New Hampshire Ski Area Celebrating 60th Anniversary This Season
Ian Wood
Indy Pass partner Pats Peak in Henniker, New Hampshire is celebrating a monumental milestone this upcoming ski season. The mountain first opened on January 5, 1963, meaning that this season will be its sixtieth year of skiing operations. It’s also the first place I ever skied at, so the mountain has that going for it too. Yesterday, Pats Peak announced the improvements they’re working on for this upcoming winter. Here’s what’s coming for the 2022-23 season:
Outdoor Seating Area Expansion: The major project of this summer was building a large patio space just outside of the Main Lodge. During the winter, the space will have a plentitude of igloos with heaters inside of them, along with heated pavers keeping snow and ice away. In the summer, this expanded outdoor space will be home to weddings and special events.
New Mountain Operations Facility: They have started work on a 12,000-square-foot mountain operations facility, which will replace the sixty-year-old wooden structure that they currently use. The energy-efficient and modern building will take a couple of years to complete.
New Stone Fireplace: Over at the Valley Lodge, a stone fireplace has been added to keep guests warm during those cold New Hampshire winter days and nights, and for use during special events in the offseason.
Rental Shop Upgrades: Pats Peak has the self-proclaimed largest rental shop in Northern New England, with the space being around 9600-square-feet. They have created a more “user-friendly” experience, as they have knocked down some of the walls, added seats, and put in more sizing around the boot area.
New Snow Guns: With 100% snowmaking coverage, Pats has some of the best snowmaking systems in all of New England. This offseason, they have added energy-efficient snowmaking fan guns to F.I.S. Race Trail and Puff.
