Friday December 6th was Free Day at Attitash. I had requested the day off from work before I even knew of the event. Serendipity. I planned a cheap ski weekend around the Attitash Free Day. After driving up to Attitash and skiing for free, I would crash at the Hiker’s Paradise in Gorham, NH for only $15 and then hit Cannon Mountain on Saturday to use my $20 coupon. Two days of skiing and lodging for only $35… sweet!
The Free Day and recent snowfall in Boston Metro brought the crowds. I was amazed at how many people made it up for a Friday. But free skiing is free skiing! I encountered attitude everywhere and witnessed kids acting like babies, skiing/riding with complete and total disregard for others.
Four routes were available. From the summit triple, you could take Saco (which was well covered) down to Tightrope (which was very hard pack and generally unpleasant) down to the quad. A few beginner snowplowers and boarders were sidesliping down Tightrope. Unfortunately, trail classifications definitely do not act as a deterrent!
From the quad, two options were present. Cardigan/Turkey Chute to Moat was a little scratchy and scraped in parts. There was lots of traffic and a dangerous intersection at the bottom of Moat. The other option was my favorite trail for the afternoon: Grandstand. I was a little disgusted again with the trail classification, as Grandstand should not classify as a black diamond. Natural snow was on skiers right with snowmaking whales on the left. I opted for the natural stuff on the right side edge of the trail. Small bumps built up sometimes between the twigs, then snowboards slided them off looking for jumps. Then skiers would build bumps up again, and repeat.
The beginner double double chair offered a few options down. One run was all I needed to get a feel for the area though. It is a very pleasant learning area with slow and wandering trails through the woods. These trails had the best coverage and conditions on the mountain, not surprisingly. Everything else was definitely a bit thin and scratchy.
I hit the road just before 3:00 P.M. in search of food. I found most of the pubs in the Bartlett/Glen/Intervale areas did not open until 4:00 P.M., so I opted to begin my drive through Pinkham Notch to Gorham where my bed would be for the night. I found a most charming and comfortable Pizzeria/Bar/Lounge/Ice Cream Stand/Take Out Food/Whatever called Mr. Pizza. Wowzers, what a burger! And a Tuckerman Ale to boot, I was a happy man. I hit the hay early around 7:00 P.M. dreaming of making turns at Cannon Mountain the next day.
