Welcoming Al Wickstrom Home to Ragged

Dear Ragged Mountain Community,

We have some news we’re genuinely excited to share: Alan Wickstrom is coming home to Ragged as our new General Manager, officially starting August 17th.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. Al previously led Mountain Operations right here at Ragged, and most recently spent four years as Vice President of Operations at Loon, helping run one of the largest, most complex operations in the Northeast. He’s a Danbury local, a passionate Ragged skier, and — as he put it to us himself — this is his home mountain…the place his kids have grown up skiing.

We asked Al a bit about what brought him back, and his answers said everything we needed to know:

“Ragged is really where I learned this business, both operationally and fiscally. Leaving Loon is genuinely hard — I helped build something I’m proud of there, with a team and leadership I respect enormously, and walking away from that hurts. When this opportunity came up, I knew in my heart it was the right one. I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned through the years in this industry and apply that knowledge to a mountain I already know well, and for a community I’ve been part of for a long time.”

That’s the kind of leader we want stewarding Ragged through this next chapter — someone who has done the unglamorous work of learning this industry from the ground up, who has earned his place as a resort leader, and who cares deeply about the community he serves.

When we asked Al about his philosophy for running a ski hill, he didn’t talk about lift counts or snowmaking guns. He talked about people:  “Build people, not just processes. A ski hill runs on the humans who show up every day in tough conditions — if you invest in them, give them real ownership, and teach them the why behind the work, great operations follow.”

That philosophy — building people first — is exactly the kind of leadership we believe will help Ragged realize its full potential, as we work together on the multi-year investment plan we shared with you this spring: growing our snowmaking, improving our lodge and base area, and keeping Ragged the kind of mountain where core skiers + riders, families, and newcomers all feel at home.

And for those wondering — yes, we asked Al the important question too. His favorite run? “Sweepstakes is near the top of the list, but on the right day, it’s hard to beat Not Too Shabby.” On brand for a guy who’s spent his career favoring substance over flash.

We’re also deeply grateful to Brenda Belmonte, who has led the mountain as our Interim GM this summer with a steady hand, helping guide us through this transition. Thank you, Brenda.

Please join us in welcoming Al back to Ragged. We can’t wait for you to see what a leader who cares deeply about this mountain community — and now brings the experience of a much larger operation with him — can do for the place we all love. The future is bright here at Ragged Mountain and we are so glad Al is here to share in the journey with us. If you are joining us for the Kinfolk Music & Arts Festival this Saturday, come say hello to Al and to all of us.

Think Snow,

Ragged Mountain Ownership