New Owner Seeks Proposals for Defunct Mt. Whittier Ski Area
The West Ossipee ski area last operated in 1985.
Friday, December 15, 2017, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
John Kenney is seeking proposals for the former Mt. Whittier ski area, the Conway Daily Sun reported today.
Kenney, brother of New Hampshire District 1 Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, established Whittier Communications in 1996, placing a tower atop the defunct ski area on Nickerson Mountain. On November 1, 2017, the 782 acre ski area tract was acquired from longtime owner Mario Chiaravelotti by Kenney's firm for $600,000.
Mt. Whittier Gondola Line (2015)
Kenney told the Conway Daily Sun that he used to ski at Whittier and is hoping he "can interest some real serious people who would like to do something with the mountain in a real positive way," including possibly reopening the gondola and establishing a mountain top restaurant.
Mt. Whittier Gondola in the 1960s
Located near the junction of Route 16 and Route 25 in West Ossipee, Mt. Whittier operated from the 1940s to the 1980s, becoming a major ski area when a 6,200 foot long by 1,300 foot vertical Mueller gondola was installed in 1963. Lacking snowmaking, the steep ski area closed multiple times due to bad winters.
Mt. Whittier Gondola Summit Terminal (2015)
Periodic winter activities have taken place on the property in the past two decades, including attempts at tubing and a terrain park as Mt. Madness in the early 2000s. While the gondola and multiple T-Bars remain partially standing on the property, the lift line below the ski area and Route 16 base terminal have different owners.
