When New Hampshire’s oldest ski area of 90 years, Black Mountain, announced it would be closing, Indy Pass Managing Director Erik Mogensen decided he couldn’t stand idle. 

“When you lose a small ski area, you lose a crucial pillar of the community. The way we see it, we’re investing in the future of skiing,” Mogensen says. Indy Pass purchased the mountain in October of 2024 with the goal of turning it into a community-owned co-op, aiming to keep the resort operational for another 90 years to come.

Skiing with purpose

“Right now, Black Mountain is a Cinderella story. It’s come back totally transformed, and it’s up to the community to make it their own,” Mogensen says. “We’re not in the business of owning ski resorts — we’re doing this to give the community a fighting chance of saving another legendary ski area before it’s too late.”

Over the last decade, industry consolidation and corporate interests have largely changed the landscape in skiing. The 24/25 season saw numerous ski resorts charging over $300 for a single day’s lift ticket. 

Indy Pass aims to be “the ski area with purpose.” Founded just over five years ago as a passion project by Doug Fish, it emerged as a direct response to the current state of skiing. 

“Not everyone needs a swanky lodge, luxury slopeside condos, and a $25 burger,”  Fish says. “The independent resorts of the world offer an affordable, warm-welcoming, and unforgettable experience — especially for families, there’s just no beating it for the price. Plus, most skiers in the US have access to an independent ski area not far from where they live.”

Making skiing accessible

Here’s how it works: Indy Pass partners with over 230 independent ski areas to offer an affordable alternative to mega-resort pricing. For $369 — just a little more than the cost of a single-day lift ticket at many major resorts — you get two days of skiing or riding at each destination, plus a discounted third day.The pass also touts perks like lodging discounts, which (you guessed it) aim to support small ski towns and mom-and-pop inns. 

On the East Coast, you can go big with Cannon, Jay Peak, and Saddleback, or go a bit smaller with the likes of Berkshire East, Pat’s Peak, and Whaleback. The 25/26 Indy Pass guarantees to have over 250 resorts on the roster, the deepest alliance of its kind.

“Paying for a full-day lift ticket, knowing you were going to be lapping the magic carpet or the learning area most of the day, was hard to stomach,” says Christina Clements, a teacher and mother of two, before getting Indy Pass. “Now for the cost of four tickets a year, I have access to a bunch of nearby mountains. I can bring the kids for a day so they can get more experience, and when they are tired or if the weather turns, I call it a day without any guilt. If I want to ski more, I drive a little farther and find more places to ski. The kids don’t need a huge resort to get the skills to be good skiers.”

How do resorts fare on the pass? Per each Indy Passholder visiting their resort, they get 85 percent of the ticket sale, while Indy gets 15 percent to cover administrative duties.

“This relationship has allowed the independent, smaller, and mostly family-owned ski areas to compete with the bigger corporate entities,” says Kris Blomback, general manager of Pat’s Peak, N.H.  “Our slogan for the past 60 plus years has been ‘near and neighborly since 1962,’ and the Indy Pass aligns with that mission statement. As more folks seek authenticity in their experiences … Indy allows for passholders to get all of that on one pass. It’s been great for us as an operator.”

What it means to ski “Indy”

“We’re going all in on saving the spirit of skiing,” says Mogensen. “That means putting our money where our mouth is, doing what’s right for our resort partners, and operating with the singular purpose of empowering more people to ski while supporting independent resorts and the communities around them.”

The 25/26 Indy Pass goes on sale to the public on March 1, and will only be on sale for a short time.

“In this day in age, the brands and causes you invest in make an enormous amount of difference in the world,” says Mogensen. “We’re inviting anyone who’s listening to support the independent side of skiing while it’s here and resurging.”