Attitash Bear Peak - 12/18/05 to 12/19/05

[Marc]

Date(s) Skied: December 18 - December 19, 2005

Resort or Ski Area: Attitash Bear Peak

Conditions: Groomed, Packed Powder

Trip Report:

We left Woodstock early Sunday morning and arrived at the Attitash lodge at around 9:30 am. We booted up and rode the HSQ to half way up. The lifts that cross each other was pretty wierd (first time I've been there).

Our first run was fine, nothing exciting to speak of. We then rode the FG triple to the summit and saw a bump trail over on Bear, so we headed over there. The snow was nice over there, they were probably 50% open. The bump trail was Myth Maker, a diamond. I was a little apprehensive and it kicked my ass at first, but I began to remember all the good AZ advice and I started doing fairly well. The moguls were soft snow and the scraped off in between was the strange Franken-snow, normally annoying, but between the bumps it was good because it was easy to get an edge and keep my speed under check.

We stayed at the hostel in the basement of the Cranmore Lodge. It wasn't bad, $25 a night including a damn good breakfast, but the actual hostel was kind of a dump, especially compared with the Trojan Horse Lodge, in Ludlow, that we've stayed at several times. Sleeping bags are allowed at the Cranmore Lodge. Stayed with some ice climbers from Ohio, pretty nice folks.

The second day was like the first, absolutely no one there. We didn't wait in a line once the whole time we were there. We skied the bump run again basically the whole day, but road the HSQ from the Bear Lodge instead because there was a decent groomed headwall (short, but fun) on Kachina Falls. All in all, not bad, it skis pretty small but neither of us are experts like others on this forum. I was thrilled to further improve my bump skiing, and on a diamond no less. It was a fairly steep trail.

We will definetly be going back later in the season when the glades are open. They have quite a few there, and they looked pretty good from the lifts. Nothing insanely challenging but about right for me. Skiing with good form made me realize how much I want new skis, however, my Rossy's are pretty dead. Well anyway, all in all a very good two day trip. Hopefully will make it up to Killington later this week while I'm on vacation.

[Bob R]

Mid week reports nice. Enjoy the vacation and pop back. Did you ever make it to Sunday River?

[kickstand]

Originally Posted by Marc

We will definetly be going back later in the season when the glades are open. They have quite a few there, and they looked pretty good from the lifts. Nothing insanely challenging but about right for me.

the glades at Attitash are nothing to write home about. Barksville - under the Abenaki Quad on Bear - is very, very wide open. Not even sure it should be a diamond. I think Squeeze Play at Killington - a blue - is tighter than Barksville. For some reason, it doesn't hold snow well. Might be because too much sun gets in there. Fever Trees - right of the Abenaki up higher - is tighter than it looks. Broken Arrow - off Wandering Skis - is nice. Those other ones mixed in the beginner area - around the Kachina Triple - are decent. One of them has a weird fall line. Interesting to ski that one.

I rarely see the glades open there. Granted, they sit pretty low in the valley, so they don't get the snow of a Wildcat or Bretton Woods. Like you said, though, you aren't looking for anything too challenging, but the big challenge is finding them open.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Bob R

Mid week reports nice. Enjoy the vacation and pop back. Did you ever make it to Sunday River?

Unfortunatley, no. It was cut down to a two day trip instead of a three so we just stayed at Attitash. Oh well, next time. And thanks, I am enjoying the vacation a great deal.


Thanks for the tips, kickstand. Looks like they will need a fair bit more snow for some the glades there, whichever ones are under the FG quad. They looked like they were a bit lazy with the brush trimming this summer.



Also on Sunday, you could see Washington crystal clear from N. Conway and from on the mountain. Cinder cone and all, it was gorgeous. The view from the tops of the two mountains of the Bartlett valley are also quite stunning.

[kickstand]

Originally Posted by Marc

Thanks for the tips, kickstand. Looks like they will need a fair bit more snow for some the glades there, whichever ones are under the FG quad. They looked like they were a bit lazy with the brush trimming this summer.

FG Quad? I'm assuming you mean the Abenaki, since that's the only one surrounded by glades. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't do any maintenance. Like I said, those things are hardly ever open. No need to maintain them if you can't even use them.

[thetrailboss]

Next time...make the drive to the 'River. Much bigger and better place the Attitash IMHO. But hell, skiing midweek almost anywhere is money! And guess who will be on the slopes tomorrow and Friday??? ONE more final today and that's it!!!