The lone summit lift was closed for much of the 2024-25 season.
Friday, September 19, 2025, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
Whaleback will be without chairlift service for part or all of the upcoming 2025-26 season, the area announced in an e-mail last night.
Installed in 1970, the Heron Poma double chairlift serves Whaleback's entire 700 foot advertised vertical drop.
A noise was reportedly detected in the lift on February 27, 2025, resulting in its closure. An inspection by Pfister Mountain Services determined that the bearings in the gearbox were the issue. The chairlift has needed numerous repairs in recent years and caused the area to close early during the 2019-20 season.
A $250,000 fundraising campaign to fund repairs was launched in March 2025, with owner Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation ("UVSSF") noting the issues "have created significant financial strain, threatening our ability to continue operations." As of the last update, the campaign exceeded its goal, with 837 donors providing $291,253.
According to last night's e-mail, "experts found significantly more damage and wear than anticipated, resulting in longer timelines and higher repair costs. While there’s still a chance we may be able to bring the chair back online later this winter, we cannot make that guarantee today."
The area has also looked into installing a new SkyTrac chairlift, which it projects at $3 to $4 million.
Without the chairlift, Whaleback has less than 200 vertical feet of terrain accessible via surface lifts. The area expects a new surface lift, under construction on Lower Spout for the past two years, to be complete by the start of the season, and is reportedly cutting crossovers to other trails from the new lower mountain lift.
Located just off I-89 south of Lebanon, Whaleback has struggled through numerous bankruptcies over its 70-year history. The non-profit Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation took control of the ski area starting with the 2013-14 season. While significant investments have been made in snowmaking, surface lifts, and lodge renovations, the area has struggled with issues with its lifts, lighting, and snowmaking.
