Industry News
The owners of Hermon Mountain, Bill and Marlene Whitcomb, posted on the resort’s social media that this will be their last year as owners. “It is with much thought and heavy hearts that we are announcing that this will be our last year owning/running the ski area,” the Whitcombs said on Hermon Mountain’s social media.
The Maine ski resort first opened in 1964Â after Albert Jackson, a Navy veteran and telephone technician, acquired a tract of land on Jackson Beach Road. That first winter featured a rope tow, a heated lodge and a ski rental shop. Over the next two decades, the ski area changed hands several times, adding snowmaking, lighting for night skiing and eventually a T-bar lift. Subsequently, Bill and Marlene Whitcomb purchased the property in 1989 and launched a decades-long era of upgrades and community-driven expansion. In 2022, the Whitcombs listed the 67.5-acre ski area for sale for $5 million, and is now listed for $2.1 million.
The family-friendly ski hill is located in the town of Hermon, which is in Eastern Maine, and is the only ski area close to the town of Bangor that still offers downhill skiing after all others either closed or were abandoned decades ago. In 2022, the owners wished to sell the ski area and retire, and hoped the new owner could invest and expand it beyond its current capacity to offer summertime activities. “We are still hopeful that someone will be able to purchase it and keep it a ski area before the end of this coming season, but if not, we will be closing it down and looking for alternatives to selling it, i.e., house lots or something like that,” the owners said on the resort’s social media.
- Related: Black Mountain, NH, Completes Purchase with New Owners Planning for Earliest Opening to Date
The ski area boasts 60 acres of skiable terrain, a vertical of 350 feet, with the longest run just under one mile. Mountain Herman has 100% snow-making capacity, three lifts, 20 marked trails, night skiing, a half pipe, a 600-foot tubing park, and a top-notch National Ski Patrol program. The main lodge is 8,500 square feet and features a rental shop, snack bar, kitchen, and open area seating.
Hermon Mountain will continue to operate this year, posting on its social media that season passes are on sale with 10% off if purchased before October 31. A season pass for juniors aged five to 12 costs $455, children aged 13-18 cost $520, and an adult season pass costs $530. This sale is a cash or check only transaction and the order form can be downloaded from the resort’s website and returned by mail. After November 1, season pass regular prices will apply and be available to purchase directly from the website.
The ski area is known for being family-oriented, where both owners are hands-on, doing jobs around the ski area, such as running the ticket office or helping out around the mountain. This might be the last opportunity for skiers and snowboarders to ski this community ski hill, but the Whitcombs are being positive about it. “We look forward to one more season of great snow, skiing, snowboarding and tubing!” the Whitcombs wrote on the resort’s social media.
