Mission Ridge picks longtime Blacktail Mountain employee as new manager

Blacktail Mountain Ski Area announced its first changes this week since Washington-based Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort purchased the ski area on Nov. 17.

Longtime Blacktail Mountain employee Jessica Wood has been promoted to general manager. Wood is one of “a handful of original Blacktail Mountain employees,” according to a press release.

“Jessi has earned it and is very deserving. She has been in the business a long time and worked her way through the trenches,” said Steve Spencer, Blacktail Mountain founder and Jessi’s father. ”She is a perfect fit to lead Blacktail Mountain into the future”.

Wood has been a Blacktail Mountain representative for the Montana Ski Areas Association for over 20 years, and has been an active member of the Montana Ski Community. She started as a part-time snow sports instructor in 1998, became director of snow sports in 2001 then was promoted to operations manager in 2019.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow with Blacktail,” said Wood, “and contribute to what I consider my family’s legacy to this community.”

Blacktail Mountain also announced that current 2021/22 passholders will be able to ski free at their new sister resort Mission Ridge, located in Wenatchee, Washington.

The new passholder benefit includes free access to Mission Ridge Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday access through Dec. 12 and after March 19, unlimited night access, and 50% off Saturday and Sunday tickets.

Located in North Central Washington, 12 miles south of Wenatchee, Mission Ridge has the second highest base area in the state of Washington at 4,570 feet and is spread over 2,000 acres and 2,250 vertical feet.

More information about the mountain is available at www.missionridge.com.