Mountain marvels December 31, 2023 RWhitcomb-editor The late lamented gondolas at Wildcat Mountain, in New Hampshire. Working from 1958-1998, they were the first ski area gondolas in the United States. They were replaced by a high-speed chair-lift system. “Mount Lafayette in Winter” (1870), by Thomas Hill (1829-1908). The mountain, at 5,249 feet, is the highest peak in New Hampshire’s Franconia Range.