The sub-zero temperatures at New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain Resort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1999 might have kept some snow riders inside on a sunny day.
But for College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Elizabeth Pantazelos, the conditions were too good to pass up – two and a half feet of new snow had fallen the night before, and Pantazelos wasn’t about to turn down some great New England skiing.
‘The mountain was still open and my friend and I ended up being the only two people on the mountain, cutting fresh tracks all day long,’ she recalled of that cold day.
Pantazelos, a native New England skier, said she enjoys returning to New Hampshire’s White Mountain Region year after year.
‘I like the convenience that New Hampshire offers and I also like the dedication people have to their mountain, something that I think is atypical outside New England,’ she said.
Snowy options are everywhere on the mountains of New England, and luckily enough, Boston is close to many of them.
‘Boston is a great place to live as a skier in New England,’ said Peter Santini, a School of Management senior. ‘There’s fun in the city, but still within a few hours of just about every mountain.’
In fact, New England is home to more than 200 resorts, all of which offer varied terrain – from bumpy steeps to smooth cruisers. The facilities are, in most cases, well-maintained and offer modern lifts and lodges – the result of the economic boom of the 1990s.
And college deals abound, making it easy to try several of the many mountains.
JUST STARTING OUT?
So you don’t know who Alberto Tomba is and you don’t know what ski moguls are, let alone how to ski them. But fear not – the places to learn in and around Boston are numerous.
Blue Hills in Milton, with eight trails and four lifts, is nearest to Boston and is accessible by taking the Red Line to Mattapan and then transferring to the 716 bus, which takes you right to the hill.
Although Blue Hills is short and doesn’t offer much for terrain, it is convenient and offers the basics.
And it is cheap – weekday tickets are $25 and weekends are $33; Sunday nights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and weekday mornings cost only $15.
Nashoba Valley in Westford and Bradford in Haverhill are good alternatives to Blue Hills. Both areas offer about 200 feet of vertical large learning areas and large ski schools and instructors who are eager to get you on the snow.
‘We make a lot of snow and have a large ski school that has been teaching people for over 50 years,’ Bradford Manager Peter LeBlanc said. ‘We’re in our 55th season and are still going strong.’
The drive times to both Nashoba and Bradford are a little more than 30 minutes from Boston, and the lift prices are comparable – Nashoba charges $25 weekdays, $33 weekends. Bradford charges $22 weekdays, $30 weekends and offers a special learning center-only pass at $12.
ALREADY CRUISING?
If you can claim you’ve mastered the rope tow and the pizza wedge, eastern Massachusetts may not be your game. You’re probably ready to move on to northern New England or the Berkshires in western Massachusetts.
If you’re looking for solid intermediate terrain, check out the ‘Ski 93’ resorts in New Hampshire. Cannon, Loon, Waterville Valley and Tenney are all within two hours of Boston and offer long beginner and intermediate cruisers, as well as some world- renowned steeps.
College discounts cut the cost of skiing at Cannon and Waterville; Cannon charges $23 on weekdays, $37 on weekends; and at Waterville it is $29 on weekdays, $43 on weekends. Tenney offers unlimited skiing for $99 a season.
Loon does not offer college discounts on a daily basis, but offers a college season pass for $199. Otherwise, Loon’s prices are a wallet-breaking $49 on weekdays and $59 on holidays.
But Loon is a good value, according to CAS skier Pantazelos, if you get the season pass. She’s been in on the value since 1988.
‘I enjoy Loon because there is more varied terrain than some of the other nearby mountains,’ she said. ‘The staff is also friendly and they know a lot about the place.’
Intermediate skiers should also check out the Mount Washington Valley in eastern New Hampshire. Cranmore, Attitash, Wildcat and Black Mountain offer spectacular views, great terrain and more discounts.
Both Black and Cranmore are family-oriented with terrain for lower-level skiers, while Attitash is larger and steeper but remains a truly intermediate mountain.
Wildcat is a great choice because of a fast base-to-summit express chairlift and beautiful views – it is located across the street from Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in the Northeast. It has won countless awards for its scenery.
STEEPER AND DEEPER
If double diamond is your name and steeps are your game, New England offers all sorts of options.
In Vermont, try Stowe, Killington, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and Smugglers’ Notch. Stowe and Smugglers’ are more oriented to families, while Jay and Mad River are expert mountains. Killington is oriented to all.
‘Killington is the best,’ CAS sophomore Katy White, a native of Rutland, Vt., said. ‘It always has the most snow and tons of terrain, including lots of woods skiing. It is a great place to meet up with friends and go out after [skiing] on the mountain.’
Mad River remains relatively unchanged since its opening in 1947 and boasts the continent’s only lasting single chairlift. The ski area has almost no snowmaking and little grooming. With 2,037 feet of vertical terrain, Mad River is big, steep and all about quintessential old-time New England skiing.
Jay is known for its snow and receives, on average, 357 inches per season – a total snowfall that is higher than some ski areas in Colorado or Nevada.
‘Jay Peak is a great mountain,’ Santini said. ‘It’s the only mountain in the northwest corner of Vermont, so it gets dumped on [with snow]. On a good day, it’s like glade skiing out west – steep, deep and sweet.’
Jay’s college tickets run $30 a day and Fridays are ‘Long Trail Apres-Ski’ days, when Jay Peak Tram Ale is only $3 at the bar.
In New Hampshire, try Dartmouth College’s Skiway for great bumps and some solid steeps. College tickets are $25 for non-Dartmouth students.
Maine’s Sugarloaf is a hike, but a worthwhile trip. It offers the East’s only above tree-line skiing and a huge vertical drop of 2,820 feet.
‘I’ve had very good experiences at Sugarloaf because it has the amenities of a large mountain but it [doesn’t have] snotty [people],’ said CAS sophomore Druanne Prescott, who has been strapping skis on her feet since age four. ‘It is very cold and windy and does not get a lot of sun, but the snow is good and usually good even early and late in the season.’
If you are a true expert, pack your skis, boots and lunch and hike up Mount Washington to Tuckerman Ravine in the spring. A true favorite among New England skiers, ‘Tuck’s’ has been skied since before World War II. But be sure to check the avalanche bulletin before skiing – Tuck’s snow average can reach 55 feet deep in some spots, depending on when you go.
‘Skiing Tuckerman Ravine was simultaneously the most challenging and fun experience I have ever had,’ CAS sophomore and New York native, Mike D’Emic said. ‘It was an entirely different skiing experience than the ones I have had at resorts.’
If and when you do decide to head out on the slopes, don’t forget that Terrier Card – you won’t get a discount without it.