Did Someone Say “Free Skiing”?

If you’re a skier, you are well aware of the hit your wallet takes on a weekend ski adventure. Lift tickets for you and a partner, maybe a child or two, add in hot chocolate, a burger and chili, maybe an adult beverage mid day…the costs add up quickly and substantially. That is, of course, unless you are skiing or snowboarding at Lebanon’s own Storrs Hill this winter season.

Thanks to a generous gift from the philanthropic Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, visitors to the Lebanon ski area paid nothing for their lift tickets during the ’24/’25 season. That’s correct; skiers and snowboarders experienced free tickets at the venerable hill in the heart of town. So did area winter enthusiasts take advantage of that economical opportunity?

Volunteers help keep Storrs Hill ship shape all season long.

“[On] opening weekend, we saw over 600 skiers from Friday through Sunday,” says Cory Grant, president of the Lebanon Outing Club (LOC), which operates Storrs Hill. That number sounds impressive, especially so when Grant adds, “In the past, we would be lucky to see maybe 15 skiers on a Friday, 40 on a Saturday and Sunday.”

Not surprisingly, the free skiing offer brought many new skiers to Storrs Hill, opening their eyes to this community treasure. “Some locals didn’t know we existed until [now],” says Cory Grant.

Storrs Hill has a long history with Upper Valley skiers. A ski jump was first built on the hill in the 1920s (Storrs Hill originated as a ski jump area), and in the early ’30s, the first alpine trail was developed on the hill. A rope tow was added for skiers in the mid ’30s, which makes Storrs Hill one of the oldest continually operating, lift-served ski areas nationally. Over the years, improvements such as snow making and the POMA lift were added to the ski and ski jump operation.

The history of Storrs Hill cannot be told without mentioning the name of one of the world’s greatest alpine skiers. World Cup and Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin spent some of her early years skiing at Storrs Hill, before moving on to Burke Academy and the U.S. Ski Team. In the early 2000s, Shiffrin could often be found practicing for hours on the Storrs Hill ski slope. Another prominent local athlete, Lebanon’s Nick Alexander, learned the art of ski jumping at Storrs Hill as a child, and went on to be a long time member of the U.S. Ski Jumping Team, appearing in two Olympics.

Photos from LOC Facebook page

The history of Storrs Hill is closely tied to the Lebanon Outing Club. For decades, volunteers from the LOC have operated and maintained the ski area. “The Lebanon Outing Club is a non-profit organization outside of the City of Lebanon, that has to fund the Storrs Hill Ski Area in order for it to be operable,” says Cory Grant. Though one source of funding does come from the City of Lebanon, the LOC must continually seek funds from other sources, such as the Byrne Foundation, to keep operating the ski area each year. Grant says the LOC volunteers spend considerable time writing grants and fundraising for hill operations. Prior to this season, lift tickets and season pass sales also helped run Storrs Hill, though the LOC always kept those prices low to allow as many as possible to use the slope.

“We are still seeking more donations to help with operations; we have to look for business support and community support to keep the ski area functioning,” says Cory Grant, adding, “We have had some unforeseen activities that have cost us a lot this season with snowmaking, and grooming equipment.”

The charitable gift to offer free skiing this winter is not the first time the Byrne Foundation has assisted Storrs Hill. In recent years, the Byrne Foundation provided grants to repair and upgrade equipment and mechanical operations at Storrs Hill.

Snowmaking at Storrs Hill ski area, overlooking downtown Lebanon. Snowmaking is one of the many jobs

With such a dramatic increase in the number of skiers at Storrs Hill this season, it seems natural that more LOC volunteers would be needed to assist in operations. Cory Grant confirms that, saying, “Volunteers are roughly one per top, and one per bottom [on the slope]. Now we are looking to have at least four so we can do shifts and have a couple of people to help at bottom with [those with novice] abilities.”

So with the increased number of patrons, does the LOC welcome more volunteers? “Yes, we are looking for as many volunteers as possible,” Grant says.

Having a local, community ski area, especially one that offers its slopes at no charge, is a rarity. To make that possible, the community must depend on the generosity and goodwill of others. With a little help from volunteers and donors and grateful patrons, Storrs Hill will remain a hidden gem in Lebanon for years to come.

For other winter activities to explore in Lebanon, read “Mastering the Art of ‘Wintering’ in Lebanon” in this issue on page 22-23.