Where To Find Winter Fun

PHOTO: Now is a good time to learn! Fun on Pats Peak’s beginner area where skiers and snowboarders take their first lessons on its protected gentle slope serviced by a carpet lift. Find out more about Learn to Ski or Ride deals at SkiNH.com click Learn.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

With a little help from Mother Nature and the super duper snowmakers the skiing and snowboarding has been going strong this winter. Thankfully there has been enough snow that the Nordic Centers have been able to groom and open their trails too.
Getting outside this winter with family and friends is as popular as ever. Yes some things are different–face coverings, making reservations and getting dressed and ready to go right from your car to the slopes. But, with a little planning it works and it feels great!
I have been getting out as much as I can and it is fabulous to see children having fun in their ski school lessons. I share the young high school racers’ excitement as I watched them bash through the gates practicing for their upcoming races. I am racing on Monday nights at Pats Peak in the adult racing league, aka beer league. Life on the slopes feels good.
Capacity limitations are in place for using the lodges and limited ticket sales to reduce lines and avoid crowding are common. Buying your tickets well in advance on-line is the way to go and for most places it is required. If tickets are available you may be able to purchase them the ‘day of’, especially during weekdays when they are less likely to be sold out.
Many of the deals and discounts locals have been loving over the years have gone away this season. It is understandable with resorts being forced to sell much fewer day tickets to abide by social distancing rules. There are some good values out there if you look for them.
Please remember all lift tickets and packages must be purchased in advance and on-line!

**Waterville Valley Resort is offering 2 For 1 Tuesdays, two lift tickets for the price of one ($102 total) and along with it they are offering the option of a lodging deal partnered with the Silver Fox
Inn & Town Square stay Monday night and get Tuesday night for free. Discount code is “Two4Tues.”

**Pats Peak’s popular Saturday Night POP is back, pay-one-price of $79 and it includes a 6 to 10pm lift ticket, rentals, lesson tips and snow tubing. POP now offers the option of starting earlier at 4 pm for $99 and 5 pm for $89. POP goes February Vacation weeks February 13th through the 27th.

**King Pine Ski Area has extended its operating hours and is offering weekday half-day tickets(1:30-6pm) for $39 and twilight tickets (3:30-6 pm) for $25 adults. Weekend/Holiday Twilight tickets are $29. Check prices for juniors and seniors 70+ they’re even less.

**Gunstock Mountain Resort’s Night Sessions deal is Tuesday-Saturday starting at 3 pm (which means that from 3 to 4pm you can ride the Panorama lift to the summit) ending at 8 pm on weekdays and on weekends until 9pm. Weekday tickets are $44 and weekend $56, youth tickets, ages 6-22 years, are $36 & $44 respectively.

**Mount Sunapee Resort has a Wednesday special through February 10th for everyone, tickets are just $43 with a 7-day advance purchase and otherwise less than 7 days the price is $46.

**Mount Cranmore’s Saturday night Twilight lift ticket for all ages 4 – 8 pm is just $39. The Indy Pass is still on sale for $259 for adults and $129 for kids, includes two days of skiing at 50+ resorts. New Hampshire Indy-resorts are Pats Peak, Cannon Mountain and Black Mountain. Unfortunately Vermont has not exempted New Hampshire travelers from their quarantine rules so I don’t plan on going to Vermont this winter. That’s too bad because Magic, Jay Peak and Bolton are on the Indy Pass.

** Cannon Mountain Just recently added NH resident Deal Days for January. Purchase lift tickets for $45 on 1/20 and 1/27

New Hampshire’s cross-country ski areas have many kilometers groomed and most charge around $21 for a day pass. We joke that cross-country skis are the new toilet paper–seems like everyone is trying to buy them and have created shortages. But don’t worry Nordic Centers are still renting equipment but be sure to make reservations before you go.
I do like some of the changes that have been made this season. I like the lodges clutter free because we are dressing up in the parking lot and keeping our stuff in our cars. Those of you that have skied out West know that is what they have practiced all along. Some of the grab and go food and the Food Trucks are convenient and are time savers. Lastly why didn’t they think of putting porta potties, especially those nice heated mobile toilets, at the base of the lifts before!
I hope these changes stick around for a long time.
Have fun.