Snowvember!
New Hampshire Skiers Rejoice
Snowvember, the snowiest November we’ll long remember.
It is the best early skiing ever. We’ve had some earlier skiing a few times but nothing near the quality and quantity before Thanksgiving that I can recall. And the snow is all over New England too!
A few of the ski areas opened earlier with help from Mother Nature and man-made snow. Wildcat, Killington and Sunday River opened in October.
But this November, Snowvember, it has been the best early skiing ever. A record number of ski areas and Nordic centers were opened. Ropes dropped and trails blanketed with just natural snow were good to go. For some it was their earliest openings ever along with the greatest number of trails ready to go for their opening day.
This season Wildcat Mountain was first in New Hampshire to open their slopes. Bretton Woods and Loon opened on Friday, November 16. I think that Great Glen’s, Bretton Woods’ and the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation cross-country trails opened Friday too. The next day Cranmore’s lifts were running and Waterville Valley’s Nordic Center also opened for the season.
Since the day after Thanksgiving more ski areas opened so please check conditions with SkiNH.com for current operations.
Bretton Woods held their annual opening day food drive, “Say Goodnight to Hunger” where a lift ticket was gladly exchanged for a donation of non-perishable food. The food collected for the local food pantry was stacked near the ticket counter and at the end of the day there looked like enough food to fill the bed of a pick-up truck.
I drove in the snowstorm and arrived at Bretton Woods about 11am, an hour before I thought they were opening. At the ticket counter I contributed a few items, a couple cans of soup and tuna fish and a roll of paper towels. When I was handed a lift ticket I was told that the lifts had opened early. Oh what fun it was to snap my lift ticket zip-tie on my jacket. I hurried out to the lift.
The Zephyr high-speed quad chairlift was running and the trail below the lift, Range View was what was open. For my first few runs I shared the trail with only a handful of others. The snow continued to fall and I had to wipe my goggles off with my mittens.
The snow quality was super-duper and I had a ball skiing. By noon time a good crowd of skiers and snowboarders had arrived. There never was much of a line but the lift was running full. By two o’clock the groomers had finished grooming Crawford’s Blaze and the trail was opened. I ended my day taking a few more runs on the just opened trail and enjoyed more fresh snow.
I had to quit before closing time because I didn’t want to get my legs over-tired. I knew I had to save something for the weekend.
You can’t miss noticing that Bretton Woods’ new 8-person gondola is well on its way to being operational this winter. The new lift is right in front of the lodge. The base and summit terminals have been constructed and are ready. In the lower parking lot there are pieces of the new lift are stored. Soon the crane will finish setting the lift towers on the footings that were poured this past summer, the cable will be strung and then the gondola cars will be installed. This lift is a big deal and there are plans for a new summit building to be built next summer.
On Saturday morning the lifts opened at 9am and Charlie and I were in the lift line early enough to nab the second chair of the day. There were more people arriving to ski and more trails open with super-duper snow quality. We ran into friends and it was fun riding the lift and skiing together.
We skied for a couple hours before we went in for break. We had hot chocolate and visited with our friends in the lodge. But when our friends went back out on the slopes Charlie and I decided to head across the street to cross-country ski and make it a two event day.
The cross-country center was buzzing with people. Perimeter, Bridal Path and B&M were all groomed. This felt more amazing to have miles of trails open in November. We weren’t limited to the golf course and cart paths, we were able to head right out into the main trails. The packed powder groomed trails were the quality that we wish for all winter.
Charlie and I made a good loop up B&M, past the Cabin and down Sabois. We glided on our skate skis. People were out kicking and gliding on their classic skis too. The wintery forest scene was dreamy.
On Sunday, we did it all over again. Sunday was nicer; it had stopped snowing and the sun came out. What can I say, I wished Monday was Sunday again. I’d ski every day if I could.
I am looking forward to Snowcember and Snowuary.
Have fun.
Amy Patenaude is an avid skier/outdoor enthusiast from Henniker, N.H. Readers are welcome to send comments or suggestions to her at: amy@weirs.com.
