Henniker, New Hampshire – One of the best-run ski areas in New England is making a series of improvements before the 2024-25 season.
Last week, Pats Peak announced its 2024 offseason projects. The new additions include opening a state-of-the-art mountain operations facility, new snowmaking equipment, the installation of RFID ticketing, and a new rental equipment lineup.
Here are some more details about Pats Peak’s offseason projects:
New Mountain Operations Facility: Pats Peak is a few weeks away from opening its new 19,000-square-foot mountain operations facility. This new building will grow its maintenance capabilities by 400% and include six bays for its vehicles.
Snowmaking: With 100% snowmaking coverage, Pats Peak already has an impressive network, but they’re improving it even further for next season. They’ve purchased 4 new HKD Semi-Automatic Fan Guns, which will help them lay out snow during the early season. In addition, they’ve acquired 12 new HKD Impulse Snow Guns for the Downdraft trail. Known as one of Pats Peak’s racing trails, these give them an efficiency boost of at least two degrees, providing for improved production during marginal snowmaking temperatures.
RFID Ticket Scanner: For the 2024-25 season, Pats Peak will move away from the ticket wicket and use RFID cards for lift tickets and passes.
Upgraded Rental Experience: Pats Peak has acquired 400 pairs of new skis and 600 pairs of boots for the Starting Gate Rental Shop, providing a more optimal experience for beginners.
Traffic Flow Improvements: Traffic can build up at points due to people coming in and out at various times of the day and evening. While not specified, these improvements will decrease wait times.
Improved Wedding Venue: Weddings are Pats Peak’s core moneymaker during the offseason. This offseason, they’ve redesigned the space with a new slate bridge and a flower garden. The venue’s seating gives a direct view of the slopes.
Pats Peak has been making some big money moves in recent years. Other recent improvements have included a new race training area, a renovation of the Alpine Training Center, an expansion of their outdoor seating during ski season, new lights for night skiing, a new stone fireplace in the Valley Lodge, and snowmaking improvements.
It seems more improvements are on the horizon. Back in May, the Henniker Planning Board approved various projects proposed by Pat’s Peak. These included replacing the Hurricane chairlift and adding a summit snowmaking reservoir. According to New England Ski Industry, Pats Peak has a used fixed-grip quad from Lake Compounce in storage that will likely be used to replace Hurricane. A timeline for these projects has yet to be announced.
Image Credits: Pats Peak Ski Area
