Attitash

[highpeaksdrifter]

I’ve never been there, but after looking at their trail map I have a few questions I’m hoping you NH skiers will answer.

Is it easy to get back and forth between Attitash and Bear Peak?
Is it like Stowe where Mt. Mansfield has far superior terrain then Spruce Peak or like Sugarbush where both North and South have great terrain?
Is there another resort in the Northeast that you would compare it to?
Thanks, HPD

 

[riverc0il]

Is it like Stowe where Mt. Mansfield has far superior terrain then Spruce Peak or like Sugarbush where both North and South have great terrain?

you won't find much great terrain at attitash, so perhaps the answer to this question is neither :lol: only area i could possibly compare attitash to is a smaller version of sunday river. crowded, over priced, and lots of bland scraped trails. just my two cents, think most folks can take my words with a grain of salt against my well known bias though

 

[deadheadskier]

I’ve never been there, but after looking at their trail map I have a few questions I’m hoping you NH skiers will answer.

Is it easy to get back and forth between Attitash and Bear Peak?
Is it like Stowe where Mt. Mansfield has far superior terrain then Spruce Peak or like Sugarbush where both North and South have great terrain?
Is there another resort in the Northeast that you would compare it to?
Thanks, HPD

If you've skied the Birthday Bowls or Tusk, you'd probably reconsider calling Mansfield's terrain as far superior then Spruce. Indeed its better, but there is some INCREDIBLE tree skiing to be had on Spruce if you know where to go. Plus the lesser amount of skier traffic ensures powder stashes last much longer. That will probably change though this winter with the new Spruce Peak HSQ

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

[quote="deadheadskier
INCREDIBLE tree skiing to be had on Spruce if you know where to go. [/quote]

Yeah, and you know how that goes. Ask a local where the goods are and they clam right up. If I meet you there this season will you show me where they are?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

 

[awf170]

you won't find much great terrain at attitash, so perhaps the answer to this question is neither :lol: only area i could possibly compare attitash to is a smaller version of sunday river. crowded, over priced, and lots of bland scraped trails. just my two cents, think most folks can take my words with a grain of salt against my well known bias though

i agree with pretty much everything you said there... went there once and will never go again because wildcat is so much better.

 

[deadheadskier]

[quote="deadheadskier
INCREDIBLE tree skiing to be had on Spruce if you know where to go.

Yeah, and you know how that goes. Ask a local where the goods are and they clam right up. If I meet you there this season will you show me where they are?

Yeah, that's what I thought.[/quote]

I used to be somewhat protective of the stashes I know at Stowe, but no longer considering that tree skiing has become so mainstream at the mountain, its hard to miss anything. They might as well add the glades to the trail maps like Jay does, they are that obvious.

 

[Angus]

do not expect anything hairy at attitash. it is a cruising, family oriented intermediate mountain.

interestingly two friends I was with this weekend - one advanced and the other low intermediate, both were commenting how much they enjoyed the mountain - their home base is sugarloaf. Another friend who would be categorized a solid expert skier, went up there this season (when the snow was very good) and returned raving about what a good time he's had - before departure, he'd been complaining about how much the place stunk based on memories 10-15 years old.

I haven't skiied the place in 25+ years but having ridden up the mountain this summer and looking at the trail network below, it looks pretty easy to get back in forth between the two areas i.e. no skate/poling.

Hope this gets us back on subject!

 

[Vortex]

Send Kickstand a PM. He will give it a positive review.
You then can have to sides to decide from. There are connecting routes between the mountains. The flats at the bottom to get from one peak to another were alot of work. I skied here twice last year and found it ok. I also had Kickstand as a tour guide 1 day.

 

[frozencorn]

It's convenient for staying in the area. Getting from one mountain to the other is a pain if you're going from Bear to the main mountain. Some decent cruisers on the Bear side, couple good tight NE trails on the old side. They really need to improve their old triple chair which takes a good 15 minutes to get to the top. If you're at a crossroads between 16 and 302, head to Wildcat, but for those with an ASC pass, it's difficult to pass up most of the time.

 

[kickstand]

it looks pretty easy to get back in forth between the two areas i.e. no skate/poling.

Attitash regular checking in here.....

going from Bear to Attitash, make sure your triceps and deltoids are in shape. You WILL be pushing quite a bit. What I like to do is this:

from Bear to Attitash, there are 2 turns you can take. Come down Snowdancer (you can get to it from either the summit or the Abenaki quad). That will get you less poling. Once you get to Attitash, your best bet is to jump on one of the doubles, and ski down to the triple or quad. Reason for this, there are usually a ton of people gathered at the double (ski school) and skating thru is a pain. The double is slow, but there's a mid-station to unload at.

Going from Attitash to Bear isn't as bad. You basically take Northwest Passage all the way around and follow the signs. It's really easy. When you get to Bear, if you don't jump on the Abenaki quad, you are in for the most painful poling experience of your life. The people who piss and moan about Kansas at SR have seen nothing. Bearback, the catwalk between the Abenaki quad and the Bear lodge is flatter than flat, maybe even uphill in spots. If you carry a ton of speed, you might be able to make it halfway across without skating/poling. Take the quad unless you are pressed for time.

Having said all that, I prefer Wildcat.....

 

[Talisman]

Given I choice I prefer Wildcat, but Attitash can be a fun place to ski. The main draw back at Attitash is the lack of natural snow so the glades at Bear are either closed or boney. As stated above the cross over is a bit of a pain, but I think there is interesting terrain on both peaks.

The lack of natural snow, crowds and quirky trail design makes some sections of the mountain get skied off so there is the typical mix of glare ice in the center of the trail and a fun line of sugar snow moguls on the sides with many people flailing around. I have had some fun at Attitash when wind shut most of Wildcat and kept the crowds away from new snow at Attitash.

 

[thetrailboss]

I’ve never been there, but after looking at their trail map I have a few questions I’m hoping you NH skiers will answer.

Is it easy to get back and forth between Attitash and Bear Peak?
Is it like Stowe where Mt. Mansfield has far superior terrain then Spruce Peak or like Sugarbush where both North and South have great terrain?
Is there another resort in the Northeast that you would compare it to?
Thanks, HPD

Well, what do you like to ski? :-?

Attitash is a favorite to the Boston crowd and it has some real steep stuff on the main mountain.

Bear is interesting...glades aren't great, but on a good powder day I'm sure their decent.

 

[kickstand]

you're right about the glades there. The only time I've been able to ski them was after a huge dump following lots of little ones this past March. Broken Arrow has some interesting pitches to it. Barksville you can just cruise thru. The glades around the triple are a blast.

if you are looking for glades, Attitash is probably not your best choice. Bretton Woods probably holds snow in the woods better than Attitash.

There are a lot of bus trips from the north shore that park at Bear. If it weren't for them, it really isn't that bad in terms of crowds. I can think of a few much larger mountains that I have significantly less desire to be at on a Saturday.

I also factor in the weather when determining where to ski. If it is going to be very cold and windy, I'd rather go to Attitash, since Wildcat puts its lift on hold rather frequently and Attitash is closer to my fireplace.

 

[NHpowderhound]

The first time I skied Bear Peak after the expansion I thought I had been transported to a mini Jordan Bowl,SR . Very similar in its catering to cruisers. The mountain has a lower base/summit elevations than most of its competitors( 2350' (Attitash)
2050' (Bear Peak)
)so snow conditions will be affected by that(sometimes thats good). I think it skis bigger than it's 1750' (Attitash)
1450' (Bear Peak), but not by much. If you are in the area then Wildcat would be my pick for another 25 minute drive. that is if the weather is cooperating at Wildcat :wink: .
((*
*))NHPH

 

[awf170]

wow.... wildcat base: 1,950 feet attitash summit: 2,350 feet