Mt. Whittier Ski Area
An Ossipee, New Hampshire ski area with a 1,300-foot vertical, home to the first gondola in the state, closed around 1985.
- Region
- New Hampshire
- Country
- USA
- Status
- closed
- Year opened
- 1940s
- Year closed
- 1985
- Reason for closure
- Lack of snowmaking led to financial difficulty and foreclosure in 1973; poor winters and mounting debt closed it for good around 1985
History
Mt. Whittier in Ossipee, New Hampshire had a 1,300-foot vertical drop and, from 1963-64, the first gondola in the state: a 6,300-foot Mueller four-passenger line that crossed Route 16. The area never installed snowmaking, which proved fatal as neighbouring resorts did; it went into foreclosure in 1973 and, after intermittent operation through the late 1970s, closed around 1985. The gondola cables still cross Route 16 and a lift tower stands near a McDonald's, making it one of the most visible lost ski areas in New England. Trail names are not comprehensively recorded.
Lifts
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gondola | Gondola - 4 passenger | Mueller | First gondola in New Hampshire; 6,300 ft long, installed 1963-64, crossed Route 16. Cables and a tower survive |
| Pomalift | Platter | Poma | 1952-53 to 1956-57 |
| Whittier T-Bar | T-Bar | Hall | From 1958-59 |
| Hobbs T-Bar | T-Bar | From 1963-64 | |
| Bearcamp T-Bar | T-Bar | From 1962-63 | |
| Gondola Slope T-Bar | T-Bar | From 1965-66 |
Sources and further reading
More in USA
Location
43.8080, -71.1960