Weekend forecast: Rainy with a chance of skiing at Tenney Mountain Resort

PLYMOUTH — Skiers are taking advantage of the long weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to get out on the slopes. Many ski resorts use the turnout from this weekend to determine their success for the rest of this winter season. Tenney Mountain Resort hopes people will come to experience the mountain's first full winter season in decades.

Historically, Tenney Mountain Resort relied mostly on natural snow to keep their trails open. Last year, Tenney was bought by the Northcountry Development Group run by Steven Kelly, and millions have been put into renovating and improving the resort. An investment in snow guns allowed the mountain to open on Dec. 23, 2023. Last winter season, Tenney was only open for a month in March. Marketing manager Lucy Grissom commented on the recent grand opening.

“We're kind of working to being a year-round resort,” she said. “This season is all about just getting the name back out here, getting people back up on the mountain that come from far away or close.”

At the resort on Friday, Grissom estimated there were about 50 to 100 people on the slopes. Their busiest time so far this season was right after the most recent weekend snowstorm that put 8 inches of snow on the slopes. Currently, six out of 48 trails are open as the mountain is slowly but surely opening things up. Despite this, skiers and boarders are still enjoying their time on the mountain.

Doug and Pam Kuechler, skiers from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, have a home in Orford. They are skiing for the first time this winter season at Tenney. Pam, who’s 56, has been skiing since she was 8 and was pleased with the conditions at the mountain.

“It's been open and there’s still some variety, and the snow’s good,” Pam said. “This is our first time since they reopened, so we're excited to be here.”

Skiers can also enjoy some other events offered at Tenney Mountain Resort. This weekend, people can participate in the Holy Cow Music Bingo, which is Bingo, but with different types of music while you play. Other upcoming events include Vertical Challenge, which has ski and snowboarding races held on mountains throughout the Northeast.

Without historical data, it's too soon for the mountain to predict what ticket sales so far say about the rest of the season. As Tenney prepares for the coming weekend, Grissom hopes people will come and check out the revamped, family-owned resort.

“Come support your locally owned, independent ski resort,” she said. “We got smiling faces, good food, great skiing and just good times.”