Jackson, New Hampshire — Black Mountain will be back for its ninetieth season and will have a new owner as it transitions into becoming a co-op.
Today, the Indy Pass & Entabeni Systems announced that they have acquired Black Mountain from the Fichera family. The Indy Pass will own and operate the ski area for the 2024-25 season, with Erik Mogensen, the Managing Director of the Indy Pass, becoming the General Manager of Black Mountain. They plan to transition Black Mountain into a community-operated (co-op) business by the start of the 2025-26 season. Andy Shepard, the Director of Community Engagement for the Indy Pass and former CEO & GM of Saddleback, will help Mogensen transition the ski area into a co-op.
“Thanks to the Fichera Family, Indy Pass is taking over the stewardship of Black Mountain and intends to turn it into an impactful community-run co-op. This sustainable model will keep this historic mountain viable for generations,” said Erik Mogensen. “There are dozens of small ski areas across the country struggling to stay afloat, and we believe this financial model is a viable option for many. For-profit, non-profit, and co-ops – all independent mountains matter. They are the past and the future of our sport.”
When Black Mountain becomes a co-op, anybody can buy a share and become part of its ownership. This is the ownership model used at Mad River Glen in Vermont. Those who purchase a 2024-25 Black Mountain season pass will have first dibs on buying shares in the forthcoming co-op.
First opened in 1936, Black Mountain is New Hampshire’s oldest ski area. Its narrow trails, rustic base lodge, fixed-grip lifts, and lack of crowds make it a blast from the past. Its J-Bar is the oldest overhead cable lift in the United States.
Since 1995, Black Mountain has been owned by the Fichera family. John Fichera and his family kept this independent gem open for nearly thirty years. However, as Fichera noted in an Indy Pass documentary, “In Pursuit of Soul,” operating a small independent ski area is difficult. On October 11th, 2023, Black Mountain announced that due to various factors, it wouldn’t operate during the 2023-24 season. The Indy Pass came to the rescue, providing resources to help them open for the 2023-24 season.
“This mountain has been central to our family’s life for 30 years. There is no better partner for a project like this than the Indy Pass,” said John Fichera, former owner of Black Mountain. “Erik and the team he has built is 100% in. I have always been a big believer in the importance of independent mountains, and I am proud that Black Mountain will become a community asset for generations to come.”
The Fichera family plans to support the mountain through this acquisition and its transition into the co-op model. In addition, Doug Fichera has been named Black’s Director of Mountain Operations.
Black Mountain’s projected opening date is December 20th.
Image Credits: Black Mountain
