I had a chance to continue exploring Waterville Valley on March 13, 2019. I skied a full day after making the short drive from Lincoln in plenty of time to make first chair, and did the 2-hour drive to Waltham in the afternoon.
After getting a feel for WV in December, I was very interested in skiing more of Green Peak. Also got a chance to check out the new T-bar at the summit, which opened in late February. The addition of Green Peak and a more reliable way to access the summit blues when it’s windy makes WV that much more interesting in terms of variety of terrain.
Given that it was a nice blue sky day with no wind, the seniors who are members of Silver Streak were anxious to get on the fresh corduroy. There was a line by 8:45 and at 9:00 most of the people on the first 15 chairs were seniors. Heard from the Silver Streaks' host of that their 10th Mountain Reunion Day went well. The idea is for the even to become an annual tradition.
Took a ride on Sunnyside, a slow triple (not double as I said in Post #6) that runs along the side of True Grit (double-black) and ends close to the mid-mountain lodge. Can imagine people lapping black runs off Sunnyside on a busy weekend. The blacks and double-blacks at WV are sufficiently steep to challenge advanced/expert skiers, especially if on the icy side or bumped up. I skied one of the new blacks on Green Peak, Wayne Wong Way, after watching how someone else handled the icy initial section. Made it okay but definitely made my heart race a bit since I usually avoid icy conditions.
WV has 265 acres, with snowmaking on the trails. It skis bigger in some ways. It’s possible to ski the entire 2010 ft vertical in one run, assuming the T-bar is running. It’s clear seniors and intermediates have a variety of blues to enjoy. Other terrain includes steep groomers good for racers to practice carving, terrain parks large and small, black bumps, or trees, along with miles of nordic trails. WV has a lot to offer mixed-ability groups or multi-generational families who can stay overnight on a semi-regular basis. Even offers a free kid pass for an adult who buys a full season pass. Seniors can save starting at age 65, but have to wait until 80 to ski for free.
If I lived less than three hours from Waterville Valley, I could see spending a few days there every season.
Riding up the new plastic T-bar that access three blue groomers at the summit
Double chair for green trails only