Gratitude. That’s the word that comes to mind as I make my daily rounds across the mountain. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride when I see the Gunstock team making it all happen. It’s a well-orchestrated symphony of dedicated team members working together.

Over the course of this season, I have had the opportunity to speak to many of our passholders and guests who welcomed me to the Gunstock family and shared thoughts, ideas, and inquiries alike. Conversations have included everything from new run suggestions, new lifts, how to become a groomer, and, of course, our lift downtime this season. Those conversations have also resulted in some simple improvements we’ve made at your suggestion like the installation of cup dispensers by the water stations and midday updates on our snow conditions report. I have enjoyed our chairlift chats, and I want you to know I have heard you. 

A significant, much-needed investment has gone into our facilities recently: snowmaking upgrades, new vehicle-maintenance and rental-equipment buildings, expansion of the Pan Pub, the new Barrel Bar & Grille and, soon to debut, the new Camping and Nordic Welcome Center that’s taken shape along the access road this winter. 

I have been asked many times from guests and staff, “What are your big plans?” What has come into focus this winter is the need to enhance our guests’ experience by providing more reliable infrastructure to complement our investments in facilities. While we have no control over what Mother Nature has in store for us, we can ensure that the systems in place perform to meet our guests’ expectations. Our big plans will be investing in resort infrastructure over the next few years: upgrades to electrical systems and lifts to keep them operating reliably, and continued snow surface investments to keep it fun.

Gunstock, with the full support of the Gunstock Area Commission, is planning to invest heavily in infrastructure over the next few years which include more than $3 million earmarked for lifts and $2.5 million for snowmaking and grooming equipment. 

Refurbishment of the Panorama lift, a two-year process, has been escalated to begin this spring. Upgrades to key components include the communication lines that transfer critical safety information between operators at the terminals from every tower along the line, and the computerized chair-spacing system that resulted in a recent disruption in service. These upgrades are critical elements of the larger investment in the full renovation of the Panorama lift and will be followed by further enhancements to include new lift shacks like those shown in the sample photos below.

We will be analyzing our electrical grid and identifying/replacing equipment that needs to be upgraded along with anything that may be at risk of failure in the near future. Electrical upgrades at the campground are already underway with completions slated for later this spring. The Pistol lift will get a new gear box this summer and Ramrod will get a new haul rope. We are also exploring upgrades to the drives on Tiger, Pistol, and Ramrod this summer.

Gratitude, that feeling of thankfulness and appreciation, is where I return when I reflect on my first season, our ski/ride community, and Gunstock’s staff and their commitment to ensuring our guests’ experience is second-to-none. A special shout-out goes to our lift maintenance team for their grit and tireless determination when Panorama and Pistol experienced disruptions in service this season.  They were the unsung heroes who restored lift service and got us back onto the terrain we love most at Gunstock.

Our guests and season passholders are the heart and soul of the resort; my appreciation and commitment to each of you runs deep. We see you, we hear you, and we are thankful for your commitment to this amazing ski area, a true New England gem. 

See you on the hill,

Robert 

P.S. Here are some photos from our closing weekend festivities.