Tenney Mountain Ski Resort

Tenney Mountain Ski Resort is a ski area in Plymouth, New Hampshire, located on Tenney Mountain. It closed in 2010 after operating for 45 years, but reopened for ski operations in March 2018. It closed as part of the pandemic lockdown in March 2020 and did not operate in the 2020-2021 or 2021-22 seasons, while allowing backcountry access. It reopened in February 2023.

History

The first trails at the mountain were cut in 1959, and until 1964 operated only T-bar lifts. In 1964, the area constructed a new Stadeli double chair, which made Tenney Mountain the largest ski area in the region. This lift was dubbed the "Hornet Double," and began operation on January 10, 1965, along with five new trails that it serviced. In 1970, a second double chair was constructed, built by Heron-Poma. This lift was replaced in 1987 by a Borvig triple chair, called the "Eclipse." This was planned to be followed by a second triple, extending from mid-mountain to a higher summit than the Hornet Double served. Due to a weak real estate market during this time, however, the lift was never constructed, although trails were cut. Tenney was purchased shortly after by Bill Krikorian, who renamed the area "Lookout". It was later closed for part of the 1990s, and subsequently reopened under the name of Tenney Mountain.

In 2002, the ski area was purchased once again; the new owners announced a $1 million investment in a new snowmaking system, called SnowMagic. The system was designed to enable snowmaking operations to continue year-round, but revenue didn't cover the cost and in 2004 year-round snowmaking operations were shut down.

The area did not open for the 2010/2011 ski season due to financial issues including $200,000 in unpaid taxes. On December 15, 2010, Tenney was sold to Iroquois Capital, an investment firm from New York City. The purchasing price was $500,000, and Iroquois also bought of land near the ski area.

Tenney Mountain Development Group

On October 17, 2014, a company named Tenney Mountain Development Group (TMDG), headed by Michael L. Bouchard, was registered in Windham, New Hampshire. Two months later, TMDG purchased the area for 1.25 million dollars. In February 2015 it was reported that the construction company working with TMDG had "presented plans" to the town of Plymouth, and that both of the chairlifts had been run recently. In March, TMDG launched a Facebook page, with hints on what was planned for the resort. Later posts on their Facebook page showed that the reopening of Tenney Mountain was moving forward, including chairlift inspections and snow surveys.

Attempted 2015-2016 season reopening

In early 2015, TMDG started clearing five years of brush growth on the mountain's trails. The lodge was renovated, including a new roof, kitchen and bathrooms. Daily posts outlined the progress at the resort, such as the retrofitting of chairlifts and snowmaking system repairs. Three grooming machines were purchased from Piston Bully, as well as HKD snowmaking equipment. Amenities for the first season were expected to be limited, with no rentals or season passes and minimal trail lighting. They originally planned to open on December 15, 2015, but were unable due to poor winter conditions.

When the resort shut down in 2009, the owners simply walked away. They left the snowmaking system full of water, causing the pipes to shatter and split during the following winters. Food was left to rot in the kitchen, and roads on the mountain were not maintained, allowing for erosion to wash away access roads. Also, most of the copper piping in the pump house was ripped out and stolen at some point during the five-year closure period. On the evening of January 5, 2016, Tenney Mountain started making snow for the first time in six years, using four SMI fan guns borrowed from a ski area in New York. Installation of the HKD snowmaking equipment purchased in the summer of 2015 was postponed until after the 2015-16 season.

2016-2023

During the numerous warm spells during the late winter, and into the early summer, Tenney Mountain worked on repairing and upgrading the Hornet double chairlift, hoping to have it inspected in June. On June 13, 2016, the Hornet was inspected and tested by the state and passed. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the resort worked to locate and repair bursts and breaks in the snowmaking loops caused by freezing water.

The mountain never opened for lift-served operations. They did encourage people to hike up the mountain to ski down if they wanted to do so. The mountain continued to work on clearing and maintenance through the summer and fall of 2017.

After telling the Plymouth Planning Board that it planned a series of developments around a refurbished mountain, the mountain opened for snow-tubing on February 17, 2018. Tenney Mountain officially re-opened for lift-served skiing and riding on March 8, 2018.

In 2022 the mountain was purchased by Massachusetts businessman Steven Kelly. Lift-operated skiing resumed in February 2023.

Mountain statistics

Tenney Mountain had 45 trails, spread over . The terrain is served by three lifts: a triple chair, a double chair and a Pomalift.

The ski area has a top elevation of and a base elevation of , for a vertical drop of .

References

External links

Tenney Mountain - NewEnglandSkiHistory.comOfficial Tenney Mountain Facebook Page

{{NHski

Defunct ski areas and resorts in New Hampshire
Buildings and structures in Grafton County, New Hampshire
Ski areas and resorts in New Hampshire
Plymouth, New Hampshire