The AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge was designed to provide a method for our forum members to get official answers to skiing-related questions directly from a ski area representative. Charlie Richey, Marketing and Sales Director of Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, New Hampshire, took the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge and provided the following responses on 6/17/2004:

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Charlie Schuessler: When will Tenney Mountain open for the 2004-2005 ski season?

Charlie Richey: At this point, June 17, our opening date is not firmly established. We are still planning on being the first open in the east, and the 1st of October is about what we are shooting for. Keep watching!

skatecow45: Will Tenney Mountain be open on July 4th this year?

Charlie Richey: Tenney will not be open with snow on July 4th nor any other time this summer. Instead of summer snow operations this year we opted for a Downhill Mountain Bike Race Series. Check out our website for more information on that. We have some of the best race courses built in the country, and each Saturday before a race the mountain is open for freeriding.

thetrailboss: Will there be any improvements in your snow reporting? Our experience from this season was frustrating to say the least and I can no longer gamble on a visit. The reports I heard and saw were conflicting and dated. The conditions on my last visit were nowhere near what was reported both the previous day and that morning (which was the same report). I felt misled.

Charlie Richey: We do our best at providing accurate, honest and timely snow reports. We don’t try and lure people in with lies and false counts. Next season will improve, I can say, because we will a more consistent system to ensure accurate reports. So, yes, there will be improvements.

thetrailboss: Have you considered implementing a direct snowphone line, updated regularly (and on the day reported) and accurately so that we don’t have to spend ten minutes on the phone listening to irrelevant info and trying to make a decision?

Charlie Richey: I appreciate you input on this note. I will see what I can do to get a direct line for a snowphone. But I mean come on, you don’t like listening to Dan Egan talk about the best skiing in New Hampshire?!

thetrailboss: What a lot of people are interested in knowing is if you are filing Chapter 11 or some other form of bankruptcy?

Charlie Richey: No. No. No. Squash the rumors. We, like every other resort in New Hampshire this winter, had a slower season than last year due to weather. However, it was still the 2nd best skier visit season in Tenney Mountain’s history. We look forward to opening next year with no concerns of bankruptcy whatsoever.

eatskisleep: I’m glad to see you are doing the downhill mountain biking this season. Will you continue to cut trails for mountain biking as well as maybe even open it every weekend in the summer?

Charlie Richey: We are still building trails for the mountain bike season. Though two races have already taken place, we are building more trails to add diversity to the freeride days and the races. There is a good chance that we will open each weekend this summer. With no other mountains really offering good downhill riding this year, we have a great opportunity and are likely jump on it. Keep checking our website for open dates.

eatskisleep: I heard the mountain biking is not from the top of the mountain. If not, why not, and will it ever be from the top?

Charlie Richey: You have been misinformed. Our first race was on Snow and yes that one was not the summit. But the race on Memorial Day weekend was most certainly from the top of the Hornet Chairlift. We will have four or five trails available to ride down from the summit. We are also planning on building a Mountain X course that will loop around from the base up to about mid mountain.

Greg: Are there any terrain expansion plans for the 2004-2005 ski season? If so, what types of trails will be added?

Charlie Richey: One thing Tenney has that beat just about any other mountain in NH is our glade skiing and riding. With this mountain biking, we are creating even more glades. The trails they have built are awesome. If you haven’t ridden them yet I strongly suggest you check them out, or at least come to an event and walk up the mountain. Skiing down these trails is going to be an incredible thrill through woods that you never had access to before. We are also planning on creating even more glades on the other side of the mountain above the Eclipse chair.

Greg: Are there any infrastructure improvements/upgrades planned, e.g. lifts, snowmaking, base/summit facilities, etc.?

Charlie Richey: We do plan on investing into our snowmaking. Not many other capital improvements are planned. Most of our energy is devoted to the biking, and then once fall hits we will be in full swing with the SnowMagic production.

Greg: Do you have any plans to open a forum or chat room on your website? Do you read web forums like AlpineZone.com? If so, do you ever want to reply to posts about Tenney or other ski areas?

Charlie Richey: That is not a bad idea. If I get the chance to do some work on our website I may just throw in a forum page. I do read web forums from time to time to check up on the industry and our partners. I will reply to posts about Tenney if I come across them.

Thanks for the questions! Keep watching what is happening at Tenney, things are really spicing up around here.

Charlie Richey
Marketing/Sales Director
Tenney Mountain Ski and Snowboard Resort

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To view forum comments on this Challenge and the Challenge Results, please visit the following page: