Inside Tenney Mountain’s return, and its plans to keep growing

Tenney Mountain was back in business this year, with plans for more improvements next season.

With classic New England ski trails, a new owner and a big dollar investment in infrastructure, Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, N.H., has rebounded nicely.

Started by Sam Hall, a 10th Mountain Division veteran, the area was opened for lift-served skiing in the early 1960s with a rope tow and T-bar. The Hornet double chair, rising to the summit, was installed in the mid-’60s, followed by a second double chair five years later.

Today the area operates with the Hornet, the Eclipse Triple that replaced the second double, and a Poma lift serving the beginner trails and tubing hill. While the area enjoyed some success in the late 1960s and ’70s, Hall was reluctant to install snowmaking and eventually sold the area in the early 1980s. Under new ownership, snowmaking eventually was installed.

After going through a series of ups and downs, with the area changing hands several times, being marginally operational some years and completely closed in other years, it was purchased two years ago by North Country Development Group, whose principal, Steven Kelly, has been very active in the upgrading and operations of the resort. The area had a soft opening late last winter and this season opened on Dec. 23.

Last fall, extreme skier Dan Egan was named general manager. His enthusiasm, creativity and proactive approach have helped create a buzz and aura of excitement around the area with events, dining and entertainment options as well as good skiing in a less-than-stellar snow year.

Tenney boasts an interesting layout with traditional trails that wind and twist down the mountain. The 1,500-foot vertical skis long, giving you the feeling of a much larger mountain. In preparation for this season, Kelly poured about $4 million into improvements. Many were for infrastructure, and won’t be visible to skiers but were necessary for a good product.

Examples of this are the refurbishing of the lifts, auxiliary and primary engines, all electronics for lifts and snowmaking, upgrades to pumps, boilers and the base lodge. New snowcats, fan guns and pole guns were purchased to enhance snowmaking on the Eclipse side of the mountain and allow for extensive grooming not just there, but also on the top half of the Hornet lift trails, which did not have snowmaking this season.

For the immediate future, more infrastructure improvements are planned, including a snowmaking pond and replacement of long unused and deteriorated snowmaking pipe on the upper mountain. Long-range plans for Tenney include snowmaking on 80 percent of the existing trails, a mountainside boutique hotel and workforce housing. Phase 1 will include new beginner terrain with magic carpets. The current Poma lift will be moved into the terrain park. Phase 2 plans (about three years out) call for the Hornet lift to be replaced by a detachable quad or a gondola, either of which will significantly reduce the ride time to the summit.

Tenney is truly a New England-style resort, immediately noticeable when skiing there. The traditional trails vary from wide to narrow and they have not been modified to make snowmaking easier. They remain interesting as they follow the contour of the mountain and the fall line. They were built to hold snow, and as a result, there has been some good skiing off the summit, which has relied solely on natural snow and the skill of the grooming crew.

As they dip, roll, twist and turn, skiers find great variation from run to run. Tote Road, for example, is wide, pleasant and fun to ski. Edelweiss is narrower as it weaves back and forth down the mountain in big, easy S curves. Morning Glory and Shooting Star, descending on either side of the Hornet lift, offer long, solid rolling pitches for good intermediates and expert skiers.

From the summit to skier’s left, the blue trail Dandelion leads to several black diamond glades, while numerous blue trails will take you to the base of the Eclipse Triple, which rises to a little more than halfway up the mountain. This season snowmaking was operational on the Eclipse side of the mountain and only the lower part of the Hornet side, because of the damaged pipe on the upper mountain. However, due to the hard work of the snowmakers and the grooming crew, skiing from the summit of the Hornet was remarkably good on all natural snow. This summer, plans call for replacement of the snowmaking pipe to the summit of the Hornet chair.

The operational model this year was a bit non-traditional. This past season, Tenney had no rental shop. Instead it had a relationship with Plymouth Ski & Sport nearby in downtown Plymouth, where those seeking rentals could pick up gear. Similarly, there was no traditional ski school this season. No beginner lessons were offered, but the mountain had instructors available by advance reservation for intermediates and above. For a flat rate of $175, they offered a 2½-hour lesson for up to four people.

This will change next season with a rental shop and a traditional ski school planned, however.

The area has established a relationship with Terracea, a New Hampshire-based outdoor clothing and gear company, to supply all Tenney’s employee uniforms as well as merchandise available in the retail shop. And in line with a philosophy of creating a fun, family-centered environment, Tenney has kept lift ticket prices affordable at just $65 on weekends and $45 during the week.

In addition to skiing and riding, Tenney had plenty of entertainment and events throughout the season — with more planned for the offseason. The Backcountry Bar & Grill in the refurbished lodge, with views and an outdoor deck, offers live entertainment Thursday through Saturday as well as lunch daily, dinner Wednesday through Saturday. The comfortable bar has extensive beer, wine and spirits selections.

Events this season included a snowmobile big-air show, the Vertical Challenge, recreational ski and snowboard races, a full moon festival, a vintage weekend, demo days and rail jams.

Whether it’s skiing and riding, tubing, dining or spectating, at Tenney it’s all about having fun. This summer there are plans for disc golf and mountain biking, and the Backcountry Bar & Grill remains open. The whole vibe here is laid back, family fun.

Said Egan, “We are a resort for the recreational skier and snowboarder. You don’t have to buy a condo or have kids in a seasonal program. We offer affordable family skiing, no lift lines, a comfortable lodge, tubing, live music – providing a fun, authentic New England winter day. We intend to always be an affordable option for winter fun.”

Podcast: Steve Kelly and Dan Egan from Tenney Mountain