Vermont’s $5 Ski Hill Needs Help To Operate This Winter

In Brattleboro, Vermont, a small non-profit ski area with one T-bar and two trails, is asking for help.

Brattleboro Ski Hill offers $5 lift tickets, serving as an accessible entry point for local residents interested in snowsports, but in the past year, expenses have mounted, and the ski area has several equipment needs, per a GoFundMe published in August of 2025.

Penned by the ski area’s vice president, Todd Fahey, the GoFundMe hopes to raise $35,000. So far, it’s raised around $8,500. Fahey wrote that Brattleboro Ski Hill’s revenue covers around 30% of its costs, with the rest being made up by donors.

Tap the image below to donate to Brattleboro. Keep reading for more about Vermont’s $5 ski hill and what they’re raising funds for.

Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.

Brattleboro Ski Hill’s grooming machine, a necessity for skiing next winter, is currently inoperable.

Fahey estimated that a new machine will cost upwards of $400,000, and even with a grooming machine that works, annual maintenance expenses cost thousands of dollars. The ski area is considering multiple options, including partnerships with other mountains and relying on used equipment.

While Brattleboro Ski Hill received loaner snow guns from Stratton Mountain Resort during the 2024-25 season—and expects this partnership to continue next winter—Fahey wrote there’s still a “need to upgrade our own snowmaking infrastructure to high-efficiency snow guns.” 

He added that as natural snow becomes less and less reliable, snowmaking efficiency is becoming more important.

Finally, in the long term, Brattleboro Ski Hill hopes to make electronic upgrades to its lift, another estimated $70,000 expense.

“Your donation will not only help us become operational for the coming season, it will help ensure the continued operation of your local ski hill for many years to come!” Fahey wrote. “We appreciate ANYTHING that you can give, and please share this widely amongst your groups, friends, and relatives.”

Small ski areas like Brattleboro are vital, serving as feeders that keep skiing alive at a lower-cost, grassroots level. But as the recent GoFundMe illustrates, they often operate with shoestring budgets, which can make addressing equipment issues and needed upgrades difficult. Brattleboro is entirely volunteer-run.

Fundraising campaigns have helped other ski areas out of a tough spot, though.

Earlier this year, New Hampshire’s Whaleback Mountain was left with an enormous bill when its double chairlift failed. But the ski area managed to raise $250,000, saving its ability to operate ahead of the coming winter season.

To donate to Brattleboro’s GoFundMe page, click here. 

Related: Cue the FOMO: Madison Rose Ostergren and Jim Ryan Ski Bottomless Jackson Hole Powder