Skiers and snowboarders wait to get on the chairlift at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort on Jan. 14, 2024.

Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort ski area will soon have a new general manager.

Perry Batten will take over winter and summer operations at the resort in the Elkhorn Mountains, about 35 miles northwest of Baker City, in mid-November, according to the resort’s website.

The resort typically opens in late November or early December if there’s enough snow. Anthony Lakes reported 8 inches of snow on the ground Friday, Nov. 1. The resort, which has a triple chairlift, usually needs a base of at least two feet to open a limited number of runs.

“Perry’s love of Anthony Lakes, his background, which includes growing up in NE Oregon, and his vision for the future of Anthony Lakes provides the best fit for our little ski area. I am very excited to see where Perry will take it,” Peter Johnson, general manager for the past 14 years, wrote on the website.

Batten has more than 30 years of experience with ski area operations, including chairlift maintenance, Johnson wrote.

Batten has worked as the facilities manager for the Wallowa Lake Tram near Joseph.

Johnson announced in July that the ski area, which is owned by Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association, was looking for a new general manager. Johnson said the nonprofit would hire someone only if it could find the right person.

“This is not something we have to do,” he said in July. “We won’t be doing it unless we find the right person. We’re not going to hire someone just to hire someone.”

Batten meets those qualifications, Johnson wrote on the ski area website.

“This position is in effort to bring a fresh set of eyes, experience, and energy to the ski area we all love, all while not messing with the culture and fun that is Anthony Lakes,” Johnson wrote. “Perry fits the bill. Perry’s background is on-hill operations and in my opinion, on-hill operations is what matters. In addition, Perry’s love and appreciation for the ski area, its culture, and the fun we have at Anthony Lakes is significant in this transition. I am excited to see what Perry will bring to Anthony Lakes and how our little ski area will remain the same fun and locally focused ski area that it is.”

Johnson will continue to oversee the Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association, which in addition to the ski area manages several Forest Service campgrounds, The Trailhead bike and ski shop in downtown Baker City, and the city-owned Quail Ridge Golf Course.

Johnson said in July that his idea to hire a new manager was prompted in part by the organization’s expanded role over the past decade or so.

When Johnson started, he managed the ski area only, and there was only one summer event on the mountain — the archery competition.

But since then the nonprofit has won contracts to manage Forest Service campgrounds near the ski area, at Phillips Reservoir and near Sumpter, opened The Trailhead, and signed a lease to manage the golf course.

John Wilson, president of the board of directors for ALORA, said in July that he and Johnson had talked about seeking a new general manager for the ski area for the past three or four years.

Wilson said ALORA officials have also talked with the Umatilla National Forest about the possibility of reopening Spout Springs ski area near Tollgate, which has been closed for several years.

Wilson said that hiring a new general manager would allow Johnson to take the lead on possible new projects.

“If the opportunity to grow within our mission presents itself we’re going to take a hard look at it,” he said. “We have a reputation for getting things done.”