Enfield, New Hampshire — It hasn’t been the easiest past few years at Whaleback Mountain, but the hiring of a new executive director will hopefully lead it toward a more financially sustainable future.
In July, Whaleback Mountain announced that Gunnar Pope is their new Executive Director. Pope has served on Whaleback’s board for the past two years. He also has thirty years of professional experience, including work as a lift operator at Jackson Hole, a ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain, and an avalanche forecaster at Glacier National Park for fourteen years.
“I grew up in New Hampshire, skiing weekends with family, since around the age of two, said Gunnar Pope. “I instantly fell in love with the mountains and skiing. Everything about it. The smiles, speed, freedom, friendship, and inspiration. It’s about the nostalgia of an old two-seater chairlift and watching a kid’s face light up after their first turns. It’s about the thigh-burning ascents, hugging your friends at the summit, and the immortalized stories told in front of the bonfire.”
He replaces Khara Benoit, who temporarily filled the role while the search for a new executive director was underway. Khara remains part of Whaleback and will now serve as Lodge Manager. She didn’t have an easy job, especially since the chairlift didn’t operate for most of the winter.
Future Of Whaleback
The challenges are plentiful for Whaleback, which is run by the non-profit Upper Valley Snowsports Foundation. Lift issues have been plentiful, and snowmaking can be a struggle.
Here are five priorities that Gunnar brought up:
“1) Securing the financial stability of our non-profit organization. This is fundamental to ensuring the long-term success of our unique ‘small mountain‘ experience.
2) Improving the reliability of our mountain operations (lift ops, snowmaking, etc) with the goal of year-round mountainous athletics to create an ‘always open’ feel.
3) Improving our internal and external communications so everyone feels the pulse of Whaleback events and offerings. Everyone should know what’s happening and when, to improve our engagement.
4) Expanding our event programming to bolster local talent, niche-communities, music, and the arts. Let Whaleback be the ‘go-to’ hub for local communities to express themselves, be themselves, and celebrate our magnificent existence on this planet, together! Please join us by contributing to this movement.
5) Introducing new athletic programming and terrain (bike parks, slacklining, etc.) that caters to kids and adults alike and extends our athletic offerings far beyond the winter season. Imagine year-round access to our steep and glorious terrain! Please stay tuned on our social media channels for the latest details.”
The elephant in the room for Whaleback is the eventual need to replace their double chairlift. Whaleback addressed this earlier this summer via email, saying a replacement plan is a priority. Another critical repair was made this offseason: they replaced the haul rope.
The good news is that it’s ready to go, which should mean more lift-served terrain for this upcoming ski season.
Image/Video Credits: Whaleback Mountain
