Bretton Woods – First Open for Skiing & Snowboarding

PHOTO: Opening Day at Bretton Woods.  Becca on her snowboard heads down the Range View Trail. Lots of man-made snow covers the slope to make it possible for us to go skiing and snowboarding.  Hopefully Mother Nature is going to add a lot more snow to add to the base and make it possible to open more trails. 

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

Becca and I met at Bretton Woods just after lunchtime. It was Bretton Woods’ opening day, Saturday November 16th. Bretton Woods was the first ski area to open in New Hampshire this season.
Their snow report said that the Learning Center Quad and the Zephyr High-Speed Quad would be spinning. Each lift would provide access to one trail.
We rationalized it would be good to show up later than opening bell because we wouldn’t have to be part of the frenzy of getting first tracks. Most people that start early quit by noon on the first day.
I really do like being there when the lift opens but I didn’t really have my act together to make it for the first tracks. We both spent the morning dusting off and gathering up our equipment.
The snow made a stripe down the mountain on the Range View Trail that stretched between the snow guns to the Zephyr- chair’s lift towers. Skiers and snowboarders looked like moving colored sprinkles against the white backdrop.

Inside the lodge there seemed to be more people inside than outside. Some were taking off their boots and others were putting them on.
We went to the customer service desk. The resort’s annual “Say Goodnight to Hunger” food drive offered a discount on the lift ticket price in exchange for a can of food. On the table there was a good collection of non-perishable items. Becca added our cans of chicken and corned beef hash to the pile.
Bretton Woods is now using RIF ticketing. The cards issued are reloadable on-line. Buying passes on-line early now makes it easier to get the best price. First time users are then able to get their already loaded RFID card at a Pick Up Box kiosk.
We put on our boots and headed to the lift. I noticed that over at the Learning Center Quad that a ski lesson was taking place. Impressive that some hotel guests were learning to ski on the first day of the season.

The RFID gate scanners were not set up at the lift line so a pass checker was using a
hand-scanner on our cards before we were allowed to pass through to board the lift. There was little to no lift line so we moved quickly. Before loading the Zephyr chair there was a handwritten sign that read, “Welcome to our First Day, No Beginners Terrain.” It was a good warning because the beginner terrain was at the other lift.
Becca and I both giggled with glee while we rode our first chairlift ride of the season. The temperature was almost 40 degrees at the bottom and the sky was dark with low clouds.
The snow was nice and soft and felt good under my skis. Becca really liked the conditions for snowboarding too.

The clouds hid the top of the highest mountains across the valley behind the Hotel. Nearby Mount Deception stood out looking deceptively closer than the long hike that it really is. On a clear day Bretton Woods’ vista of Mount Washington and the highest peaks in New Hampshire is very fine indeed. But this day we enjoyed the limited views of the mountains that the clouds allowed us to see just the same.
We went up the lift and down the trail, again and again, making six runs in a row. Sometimes we would stop half way down and sometimes we went straight to the bottom. I liked making quick turns in the bumps that had formed on the steep section at the top and on the other steep section near the bottom. The snow was great and our legs and bodies felt like we should take a break so we headed back into the lodge.

Feeling refreshed we headed back to the slope. There were now even less people out skiing. It was nearing the last hour. We rallied for three more runs before calling it quits. It was a great first day.
I count my blessings for any skiing in November. The following weekend Bretton Woods was still the only ski area open in New Hampshire. Check out SkiNH.com for conditions and to see what ski areas are open. As I sit here typing away the forecast is calling for a big snowstorm. I sure hope it comes true. Have Fun.