MOUNTAIN OF MEMORIES: After Crotched Mountain closed

What was Crotched West is now known as Crotched Mountain and is owned by Vail Resorts.

What was Crotched West is now known as Crotched Mountain and is owned by Vail Resorts. PHOTO COURTESY SAGE HUBICKI

Deirdre Riley, general manager of Crotched Mountain.

Deirdre Riley, general manager of Crotched Mountain. COURTESY PHOTO

Racers head toward the finish line in the Peace, Love and Crotched machine during the Crotched Mountain Cardboard Box Derby and Pond Skim.

Racers head toward the finish line in the Peace, Love and Crotched machine during the Crotched Mountain Cardboard Box Derby and Pond Skim. PHOTO COURTESY CROTCHED MOUNTAIN

ConVal High School’s Garret Rousseau races at Crotched Mountain.

ConVal High School’s Garret Rousseau races at Crotched Mountain. FILE PHOTO

Skiers take part in Midnight Madness at Crotched Mountain.

Skiers take part in Midnight Madness at Crotched Mountain. PHOTO COURTESY CROTCHED MOUNTAIN

Published: 01-14-2025 1:02 PM

Tenth of a series of excerpts from Gerry Miller’s book “Crotched Mountain Ski Area in Francestown, New Hampshire,” a history/biography about the original Crotched Mountain Ski Area in Francestown, developed by William C. (Bill) MacAdam and syndicate. Miller grew up in Francestown. Much of the material for the book was from the Monadnock Ledger or Peterborough Transcript.

After the Gannett Properties Company declared bankruptcy at the end of the 1989-90 ski season, skiers eagerly awaited a white knight. Ideas were plentiful, but a solid plan with the necessary capital never surfaced to open for the next ski season.

The foreclosed property included both ski mountains, in Francestown and Bennington, plus Tory Pines (now Crotched Mountain Golf Resort). Tory Pines Resort tried, but was unsuccessful in gaining Chapter 11 protection. Once again, it was auction time. The bankruptcy court rejected pleas for more time; the property had to be sold. All of it.

The next few years were spent figuring out who owned what, and who owed whom.

Crotched East, Francestown

Due to back taxes, Francestown took possession of Crotched Mountain East in February 1993. 

U.S. Cellular bought part of the ski area from Francestown at auction and later donated most of Crotched East back to Francestown for conservation land. In the summer of 1994, more than 700 acres were transferred to Monadnock Business Ventures, with EaStar Ventures signing a contract to have the lifts spinning at both mountains again by 2004, at the latest.

Dismal snowfalls and the lack of financing available to the ski industry halted plans to reopen for the 1995-96 season. Instead of securing the anticipated $1.8 million in financing, EaStar was stymied by a $163,000 bill for property back taxes owed to Francestown. EaStar ended its lease agreement.

In 1998, another company stepped forward. Again, there were big plans for million dollar-plus investment and expansion. Sadly, the same results – the Francestown and Bennington ski areas remained closed. During this time, Tim Gannett, who had expanded both areas under his ownership from 1970 to 1989, passed away. He died Nov. 14, 1998, at the age of 61.

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Some of the chairlifts at the Francestown ski area were dismantled and sold to other ski areas in the early 1990s. The beautiful lodge with five fireplaces, miles of ski boot scuffs and a million memories was torn down on a gray day in March 2001.

Some of the demolition crew were the same workers who had cleared the land, cut the trails, built the chair lifts and groomed trails in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.  

It is unlikely the Francestown area will ever reopen for skiing. Google maps still show where the Hardwicks, the Millers, and the Places, the McAdams and the Gannetts and so many other families played. Eventually the forest will fully reclaim the trails.

Crotched West, Bennington

In December 1999, a lifeline appeared. Former Bennington Selectman Terry Schnare and Francestown native Donald Hardwick formed Crotched  Mountain Properties, LLC. The pair paid $123,000 at auction for 317 acres of Crotched East. 

In May 2002, Hardwick and Schnare purchased 106 acres on the Bennington side for $50,000. Two months later, Peak Resorts announced it would lease 360 acres on the west side of the mountain from Crotched Mountain Properties, LLC. 

In 2003, Peak Resorts reopened Crotched West (formerly Onset and Bobcat) ski area in Bennington. It had been closed for 13 years. With so many broken promises since 1990, many still did not believe their mountain would ever open for skiing again.

So it seemed nothing short of a miracle that those who grew up skiing at Crotched  Mountain were now bringing their children and grandchildren to ski their favorite childhood trails.

The St. Louis-based company renamed the ski area Crotched Mountain. Peak Resorts built a new lodge, brought in new lifts and invested in powerful snowmakers.

They introduced Midnight Madness skiing and revived skiing in the area for the next 15 years. 

In October 2019, Vail Resorts bought Crotched Mountain Ski and Peak Resort’s other 16 ski areas. If the snow gods are gracious, the mountain’s future looks bright. 

See the final installment of the series Thursday, Jan. 21.