Five years ago, Doug Fish co-founded Indy Pass to bring more people to America’s independent ski resorts. Despite competing against corporate giants like Epic and Ikon, the brand has since become the fastest-growing multi-mountain pass in the world.
But now Fish and other Indy Pass leaders are embarking on a new experiment. It’s converting one of America’s “mom-and-pop” ski resorts into a community co-op. That’s why they officially bought Black Mountain, a small resort near Jackson, N.H. It was one of the first resorts to join the Indy Pass’s roster in 2019.
While Black Mountain benefitted from the increased visitation provided by its membership with Indy Pass, that hasn’t been enough to keep the business financially viable. And despite a long search for buyers last year, no one was interested in trying to save a small resort that first opened in the 1930s, Fish said.
So now, Indy Pass will own and operate the resort for the coming season while preparing to transfer ownership to a community co-op by 2025. If successful, the transition could offer a new way for struggling ski resorts to keep their slopes open. For the moment, that makes Black Mountain “the guinea pig of a very ambitious project,” Fish said.
“We’re going to see a huge number of these small resorts fail in the coming years,” Fish told GearJunkie this week. “If this works, it’s another solution for resorts across the country trying to figure things out.”
Indy Pass Bets on Black Mountain Co-Op
Last fall, the Fichera family — which has owned Black Mountain for 30 years — announced the resort would not open for the 2023/2024 season.
A combination of rising energy costs, unpredictable weather, and staffing shortages presented challenges too great for the family to overcome, the New England Ski Journal reported. That’s when Indy Pass Managing Director Erik Mogensen stepped in. He spoke with the family and loaned them enough cash to help them keep the resort open for the season.
As the resort limped along, Mogensen tried to find a buyer to stave off the resort’s permanent closure. Despite finding 30 prospective buyers, no one was willing to take on the risk. Without financial backing, the resort would close, and the land would likely be developed into housing, Fish said.
So, Mogensen and Indy Pass decided to try to save Black Mountain. Mogensen will relocate to Jackson, N.H., and lead the resort’s operation as the general manager throughout the coming season. He hopes to turn it into “an impactful community-run co-op” by the start of the 2025 season.
“This sustainable model will keep this historic mountain viable for generations,” Mogensen said. “There are dozens of small ski areas across the country struggling to stay afloat, and we believe this financial model is a viable option for many. For-profit, non-profit, and co-ops — all independent mountains matter. They are the past and the future of our sport.”
Indy Pass aims to shift the resort’s ownership to the community, where anyone can purchase shares. Fish likened the model to the publicly owned Green Bay Packers.
Black Mountain’s season passes are now on sale at blackmt.com. Purchasers of this year’s season passes will have the first chance to buy shares in the burgeoning co-op.
On December 20, the resort will once again open its doors to skiers — and celebrate its 90th season in business.
