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OPENING THE DOOR TO BUCK HILL
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It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these.
The winter season has a way of doing that. Winter shows up fast, moves at light speed, and before you know it, you look up and you’re already shifting gears into summer. This past season was a good one. It started quickly, it asked a lot from our team, and like every season at Buck Hill, it gave us plenty of moments to be proud of, learn from, and build on.
As we come out of winter and regroup, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about what comes next.
Not just next season. Not just next winter. But the bigger question of how we continue to make Buck Hill a place where more people feel invited in.
A major focus for us right now is adding value to what we already offer, while also creating new ways for people to experience the resort. That means looking at our current activities, looking at the barriers that might keep people from participating, and asking ourselves how we can make Buck Hill more accessible, more welcoming, and more fun for people who may have never been here before.
This starts with summer.
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CREATING VALUE WHILE KEEPING THE HILL STRONG
For years, we’ve heard the same questions around mountain biking and hiking.
“Why do I have to pay to ride the mountain bike trails when there are free trails all over?”
“Why do I have to pay to hike when there are so many parks nearby?”
They are fair questions.
The honest answer is that Buck Hill is not a state park or a city park. We are private property. There are real risks and liabilities that come with opening our hill, trails, lifts, parking lots, buildings, and property to the public. Waivers are needed. Staff time is needed. Trail maintenance is needed. Insurance is needed. Oversight is needed.
And yes, the small dollars matter.
I often call it “block and tackle margin.” It may not be flashy. It may not look like much from the outside. But all of those small pieces help keep the hill operable. They help us maintain the property, support our staff, improve the guest experience, and continue to offer this place to the community year-round.
At the same time, we understand that if we want more people to come experience Buck Hill, we have to keep finding ways to remove friction and create more value.
That is why this summer we are trying something new.
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COMMUNITY RUNS AND MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES
We are creating set times for people to come out, enjoy the hill, and be part of something that feels bigger than simply buying a pass or checking in for an activity.
The Saturday Community Trail Run Series (more info HERE), in partnership with Heroes on the Hill, will be free to participate in during those scheduled times. Heroes on the Hill is a charitable endurance event that raises funds and awareness for mental health support for veterans and first responders. On these Saturday hiking trail mornings, the goal is simple: bring people together, get outside, move with purpose, and build community around a mission that matters.
We are also launching Tuesday evening Community Mountain Bike Ride Series (more info HERE) which will also be free during those scheduled mountain bike group ride times.
We know both of these programs will probably start small. And that is okay. A lot of good things start small.
The hope is that over time, Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings become known as times when people can show up, meet others, feel safe, have fun, and find a little adventure. Maybe they come with a friend. Maybe they come alone and leave with a few new ones. Maybe they push themselves a little. Maybe they simply enjoy being outside.
We also hope these experiences help people see the value in what Buck Hill offers all summer long. It is not always about dollars and cents. Sometimes it is about opening the door, creating the invitation, and letting people experience the place for themselves.
And if someone comes out for a free community hike or ride, has a great time, and decides to buy a $20 Summer Activities Pass so they can come back anytime to hike, mountain bike, or play disc golf, that is a win. Not just because it supports the hill, but because it means they found another reason to be here.
Hopefully, after the hike or ride, they also wander over to Buck ’54 for food, a beverage, and a little more time together. As an added bonus all Summer Activities get 10% off at Buck ‘54 Bar & Grill all summer long.
That is the kind of energy we want to keep building here.
Adventure. Fun. Friends. Community.
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LOWERING THE BARRIER TO WINTER FUN
We are also starting to look hard at winter through that same lens.
How do we make skiing and snowboarding more approachable for someone who has never done it before? How do we make the first step feel less intimidating? How do we create offerings that are so affordable and accessible that people feel like they can’t afford not to try?
Because we know what can happen when someone gets that first little bit of buy-in.
They take a lesson. They make a few turns. They fall down and get back up. They laugh. They surprise themselves. They come back. And maybe, just maybe, they become a lifelong skier or snowboarder.
For us at the Hill that is the dream.
More to come on that in the next month or two as we continue to dial in what those offerings can look like.
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INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES
Another exciting piece of this bigger vision is the investment we’ve made, with the help of the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team Club, into new gym equipment for the Hutch. The goal is to bring that space back to life as a training facility for our athletes and as an offseason home base where they can grow, train, and spend time together.
I love this.
Some of my fondest memories growing up in sports were not from the games or even the practices. They were from the work around it.
The gym time. The sweat. The friendships. The quiet hours where you were putting in work at your craft with people who were chasing something alongside you.
There is something special about that kind of environment. You learn discipline. You learn accountability. You learn what it feels like to keep showing up. And then, when the season finally comes, you get to see that work take shape.
There is something special about that. And I want our athletes to have that experience at Buck Hill.
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LESSONS THAT LAST LONGER THAN THE SEASON
At our Buck Hill Ski Racing Team banquet, we were fortunate to have Sterling Lock join us as a keynote speaker. Sterling is a former Marine, former Division I athlete, CrossFit competitor, C-suite executive, life coach, and someone who recently completed The Great World Race — seven marathons, in seven days, on seven continents.
More important than the resume, though, was the message.
He spoke to our athletes about effort, grit, and courage. He reminded them that what they are doing is not just a sport. They are building habits, discipline, resilience, and the operating system for the person they are becoming.
That hit me.
Because I think the same thing is true for all of us.
If you are an athlete, a parent, a coach, an employee, a manager, an operator, or someone simply trying to get better, the way we show up every day matters. The work matters. The hard conversations matter. The moments when nobody is watching matter. The willingness to keep going when the conditions are not perfect matters.
That is what I love about Buck Hill.
Yes, we are a ski hill. Yes, we are a restaurant. Yes, we host events, races, concerts, hikes, bike rides, and all kinds of things in between.
But at our best, we are a place where people come to grow.
To try something new.
To build confidence.
To find friends.
To be challenged.
To create memories.
To belong.
That is what keeps me excited about the work ahead.
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LOOKING AHEAD AND CONTINUING TO BUILD COMMUNITY
As we move into summer activities, I am grateful for the season behind us and energized by what is in front of us. We are going to keep trying things. Some will start small. Some will need adjusting. Some may not work exactly how we thought they would. But the goal remains the same.
Create more ways for people to experience Buck Hill.
Make it easier for new people to say yes.
Keep building community.
And continue doing the little things that help this place stay strong for the next generation.
Thanks for being part of it.
Stay Rad,
Nate
President | COO