Cannon Intel ?

[urungus]

Monday is the first day residents of Massachusetts can leave the state on a day trip and not be required to quarantine upon return. Thought I would take the opportunity to go to Cannon for the first time, since it currently seems to have the most advanced terrain open in NH. I plan on hitting the famous “front 5”. Looking for additional advice for the first timer, including:
- trails (still open) with the best view
- narrowest trails still open
- any other “signature” trails not be missed (DJs Tramline and Kinsman Glades are closed)
- recommendation on how to get over to Mittersill (eg Taft Slalom > The Saddle at the top, or Fleitman at the base, or drive over ?) and then return to the main area

 

[Smellytele]

Had some friends there today and they said it was good. They are not ones to veered off the beaten path to explore with our my coaxing.

 

[Zand]

Monday is the first day residents of Massachusetts can leave the state on a day trip and not be required to quarantine upon return. Thought I would take the opportunity to go to Cannon for the first time, since it currently seems to have the most advanced terrain open in NH. I plan on hitting the famous “front 5”. Looking for additional advice for the first timer, including:
- trails (still open) with the best view
- narrowest trails still open
- any other “signature” trails not be missed (DJs Tramline and Kinsman Glades are closed)
- recommendation on how to get over to Mittersill (eg Taft Slalom > The Saddle at the top, or Fleitman at the base, or drive over ?) and then return to the main area

Best views are Vista Way and Tramway. But any of the front 5 also have great views. I'm guessing Hardscrabble will reopen when it softens up, that's your narrowest trail on the main mountain although there's narrower stuff at Mittersill. Getting over to Mittersill is up to you. Saddle is about a 10 minute hike but provides access to woods that the lift will not. If you take the low road, Fleitmans is stupid flat so it's best to ski down to Tuckerbrook and then get speed from the top of that. Easier getting back to the main mountain unless Baron's is closed for racing, in which case the return trail is also stupid flat so just take Tuckerbrook again.

Not sure if Cannon has any truly signature trails outside Tramline and Kinsman. The three summit glades are always deep but theyre very tight woods so be prepared. The front 5 are kinda overrated, steepish but very short and wide open. But the views are great and they're fun to bomb with a short lift ride back up. Hardscrabble is excellent but probably getting thin. Mittersill is real fun if you veer off the beaten path but it's lower elevation so again coverage might be an issue on the natural stuff.

Cannon is a special place when the conditions are good (and spring is a great time).

 

[KustyTheKlown]

went to cannon today. summit glades were closed but i ducked and they skied well. fun day.

 

[Bumpsis]

Cannon in spring is a load of fun. I'm not really sure I know what is meant by "signature trails" - I suppose it means trails not to be missed, or perhaps trails that are just unique to the mountain? It depends mostly on what you like. I can tell you what I enjoy at Cannon the most: it's size. It's real hoot to just ski the whole vertical drop in one go. I love just following the natural curves of Upper Cannon, cross to the skier's left to Middle Ravine, drop at full speed into Turnpike and bomb your way all the way down to the Peabody lift.
Get back to the top and repeat but this time stay to skier's right and make your way to Bypass, Extension and finally drop into Avalanche to the bottom of the Zoomer lift.
I find the "Front 5" to be a marketing gimmick that is trying to emulate Stowe's Front 4. Unlike those, the Front 5 are short and not all that steep. When moguled up, it's fun work, but otherwise, they are just short, wide, regular east coast blue runs. Nothing special. But if taken as part of the run from the top of the mountain, something that you'll feel in your legs if you take it non-stop.

 

[urungus]

Thanks for the advice everyone, looking forward to heading up there tomorrow. Any thoughts on what time of day is best for upper mountain vs front 5 vs Mittersill ?

 

[snoseek]

Start on the front five as it gets the morning sun. Then lap main mountain. If it gets busy head over to mittersill during the rush.

 

[snoseek]

And yeah the next couple gonna be good!

 

[urungus]

Seems the Peabody Express is down, anyone have any info ?

Trails & Lifts - Cannon Mountain

www.cannonmt.com

 

[Janimal444]

Seems the Peabody Express is down, anyone have any info ?

Trails & Lifts - Cannon Mountain

www.cannonmt.com

Was down for about an hour yesterday with mechanical issues but they had it back up
And running at the end of the day. Not great terrain under the Peabody lift IMO but you do need it to access the summit (with the tram not running this season).

 

[Zand]

How was it today?

 

[snoseek]

really really fun day out there!

 

[urungus]

Beautiful bluebird day of spring skiing.

Went in the order suggested by @snoseek

Peabody was ski on all day and moved briskly. Summit lift wait never got more than 5 deep x 4 lines

Front 5 - Did them all except Gary. Wonderful views of Echo Lake, not as steep as I’d heard, maybe it was the soft spring “hero snow”. And only 630 feet of vertical, so as previously mentioned can’t be seriously compared to the Stowe Front 4. Trails themselves are wider than I like. Also did the Zoomer Liftline which was bumped up and showing a lot of dirt. Great coverage everywhere else.

Did a few TTB runs down Cannon, Ravine, Upper & Lower Hardscrabble (Middle Hardscrabble closed). Nice to get 2000 feet of vertical after a whole season confined in Massachusetts.

Upper Mountain - upper mountain was quite firm whole time I was there. Incredible views of Mount Lafayette from Vista Way. Kingsman and DJs were roped off. Again most trails a bit too wide and smoothed out for my liking and didn’t seem all that steep. Did not find a lot of bumps at the top. A lot of interesting looking glades, they were all closed while I was there but many opened later in the day after I had left for Mittersill.

No worries because Mittersill was my favorite part of the day. Totally empty over there and great twisty trails, narrow rocky Liftline, and to my surprise Cannonball (my favorite) was not roped off even though it was listed as closed in the trail report. Lots of interesting nooks and crannies I look forward to exploring on future visits. Mittersill Double pretty slow, always seems to be the case at my favorite places, you can watch the racing slope T-bar rocketing past you. I read about how they widened some of the trails at Mittersill when it got absorbed into Cannon, that’s unfortunate. Also drove around the Alpine Resort, love the old school buildings.

Thanks for the advice everybody. Will post pictures later.

 

[Smellytele]

Usua

Beautiful bluebird day of spring skiing.

Went in the order suggested by @snoseek

Peabody was ski on all day and moved briskly. Summit lift wait never got more than 5 deep x 4 lines

Front 5 - Did them all except Gary. Wonderful views of Echo Lake, not as steep as I’d heard, maybe it was the soft spring “hero snow”. And only 630 feet of vertical, so as previously mentioned can’t be seriously compared to the Stowe Front 4. Trails themselves are wider than I like. Also did the Zoomer Liftline which was bumped up and showing a lot of dirt. Great coverage everywhere else.

Did a few TTB runs down Cannon, Ravine, Hardscrabble (Middle Hardscrabble closed). Nice to get 2000 feet of vertical after a whole season confined in Massachusetts.

Upper Mountain - upper mountain was quite firm whole time I was there. Incredible views of Mount Lafayette from Vista Way. Kingsman and DJs were roped off. Again most trails a bit too wide and smoothed out for my liking and didn’t seem all that steep. Did not find a lot of bumps. A lot of interesting looking glades, they were all closed while I was there but many opened later in the day after I had left for Mittersill.

No worries because Mittersill was my favorite part of the day. Totally empty over there and great twisty trails, narrow rocky Liftline, and to my surprise Cannonball (my favorite) was not roped off even though it was listed as closed in the trail report. Lots of interesting nooks and crannies I look forward to exploring on future visits. Mittersill Double pretty slow, always seems to be the case at my favorite places, you can watch the racing slope T-bar rocketing past you. I read about how they widened some of the trails at Mittersill when it got absorbed into Cannon, that’s unfortunate. Also drove around the Alpine Resort, love the old school buildings.

Thanks for the advice everybody. Will post pictures later.

usually there are bumps on the edges of the front five trails and right under the zoomer chair.
Soft snow does tame the front five.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i wouldnt say they are tamed by soft snow. they don't need to be tamed in the first place. they are short, not so steep, and not worthy of very much acclaim. fine when combined with a proper run from the top, too short to stand on their own as terrain.

 

[snoseek]

It's great warm up lap terrain. The front 5 isnt the hard stuff at cannon. Avalanche and paulis are steep but tame.

 

[Zand]

i wouldnt say they are tamed by soft snow. they don't need to be tamed in the first place. they are short, not so steep, and not worthy of very much acclaim. fine when combined with a proper run from the top, too short to stand on their own as terrain.

I think people expect too much with the "front 5" name. They are what they are...600 vert decent pitch wide open trails to bomb down that look cool from the highway.

 

[snoseek]

The bypass trail that takes you there direct is far more scary lol.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

the only stuff at cannon i would qualify as 'scary' at all are dj's, kinsman, and wicked haahd

 

[Zand]

The bypass trail that takes you there direct is far more scary lol.

Outside of soft spring days, that trail is perhaps the shittiest windblown trail in the east or at least top 5.