NH Resort Changed Package - Any Advice

[soundgarden]

I am looking for any advice on the following situation (sorry for the length):

I booked a midweek ski & stay package at a condo near Attiash and received an excellent deal for 4 nights of lodging & 3 days of skiing. However, they called me today & said that they just found out that Attitash wasn't participating in the midweek ski and stay deal with this condo anymore. :( My choices were to accept a $160 increase & buy the tickets directly from the condo or to pick from one of the following resorts & keep the original package price:

Black
Bretton Woods
Cranmore
King Pine
Shawnee Peak
Wildcat

I really enjoy skiing Attitash, so I am going to talk to the manager tomorrow & see if we can work out a deal and not pay the entire $160 increase. If that doesn't work out, I will pick one of the resorts from above so that we can keep the original package price. Out of those 6, does anyone have any favorites?

I am a green/blue (Level 4ish??) skier & my boyfriend skis blues/blacks (Level 6ish??). We have no problem driving to any of the resorts if necessary. Thanks in advance - I would love to hear any suggestions.

 

[abc]

Bretton Woods is probably the largest, well known to cater to intermediates well.

Black is tiny.

Wildcat is one I might have chosen. But my understanding it's a funky, hardcore place. Not very big but big in advance terrains... sorry, no first hand experience, YET. :(

 

[VOLKL_skiah]

I second that, Bretton Woods is probably the best choice. My impression of Shawnee, King Pine and Cranmore is from night skiing during middle school and racing during high school - so I didn't see much.
Good luck and enjoy!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Did you get any satisfaction on the issue yet? Where is this condo? You said "near" Attitash. Do you know its location? Although I agree that Bretton Woods would probably suit both your needs best, it might be more a drive than you care to make. Let's HOPE we get some snow around here (when is this trip scheduled?), but the drive from Attitash to Bretton Woods isn't a wonderful one when the roads aren't dry. It's a really beautiful drive, but it could be white knuckle under some circumstances. Just a heads up.

 

[soundgarden]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I appreciate it! After talking to the manager last night, it looks like they are not providing any concessions for people who wanted to ski at Attitash.

It sounds like Attitash isn't offering too many (if any) discounted vouchers to nearby condos & hotels. The one that we are staying at is the Seasons at Attitash around the middle of March. So it looks like we will be going to Bretton Woods instead. We are allowed to go to a different one everyday if we want, so maybe we will also try Wildcat. We are paying around $450 for 4 nights of lodging & 3 days of skiing for 2 adults, which I thought was a pretty good deal. So even if we have to drive to Bretton Woods, it's worth it, I believe, to stay at Seasons.

Thanks very much!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Really too bad that this package's parameters got changed on you. On the other hand, there's good news: you'll be traveling through some of the most wonderful (and my personal favorite!) geography in New England!! (jaw-dropping in the fall, nice any time of year)

Attitash to Bretton Woods will be via westbound Rt 302 through Crawford Notch. Fear not, these are all-weather highways and get prompt attention, although very good tires are a good thing. Have your camera out and ready for this drive. I have never skied BW, so I can't give you any further information on the skiing there, although I have heard good things (some new terrain has opened as well). Been to the resort non-winter, looks very nice.

Wildcat would also be a very good option for a day. This would be 302 east (short drive) to 16 north, through the astounding Pinkham Notch (my favorite place in all of New England). There is a long cruiser (green) called Polecat affords anyone the opportunity to be at the summit of this resort. Wildcat is somewhat more dependent on natural snow than other resorts, so check the website for conditions (url evades me, just google it). Something fun that Wildcat just initiated last summer is a "zip line/rider." DH and I did it last fall and had a blast. Wildcat hoped/planned to keep it going all winter. It's an extra cost kind of deal (not huge), but hey, if it's up and going, you're on vacation

I've also skied at Cranmore a few times and enjoyed it, but I think your better options are Bretton and Wildcat. You will be in the thick of the North Conway/Jackson region, and it hops all winter. There are great dining options, good outlet shopping if that's your thing and you have energy (I try to make/find the energy!!).

Again, I hope this isn't coming up too soon. We've taken a pretty good hit in the region from the recent weather. All will repair the damage asap - won't be as good as it was before (when it was pinch-me kind of conditions) but it will get back in shape.

I think you'll really enjoy this, especially if you've not been to this region prior. When you get back, post a trip report!

 

[soundgarden]

Thanks for the information about the drive! We will definitely bring a camera w/us. I think that we will end up splitting our time between Wildcat & BW. Hopefully mid-March will work out, weather wise. Thanks again for the tips.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Thanks for the information about the drive! We will definitely bring a camera w/us. I think that we will end up splitting our time between Wildcat & BW. Hopefully mid-March will work out, weather wise. Thanks again for the tips.

Mid-March!!

Doesn't get any better than that time of year for snow - could also be starting to warm up just a bit, but bring all your arctic gear, just in case. Wildcat's a cold mountain, being just across the road from "The Rock Pile," as we laughingly refer to Mt Washington. But there is a reason why Wildcat is regularly voted #1 in the US for scenery (no joking, it really is). Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on what's under foot with the kinds of views that hit you around every corner. While at Bretton Woods, don't forget to check out the incredible Mt Washington Hotel, built in something like 1902 and now completely restored. Will remind you of "Somewhere in Time," similar architecture to Grand Hotel.

I have also always wanted to do the Snow Cat trip up Mt Washington. The auto road is obviously closed to all but the snowcat in winter. There's just a ton to do in the region. Explore and enjoy it all, don't forget to tell us all about it