Black Mountain, NH OPEN AGAIN more alive than ever

[thetrailboss]

Black Mountain Files Federal Suit After Town Board Revokes Liquor Appr

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Nov. 17, 2025—Black Mountain has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Town of Jackson selectboard of unlawfully attempting to r

www.saminfo.com

 

[thetrailboss]

I ask this as someone who also used to run a struggling ski area, what good did all of this "intertwining" do for Black? No one in the community stepped up to throw John any lifelines over the final years of struggle.

Black was on deck for Nelsap and they're doing what they feel is best to get decent enough infrastructure in place so that any semblance of a community model is not handicapped out of the gates. I don't love everything he's doing by any means, but sometimes this means ripping it back to the studs.

Don't kid yourself by believing this spat has anything to do with reduction of local privileges. That police chief and Selectboard do not like someone else with half a brain and resources threatening their little fiefdom. It's as simple as that.

Running a ski area in the end is still a business, not a charity.

This. One can go back one year exactly and see that I told Mainer that while I understood his beef with no more free or really cheap skiing through the Chamber program, the reality is that it was either having no ski area at all or having to pay more to keep it afloat. But he is still upset that he cannot get his discount ski program that was money loser for the resort.

 

[AdironRider]

Did Erik hit on your wife or something?

You sure like to shit on him every chance you can get.

I'm not saying I disagree with your point as you're right, that's the way small towns work. But you sure seem to have it out for the guy.

No, I'm just honestly flabbergasted at how absolutely obtuse he is about this issue. Like how can you be successful in all your other ventures then continue to step on rakes when it comes to your interaction with the Town you operate in? Like this isn't a hard problem to overcome (well now it is but it would have been super easy to never have this problem in the first place).

 

[Smellytele]

An out house suffices. Gunstock serves beers at the summit. All they have are some out houses.

I often thought a cool idea for a ski area would be to build a portable bar on a sled that can be towed behind a groomer. Kinda like a keg truck you see at festivals. Then also have a porta potty sled. Again, kinda like you see on wheels at festivals in the summer. You could move them around the mountain for various events. I specifically thought of this idea when Wildcat was my home mountain. In the spring you could drag the bars to the top of the mountain on a hot day or maybe my middle of the winter at to the bottom of Tomcat Schuss or Starr Line for people to hang out and watch people rip.

Killington early season has their hot dog shack at the bottom of north serving beer. Not sure but think it is on wheels not a sled. Also porta potties set up.
I know one or 2 other ski areas I won’t name that have places serving beer on the hill that don’t have rest rooms. Atleast 1 is in NH.

 

[Mainer]

I saw this going bad last year. Attitash and wildcat did the same thing the first year vail bought them. The town absolutely turned on them. They changed their tune the next year, realizing that hooking up the locals that make this tourist trap run was good for business. When boyne bought pleasant they kept the locals happy. Black said I don’t need locals I have Indy, let’s throw a drunken party every weekend. That hasn’t sat well with the town of jackson. For a company that always blabs on about community they certainly don’t practice what they preach. Black needs to make peace with the town

 

[thetrailboss]

No, I'm just honestly flabbergasted at how absolutely obtuse he is about this issue. Like how can you be successful in all your other ventures then continue to step on rakes when it comes to your interaction with the Town you operate in? Like this isn't a hard problem to overcome (well now it is but it would have been super easy to never have this problem in the first place).

Black said I don’t need locals I have Indy, let’s throw a drunken party every weekend. That hasn’t sat well with the town of jackson. For a company that always blabs on about community they certainly don’t practice what they preach. Black needs to make peace with the town

I do have to wonder if part of the blame lies with Erik being overconfident in his management style and a bit naive about small town politcs and running a small business in said small town. I honestly don't know his background that well, but if he is from the city and has always been involved in bigger businesses that have insulated him from dealing with the average joe then I can see him rubbing folks the wrong way.

On the other hand, the previous owner had burned a lot of bridges with the locals and Erik inherited that mess and may not be getting a fair shake from those in power in local town management.

 

[LoafSkier19]

I saw this going bad last year. Attitash and wildcat did the same thing the first year vail bought them. The town absolutely turned on them. They changed their tune the next year, realizing that hooking up the locals that make this tourist trap run was good for business. When boyne bought pleasant they kept the locals happy. Black said I don’t need locals I have Indy, let’s throw a drunken party every weekend. That hasn’t sat well with the town of jackson. For a company that always blabs on about community they certainly don’t practice what they preach. Black needs to make peace with the town

By going bad you mean record attendance and revenue for the mountain this past season? Every place we patroned in town last season when we visited had nothing but high praise for the mountain’s revival.

Also, people were pissed at Vail for lack of effort in their operations, not just some reciprocal for locals to take advantage of. The last thing you can say about Erik is his lack of effort

 

[shpride]

We’ll see how this plays out but oftentimes towns have less power than you think. They can push around the little guys but once they run into someone with resources their power drops significantly. If they had any real power there would be no Airbnb’s in Conway.

Erik strikes me as someone who’s willing to spend a lot of money to prove a point. Is Jackson willing to spend and risk losing an equal amount of taxpayer money?

 

[thetrailboss]

By going bad you mean record attendance and revenue for the mountain this past season? Every place we patroned in town last season when we visited had nothing but high praise for the mountain’s revival.

Exactly. The reported skier days prior to last season were simply pathetic and completely unsustainable.

Also, people were pissed at Vail for lack of effort in their operations, not just some reciprocal for locals to take advantage of. The last thing you can say about Erik is his lack of effort

I scratched my head on that comment as well about Attitash-Wildcat. Locals were only pissed the first year? Now everything is honky-dory? From what I have been seeing and hearing that ain't the case.

Of course if the context was that locals like Mainer were angry that they did not get their heavily discounted tickets that first season and now get them, then I completely understand his point. But I don't think that many are thrilled with how Wildcat is limping along.

 

[doublediamond]

Killington early season has their hot dog shack at the bottom of north serving beer. Not sure but think it is on wheels not a sled. Also porta potties set up.
I know one or 2 other ski areas I won’t name that have places serving beer on the hill that don’t have rest rooms. Atleast 1 is in NH.

And it’s common for golf courses — including ones in NH — to have roving beverage carts serving alcohol on course with no restrooms.

 

[Edd]

Black Mountain to offer free skiing to ESSC Junior Program students

JACKSON — Black Mountain has been making a lot of news over the past two years under the guidance of new owner, president and general manager Erik Mogensen — and

www.conwaydailysun.com

 

[jaytrem]

I do have to wonder if part of the blame lies with Erik being overconfident in his management style and a bit naive about small town politcs and running a small business in said small town. I honestly don't know his background that well, but if he is from the city and has always been involved in bigger businesses that have insulated him from dealing with the average joe then I can see him rubbing folks the wrong way.

On the other hand, the previous owner had burned a lot of bridges with the locals and Erik inherited that mess and may not be getting a fair shake from those in power in local town management.

Erik has been on the Antellope Butte board for a while. I'm not sure exactly how long, but he seems to still be on it. Small town, but the ski area is very far from the actual towns, so totally different scenario.

That place gives free skiing to anyone under 18. Some teens there were kind enough to let me tag along on a hike to the Final Exam trail. Very friendly bunch.

 

[Mainer]

Erik is excellent at marketing. With all the negative press lately, that is some well timed positive news. Props for the good will

 

[Smellytele]

And it’s common for golf courses — including ones in NH — to have roving beverage carts serving alcohol on course with no restrooms.

most courses do have port-a-potties out on the course. Not enough of them and sometimes in stupid places (ex - 2nd or 3rd tee box)

 

[EPB]

An out house suffices. Gunstock serves beers at the summit. All they have are some out houses.

I often thought a cool idea for a ski area would be to build a portable bar on a sled that can be towed behind a groomer. Kinda like a keg truck you see at festivals. Then also have a porta potty sled. Again, kinda like you see on wheels at festivals in the summer. You could move them around the mountain for various events. I specifically thought of this idea when Wildcat was my home mountain. In the spring you could drag the bars to the top of the mountain on a hot day or maybe my middle of the winter at to the bottom of Tomcat Schuss or Starr Line for people to hang out and watch people rip.

That would be awesome. I’ve thought it’s borderline criminal a permanent lodge at there site of the old summit Gondi terminal hasn’t been built ever since it came down.

 

[pinion]

Lawsuit seems pretty smart to me - get the injunction (done), non-zero odds of success in court, drag it out to protect this seasons' operations just in case, use this season's profits to shore up any other issues the Town has. I'm not a lawyer but have seen this playbook before against municipalities elsewhere and its shockingly effective.

Also, watching that last video... the SB has to know Black's Counsel is present, so not deferring to their own Counsel is maddeningly daft.

 

[deadheadskier]

Moving on from the heathenry operation Erik has brought to the valley that is ripping the community of Jackson apart at the seams.

Any updates on a reopening timeline for us Indy degenerates?

 

[Newpylong]

I will ask. We reinstalled Pump 2 this past weekend which was out getting rebuilt. I think Pump 3 (new) should be onsite soon if not already. Still gotta drill a hole in the floor for the can for that one. They have also been in the pumphouse installing the PLC. I suspect there will be a pause while this is all done and then they will hit Chute to L. Maple for the opening day route in earnest. If Pump 3 goes in as soon well there will be enough water for more, probably the Platter with Ninnow to Davis.

 

[millerm277]

Black mtn does the least for the community of all the MWV ski areas.

Wow, the smallest and most financially struggling ski area in the region does the least? That sounds almost....exactly what should be expected.

And Jackson is saying fine we don’t need you either then. This is going to get so much worse

I don't think there's many business owners in Jackson or much of the rest of it's tax base that would agree.

That the selectboard appears to not have the town's best interests in mind and the police chief has a...checkered history are not Black's fault.