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Alpine Skiing: Timing Is Everything

Tim Jones — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:44:33 +0000

Justin Jones rips soft spring bumps on Tele gear in the Sunbowl on Mount Sunapee. (Tim Jones photo)

At any time of year, finding truly great skiing and riding is a matter of timing. On a pure powder morning in January, for example, you have to be one of the first people on the lift or you are going to find yourself snaked on the line you were dreaming of when you drove to the hill. He (or she) who hesitates gets chowder instead of pristine powder.

Likewise, on weekends and holiday weeks throughout the winter, the first people on the hill generally find the best conditions, whether that’s fresh powder or untracked corduroy. By later in the day, conditions will often have deteriorated, especially in high-traffic junction areas or popular trails.

But in March, the paradigm changes. Patience pays off.

Most areas groom as little as possible at this time of year, not only to save money, but also to save their snow. If you rush make the first chair on a chilly morning, you might just find yourself headed downhill on snow that softened the day before, then froze into a rutted, bumpy crust—the kind of snow Western skiers think is all we ever get in the East.

But if you wait just a little while, magic can occur. The sun, which has been hiding behind the hill all season emerges earlier on March mornings, climbs higher above the peaks, and uses its strength to create some of the best snow conditions of the entire season.

Justin Jones, a ski instructor at Pats Peak in Henniker, NH, enjoys a busman’s holiday tearing up the slopes of Mount Sunapee on Telemark gear. (Tim Jones photo)

This winter, my son Justin has been teaching skiing full time in the excellent ski school at Pats Peak in Henniker, N.H. Full time instructing is hard work and on a recent rare day off, he slept in. When he woke up, the sun was shining, the air was warming, and we decided sneak away to Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H. for an afternoon on our Telemark gear. There was a pretty good crowd for a mid-week day but we found a prime parking spot that some early-bird had just vacated (another advantage of going later . . .) and hit the slopes.

The ride up the triple chair in front of the old Spruce Lodge only heightened our anticipation when we realized that we couldn’t hear anything more than a soft swish when skiers below us on Flying Goose made their turns (snowboards always seem to rumble at least a little).

At the top, we sprinted for Cataract and made what was, until then, one of the best runs of the season. I say “until then” because each run—Whingding, Hansen’s, Ridge, Skyway—was better than the last! The snow was smooth, soft, but still firm. If you can imagine skiing on butter, you have some idea of what it was like. Perfect conditions for Telemarking. Justin, who only took up freeheeling a few days before, was already out-skiing me and able to give me some very useful pointers. And the rides up with the warm sun on our faces were heavenly, not just for the chance to recover.

We skied hard until our thighs cried for mercy, took a quick break than punished them some more, ending our afternoon just before the lifts shut down. Literally a perfect day.

Soft spring snow is perfect for Tele turns. At Tenney, even the ski patrol goes Tele! (Tim Jones photo)

A couple of days later, my buddy David Shedd and I were at Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, N.H. We’d been camped on a mountain the night before in 20-degree weather. We woke up early, ate, broke camp, hiked three miles with packs on snowshoes over heavily-crusted snow, ate a leisurely second breakfast and still got to the mountain just a little too early.

As we rode up the summit double, we heard the scraping edges of the skiers below, so we immediately boogied over to the east-facing triple chair and found the sun had done its work nicely, softening the snow in all but the deepest shade. Later, the whole mountain softened. We pounded Tenney’s twisting trails in the sunshine until our legs gave out. Another wonderful day of skiing on perfect snow.

As March turns to April, perfect timing will change yet again. Just keep an eye on the thermometer. If the nights stay above freezing and the days get downright warm, you want to get out early and catch the snow before it turns to slush.

The sun is inevitably going to win and the 2009/10 winter season will eventually end. But that’s not for another month yet. Time it right, and there’s still perfect snow to enjoy. There’s snow on the slopes. What are you waiting for?

THE A LIST: Sunny Slopes

Spring sunshine, soft snow and Tele turns! (Tim Jones photo)

Typically, the first slopes to soften in the sun are the rare ones that face south. If you are a soft snow addict who must ski in the morning, consider visiting Black Mountain in Jackson, N.H., Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, N.H., and Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont.

Spruce Peak at Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont also faces south.

At Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H. both the east-facing Sunbowl and their South Peak Learning Area are top spots for early sun.

Sunnyside at Mount Snow in Dover, Vermont, and the South Face at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont and Bear Mountain at Killington in Killington, Vermont are all excellent sun spots.

At Stratton Mountain Resort in Stratton, Vermont, Kidderbrook gets morning sun and not much skier traffic since they took out the old Kidderbrook lift, while the Snowbowl gets sun in the afternoon.

Of course, a little later in the season, these spots will be first to go slushy, so hit ‘em early morning.

Resort Review: Jackson XC

Tim Jones — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:02:49 +0000

Snow covered bridge! You can ski right over the Ellis River on this beautiful covered bridge in Jackson, NH on the network of trails maintained by Jackson XC. (Tim Jones photo)

My sweetheart Marilyn and I were up in Jackson, NH, recently with our friends David and Susan to celebrate the 75th birthday of the venerable Black Mountain ski area(1-800-475-4669) one of our favorite alpine ski hills. Jackson NH is certainly a wonderful destination for Active Outdoors types. In addition to Black Mountain (read our resort review here) for alpine skiers there’s also Jackson XC (1-800-927-6697) for cross country buffs.

Jackson also has some wonderful places to stay and eat. On this trip, we’d all comfortably settled into the historic Eagle Mountain House (1-800-966-5799; ) which has cozy rooms, very comfortable beds, a hot tub, great breakfasts and warming libations and comfort food in the Highfields Tavern. This lovely old hotel is perfectly positioned close to Jackson Village with a view of the summit of Black Mountain. They’ve got sledding, skating, snowshoe and ski trails right on the property, and ski-and-stay package deals. What more could you ask for?

Other places we’ve stayed in Jackson include the Snowflake Inn, the Wentworth Country Inn (which we’ve reviewed here) and the Inn at Jackson.

This particular weekend was cold, clear and very windy—does that sound familiar? We’d skied hard on Saturday (Black Mountain faces south so there was little wind and lots of sun). Saturday night we partied and danced to the Swingtones, a 14-piece big band playing great 40s-era music. On Sunday morning with the temperature hovering just above zero and the wind rattling the windows, Marilyn and Susan decided to cocoon in the warm hotel while David and I got active outdoors.

A torrential rain a few days before our visit had somewhat limited our options. While the groomed snowmaking trails at the mountain had been in great shape, natural snow cover was crusty everywhere and thin (or non-existent!) in spots. We had snowshoes with us and there are many beautiful trails to explore, but we’d both been doing a lot of snowshoeing recently for the great snowshoe test, and not much cross-country skiing. So we called Jackson XC to see what they had to offer. Jackson is so big, with so many varied trails that you can almost always find what you want–even if the weather hasn’t been particularly cooperative.

Thom Perkins, the director of the non-profit foundation which runs Jackson XC, who was answering the phone that morning, told us that the “core” trails in the valley near their touring center were generally in better shape than the ones farther out on their system. He strongly recommended we come down to the valley and ski the Ellis River Trail. When in doubt, trust the people with local knowledge. Thom knows every inch of the Jackson trail system and he certainly gave good information this day.

Jackson XC delivers sunshine, blues skies, and some healthy exercise. What more could you ask for on a cold winter morning! (Tim Jones photo)

We started out from their touring center across the windy, mostly flat golf course, Snowcover twas thin in spots, but perfectly groomed and very skiable. We crossed a covered bridge over the Ellis River and skied through a tunnel under busy Route 16, then skied more open golf course trail until we had to take off our skis and cross Green Hill Road to reach the Ellis River Trail. Good warmup for the real thing!

This was never meant to be a major excursion, just a chance to get out on skis on a beautiful cold, bright morning and burn off a few more calories before lunch. If the womenfolk had come with us, we could have made a wonderful day of it with a picnic lunch at the Ellis River Cabin. But the point is to get out when and where you can. If you can only go for an hour or two, that’s time well spent that no one can ever take away from you.

The whole experience changed when we left the open golf course behind and hit the wooded trail along the river. This is one of Jackson’s most popular trails—for good reason. The entire trail is over 7 km in each direction, green circle (easier) all the way with only a few little rolling up-and-down sections. It still had plenty of snow and was beautifully groomed with a wide, flat path for skate skiing and double-tracks for classic technique.

David was on touring gear, lighter and faster than the Alpina Discovery backcountry gear I always have with me for whatever the conditons offer, so he flew out ahead and flew back while I puttered along at my slow-but-steady pace. We both got a good workout, he just saw more of the trail than I did! In retrospect, I should have taken my skate skis—maybe I could have kept up!

The Riverbank Loop diverts from the Ellis River Trail and runs for a full kilometer along–you guessed it!– the riverbank. This narrower trail is double tracked for classic skiers only, and we explored its twisting undulations, hearing only the soft swish of our skis, the wind in the trees and the soft murmurs of the ice-bound river. Lovely!

Even if you’ve never, ever been on cross-country skis before, this is a trail you could enjoy on any winter day. We never planned on doing the whole trail and the six or seven kilometers I traveled was just enough.

Cross country skiing at Jackson XC isn’t just for super-athletes! Whatever your fitness level, you can improve it with a winter morning on cross-country skis. (Tim Jones photo)

Of course Jackson XC offers a whole lot more than just flat and easy green circles across golf courses and through the woods along rivers. They’ve got groomed black diamonds like the 12 kilometer Hall Trail and the East Pasture Trail (near the Black Mountain Cabin) and the Wildcat valley Trail that are going to be a challenge for anyone on backcountry gear. Then there are the steep, twisty, ungroomed black diamonds such as the Black Mountain Cabin Trail and the Doublehead Ski Trail that are probably better tackled on Tele or AT gear with skins.

When Mother Nature is being uncooperative, Jackson XC almost always has something worth skiing. And when she’s being generous, this is a playground you could explore for a week without even beginning to see all of it.

Resort Review: Black Mountain

Tim Jones — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:36:55 +0000

Twisted fun! Most of the trails at Black Mountain follow the contours of the slope, not the needs of grooming machines. That’s where the fun is! (Tim Jones photo)

Whenever I’m within site of Mount Washington in winter, it seems the wind blows hard and temperature drops. That’s OK, I don’t mind it.

Last weekend was no exception. It was brisk: near zero each morning, with winds steady in the 20s and gusting to 40 out of the north, windchill values around 25 below. Perfect weather for skiing Black Mountain (800-475-4669) in Jackson, N.H., one of my favorite hills in all of New England. You see, Black faces south, so it gets full sun on cold winter days, and it’s sheltered from the north and northwest winds that usually bring in that cold air.

Black snow! Just four days after a major January rainstorm, Black Mountain had plenty of snow on its snowmaking trails. And the “classic” double and triple chairs limit the number of skiers and snowboarders to scrape it off. (Tim Jones photo)

Actually, I’d have skied Black even if it had been warm and calm. They were celebrating their 75th birthday. It’s not often that you get to party with a ski hill that’s been in continuous operation that long . . . Besides great skiing on uncrowded slopes all day long (this despite a warm storm that had dumped two inches of rain on the slopes just four days before!), they had a wonderful Big-Band Birthday Bash with food and dancing on Saturday night. Can’t wait for their 80th!

Why do I like Black Mountain so much? Well, the first time I ever skied there, they had fresh powder that ranged from knee-to waist-deep and hardly another skier in sight to chop it up.

Then there are the many days when Black offers the sunshine and no wind. I also really enjoy the twisting, old-fashioned trails that were cut for skiers, not grooming machines. Yes, they have a couple of the obligatory open slopes, but the heart and soul of the area is the network of winding narrow trails that snake down the hill. On your first few runs at Black, you may be surprised at where you finally pop out of the woods—it’s sometimes not where you expected. Lots of resorts these days claim to have “old fashioned ski trails.” Black really does.

The Black Mountain triple makes for a relaxing ride up the hill. (Tim Jones photo)

The other attraction at Black is the old, slow lifts, both the summit double and an triple chair. I can hear some of you groaning now, but old, slow, fixed-grip lifts definitely have their place in the world. At Black there are NEVER any crowds, so you don’t need all that lift capacity. We never waited for anyone all weekend. In fact, I can’t ever remember seeing a lift line at Black.

Old lifts don’t come with high price tags and Black’s ticket prices can reflect that. The most expensive ticket you can buy at Black for the 2009/10 season is $39. That’s for an adult on a weekend or holiday! The most expensive kid ticket is $25.

Talk about old fashioned lifts! This wonderful old platter pull service the beginner’s slope at Black Mountain. Novices get mileage going up and mileage coming down! (Tim Jones photo)

When Black says they are family oriented, they aren’t kidding–the whole area slopes to a single base lodge, so you don’t have to worry about the kids ending up three mountains away, And a family of four can ski all day at Black for $99 on their weekend/Holiday special package. On weekdays, it’s $79 for a family of four . . . You don’t find prices like that at any area with detachable lifts.

Then there’s the “Quality of Life” factor from their classic double and triple chairlifts. You actually have time to relax and talk on the way up—which means your legs are ready for a real pounding when you get to the top and head down. And the snow is almost always better—especially later in the day—at areas with slower lifts that don’t put as many bodies on the slopes to scrape off the snow. At Black, instead of grooming as soon as the lifts close so the snow can “set up” overnight and last a little longer under heavy traffic, they groom just before the lifts open so the groomed trails are soft and inviting. Makes a huge difference! Try it sometime. Black’s been turning lifts for 75 years! With their family-friendly, low-key attitude, my guess is that they are going to be around for 75 more. What are you waiting for?

Skiing, Sculpting, & Socializing at Black Mountain’s 75th Anniversary!

David Shedd — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:46:20 +0000

“Windchill values today will be as low as 25 below.”

That’s not the kind of forecast that gives you warm fuzzies…in fact, it might even send a chill down your spine. Cover every square inch of skin, use handwarmers, 6 layers of clothing…and take 2 runs, then go into the lodge and warm up.

Or, go to Black Mountain in Jackson, NH.

One of Tim’s “Forgotten Favorite” ski mountains, Black has two things going for it that most areas don’t. First, it faces south…instead of the sun disappearing over the back side for most of the day, it warms you on the slopes and on the lifts. Second, it sits in the shadow of Mt. Washington…and when I say shadow, I really mean “windshadow.” The prevailing winds that come off that rockpile go around Black Mountain. On days when other ski areas are shutting their lifts down for safety reasons, it’s calm at Black. That’s a valuable thing to know…even if your ski trip is at another mountain in the Mt. Washington Valley, you may be able to save a lost day!

But on this day, Black Mountain was the intended destination. In 1935, an inventor named George Morton designed the first overhead cable lift in the country; and he just happened to live in Bartlett, right around the corner…and the rest is history. Black became perhaps the first ski area in New Hampshire, one of the first in the country, and has operated ever since. And, how can you have a 75th anniversary without a party???

And, to steal a phrase, they partied like it’s 1939. The Swingtones, a local 14 piece band that specializes in Glenn Miller-era big band had the dance floor packed. Well, except for when a group of skiers and boarders recreated a torchlight parade from Black Mountain’s history…and it was worth shivering outside to watch the lights swinging and swaying down the mountain.

Owner Andy & daughter Nicole take a break from serving to "cut a rug" (David Shedd photo)

Back inside, the party continued, with stories of Black Mountain’s history filling in gaps between food and dance. And the nature of Black was brought home by realizing that one of the owners was carving and serving the ham on the buffet…and his kids were doing the serving and cleaning up. Truly a family mountain, Black has been owned by two brothers, John & Andy Fichera, since 1996. They grew up skiing on the mountain, and bought it to retain its original character. John moved his family up from Massachusetts when they bought it, and basically lives and breathes the mountain; his 18 year old son is an active part of the mountain operations. Andy’s still down in MA, but obviously comes up with his family to help when he can!

And they’ve been successful in retaining the mountain’s original charm. Black is a classic old-style skiers mountain. No wide open cruisers here; the trails are narrow and twisty, winding through gnarled trees to the base area. Until you know the mountain well, you may be surprised when you come out into the open and find yourself in a totally different place than you expected! We were worried about the conditions we’d find; this was Saturday, and on Monday we’d had one of those horrible January rainstorms, dumping nearly 4 inches and melting everything in sight. Our fears were unfounded, though…virtually no boilerplate, and most of the runs a firm corduroy that took an edge easily. Even Susan, a relative beginner, had no problems, and later in the day was flying down the trails, having a total ball! This is the kind of mountain where anyone can have fun…enough steep areas, enough twisties to keep you focused, and no crowds. On a sunny Saturday, we literally didn’t wait in a lift line behind more than two groups at any time. Like the slopes, the lifts are in the wind shadow, so we had comfortable, quiet trips up…perfect for enjoying our companions.

Old style lifts, old style trails, and old fashioned fun define Black Mountain (David Shedd photo)

In an era of mega-mountains, of more trails, faster lifts, bigger terrain parks, the charm of areas like Black Mountain really hits you. There’s a totally different pace; people aren’t pushing to get into the lines (WHAT lines?) to make sure they get that one extra run in. Perhaps its because they aren’t feeling as much wallet pinch…if you manage to buy the most expensive lift ticket possible, you’re out a whole $39. Juniors, from 6-17, set you back $25…that’s weekend and holiday pricing. But keep your eyes open for deals…if you’ve got a group going up, drop them an email and see what they can do for you.

Or take advantage of the deals they’ve worked out with area lodging. We stayed at the Eagle Mountain Resort, a historic hotel that looks across at Black Mountain, and sits directly on the Jackson XC trails. An old-style “grand hotel”, it was built in 1916 and looks a bit like a pocket-sized Mt. Washington Hotel. Packages here are very affordable…their “Ski & Stay” package, which gets you a room, full breakfast, access to the fitness/spa area, and a ticket at Black or other local downhill or nordic areas, runs $124/person. There are family-friendly packages as well; you can spend a weekend skiing with your family here for less than one airfare to a Western resort!

For once, a "white elephant" is a GOOD thing! (David Shedd photo)

And then there’s the rest of the story, which is the town itself. Black Mountain and Jackson have an interwoven history, both supporting each other over the 75 years. Drive the whole 2 minutes from Black to downtown Jackson, and find a host of shops, restaurants, and activities. This year, Jackson decided to have their annual snow sculpting competition coincide with Black Mountain’s 75th anniversary…and the long partnership between the two paid off for them. That miserable rainstorm early in the week wiped out their snow for the competition, but Black came to the rescue. Their snowmaking equipment saved the day, and with the sculpting and judging moved to the ski area’s base lodge, the festive atmosphere grew. I’ve never skied down a mountain before to be faced with a white Art Deco elephant, or a giant hand holding a half eaten apple. Watching the sculptors at work was enlightening…the speed and precision of these people needs to be seen to be believed.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait another 75 years to see this repeated…but wait, just think what their 100th anniversary party will be like! In the meantime, take advantage of the warm slopes and warm family atmosphere at Black Mountain, and in Jackson as a whole.

The A List: Tim’s “Forgotten Favorite” Ski Hills

Tim Jones — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:18:01 +0000

It’s easy to see the attraction of a big, glamorous resort with a tall mountain and

The slopes and the views are beautiful at Burke Mountain in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

widely varied terrain; lots of fast lifts, snowmaking and grooming; an array of lodging and restaurant options nearby. It’s a complete package all laid out for you—sort of Disneyland in white.

But those aren’t your only option. There are also what I call the “defining mountains,” hills so iconic that if you haven’t skied or ridden them you can’t say you’ve truly sampled eastern slopes.

Then, there are lots of, for want of a better word, “local” hills sometimes near cities, sometimes near areas with lots of second homes, where families gather, kids learn to ski and ride and tear up the slopes in happy packs, adults join race leagues and challenge their friends. Great fun for all.

Lost in among all these options are what I call the “forgotten” hills. Sure, they have a following of regulars—that’s how they stay in business. And for some lucky people, these are their “local” hill. But they don’t have the cachet and all the extras of a “glam” resort, they don’t have big advertising budgets, and very few people put them on their “defining mountains” list.

I’m an adventurer and an explorer by nature. I love to see/try different places. My suggestion: at least once or twice this winter, get out and try sliding on a “forgotten” hill. You may find a gem you’ll treasure forever.

Maine:

Mount Abram (207-875-5000) in Locke Mills, Maine. A wonderful family hill with nicely balanced terrain with some serious steeps, lost in the shadow of nearby Sunday River.

Saddleback (866-918-2225) in Rangeley, Maine. Saddleback is growing rapidly, with a beautiful new base lodge, new lifts and sprouting development. Get there and explore its twisting trails before it changes completely.

Massachusetts:

Berkshire East (413-339-6617) in Charlemont, Mass. Plenty of good terrain for skiers and riders of all ability levels to enjoy for a day or two—try it when Mount Snow and Jiminy are crowded

Catamount (413-528-1262) in South Egremont, Mass. Lots of cruising terrain with a separate beginner lift and some fairly serious steeps. If you are looking for mellower, try nearby Ski Butternut (413-528-2000) in Great Barrington, Mass

New Hampshire

Driving to The Balsams in far northern New Hampshire means having your own private ski resort. Just look at the crowds on a warm, blue-sky Saturday with fresh powder.

The Balsams (800-255-0600) in Dixville Notch, N.H. Your own private ski area—miles from nowhere!

Black Mountain (800-475-4669) in Jackson, N.H. Faces south and the perfect refuge when the wind is blowing at Wildcat.

Dartmouth Skiway (603-795-2143) in Lyme Center, N.H. Friendly, fun, with two separate peaks to explore—surprisingly easy to access off I-91

Tenney Mountain (888-289-1020) in Plymouth, N.H.
Hasn’t changed much since I first skied it in 1967. Beautiful twisting trails designed for the contours of the hill, not for easy grooming.

New York

Titus Mountain looks out onto the low hills which roll away to Lake Ontario. This was taken on a weekday when we were among ony a handful of skiers and riders there to enjoy perfect conditions.

Belleayre Mountain (845-254-5600) in Highmount, New York. The quietest of the Catskill areas—a gem mid-week.

Titus Mountain (518-483-3740) in Malone, New York. Friendly mountain, great daytrip for a change of scenery from Lake Placid/Whiteface.

Vermont

Bolton Valley (1-877-9BOLTON) in Bolton, Vermont. A seriously fun and challenging hill that spawned the DesLaurier brothers of Warren Miller fame.

Bromley Mountain (800-865-4786) in Peru, Vermont. Faces south, great terrain, quiet most weekdays.

Burke Mountain (802-626-7300) in East Burke, Vermont. A Big mountain with lots of variety, gorgeous views and a beautiful base lodge

Magic Mountain (802-824-5645) in Londonderry, Vermont. This is where instructors and ski atrollers from Stratton and Okemo go to find more challenging terrain on their day off . . .

Middlebury Snow Bowl (802-388-4356) in Hancock, Vermont. This gem has terrain for everyone, isn’t crowded even on powder mornings.

Resort Review: Pick Pico!

Tim Jones — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:41:22 +0000

Pico Mountain (1-866-667-7426) in Rutland, Vermont is Killington’s often-forgotten, overlooked older (MUCH older) but still-beautiful sister. Pico’s website boasts of “Big Mountain Skiing, Small Mountain Charm”. They got that exactly right. Pico’s been around as a ski hill since 1937, and I hope it’s there forever.

Actually, if Pico were placed anywhere other than in Killington’s shadow, it would probably be famous in its own right. It’s a big mountain with 1,967 feet of vertical drop, 6 lifts including 2 high-speed quads, 214 skiable acres, a terrain park and 75% snowmaking coverage.

It was still below zero when we pulled into Pico’s parking lot on a recent Monday morning. Pico is only open Thursday through Monday, and it rocks with lots of locals on weekends, But it was almost empty on this cold Monday. The trails were all freshly groomed and in perfect shape, the sun was shining and you could see Mount Washington in New Hampshire from Pico’s summit. It was, in other words, a beautiful morning for skiing.

Pico is giant Killington's shy little sister--but she's still beautiful in her own right.

We hit the slopes flying on perfect soft, packed powder corduroy. I was on Tele gear, and was grateful that Marilyn slowed down to let me keep up with her.

Two trails on Pico, Ka and 49er, both off the summit, stand out in my mind as perfect New England ski trails. Both long, they twist and turn, roll and drop exactly the way trails should. Upper Ka is rated a black diamond, but 49er and Middle Ka are both perfect blue square intermediate trails.

I have to admit there are lots of trails on Pico I’ve not gotten to ski because conditions haven’t been right. I hear Giant Killer is savage, and that the new glades trails are excellent on a powder morning. Good excuse to go back!

More Shy Sisters

Pico isn’t the only mountain that gets overshadowed by something bigger nearby. Do yourself a favor and go exploring. These areas are always less expensive than their more famous neighbors.

In Massachusetts, Jiminy Peak is the big guy in the Berkshires, but Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, and Catamount in South Egremont, quietly offer great value, good snow and fun trails.

Everyone passes by Berkshire East in Charlemont, Mass. on their way to Mount Snow; it’s well worth a stop to explore the lovely, old-fashioned trail network.

In Vermont, Magic Mountain in Londonderry, with its marvelous steeps, and friendly Bromley Mountain in Peru, are both too close to glamorous Stratton for their own good. Ascutney in Brownsville, is sometimes forgotten because it’s too close to Okemo. Mount Ellen at Sugarbush in Warren, is a stand-alone, value-priced mountain that’s overlooked just because it’s joined at the hip to the larger, more famous Lincoln Peak. And too many people turn north off I-89’s Exit 10 for Stowe without ever turning south and then west to Bolton Valley in Bolton.

In New Hampshire, beautiful, family-friendly, old fashioned Black Mountain (800-475-4669) in Jackson, N.H. hides in the shadows of nearby and more-famous Attitash, Wildcat and Cranmore. The same can be said for Tenney Mountain (888-289-1020) in Plymouth, N.H.—everyone drives by it on their way to Waterville Valley.

Mount Abram (207-875-5000) in Locke Mills, Maine, is very near near to Sunday River–perhaps too close. It’s a perfect family mountain, very friendly with terrain to challenge anyone.

So if you are looking for great skiing and riding, look beyond the glitz and glamor of the bigger hills, you might find a shy sister that’s worth dating, maybe even settling down with.

Make-A-Wish-On-Snow!

Tim Jones — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:40:41 +0000

Thanks to the New England ski industry and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire, Brendan got his wish . . . (Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire photo)

If you are reading this, you are probably wishing for more snow. Be patient, it’s coming.

But if you are really into seeing wishes come true, check out the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions. The stated goal of Make-A-Wish is “to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.” Most of these kids need all the joy, strength and hope they can get to help them though unimaginable times.

The ties between the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the New England ski industry are deep and profound. Did you know, for example, that every current “Wisher”

So did Rosie . . . (Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire photo)

from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts receives a VIP pass which entitles them and an accompanying adult to a full day on the slopes with lift tickets, rental equipment and lessons at one of 32 different resorts across New England. That’s offered with the cooperation of Ski NH, Ski Vermont, Ski Maine, and the New England Ski Areas Council.

Ski NH adopted the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire as its official charity four seasons ago. They donate $5 from every $20 Ski NH Fifth Grade Snowsports Passport directly to Make-A-Wish. On November 19, 2009 at the Ski NH Boston Media reception, Ski NH presented the Make-A-Wish

And "wisher," Michael (Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire photo)

Foundation of New Hampshire with a check for more than $10,000 from the winter 2008-09 passport sales. Over the past three seasons, Ski NH and families of fifth graders have donated more than $20,000 in total. That kind of money makes a lot of wishes come true—and some of those wishes are for time on the slopes.

Here’s a list of the participating ski resorts. Wish them a prosperous New Year the next time you visit:

Massachusetts : Ski Blandford ,
Ski Butternut, Catamount, Jiminy Peak, Nashoba Valley, Wachusett.

Maine : Black Mountain of Maine, Lost Valley, Mt. Abram, Saddleback, Shawnee Peak.
New Hampshire: Attitash, The Balsams, Black Mountain, Cannon Mountain, Cranmore Mountain Resort, Crotched Mountain, Dartmouth Skiway, Gunstock Mountain Resort, King Pine, Loon Mountain, Mount Sunapee, Pats Peak, Ragged Mountain, Waterville Valley, Wildcat Mountain.

Vermont: Bolton Valley, Burke Mountain, Jay Peak, Magic Mountain, Mount Snow, Okemo.

Here’s The Deal!, November 22-27, 2009

Tim Jones — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:37:14 +0000

The Boston Ski Show was all about deals. Everywhere you looked had some kind of special going. We’ll be bringing you the best of these throughout the season, but here are a couple which caught my attention:

Black Mountain (800-475-4669) in Jackson, N.H. gets a family of four onto the slopes on any weekend or holiday for just $99. Weekdays its $79. That’s $25/pp for weekend/holiday lift tickets! If you’ve never skied Black, you’ve missed one of the hidden gems of new England skiing and riding. It faces south so there are no cold/windy days, the snow is usually soft and there are never any crowds. It’s where I tell my friends to ski when they are looking for low, low prices and great snow. Check it out.

Pats Peak (888-728-7732) in Henniker, N.H. is bringing back their POP (Pay One Price) Saturday nights: $39 gets you Skiing and/or Riding under the lights from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. with rentals, plus tubing, lesson tips and entertainment. It’ll start on December 26. Pats is a wonderful little mountain with some great terrain and a

Ski Butternut (413-528-2000) in Great Barrington, Mass., offers a $25 First-Timers Learn-to-Ski or Learn-to-Snowboard early season package from Dec. 4th through Dec. 22. Weekday/non-holiday lift tickets are $25 all season long.