MA / NH skiing 2019-20

[liquidfeet]

.... Must admit I'm also nervous about the potential of a snowy road getting to Cannon from the south. Have driven in a blizzard on the 2-lane section of I-93 from Lincoln on a day that was clear everywhere else.....

Yes, Franconia Notch is scary in a squall or blizzard. As is Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch. They are all difficult when the snow falls. Don't drive on hwy 112 either, the Kancamagus Highway, across the state when it's snowing. No no no. So scary.

Been there, done that, at NIGHT, in Franconia Notch and on the Kanc. Definitely not recommended. A lot of snow can fall in a short amount of time and you better have good snow tires and high clearance beneath your chassis to get through it. There will be no cell phone coverage, and if you slide off the road, well, not good.

But, if you have to go through that notch to get to Cannon from wherever you're staying, then you have to go through it to get to Bretton Woods too. Last season I drove through the notch every work day, all season long, both ways, to get to and from work at BWoods from Lincoln. Never ran into snow. Lucky.

 

[BlueSkies]

I don't remember right off which are new, but Sunday River, Taos, and Alta all stand out. I'm curious to find out what the deal will be for those. I miss when Sunapee had a deal for Wachusett passholders, before it became Epic. I think Killington, Pico, and Whiteface are new too.

Killington/Pico isn't new as I've used the discount before. Last year it was a 50% dicount on any day your Wachussett pass was valid.

Yes, Franconia Notch is scary in a squall or blizzard. As is Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch. They are all difficult when the snow falls.

Also the winds through the notch can be brutal. Several years ago we had our car with a roof box trying to "catch air" coming through there during a storm.

 

[MsWax]

Everything else I totally agree with. It's good to know others here on this forum frequent the places I ski so often. Maybe, MsWax, we can take a few turns together this upcoming season.

I'd love that! I really appreciated your advice last year about getting my (then 5-year-old) to stop snowplowing. Because I was patient and didn't overterrain him, he was doing perfect parallel turns down even Zoomer and Avalanche by the end of the season.

 

[liquidfeet]

@MsWax, OH WOW! That's fantastic. Getting your 5/6 year old to do parallel turns down Avalanche is amazing.

Want to teach skiing part-time? I'm serious. There are money-saving family perks wherever you choose to teach.

 

[MsWax]

@MsWax, OH WOW! That's fantastic. Getting your 5/6 year old to do parallel turns down Avalanche is amazing.

Want to teach skiing part-time? I'm serious. There are money-saving family perks wherever you choose to teach.

Thanks, but no thanks. I work 50-ish hrs/week now, and weekends are sacred family time. Our kids would rather ski with us than be part of a development or race team, so I feel like I need to enjoy the fact they want to hang out with us while it lasts!

I definitely think this will be part of my "retirement plans," but at 39 I have a few years before that's really on my radar

 

[marzNC]

For those just finding this thread who missed the one from 2018-19 for NH/ME, here's a link. I won't be skiing in New England this season because my daughter opted to attend college in NC closer to home. I had a very good time for a few days in Dec at Sunday River with Divas and checking out places in NH last winter. Will be back eventually.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/nh-me-2018-19.22961/

 

[MissySki]

For those just finding this thread who missed the one from 2018-19 for NH/ME, here's a link. I won't be skiing in New England this season because my daughter opted to attend college in NC closer to home. I had a very good time for a few days in Dec at Sunday River with Divas and checking out places in NH last winter. Will be back eventually.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/nh-me-2018-19.22961/

Not even for Diva East?

 

[marzNC]

Not even for Diva East?

Not next spring. That's around the time my daughter has spring break for college and she only gets one week. Plus I'm too spoiled. I got an Alta Midweek pass and Ikon to cover the planned trips out west, so if it there are storms predicted for March, I haven't ruled out flying to SLC mid-March to ski Alta powder. I've flown to Boston to ski powder in New England . . . but it's not quite the same.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ny-peak-and-berkshire-east.22139/#post-361966

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...jiminy-peak-and-more.23118/page-5#post-384986

March 7, 2018 at Jiminy Peak


I flew to Boston a day earlier than planned because of the early March 2018 snowstorm. Reason for the trip was to attend my daughter's dance performance. Brought boots and poles, no skis. Also skied one morning at Tenney on the weekend.

 

[SallyCat]

Yes, Franconia Notch is scary in a squall or blizzard. As is Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch. They are all difficult when the snow falls. Don't drive on hwy 112 either, the Kancamagus Highway, across the state when it's snowing. No no no. So scary.

Been there, done that, at NIGHT, in Franconia Notch and on the Kanc. Definitely not recommended. A lot of snow can fall in a short amount of time and you better have good snow tires and high clearance beneath your chassis to get through it. There will be no cell phone coverage, and if you slide off the road, well, not good.

But, if you have to go through that notch to get to Cannon from wherever you're staying, then you have to go through it to get to Bretton Woods too. Last season I drove through the notch every work day, all season long, both ways, to get to and from work at BWoods from Lincoln. Never ran into snow. Lucky.

I live in East Haverhill, NH during the school year. I am learning my way around and have not yet spent a winter here. I have been traveling the Lincoln/Franconia area all summer with the school's outing club and have asked a lot of questions of my colleagues about winter travel. If the weather is really bad coming up 93, it sounds as though you could take a detour to Cannon by getting off at Plymouth and heading to Warren and then up to 116. There are some shortcuts so that you don't have to go as far east as 10. The 116 route is flat and I'm told it's very drive-able in the winter. It's longer, obviously, but your highway speed would be reduced in bad weather anyway, and this would be a safer and less nerve-wracking drive.

 

[liquidfeet]

I live in East Haverhill, NH during the school year. I am learning my way around and have not yet spent a winter here. I have been traveling the Lincoln/Franconia area all summer with the school's outing club and have asked a lot of questions of my colleagues about winter travel. If the weather is really bad coming up 93, it sounds as though you could take a detour to Cannon by getting off at Plymouth and heading to Warren and then up to 116. There are some shortcuts so that you don't have to go as far east as 10. The 116 route is flat and I'm told it's very drive-able in the winter. It's longer, obviously, but your highway speed would be reduced in bad weather anyway, and this would be a safer and less nerve-wracking drive.

I'd just go the normal route. I've done it tons of times. I got stuck in traffic over the years twice because of an accident in the notch gumming up the works ... and had to sit there until the accident which I couldn't see was cleared. Then there was the night squall that scared me. So... three times in 15 years of driving I had an issue in Franconia Notch. Just stay on 93 and go through the notch, unless it's night. And gt good snow tires, and keep your tank full. NH plows their roads frequently and well... they do a better job of it than MA.

You will be living behind Cannon to the west, and won't need to go through the notch to get there from East Haverhill, though... if you're skiing at Cannon. So I'm thinking it shouldn't be an issue for you.

 

[newboots]

Isn’t the Kancamagus often closed in the winter? Or am I thinking of some other stunningly beautiful, terrifying notch?

 

[liquidfeet]

Isn’t the Kancamagus often closed in the winter? Or am I thinking of some other stunningly beautiful, terrifying notch?

You are thinking of Tripoli Road, just south of 112 (the Kanc), which is closed in winter. It pulls east off 93, and leads to Waterville Valley. There is camping alongside the road in the summer months. Lost of colorful tents everywhere. Or Bear Notch Road, which pulls south off 302 near Bartlett, just west of Attitash. It eventually connects to the Kanc. It's also closed in winter.

The Kanc stays open.

 

[newboots]

I remember Tripoli Road. We skied at Waterville a couple of times year before last. My second year skiing, I think. We went there April Fools day, costumed up, and a foot of powder fell. I Could. Not. Ski.

It was epic. In its way.

 

[liquidfeet]

I feel your pain.

 

[marzNC]

Although I'm going to be in the Berkshires over Labor Day weekend for a family wedding, I won't be headed to Boston afterwards as I've been doing for a few years when my daughter was in school at the Cambridge School of Weston. Never did make to the Wachusett Labor Day Sale and festivities. Sounds like a lot of fun. Anyone going?

 

[marzNC]

Jiminy Peak doesn't have day tickets online yet but was interested to see that for season passholders, there is a new perk. JP passholders will get a free day at Bromley and Cranmore. Same rules apply as for the Mountains of Distinction, which JP has been part of for a while. College passholders can ski anytime at Bromley or Cranmore all season long.

The Zephyr pass for Sun-Fri is almost half the price of an adult unlimited season pass. I imagine the ladies I skied with bought their passes at $369 in the spring. It's equivalent to the Massanutten Special Value Pass that I'm used to, which also only limits skiing during the day on Saturdays. But the high speed lift to the summit at JP makes midweek skiing a lot of fun for those who can only stay for an hour or two.

 

[marzNC]

Now that Berkshire East and Catamount are under the same ownership, they are selling the Berkshire Summit Pass that covers both mountains. It's more obvious which two mountains on the Catamount website. There are multiple price points and deadlines on the BEast website.

"The Berkshire Summit Pass is the premier multi-mountain season pass in southern New England. All Summit Passes can be used at Catamount, located in North Egremont, MA and Berkshire East, located in Charlemont, MA. There are many options available: Unlimited, 6-day, Weekday, Night & College! "

 

[diymom]

Shopping Alert- I got an email from Ken Jones in Manchester- 10% off all weekend, and 20% off during the Pats game. The email mentioned discounts on new gear, but with some exclusions, so if there is something in particular you are interested in, best to call first.

 

[knolan12]

I was reading the commentary about Wildcat and I'm curious about the greens. Someone made a comment about the summit trail not being a pure beginner trail and I'm curious about that assessment. Is it narrow, steep, etc.? We stayed at the Glen House last year and fell in love. We were skiing at Bretton Woods and didn't realize that Wildcat was literally 2 minutes down the road when I booked. We want to go back to the Glen House and it would be nice to literally roll out of bed to go skiing, but I'm afraid Wildcat might be too advanced? I'm easily entertained and can ski the same few trails over and over again, but I like knowing what I'm getting myself into haha

 

[marzNC]

I was reading the commentary about Wildcat and I'm curious about the greens. Someone made a comment about the summit trail not being a pure beginner trail and I'm curious about that assessment. Is it narrow, steep, etc.? We stayed at the Glen House last year and fell in love. We were skiing at Bretton Woods and didn't realize that Wildcat was literally 2 minutes down the road when I booked. We want to go back to the Glen House and it would be nice to literally roll out of bed to go skiing, but I'm afraid Wildcat might be too advanced? I'm easily entertained and can ski the same few trails over and over again, but I like knowing what I'm getting myself into haha

The long green from the top of Wildcat is not that steep, however it's relatively narrow. So a pure beginner who is used to traversing across a wide, straight trail for a while before making a turn might be intimidated. In general, groomers at Wildcat get skied off fairly quickly. So after 10:30 or 11:00, all the trails can be pretty slick. That's why I spent a morning at Wildcat and then went over to Attitash on the same lift ticket in the afternoon during a ski safari last March. Nice to have Attitash as a backup if turns out to be too windy or foggy at Wildcat. Buying a ticket in advance is cheaper but you have to commit to a given date.

There are also two lower mountain lifts at Wildcat that have green and blue trails. Those greens are the more typical wide trails. Or at least wide for New England.

Would you be going up to the top solo, or with someone else? The view is quite impressive from there and all along Polecat. Definitely a long run so making stops along the way makes a lot of sense.