Industry News
One of New England’s largest ski resorts is throwing its support behind one of the smallest. Killington Mountain Resort announced it will donate all closing day lift ticket revenue from May 10 to Whaleback Mountain in Enfield, New Hampshire, to help fund critical repairs to the nonprofit ski area’s only chairlift.
In a statement posted to social media, Killington said it will match every $30 lift ticket sold, effectively doubling the donation to Whaleback’s chairlift rebuild fund. “We plan to donate all proceeds from closing day to Whaleback Mountain for its chairlift project, and the resort will match ticket sales,” the post read.
Known as the “Beast of the East,” Killington typically pushes for one of the longest ski seasons in the East. But persistent spring rain forced the resort to eye May 10 as a possible final day of operations for the 2024-25 season. The weather didn’t stop Killington from turning its closing into a cause.
Whaleback’s lift broke down in February, when staff detected an unusual sound and later discovered failing gearbox bearings. To avoid catastrophic failure, the lift was immediately shut down. A full replacement was deemed too costly—estimated at $3-4 million—so the ski area opted instead to rebuild the gearbox for a more manageable $250,000.
A fundraising campaign began in March, culminating in an on-site benefit concert on April 19. As of mid-April, the mountain had raised $180,000, and it recently announced it had successfully hit the full target. Repairs are scheduled to begin by July, with a refurbished gearbox expected to be installed ahead of the 2025-26 ski season.
Whaleback leaders say the outpouring of support—from both its local community and now Killington—has helped stabilize operations, retain staff, and plan ahead. Both the Sky Lift and a new surface lift are expected to run this winter.
“This mountain is all about community,” Whaleback posted online. “We’re proud of how everyone showed up.”
Whaleback, which operates under a nonprofit model, is one of only a few community-owned ski areas in the U.S. Leaders say they hope to raise funds for a full lift replacement later this decade.
