Enfield, New Hampshire — After a tough end to the 2024-25 season, Whaleback Mountain needed some help from the skiing and riding community.
On February 28, 2025, Whaleback discovered an issue with its gearbox. After an assessment from Pfister Mountain Services, they discovered that the gearbox had suffered a failure and was in need of replacement. This is a complex process that requires various steps. With Whaleback being run by a non-profit, the ski area needed to raise $250,000 to renovate its sole chairlift.
After this fundraising campaign started in March, people throughout the skiing community stepped up to help Whaleback out. Being an Indy Pass partner, along with its gained notoriety from the Teton Gravity Research documentary last fall, helped introduce the ski area to skiers and riders across the continent. The fundraiser continued to build momentum into the spring, as the Whale held a concert that also raised more funds. Ultimately, a popular and newly independent Vermont ski resort helped them surpass the threshold.
As part of Killington’s closing day, proceeds from lift ticket sales that day went towards Whaleback’s ailing chairlift. Last week, Killington Resort announced that they are donating $10,000 to Whaleback. The $10,000 partially comes from lift ticket sales on May 10th, and the rest comes from a separate gift.
Thanks to this generous donation, Whaleback confirmed yesterday that they have surpassed their fundraising goal. The Sky Lift repair project is scheduled to begin by July.
In addition, the New Hampshire ski area gave an update on their new surface lift project. Over the past few years, Whaleback has been working on installing a surface lift that will service two trails: Lower Spout and Scrimshaw. These two trails are home to their race course and terrain park, respectively. The surface lift was installed last offseason, but getting it operational was more challenging than expected, leading to it not opening during the 2024-25 season.
Now, Whaleback can not only focus on repairing the Sky Lift, but also begin thinking about its successor. Whaleback aims to begin fundraising for a new chairlift, which is currently estimated to cost around $3-4 million, by 2030.
Image Credits: Nick Skarin, Whaleback Mountain
