Sking in NH

tjf67 · Feb 3, 2009

I am going to be heading over end of March.

Will be touring in a motor home. Starting in LP heading through Vermont in NH on our way to Sugaroaf.

What hill has the best terrain? Steeps, Woods, Drops, all of the above.

Thanks

deadheadskier · Feb 3, 2009

Cannon and Wildcat will keep you entertained the most for the type of terrain you seek. Turns up on the rock pile aren't out of the question that time of year too if you're willing to earn them.

St. Bear · Feb 3, 2009

If I were travelling West to East, I would hit up Ragged, Cannon, then Wildcat.

You have a lot of options, like Black instead of Wildcat which would probably give you a few more trees but it's not as big of a mountain with smaller terrain. Loon instead of Cannon would also give you more trees but a lot more people as well. Bretton Woods is a lot bigger with more varied terrain.

If I'm just going to make one stop in NH, I would go to Wildcat. It's my personal favorite. I love the winding trails and since it's not a resort, you mostly get the hardcore skiers.

from_the_NEK · Feb 3, 2009

St. Bear said:
If I were travelling West to East, I would hit up Ragged, Cannon, then Wildcat.

You have a lot of options, like Black instead of Wildcat which would probably give you a few more trees but it's not as big of a mountain with smaller terrain. Loon instead of Cannon would also give you more trees but a lot more people as well. Bretton Woods is a lot bigger with more varied terrain.

If I'm just going to make one stop in NH, I would go to Wildcat. It's my personal favorite. I love the winding trails and since it's not a resort, you mostly get the hardcore skiers.

I assume you're coming across from Lake Placid? Ragged is far out of the way if this is so.

Although not in NH, Burke is on the way to ME and has lots of woods and a relatively steep sustained pitch. I would also recommend Cannon and (although I have never skiied there) Wildcat.

Smellytele · Feb 3, 2009

Cannon and Wildcat. Stay away from Bretton Flats and the crowds at Loon. Black is fun when it has snow.

Sven Leonson · Feb 3, 2009

We (me, wife, two boys) did a NH ski trip with an RV (22' Rialta '99) last spring break. Here are some things to consider from an RV standpoint.

There are very few camping places open and those that are are a sheet of ice. People park their rig there for the winter for snowmobiling and use a 4WD to get into the campground. This was particularly true around Littleton, NH. We spent several hours the first night there stuck in two different campgrounds. Ended up at the Walmart in Littleton. We hit Bretton Woods the next day.

That evening we went to Cannon. There seems to be an auxillary parking lot next to Cannon where we stayed at that night. (Without heat, propane ran out and my wife's contacts froze in their case!) There are supposed to be electrical hook-ups but if there are, they were under 30 ft of snow!

Next night stayed at a Walmart in Woodside (?) that is not too far from Loon (which we did the next day).

Went to North Conway after Loon. North Conway has a law (as does Gorham) that makes it illegal to park overnight at Walmart (making Wildcat difficult to hit). There is only one campground open in the National Forest there but you'll need chains to get to it (we didn't last year - we do now!!).

Can't stay overnight in Wildcat's parking lot. Apparently Forest Service folks kick you out. (We stayed at a hotel in N. Conway and hit Wildcat and Attatash).

That was our first experience with winter RVing. We are better prepared now (fixed the faulty guage on the LP tank and have chains, new tires, and traction pads.) We will be heading to Vermont for Pres. Weekend with the RV in little over a week!

tjf67 · Feb 3, 2009

Sven Leonson said:
We (me, wife, two boys) did a NH ski trip with an RV (22' Rialta '99) last spring break. Here are some things to consider from an RV standpoint.

There are very few camping places open and those that are are a sheet of ice. People park their rig there for the winter for snowmobiling and use a 4WD to get into the campground. This was particularly true around Littleton, NH. We spent several hours the first night there stuck in two different campgrounds. Ended up at the Walmart in Littleton. We hit Bretton Woods the next day.

That evening we went to Cannon. There seems to be an auxillary parking lot next to Cannon where we stayed at that night. (Without heat, propane ran out and my wife's contacts froze in their case!) There are supposed to be electrical hook-ups but if there are, they were under 30 ft of snow!

Next night stayed at a Walmart in Woodside (?) that is not too far from Loon (which we did the next day).

Went to North Conway after Loon. North Conway has a law (as does Gorham) that makes it illegal to park overnight at Walmart (making Wildcat difficult to hit). There is only one campground open in the National Forest there but you'll need chains to get to it (we didn't last year - we do now!!).

Can't stay overnight in Wildcat's parking lot. Apparently Forest Service folks kick you out. (We stayed at a hotel in N. Conway and hit Wildcat and Attatash).

That was our first experience with winter RVing. We are better prepared now (fixed the faulty guage on the LP tank and have chains, new tires, and traction pads.) We will be heading to Vermont for Pres. Weekend with the RV in little over a week!

Hey thanks for the information. Will certainly keep all of it in mind while we are traveling around.

tjf67 · Feb 3, 2009

deadheadskier said:
Cannon and Wildcat will keep you entertained the most for the type of terrain you seek. Turns up on the rock pile aren't out of the question that time of year too if you're willing to earn them.

Do tell about this rock pile you are referring to. Can you see if fronm the lifts and just boot up to them?

deadheadskier · Feb 3, 2009

tjf67 said:
Do tell about this rock pile you are referring to. Can you see if fronm the lifts and just boot up to them?

You can see it from the lifts at Wildcat, but you'll have to walk across the street to boot up to it.

Mount Washington is what I was referring to. As you probably don't venture over to these parts often, I figured I'd throw that idea out there. Having not skied it myself in a long, long, time there are obviously others here with a better take on how it skis in late March.

Now, at Cannon, the rock pile on top of Mittersill is quite visible from the slopes; the good folks in their marketing department are even kind enough to put it on the trail map as 'future expansion'. I've only skied one run down it myself and while what I took wasn't too hardcore it was a great experience. I'm sure there are other spots in there though that are more advanced.

riverc0il · Feb 3, 2009

St. Bear said:
You have a lot of options, like Black instead of Wildcat which would probably give you a few more trees but it's not as big of a mountain with smaller terrain. Loon instead of Cannon would also give you more trees but a lot more people as well.

I would say the opposite for both of those pairings. Wildcat > Black for trees and Cannon >>> Loon for trees. Not even close. Black has some nice tree shots (maybe even more actual quantity of mapped glades) but Wildcat has far more acreage and of course off map. Cannon has the highest volume of tree skiing in NH by far, not even close really.

To the original question, for steeps, woods, and drops Cannon is your best option. Though the best stuff is off the map and may require some sniffing out. Black has some really nice cliffs but is short on vertical or pitch. Nice price tag though. Loon has good groomed steeps. Wildcat offers a lot of vertical from one lift with some really nice pitches. Wildcat is excellent in the spring depending on what time in March you are going.

My recommendation is (assuming you are coming into NH from VT) go Burke (VT), Cannon, Wildcat, Saddleback (ME), Loaf. Basically, you do a Route 2 straight across NH from Burke to Saddleback. You have Sunday River as an option that way too. Your towns to stop in would include StJ (VT), Littleton (NH), Gorham (NH), and Bethel (ME). Littleton and Gorham have Wally Worlds for your parking needs unless you are planning on hitting winter camp grounds or parking in ski lots.

riverc0il · Feb 3, 2009

Sven Leonson said:
That evening we went to Cannon. There seems to be an auxillary parking lot next to Cannon where we stayed at that night. (Without heat, propane ran out and my wife's contacts froze in their case!) There are supposed to be electrical hook-ups but if there are, they were under 30 ft of snow!

Next night stayed at a Walmart in Woodside (?) that is not too far from Loon (which we did the next day).

Went to North Conway after Loon. North Conway has a law (as does Gorham) that makes it illegal to park overnight at Walmart (making Wildcat difficult to hit). There is only one campground open in the National Forest there but you'll need chains to get to it (we didn't last year - we do now!!).

Can't stay overnight in Wildcat's parking lot. Apparently Forest Service folks kick you out. (We stayed at a hotel in N. Conway and hit Wildcat and Attatash).

Interesting about the North Conway and Gorham RV Parking Laws even though Walmart encourages the activity! For Wildcat, perhaps call Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and see what their policy is. People park cars there all the time for over night trips. Not sure if they would allow RVs in the lot or car camping. Good call on the Echo Lake lot at Cannon.

My family had a RV when I was a kid and Sugarloaf had a lower lot right by the base of the lower mountain double chair where we stayed for a week in a RV and it was one of the most memorable trips of my childhood. I assume that is the end game? Seems like you just need to find a spot for the night between Cannon, Wildcat, and Maine.

Johnskiismore · Feb 3, 2009

I will recomend Cannon and Wildcat as well. The RV campground at Cannon is open year round, maybe call before you get there to find out the conditions of the sites.

Sking in NH

tjf67

New member

deadheadskier

Moderator

St. Bear

New member

from_the_NEK

Active member

Smellytele

Well-known member

Sven Leonson

New member

tjf67

New member

tjf67

New member

deadheadskier

Moderator

riverc0il

New member

riverc0il

New member

Johnskiismore

New member

Similar threads

Connect with us