Pats Peak Celebrates 60 Years Under The Same Family Ownership

Pats Peak celebrates 60 years of skiing this season. The 2022-2023 season marks the 60th season under the Patenaude family ownership, which makes it the longest continuously operating ski area run by the same owner.

Pats Peak will be celebrating the 60th Birthday on Saturday, January 7, 2023. To commemorate this day Pats Peak will be celebrating with a Birthday Party Celebration. The day’s events include: The River 92.5 DJ playing music outside in the Base Area; a Birthday Party Celebration with a 60-FOOT LONG Birthday Cake; an Après-Ski Party in the Sled Pub with Live Music by The McMurphy’s; Fireworks Display at 10:20pm to end the night. Guests will also sing “Happy Birthday” to Pats Peak during the birthday party and cake cutting event at 2pm in the main lodge. Other birthday touches will be throughout the mountain during the day including a 60th Ice Carving and other surprises.

“Family is what we have been all about for sixty years”, says Kris Blomback, General Manager of Pats Peak. “The Patenaude brothers had a vision 60 years ago and we are excited to continue the traditions of Pats Peak. We are excited to celebrate with a 60-foot birthday cake so all our skiers and riders can come in to enjoy a piece of cake to celebrate Pats Peak’s history,” says Blomback.

Pats Peak opened for skiing on January 5, 1963. The four Patenaude brothers – Joe, David, Wayne and Stuart – combined Yankee ingenuity with the several businesses owned in the family to hand-fashion a ski area. Back in 1962, the four Patenaude brothers spent a lot of time skiing. They also spent a lot of time standing in lift lines. They decided to go home to Henniker and build their own ski mountain.

The Pats Peak Lodges are built from lumber cut from the mountain that was owned by their father, Merle Patenaude. Beams 30 feet long were hewn at the family's sawmill. Construction of the main lodge began in the spring of 1962 by the brothers, friends and family. The Peak Chair, a 1961 Model, was built in the fall of 1962 in time for opening in January 1963.

Pats Peak was the first mountain in New Hampshire to have snowmaking in the 1960’s and was instrumental in getting other ski areas operational. Pats Peak is a learn-to-ski and snowboard mountain. Generations have learned to ski and ride at Pats Peak.

Pats Peak remains today what it was decades ago: a first-name place where friends and families return every season. It’s where you can feel safe letting your kids roam the mountain while allowing yourself to explore new terrain on your own. Every year Pats Peak continually focuses to improve its facility and experience for skiers and snowboarders.

Pats Peak has 28 well-groomed trails, terrain parks, a snowtubing park, 11 high capacity lifts, 100 percent snowmaking, night skiing on all trails on the main mountain, three separate beginner areas and some of the most challenging terrain in Southern New Hampshire. They also sell their famous M&M cookies, which have been part of the Pats Peak tradition for 60 years.