In The Beginning ...
During my 6 year journey to ski every resort in New England, I fell in love with the small ski areas that dot the countryside. While the ski equipment may not always be the shiniest, the smiles are the brightest. From the "hand of God" t-bars of Maine to the friendly little local boy riding the lift with me at Herman Mountain to the 84 year old chairlift operator at Yawgoo. From Edna, my favorite 92 year old ticket window lady at Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall, CT (my home base for snowboarding) to the gentle giant with the full beard, thick glasses, LL Bean duck boots and plaid jacket who eased us onto the t-bar with grace at Titcomb Mountain to the camaraderie at the Mount Greylock Ski club where I helped fetch water from a spring for a pot of hot cocoa. From the town hill in Lebanon, NH where I watched in silence as the sun set and the lights began to twinkle and sparkle in the town below - yes, my thoughts always wander back to the small ski areas where the people are friendly, the snow is soft and the memories priceless.
New England Winter Photos
This is the future spot of New England winter photos. My attempt to move up higher on the Google search engine food chain.
Pats Peak, Henniker, NH
Pats Peak is a nice small mountain with a busy atmosphere and a beautiful view of a quarry. It ski school was busy churning out lots of new skiers.
Crotched Mountain, Francestown NH
Crotched Mountain. What a name!! I'm sure they sell lots of t-shirts.
The mountain re-opened 5 or 6 years ago after a 14 year hiatus. The lodge is a bit forbidding - somewhat reminiscent of a concrete army barrack. The mountain itself is rather nondescript with straight down the hill runs, but the view from the mountain clearly surpasses Pats Peak's stunning view of the quarry.
I had a blast on the slalom course which was comprised of brushes vs. poles.
The mountain re-opened 5 or 6 years ago after a 14 year hiatus. The lodge is a bit forbidding - somewhat reminiscent of a concrete army barrack. The mountain itself is rather nondescript with straight down the hill runs, but the view from the mountain clearly surpasses Pats Peak's stunning view of the quarry.
I had a blast on the slalom course which was comprised of brushes vs. poles.
Arrowhead, Claremont NH
Arrowhead is a town run ski hill. It has a rope tow but not to the top for the past 17 years. When I wandered in to the ski lodge, I thought it was a daycare. Maybe it was a daycare. Could not find the ticket window so I decided to just walk up the hill and board down.
As I walked up the old rope tow path, I noticed that the snow appeared groomed. Odd. Maybe it was just snowmobile tracks straight up the hill. Had a nice view of the little town from the top of the hill. Hiked over to the flagpole to make it an official summit. Peered over the Upper Face - looked like a sheer, vertical drop. Maybe that's why they took out the rope tow. Boarded back to the old rope tow. There was an old sign, Lion Tamer, a run to the left which also appeared groomed within in the last day or two.
Nothing like a good adventure so I pointed my board down Lion Tamer and rattled my teeth over the punishing frozen corduroy. Took my board off at the bottom of the hill - one run was sufficient.
As I made my way back to my car, I stopped to chat with a guy who was hopelessly chipping away at the frozen pond parking lot. He mentioned something about a snowcat lift to the top of the hill. Headed back to my car when I heard a snowcat being fired up. Marched back to the snowcat operator and asked if I may have a ride and then ran back to my car to get my board.
I boarded the back of the snowcat and held onto a tiny piece of rope that acted as a seatbelt. I asked Tom, the snowcat driver, what the traction was like - "pretty good" was his response. The snowcat violently lurched side to side in the real steep section. I started plotting my strategy in the event the cat flipped.
Hopped out at the top, tossed a wave and thank you to the driver and then boarded down Lion Tamer. Headed into the daycare center and plunked down my $5 snowcat fee with a smile.
As I walked up the old rope tow path, I noticed that the snow appeared groomed. Odd. Maybe it was just snowmobile tracks straight up the hill. Had a nice view of the little town from the top of the hill. Hiked over to the flagpole to make it an official summit. Peered over the Upper Face - looked like a sheer, vertical drop. Maybe that's why they took out the rope tow. Boarded back to the old rope tow. There was an old sign, Lion Tamer, a run to the left which also appeared groomed within in the last day or two.
Nothing like a good adventure so I pointed my board down Lion Tamer and rattled my teeth over the punishing frozen corduroy. Took my board off at the bottom of the hill - one run was sufficient.
As I made my way back to my car, I stopped to chat with a guy who was hopelessly chipping away at the frozen pond parking lot. He mentioned something about a snowcat lift to the top of the hill. Headed back to my car when I heard a snowcat being fired up. Marched back to the snowcat operator and asked if I may have a ride and then ran back to my car to get my board.
I boarded the back of the snowcat and held onto a tiny piece of rope that acted as a seatbelt. I asked Tom, the snowcat driver, what the traction was like - "pretty good" was his response. The snowcat violently lurched side to side in the real steep section. I started plotting my strategy in the event the cat flipped.
Hopped out at the top, tossed a wave and thank you to the driver and then boarded down Lion Tamer. Headed into the daycare center and plunked down my $5 snowcat fee with a smile.
Bretton Woods, Bretton Woods NH
I like Bretton Woods. It's definitely a cruiser mountain: nice views, lots of blue runs, excellent grooming. I remember finding a blue rated moguls run which I did over and over on my snowboard. Was sort of an initiation to moguls with my snowboard. Nice gentle moguls all to myself.
But then I looked up and saw a puff of smoke on the slopes of Mount Washington across the valley. It didn't register at first and then it hit me like a freight train - why that's the smoke from the cog rail ski train. I held out as long as I could until the anticipation overwhelmed me and I bolted to the car to speed away to the ski train......
But then I looked up and saw a puff of smoke on the slopes of Mount Washington across the valley. It didn't register at first and then it hit me like a freight train - why that's the smoke from the cog rail ski train. I held out as long as I could until the anticipation overwhelmed me and I bolted to the car to speed away to the ski train......
Attitash, Bartlett NH
The year I skied Attitash, it rained every other day that winter so I explored Attitash in the rain. Skiing in the rain really isn't too bad until you get soaked. In the beginning, the snow takes on a rather nice consistency.
The Balsams, Dixville Notch NH
Dixville Notch is that famous little town whose ballots (all 28 or so of them) are the first to be cast and counted in the Presidential elections. It's a tiny gem in this hectic technological world. It's comprised of a grand old rickety hotel, a ski slope, a golf course I presume and a few houses somewhere. Although it doesn't look Swiss, the setting is Alps-like.
I squeezed in a pre-Christmas trip to this far away, mystical ski resort many years ago. It was cold, bitterly cold and the sun hung low in the sky casting soothing late afternoon long shadows well before noon. The sky was pinkish/blue and the low sun made the snow sparkle. The ambiance was phenomenal.
Make sure you spend some quality time in the lodge too. I nabbed a quintessential rocking chair by the big stone fireplace and basked in the warm, welcomed heat.
I squeezed in a pre-Christmas trip to this far away, mystical ski resort many years ago. It was cold, bitterly cold and the sun hung low in the sky casting soothing late afternoon long shadows well before noon. The sky was pinkish/blue and the low sun made the snow sparkle. The ambiance was phenomenal.
Make sure you spend some quality time in the lodge too. I nabbed a quintessential rocking chair by the big stone fireplace and basked in the warm, welcomed heat.
King Pine Ski Area, Madison NH
King Pine sports trails in and among a great pine forest. I challenged myself to run one of King Pine's outer trails in one big swoop with as few turns as possible pretending I was competing in a Super G race in the Olympics. Two turns.
Wildcat, Pinkham Notch NH
Wildcat in the winter has the most beautiful view of Mount Washington. Absolutely amazing on a clear day. I savored the view until it disappeared among the snowflakes. Two to three hours later, the new snow made for perfect conditions on the steep runs which tend to be a bit icy. If you plan to spend the night, check out Joe Dodge Lodge at the base of Mount Washington. They often have a great ski deal with Wildcat.
Black Mountain, Jackson NH
There are two Black Mountain ski resorts in New England. This was probably the first because it may claim the title of oldest ski resort in NH. The other Black Mountain ski area is just over the border in ME.
It took four tries to ski this mountain. The first time I had come up for the weekend and skied Wildcat one day and the following day woke up to a pounding rain. Drove home dejected, but as I gained elevation on the Kancamagus it turned into quite a blizzard. Very impressed that my fiery red Pontiac Grand Am cleared the summit. A 5 hour drive home turned in to an 8 hour ordeal.
Only the beginner chair was open the second time I went.
The third time was a beautiful sunny blue sky day with a pleasant winter temperature. Perfect. We arrived and the lot was empty. Fire in the snow making shed had shut everything down.
Black Mountain is a classic mountain - narrow long runs with limited trail merges and an intentionally (?) slow chairlift. Speaking of the chairlift, I had quite an interesting experience. It was mid-week so the mountain was relatively quiet and apparently so quiet that the chairlift operator up and left mid-morning. It was rather bizarre. I pulled up to the boarding line. Kicked some snow off my board. Adjusted my goggles. Tugged on my jacket. Tightened up my gloves. Hmmm. Still no lift attendant. Well, the chair is moving rather slowly and nobody is lining up behind me. Hmmm. So I slid in to position and went for it. Chair came around the bend and I plopped down heavily onto the chair and was whisked away. That's a first.
This continued for an hour. I saw other skiers on the hill so they must have been doing the same thing but I never saw them getting on to the chairlift. It's a little disconcerting to approach a chairlift without an attendant. Sort of the like the world came to an end except for the incessant chairlift.
At 12:30pm a school bus appeared with children and skis spilling forth and the long awaited return of the chairlift operator.
It took four tries to ski this mountain. The first time I had come up for the weekend and skied Wildcat one day and the following day woke up to a pounding rain. Drove home dejected, but as I gained elevation on the Kancamagus it turned into quite a blizzard. Very impressed that my fiery red Pontiac Grand Am cleared the summit. A 5 hour drive home turned in to an 8 hour ordeal.
Only the beginner chair was open the second time I went.
The third time was a beautiful sunny blue sky day with a pleasant winter temperature. Perfect. We arrived and the lot was empty. Fire in the snow making shed had shut everything down.
Black Mountain is a classic mountain - narrow long runs with limited trail merges and an intentionally (?) slow chairlift. Speaking of the chairlift, I had quite an interesting experience. It was mid-week so the mountain was relatively quiet and apparently so quiet that the chairlift operator up and left mid-morning. It was rather bizarre. I pulled up to the boarding line. Kicked some snow off my board. Adjusted my goggles. Tugged on my jacket. Tightened up my gloves. Hmmm. Still no lift attendant. Well, the chair is moving rather slowly and nobody is lining up behind me. Hmmm. So I slid in to position and went for it. Chair came around the bend and I plopped down heavily onto the chair and was whisked away. That's a first.
This continued for an hour. I saw other skiers on the hill so they must have been doing the same thing but I never saw them getting on to the chairlift. It's a little disconcerting to approach a chairlift without an attendant. Sort of the like the world came to an end except for the incessant chairlift.
At 12:30pm a school bus appeared with children and skis spilling forth and the long awaited return of the chairlift operator.
Ragged Mountain, Danbury NH
One run on Ragged. Does that count? Conditions were a little ragged - too much wind on top of bitterly cold temps. Knew something was up when the lift attendant was spotted sporting orange cones. It was a cold ride to the top and a wind-swept hard pack ride down to the orange-coned closed chairlift. They graciously refunded my money. Will have to go back some day. It's a nice setting. As you drive in to the valley it looks like you are going to ski on a farm.
Also, the mountain gets an A for creative ski run names such as Town Meeting, Cabin Fever, Blueberry Patch and Barnyard.
Also, the mountain gets an A for creative ski run names such as Town Meeting, Cabin Fever, Blueberry Patch and Barnyard.
Gunstock, Laconia NH
Snowboarded Gunstock on my birthday and nearly froze to death. First time I actually looked forward to the chairlift with its reduced windchill to warm up. A combination of week day and sub-Arctic temps kept everybody away. It was like my private ski slope. The snow was hard but fast with good grip. Pretty view of the lake. For a mid-size mountain, the runs seemed really long. Enjoyed the black diamond run, Hotshot, and the blue/black run, Trigger. The gun theme carried on among all the ski runs.
Tenney Mountain, Plymouth NH
It was a cold day with a brilliant blue sky when I snowboarded Tenney. Had to wait a year for this mountain to re-open after some renovations. It's a small mountain but plenty steep - only a couple of green trails - with no lift lines. The view of Mount Moosulakee from the chair is magnificent. I really like Shooting Star. Beware of Morning Glory - the side hill cut is challenging, especially on tired knees.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
