing Club in 1939, this small hill with a big heart is where many Littelton locals took their first turns.
One of those locals was Joe Lahout.
Lahout, who owns the oldest ski shop in the United States, claims that if it weren’t for the small ski area, he would never had been able to afford to ski.
However, in the late 70’s the ski area was forced to shut down after the local economy went in the tank. It wasn’t until February of this past year that Mt. Eustis started offering skiers and riders a lift up the hill for the first time in over 35 years.
But thanks to local volunteers, community businessmen, and a board of seven committed individuals, the ski area has since been revived.
Bretton Woods even sold Mt. Eustis a groomer for the generous price of $1 dollar!
Mt. Eustis’ main single slope is a steady 30° pitch and according to locals, two newly cut off-piste runs exist right off the beaten path. In addition to retaining a consistent pitch, it’s location in the White Mountains can create wind-buffed perfection in addition to powder days a full week after the latest storm.
In preparation for its second consecutive season, locals are stoked on new improvements that will be implemented over the next couple years. Those improvements include a new warming hut, a top shack that will house the rope tow engine, a longer rope tow, and lighting all the way to the top of the main run.
In addition to those improvements, Mt. Eustis will be honoring Ronnie Berlack of Franconia, NH by naming a run in his memory. Berlack and fellow US Ski Team member Bryce Astle passed away in an avalanche in Austria during January of this past season.
As a non-profit ski hill, Mt. Eustis relies solely on donations from the public and businesses in the area.
Click here to support the cause: Donate To Mt. Eustis
The Lahout Family And Mt. Eustis
Unlike its ritzy New England counterparts, Mt. Eustis is as blue-collar as skiing gets. If it wasn’t for affordable hills like this one, people such as Joe Lahout might never have become skiers in the first place. So in order to keep Mt. Eustis going with its promise of affordable skiing, the Lahout family is fostering the Christmas spirit by chipping in a portion of its sales to the revitalization of this New Hampshire gem.
“Growing up in a broken home in the 1930s wasn’t easy, especially when you had a store to run. I was conscious of it as a kid. Mt. Eustis gave me the ability to ski as a teenager. The sport gave me freedom that I never had before. I made it my mission to make skiing affordable to the children of the north country, hoping it would generate the same passion it provided me.”- Joe Lahout
Who wouldn’t want one of these shirts for Christmas?
Buy any of the items found here and donate to Mt. Eustis: Lahout’s Mt. Eustis Collection
Mountain Stats
Location: Littleton, NH
Chairlifts: 0
Surface lifts: 1 rope tow
Vertical Drop: 240 ft
Trails: 3 (1 piste, 2 off-piste)
Skiable Terrain: 33 Acres
Snowmaking: NA
Night Skiing- Yes
Adult Full Day Lift Ticket: $5 (Suggested Donation)!
About Mt. Eustis
Mt. Eustis Ski Hill is located in the White Mountains of northern-New Hampshire and there is now a group of volunteers dedicated to seeing it operate each winter. It opened in 1939 in Littleton, NH, and shut down in the 1970’s when the local economy hit hard times. In 2014, Mt Eustis had its first successful season in over 40 years.