Whaleback Mountain Ski Trail Map - Layered Wood Wall Art
by Mountaincut
Ski It To Believe It, now on your wall. Mountaincut's Whaleback Ski Trail Map is a layered wooden wall art piece featuring hand-traced ski trails expertly laser cut from premium birch and/or walnut plywood, a handcrafted tribute to the Upper Valley community mountain that a local nonprofit stepped in to save and has kept thriving ever since.
The Upper Valley's Community-Saved Mountain, Captured in Wood
Set in Enfield, New Hampshire, right off Exit 16 on I-89 and next door to Lebanon, Whaleback traces its roots back to 1956, when Lebanon Outing Club ski jumping champion Ernest Dion developed a small slope called Snow Crest Ski Area with a 1,500-foot T-bar and a shorter beginner rope tow. After decades of ups and downs, including a 2005 reinvention led by two-time Olympic mogul skier Evan Dybvig, the mountain faced its greatest test in 2013, when it went through several bankruptcies before a group of concerned locals formed the Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation, signed an agreement with the property's bank, and purchased Whaleback outright for $650,000. From a base of 1,100 feet to a summit of 1,800 feet, Whaleback delivers a 700-foot vertical drop across 85 acres, with 30 to 31 trails served by a double chair to the summit and three surface lifts. Averaging around 110 inches of snow a year, with 60% snowmaking coverage, this handcrafted map captures every trail on this resilient New Hampshire mountain in beautiful layered wood relief.
Every Trail, Every Turn, Every Memory
Whaleback's terrain breaks down to roughly 28% easy, 39% intermediate, and 33% advanced, delivering everything from beginner runs to genuine glades and steeps, all with an authentic New England mountain feel. The longest trail stretches a full mile, and one terrain park keeps freestyle riders progressing throughout the season. Whaleback proudly holds the distinction of being the only night-skiing option in the entire Dartmouth and Lake Sunapee region, a genuine draw for locals looking to ski under the stars after work or school. Since becoming a nonprofit, the Upper Valley Snow Sports Foundation has raised over $4 million to support operations, doubled the mountain's snowmaking capacity, and grown season pass sales, all while keeping Whaleback affordable and awarding 100% of financial aid requests from families in need. A robust community calendar packed with movie nights, uphill nights, live music, and passholder appreciation days, plus a Pub and Café, ski school, and rental shop, make Whaleback feel exactly like what it is: a mountain that belongs to the people who ski it.
Exceptional Craftsmanship, Made in the USA
All Mountaincut wooden trail maps are precision laser cut and etched, hand-stained, and finished in the United States using birch and/or walnut plywood. The two-layer construction creates a rich, dimensional look where the mountain's ridgeline and trail network stand out in beautiful relief. Hanging hardware comes preinstalled, so your new trail map will be on display in minutes.
Because each piece is crafted from real wood, no two maps are exactly alike, with natural variations in the grain and stain giving every piece its own character, just like a crisp evening under the lights at Whaleback.
The Perfect Gift for Whaleback Devotees
Whether you learned to ski here as a kid, spent your evenings under the lights on the region's only night-skiing mountain, raced in the Thursday Night Adult Race League, helped support the mountain through its nonprofit years, or simply love that this community fought to keep it alive, this map is a lasting reminder of the mountain that belongs to the Upper Valley. Whaleback deserves a place on your wall. Mountaincut products are made to order and most items ship within 2 to 3 days. Larger sizes (30" and above) may take 5 to 8 days before shipping.
Available in multiple sizes. Ski It To Believe It, on your wall every day of the year.
