Gunstock's Winter Gets Decided in October

Gunstock's official opening day is still weeks away. Several things that shape the season come due before then. Scenic rides on the Panorama chair end on November 1. Season pass prices go up that same day. On Sunday, October 18, Belknap County residents can ride to the summit for free on the chair Gunstock scheduled for refurbishment this summer. All of these deadlines fall within the next 22 days. After that, the mountain goes quiet until the snow guns start.

The overhaul you can't see from the chair

Gunstock's biggest project this year was the Panorama, the high-speed detachable quad that carries riders to the summit. Work began right after closing day on April 4. The plan gave the lift a new drive, a new chair-spacing system and an all-new control system, according to Gunstock's April 29, 2026 project announcement. The plan also included new buildings at the base and summit for the control equipment and the lift attendants.

Dave Ulbrich, Gunstock's Director of Mountain Operations, said at the time that most of the work would go unnoticed:

"A large part of this investment in the Pan won't be directly visible to guests. The real payoff we expect to see is the increased reliability of service that comes with installing a brand-new system like this."

The project moved quickly. At the Gunstock Area Commission's May 21 meeting, staff said the Panorama technicians were a few weeks ahead of schedule. While the lift was down, a vehicle drove zipline guests to the summit.

Gunstock is now running the Panorama as a scenic lift seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., from September 21 through November 1, weather permitting. Gunstock hasn't published an update confirming the overhaul is finished. Still, a fall scenic ride is the easiest way to ride the summit chair this year without ski-day lift lines. Panorama Pub is open daily through November 1 too. The resort asks riders to check conditions before heading up, because the lift doesn't run in bad weather.

One Sunday set aside for the county

All summer, Gunstock has held Belknap County Days on the third Sunday of each month. The October date is Sunday, October 18. County residents who show valid proof of residency at the Gunstock Ticket Office get a free ride on the 4,000-foot mountain coaster, a free round-trip ride to the summit on the Panorama, or both. The terms are on Gunstock's Belknap County Day listing.

Gunstock is a county-owned mountain, and October 18 is when it gives back to the county most directly. Several other events fall on the same weekend:

• Saturday, October 17: the final Run the Mountain Canicross event of the season.
• October 17–18: Halloween Weekend at the Gunstock campground.
• Through November 1: the Adventure Park runs Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the Aerial Treetop Adventure closes for the season starting October 13. Hours vary by activity.

If Aerial Treetop is on your list, this is the last weekend for it. The campground is also holding its Fall Fest Weekend right now, October 10–12.

The October 31 line on the price sheet

The scenic ride season ends November 1, and the season pass price goes up the same day. Gunstock's 2026/27 season pass page lists two prices for each pass: one through October 31 and a higher one starting November 1.

The Adult Winter Prime goes up $200 overnight, which is the biggest jump in the table. The Buckaroo and Golden passes stay at $59 and $79. Age categories are based on the passholder's age on December 1, 2026. Gunstock caps the number of passes it sells, and passholders can ski without reservations. Because sales are capped, waiting until later in the season carries some risk on top of the higher price.

Day tickets are a different story. As of this month, Gunstock's lift ticket page still shows rates labeled for the 2025–26 season. Day-ticket prices for this winter haven't been posted yet.

What the snow guns are supposed to do differently

Gunstock's April announcement set aside just over $2 million for chairlifts out of a planned $4.5 million offseason reinvestment. That reinvestment is part of a $9 million, two-year plan Gunstock introduced in 2025. The plan also allocated about $1.4 million for snowmaking and $1.1 million for equipment, facility upgrades and maintenance.

"Our focus remains on investing in our infrastructure," said Robert Drake, Gunstock's President and General Manager, when the plan was announced. "It's a foundational part of creating a positive experience for our guests."

Skiers will feel the snowmaking work first. The plan called for 5,000 feet of new pipe and for splitting the upper-mountain and lower-mountain snowmaking systems. The old setup had inefficiencies that kept crews from making snow in both areas at the same time. Once the systems are separate, the resort can make snow top to bottom at once, and the new pipe gives it a more direct line to the summit.

That is how Gunstock described the plan in April. No public update since then has confirmed that the pipe is in or that the systems are fully separated. The first cold nights of November will show what was finished.

The same is true for the rest of the list:

1. Tiger chair: a new haul rope.
2. Pistol chair: new grips and the rest of its gearbox rebuild.
3. Derringer trail: more widening, so skiers merge onto Smith more smoothly and safely. In May, staff told the commission the area above Derringer had been cleared and looked wider.
4. Grooming and access: a new Prinoth Bison X winch cat and another contactless RFID gate at the base of the Panorama.

The other October check: the county's share

Gunstock's money also matters to Belknap County, and that payment usually lands this month. A five-member Gunstock Area Commission runs the resort. The Belknap County Delegation appoints the commissioners, and the resort is meant to pay its own way.

Drake told the commission in May that revenue for the fiscal year through April was $22.6 million. That was $1.4 million over budget and $1.8 million more than the year before. He estimated this year's payment to the county at about $390,000. The county had budgeted $365,000 for Gunstock revenue. According to the Belknap County Commission's August 24 minutes, the payment hadn't arrived yet and usually comes in October.

The commission's next public meeting is Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. That's two days before the Canicross final and three days before County Day.

After November 1

Once the scenic rides and the Adventure Park close on November 1, Gunstock has nothing scheduled for the public until ski season. The resort's events calendar lists "Opening Day of Ski Season" on 12/04, but no year is printed with it. Gunstock hasn't announced an opening date for this winter, so treat December 4 as a calendar listing, not a confirmed date. Between November 1 and opening day, the snowmaking system will run for the first time since the planned upgrades, and the Panorama will go from carrying foliage riders to carrying skiers.

From the Panorama summit, you can see the lake, the islands and miles of shoreline below. I've spent more than four decades helping people buy and sell property around Lake Winnipesaukee, and I still think that view explains the Lakes Region better than any map. If a fall ride up the Pan gets you thinking about your place on the lake, or about a family property you're holding onto, I'm glad to talk it through. Steve Mardis. Let's Connect.