Hermon Mountain offers slopes to people of all ages

Hermon Mountain will be opening soon and Bill Whitcomb is radiating enthusiasm. He and his wife Marlene have run Hermon Mountain for the past 18 years and as always, they’re expecting a good winter.

One of the things Whitcomb loves about running the ski area is the annual battle with nature.

“It’s pretty neat when you can accomplish even a pile of snow,” he said with a smile.

Hermon Mountain started putting down its first layer of snow on Friday night.

“We hope to open on the 10th,” said Whitcomb. “It just depends on whether the weather allows us to keep making snow.”

In the next week they need to set down a minimum of 12 inches on the trails.

“When we make snow we believe it’s better to stay on one trail and get it completed than it is to sugar coat it and go on,” Whitcomb said.

Vacations are their busiest times, but the Whitcombs are looking forward to the programs they run all winter long.

“We offer a lot. There’s something here that everyone can do,” said Whitcomb.

There are learn-to-ski programs for children and adults.

“Who wants to go out with an 8-year-old kid who falls down and bounces right back up?” asked Whitcomb with a chuckle.

High school teams and ski clubs come to practice racing skills. Hermon hosts Special Olympians and has adaptive-skiing lessons for people with physical or mental handicaps. There also are visually impaired skiers who race.

“That’s really neat to see one of them come down a racecourse,” said Whitcomb. “It’s just plain awesome.”

Hermon offers free lift tickets to anyone 70 and older. Whitcomb said they’re the greatest ambassadors to the sport, shocking the kids with their abilities.

“I’ve never seen one that wasn’t upbeat,” he said.

Skiers aren’t the only ones served at Hermon. There’s a terrain park and a small halfpipe for the growing population of snowboarders.

This is the third season for the ski area’s tubing park.

“Last year was an absolute success. It’s a blast,” said Whitcomb, adding that they had zero injuries.

They opened the tubing park so “everybody can come and do something and not get left out.” It’s 600 feet long and “you feel like you’re going 100 mph” even though the top speed has been clocked at about 25 mph, said Whitcomb.

The Whitcombs are proud of being an important part of their community.

“The locals live here in the winter,” Whitcomb said.

The ever-increasing number of season-pass holders can attest to that. The first year the Whitcombs ran the ski area, they sold 25. Last year, they sold more than 500, said Marlene Whitcomb.

Not including the school programs, Hermon Mountain averages 50 to 75 people on a weekday and more than 300 on the weekends. “It’s shoulder to shoulder in [the lodge,]” said Whitcomb.

But Hermon is serving more than just the local skiers. “You wouldn’t believe how many we get from the airport,” exclaimed Whitcomb. There are also a lot of out-of-staters who come back year after year during school vacations, he said.

Adult tickets are $20 for a full day and $13 for a half day or evening. Junior ticket prices are $15 and $11 for full and half days, respectively. The tubing park is $10 for a half day. Those seeking more information may call 848-5192.