New Hampshire Skiing |
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Ski Resort Photos and Reviews
Ski Resort Official Web Sites and Comparison Chart Orginized Tours, Clubs, Discount Lift Tickets Ski Shops, Rentals, Demos, Tune-up, Expo |
New Hampshire is the destination of most of our family ski trips. This skiing site reflects our NH skiing experience and contains photo galleries of some of the ski resorts of New Hampshire. I also wrote reviews of the New Hampshire ski resort we visit most often. Please see the links to the photo/review pages below.
New Hampshire is the center of New England's snow country that extends from Vermont to Maine. New Hamphire is the home of White Mountains. White Mountains serve as an excellent ground for numerous ski resort in the state of New Hampshire. The highest point of White Mountains is Mount Washinton - 6,288 feet. It is the highest point of the US Northeast and is notoriously known for its worst weather in the world. See my pictures of Mount Washington and other New Hampshire scenery. All New Hampshire ski resorts are small but the vertical drop for a few of them is a little bit more than 2000 feet, which is not bad at all given that you usally can drop these 2000 feet or so in a single run. Consider also that most of the resorts there have hi-speed quads. Due to their size, New Hampshire resorts are suited best for shorter skiing trips. I am not sure what adjective to apply to the ski resorts of New Hampshire - I like them. They are close to my home, and thus, accessible on a weekend trip. Because I am not alone in this category, these resorts could be quite crowded, especially on weekends, especially when the weather is nice. Interstate Highway 93 is a major artery via which skiers travel to New Hampshire ski resorts, and it can be crowded too because of travelling skiers - of course. The weather in the region is a special topic. It is one of the most popular conversational topics among locals. It constantly changes throughout the winter from snow to rain, to freezing cold, to beautiful sunny skies. Due to this kind of weather, please expect icy conditions on the slopes. The good thing about these conditions is that if you can ski in New England, you can ski anywhere. Think of New Hampshire's native Bode Miller and read his message to visitors of this site. |
Ski Resort Photos and Reviews
| Waterville Valley Review and Photos |
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Waterville Valley official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loon Review and Photos |
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Loon Mountain official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mount Sunapee Review and Photos |
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Mount Sunapee official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attitash Review and Photos |
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Attitash official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wildcat Review and Photos |
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Wildcat Mountain official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bretton Woods Photos |
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Bretton Woods official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cannon Photos |
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Cannon official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cranmore Photos |
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Cranmore official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gunstock Photos |
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Gunstock official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crotched Mountain Review and Photos |
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Crotched Mountain official web site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Major Ski Resorts
New Hampshire map showing ski resorts
Holiday dates vary by year. They are days between Christmas and New Year,
Martin Luther King Day weekend, the week of President's Day.
Orginized Tours, Clubs, Discount Lift Tickets Ski Market orginizes one-day skiing tours from many of their locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York. To see the schedule, locations, contact info, etc., click on 'Bus Trips' on their front page. Note that the prices of these tours are very close lift ticket prices because they enjoy group rates for lift tickets. The total cost is comparable with the cost of a trip by car.
Some other skiing bus tours:
Of course, ski clubs organize ski tours.
Check out events run by ski clubs in the region:
Discount lift tickets? Well ... if you know of a good deal, please drop me email because I would like to know too. First, check ski resort web sites. As far as weekends are concerned, not much one can find on the web sites. But for someone who is more flexible and can ski in the middle of a week, there could be quite good deals. Second, some bigger local companies offer discount lift tickets. It does not hurt to check with HR. Third, discount coupons appear in local newspapers. Again, nothing breathtaking but still. Fourth, early season is the best time to shop for discount tickets. Cheap Skiing Guide publishes info about discounts including lift tickets. SkiCoupons.com is an online discount coupon site. Check out 'Mt. Washington Valley-White Mountains New Hampshire' and 'Southern New Hampshire' links on their page. Two more sites with discount lift tickets are: Liftopia and C & B Sports. Ride & Ski New England offers a value card that makes one eligible for discounts and many New Hampshire resorts. Check for details on their web site. SkiNH.com offers a variety of discount ticket packages. Fill gas at Mobil stations and get a discount on lift tickets: SKI-3 (check their list of participating resorts). Instruction, Racing Ski lessons for all ability levels and all ages are available at all resorts listed above on this page. The beginner groups may be big but if you seek lessons at an intermediate level, there is a good chance that there will be only two of you or you may even end up being privately coached after purchasing a group lesson. I never tried myself but judging by my son's experience with these lessons, it works much better when I coach him despite the fact that I am not a pro. He liked some of these lessons though, and they definitely contributed to his skiing skiils.
Many ski resorts also offer seasonal programs
for both adults and children. I never tried them myself but assume that
these programs are more serious and focus on performance.
Some ski clubs offer ski training including racing. See the list above.
NASTAR, which is a recreational ski race program, conducts plenty of competitions at New Hampshire ski resorts. Please check their web site for schedules. NADS is another racing program open to public. Its focus is on downhill racing. Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge is yet another racing program.
Some online skiing lessons are also available:
Ski Shops, Rentals, Demos, Tune-up, Expo
I personally dealt with these two shops:
Spring is the best time for sales on last year equipment. Joe Jones Ski and Snowboard has tent sales in summer. Ski Market has a traditional sale on the Columbus day weekend, and this sale applies to models of the next season.
There is ski equipment for rent at all the ski resorts listed on this page.
Of course, it is more convenient to rent directly at the place where
you ski. Although, one can find better deals elsewhere.
Look for small rental shops 10-15 miles from a resort. They undoubtedly
offer better deals. They normally do not charge for an extra day
if you rent late in the afternoon.
Here is one of such rental shops:
Most of the ski resorts have demo centers as well. Usually, these demo centers specialize in a few brands. It is worth checking ski resort web site to see what they offer for demoing if you are interested in demoing a particlular ski model. If you do not find the model you want on their list, then The Great American Ski Renting Company might have a nearby location. They offer a good choice of brands and models. Some shops tune up skis overnight whereas others may ask you to leave skis for a week. When in rush, it is better to call and check before bringing your skis. Since we have not the best snow on earth but the best ice on earth in New Hampshire as well as in the entire Northeast, sharpening is a must every season or several times in a season depending on the number of skiing days. There are yearly ski expos held in Boston, MA. They are arganized by The Boston Globe Ski & Snowboard Expo. They post the schedule of upcoming expos in advance. Usually, one can find some good deals at the expos on both equipment and ski resort packages, especially on early season packages. Please be afraid though of being trapped into a time share deal. Lodging, Dining, Apres Ski
Most ski resort hotels and condos require a two-night minimum stay
during the skiing season if you try to book the Saturday night.
This often forces me to look for lodging at distance of
20-30 minites to the resorts. By the way, staying at a place
half an hour away from a resort usually cuts the rate in half.
Speaking of really good deals, the best time is right before Christmas.
Skiing is usualy reasonable at that time, and the rates are low
because everybody is shopping. Here are a few useful links
for researching lodging options:
I am not a specialist in the area of dining. I guess it is
very dependent on personal taste and preferences.
I have one favorite place though. It is
Wild Coyote Grill
located at Waterville Valley. Here again a usefull link
for finding restraurants:
Overall, New Hampshire ski resorts are best for families. There is no much night life around ski resorts. In my experience, the best apres ski time happens when you travel in a company of friends. Then, you are in full control of your apres ski time and not dependent on any facilities etc.
Another New England skiing destination: Sunday River
Park City
including
Tyrol Skiing
including
The title photo is a view of Mount Washington from the top of Wildcat. Copyright (c) 2004, 2008 Alexander Sakharov Need to relax? Try brain teasers. I would recommend those marked 'cool'. |
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