Lyme's Ski Hill Starts Its Season at the Snowmaking Pond

How much water is in the pond at the Dartmouth Skiway right now? The answer will shape the opening of Holt's Ledge and Winslow at least as much as the first snowfall.

The Skiway's general manager, Mark Adamczyk, put numbers on it last winter. In a 2026 Winter Carnival issue story in The Dartmouth, he said the hill in Lyme Center makes snow from a finite pond fed by surface water. The pond holds five million gallons. Over a full season, the Skiway pushes a little over 30 million gallons through its snowmaking system. The pond has to refill about six times to get through one winter, so the rain and streamflow of a New Hampshire fall decide how quickly the hill can build a base.

Two-thirds of the mountain runs on that water

Adamczyk was specific about how much of the Skiway relies on manmade snow. He told The Dartmouth:

"The future of the Skiway is linked to how well we can make snow and invest in our snowmaking in the future. Of the Skiway's 100 skiable acres, 67 are snowmaking-dependent and often the only terrain open."

He also described what happens when water runs short. "We have periods of time that we have snowmaking windows … but we're not [making snow] because we're waiting for the pond to refill," he said in the same piece. A cold, clear night in early December is only useful at the Skiway if the pond has water to spend. He said the variability keeps the operation working in stretches of up to 18 hours at a time.

Grafton County's fall, read as a water supply

That makes this fall's drought maps an early ski report for Lyme. The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly county data for Grafton County shows a dry fall that eased, then tightened again:

On the map released November 5, which reflects conditions through November 3, all of Grafton County was at least abnormally dry. None of it was in severe drought or worse. That release's Northeast summary moved parts of New England one category drier, based on the 30- to 60-day Standardized Precipitation Index, soil moisture and USGS 28-day streamflow. Streamflow is the measure that matters most for a surface-fed pond.

Across New Hampshire, September brought 4.19 inches of rain statewide, 0.39 inches above normal. January through September totaled 31.65 inches, 0.75 inches below normal, according to Drought.gov's New Hampshire page. An average September did not fully offset the deficit built up earlier in the year. Late October's improvement shows how fast that can change, and the Drought Monitor posts a new map every Thursday.

December 18 is the planned start

Ski NH's conditions page, updated November 4, 2026, lists the Dartmouth Skiway as "Plan to Open 12/18." That date is a plan. Snowmaking weather and pond levels in the coming weeks will decide whether it holds.

Day-ticket prices are set. These are the posted Skiway ticket rates for 2026-27:

• Full day, regular dates: $40 adult and $30 senior or child online, or $47 and $37 at the window.
• Full day, peak dates: $60 adult and $50 senior or child online, or $67 and $57 at the window.
• Twilight, 1 to 4 p.m.: $35 adult and $25 senior or child on regular days, or $55 and $45 on peak days.
• Peak dates: December 26, 2026, through January 3, 2027; January 18; and February 15 to 19, 2027.

Lifts run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the McLane Family Lodge is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The lodge is a 17,000-square-foot building finished in 2001 that houses retail, rentals and the ski school.

The Skiway is staying on the Indy Pass for 2026-27, and its own passholders can buy an Indy add-on at a special rate. Indy holders don't need reservations and can redeem their days at the ticket windows. In-season general public passes are $599 for adults ages 18 to 64 and $499 for seniors 65 to 79 and children 6 to 17. Skiers 5 and under and 80 and over ski free. Indy Pass's resort list shows the Skiway with no night skiing.

The uphill pass works around the lift schedule

One part of the Skiway doesn't depend on the lift opening date. Under the Skiway's uphill travel policy, pass holders can climb at any time during the shoulder seasons, and outside operating hours once the ski season starts. The rules are short:

• Buy an Uphill Season Pass and sign the release, or buy a Daily Uphill Ticket. An Uphill New England Pass also counts as a season pass.
• During operating hours, which usually run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., stay on designated uphill routes or open runs.
• Travel single file at the edge of the trail, and don't stop in high-traffic spots or where skiers above can't see you.
• Skis, snowshoes and splitboards are the only equipment allowed. No sleds, tubes, saucers, snowmobiles or fat bikes.
• No dogs at any time.
• Headlamps and reflective gear are encouraged at night and in low visibility. Outside operating hours, call 911 in an emergency.

The posted uphill prices are $120 for an in-season uphill-only pass and $25 to add uphill access to another season pass. A daily uphill ticket is $20 online, or $30 on peak days.

The same policy warns uphill travelers that they may meet grooming and snowmaking equipment at any time, "particularly outside of Operating Hours," and tells them to stay off any trail where that equipment is running or crews are working. The early mornings and evenings when uphill travel is allowed are often the same cold hours the snowmaking crew is using. In a dry stretch, how much snow the guns make depends on how much water the pond has.

For a longer outing, the Skiway's policy asks visitors heading to Dartmouth's Nunnemacher Cabin to hike in on the Appalachian Trail.

What the Skiway has proposed for snowmaking

The Skiway has a long-range plan for this problem. The Dartmouth Skiway Master Plan 2023 proposes replacing the diesel snowmaking system with an automated, all-electric system that covers all skiable terrain, at an estimated cost of $3 million to $5 million. The plan also proposes new glades that could take skiable terrain from 104 to 130 acres. On the lift side, it proposes upgrading Holt's two-seat chair to a quad, possibly extending the Winslow lift, and building a new learning center with a carpet and surface lift at Green Pastures on the Holt's side.

All of these are proposals. Adamczyk told The Dartmouth that a new lift now costs $5 million to $6 million.

The calendar after opening day

The structured part of the season starts in late December. The Skiway's snowsports school runs Big Cats Camp sessions from December 28 to 30, 2026, and from December 31, 2026, to January 2, 2027, during the holiday peak. Two more sessions follow over February break, from February 15 to 17 and February 22 to 24, 2027. Half-day camp is $400 for ages 5 to 12. Full-day camp is $660 for ages 6 to 12 and includes lunch and a snack. Lift tickets and rentals are not included.

Weekly programs start the first full week of January 2027:

In-season prices for children's weekly programs are $430 for weekday and after-school options and $480 for weekend programs. Adult weekly programs are $440. Lift access and equipment are not included. The children's groups run from Bobcats at age 3 to Wolves at ages 10 to 12, and ages are counted as of January 1, 2027. Those January start dates leave about three weeks of snowmaking after a December 18 opening for the pond to build terrain before weekly lessons begin.

Down in the village, the Lyme Country Store is on winter hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Bread arrives daily, and seafood is delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays. Stella's is closed November 25 to 28 for Thanksgiving and returns to its regular 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours on December 2, about two weeks before the Skiway's planned opening. CommunityCare of Lyme's calendar lists a community lunch on December 7 and a Thursday Café on December 17.

At Jessica Dolan, we follow the details that shape a Lake Sunapee and Upper Valley winter, from Lyme Center's snowmaking pond to the village calendar. If you would like to talk through the season ahead in Lyme, or what an Upper Valley home near the Skiway could mean for your family, request a personalized consultation and we will be glad to help.