Jackson, New Hampshire — Black Mountain wasn’t the place I was expecting to be skiing in May in New England, but it wasn’t exactly a complete surprise either.
Since Erik Mogensen of Entabeni Systems (which owns the Indy Pass) took over the ski area in October 2024, he and his team have made significant improvements, including snowmaking upgrades, new groomers, adding a new learning area, technology upgrades, and renovating the lifts.
To conclude a successful season, Black Mountain decided to make snow in April in order to stay open until May. The May 3rd closing day was marked as a 90th anniversary party for Black Mountain, with $9 lift tickets and various festivities like DJs, live musical performances, and food deals.
This is likely the first New Hampshire ski area in ten years to have lift-serviced skiing in May, with neighbor Wildcat Mountain being the last to do it way back during the 2014-15 season. Wildcat ended up closing much earlier than Black this ski season.
I made it to Jackson around 9:50 a.m. and made my way to the Summit Double Chair. While there was a decent crowd there, lift lines were under ten minutes. Crowds mellowed out through the afternoon after rain started to come through. They also had the East Bowl Triple chair open for foot traffic. One top-to-bottom run was open: Upper Maple Slalom, Chute, Lower Jackson Standard, and Lower Jackson Standard. Conditions were thin-cover, not particularly a surprise for May skiing in New England. Still, though, it was good snow under the circumstances.
While stopping for a break, one stoked skier shared his excitement with me:
“What a great advertisement for New Hampshire skiing.”
While the snowpack was minimal, being there allowed me to check out the improvements they made to the Alpine Cabin and the base lodge. The Alpine Cabin has become a lively spot thanks to the introduction of charcuterie and champagne. It’s got a feel of an apres experience in Europe, something that, surprisingly, is rarely attempted in the U.S.
The base lodge has seen some improvements since I visited in 2021, including more historical photos and maps that showcase Black’s role in New England’s ski industry. I ended up grabbing a hot dog on the deck, which was pretty good. A highlight of the lodge is all the vintage maps and posters, as Black has quite a history of unique trail maps.
Overall, it was an enjoyable visit to Black. Their ability to make it this far is pretty impressive, as this has been a warm spring for New England. It appears that the remaining operational ski resorts in New England, Jay Peak and Killington, aren’t going to be making it much longer than Black.
I ended up departing at a decent time, as it started pouring rain shortly after reaching my car. Before making a right turn out of the ski area’s parking lot, I witnessed the now-famous sign: Black is back.
Image Credits: Black Mountain, Ian Wood
