Category: New Hampshire

2012-2013 Season, December, Earned Turns, Powder Day, Tenney Mountain

Redemption in Central NH

Dusk Patrol Near Home

When I got home from Jay, I dejectedly flopped down into my chair and started flipping through trip reports. I quickly found myself at the NY Ski Blog reading Harvey’s latest post on ski touring right outside his backdoor. And the thought occurred to me that I could keep reading about other people skiing or I could head outside my own backdoor and earn some turns myself. There was only an hour and a half of daylight left but I could just barely squeeze it in.

I quickly ran through the house and gathered up my touring gear. Much to my chagrin, I later discovered that I had been too hasty in gathering my gear. While applying my skins in the howling wind, I cried out in dismay as I realized that I had the wrong pair of skins! I applied a quick fix that worked and commenced skinning on skins that were 3cm short of full width coverage and 10cm short in the tail.

(more…)

2012-2013 Season, December, Waterville Valley

Waterville Valley: WYSIWYG

Top of the High Country Chair

Despite Waterville Valley being the closest major mountain to my home, it is an area I rarely visit. My last trip to Waterville was in late November 2003. I still have yet to take the full measure of Waterville and ski all of its advanced trails. But I know enough about the mountain to know that what you see is what you get — which is why I usually travel the few extra minutes it takes to get to Cannon, where what you see is barely scratching the surface.

(more…)

2011-2012 Season, March, Mount Sunapee

Don’t Sunapee Cannon

You will have to excuse the lack of pictures in this report. It wasn’t for lack of a blue bird spring day. And it wasn’t for lack of intent. Upon arriving at Mount Sunapee, I was directed to park in distant lot three which requires taking a bus to the lodge. Since it was busy enough for a bus, I opted to boot up at the car (which I am unaccustomed to doing). Between the bus and booting up at my car, I forgot my camera in my car way back in lot three. Alas, no photographic evidence was recorded of my first and likely only visit to OkemoNH Mount Sunapee.

If you follow thesnowway.com, you may recall my particular distaste for long distance parking lots that require bus transportation. It is one reason that I don’t care for many other large scale resorts with long distance parking. I don’t mind walking. But if I am paying to ski, I prefer a short walk over a third of a mile haul with gear.

Okay, enough about the bus.

(more…)

2011-2012 Season, Bretton Woods, March

Bretton Woods: A Matter of Degrees

No Grooming on Snake

I will address the elephant in the room straight out: Bretton Woods is flat. Really flat. Bretton Woods makes Okemo seem challenging. But outside of Bretton being protractor challenged, I really enjoyed the ski area. Everyone is friendly, the base lodge is amazing, there are four high speed quads, parking is close to the lodge on level ground, and there are tons of glade options. Does the entire Bretton Woods experience make up for the lack of pitch?

(more…)