Keith Kreischer studied Resort & Hospitality Management at Green Mountain College, Killington Campus. After graduating, he took his first job as Terrain Park Manager at Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford, Massachusetts. After 5 years he relocated to Cornwallville, NY and worked for Windham Mountain in several positions, including bike park building and terrain park design for 8 years. His career goal has always been to operate his own mountain and after connecting with our (now) partners his goals became reality. He is the father of 5 children.
An avid skier from an early age, I learned to ski at nearby Pat's Peak where I immediately became interested in the 'the big toys'; the snow cats, chair lifts, skid steers, excavators- all the equipment that it takes to make a ski area work. My first job was at Pat's Peak for the 2001-2002 season as a parking attendant. By the next season I was the de facto parking lot supervisor and was offered a job through the summer where I assisted in the construction of the turbulence triple chair. I enjoyed learning about how the chair lifts worked, helping with line work and learning from the lift mechanics about trouble shooting. After a few years I took a job as a lift mechanic at Crotched Mountain, but ultimately returned to Pat's Peak for almost a decade, this time managing the Tubing Park where I got my first taste of snow cat operation in the winter and lots of painting and summer lift maintenance among many other tasks in the summer. Eventually I was offered the Lift Operations Manager position at Crotched Mountain where I stayed for three years until I decided to expand my experience base into overnight grooming at Mt. Sunapee. Having learned the ropes, I returned to Pat's Peak for two winters as a snow cat operator before taking a sabbatical to assess the direction of my career. In the early winter of 2022 I was offered a position here at Granite Gorge where I have been ever since. This has been an amazing opportunity to be there at the beginning of what will become a local hotspot for fun and entertainment. I fell in love with the atmosphere this place emanates and the challenges it affords me daily. I enjoy working with staff and customers alike, maintaining the lifts and equipment and am fortunate enough to get some grooming in from time to time... when I can pry Keith out of the cat. I am passionate about this industry and thoroughly enjoy the myriad of facets it contains. It's not work if you love what you do!
I'm 36 years old I've been snowboarding for 26 years and worked in the ski industry for 15 years.
Seth wears many hats at Granite Gorge. He makes snow in the winter and bike trails in the summer. He enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding and dirt biking as well as spending time with my wife and kids . He worked at Granite Gorge as a lift operator and park builder back when it was under previous ownership from 2006 to 2012. "It has been really great to be back working at the mountain an learning new skills, such as snowmaking, bike trail building and learning to drive a snow cat." Seth says. He is happy to be part of bringing the mountain back to life. "It helped me progress as a snowboarder when I was younger so being able to bring the mountain back for kids to grow here too is a great feeling."
Ian was the first full time employee to take part in the restoration of one of New England's beloved ski areas (Granite Gorge). Entirely "green" to the ski industry, Ian had the opportunity to explore various departments and learn different aspects of the operations. Designing and building mountain bike trails has always been his dream job. Now he is blessed with the opportunity to do just that. During winter operations, he is the main park feature fabricator and dabbles in many different departments. He is no stranger to snowmaking as well as being a lift attendant. Snowboarding, fishing, mountain biking, longboarding, dirt biking-- you just never know what you will see him doing in his spare time!
I.am.Gordy.
I learned to ski at the Gorge in 2010.
The Partnership
Ron has called the Monadnock Region home since he was very young. He had the fortune of growing up here and after living in Massachusetts during his undergraduate and graduate years, he have been in Keene for the past 15 years. "It's such a wonderful place to raise a family" says Ron. Some of his favorite memories as a child are learning to ski at small, local feeder hills such as Maple Valley and Temple Mountain. He spent countless hours there with his friends. Ron wants the next generation of little shredders to have a ski hill they can call home and where their families can feel comfortable with them being there. One thing Ron is looking forward to is having a connection again with the local schools from the younger children at the elementary level to the college students stating "GGMP is a great option for our schools to enjoy local skiing". Shown in the picture above is Ron with his wife Beth, oldest daughter Audrey, youngest daughter Alayna and our dog Cali.
Mike has lived in Keene with his wife, Marni and two sons, Caleb and Noah since 2004. Prior to living in Keene they lived in the Upper Valley. Mike believes that the small, local ski hills are key to the future of our sport. The cost, travel time, and logistics of skiing and riding at the big mountains can be a barrier for many potential new participants. The small, local mountain provides an affordable and fun opportunity for everyone to experience skiing and riding. Mike and his family wanted to bring back the local ski hill to the Monadnock Region, with the feeling of camaraderie and community that exists at a place like Granite. They have treasured memories of their older son Noah learning to ski at Granite Gorge, of their whole family night skiing with friends until last chair, and fun days of tubing and hot cocoa. They want to once again bring these experiences and more to the community. One thing Mike is looking forward to is seeing the elementary school ski programs operating again. Having a close, safe, fun place for kids to learn to ski is an amazing community resource.