February-ish Trip Planning Help?

[scootertig]

We're skiing Northern Vermont over New Year's, and instead of travelling west this winter, we've decided to try New England for our week-long ski trip.

Ideally, I think that I'd like to do Saddleback, Sugarloaf, Cannon, and Wildcat over the course of a week. It would probably involve 2 "home base" setups. We'd get a place somehwere between Cannon and Wildcat for 3-4 nights, and then move over into Maine for 3-4 nights, from whence we'll ski Sugarloaf and Saddleback.

Is that a reasonable approach?

I'm excited to ski some old school places. I loved Saddleback, and from what I've read, Cannon and Wildcat will be similar in feel to that place. Sugarloaf was just so much fun last year that I don't want to miss it if I'm already that far into Maine.

Any suggestions on lodging options for either base? We'd prefer cheaper over more expensive, and amenities are not all that important (basic motel-level living is fine, as long as we're near food (or can make our own) and can take a hot shower at the end of the day). This is a "ski trip" not a "vacation," so the priority is getting to the hill for first chair, and skiing until last chair. We won't need alternate activities to entertain us, and we will have a car.

As far as when we're planning to go, we haven't really decided yet. My girlfriend and I can get pretty much any week off, but one of the guys that normally travels with us is a school teacher in Maine, so doing this the week of Maine's February vacation is good from his point of view. Is that going to be suicide in terms of crowds at the hills? Are the New England schools on the same schedules (so 'vacation week' is the same in VT, NH, MA, and ME), or are there multiple 'vacation weeks' in February? If we need to, we can go without him and he'll join us for a day or two (he may be "feeling sick")...



aaron

 

[crank]

My son and I often take ski safaris around the northeast staying most nights in cheapish motels with the occasional luxury or slopeside lodging splurge thrown in. We live in CT and he has the week of President's day off school. Season before last we went to Saddleback and Sugarloaf for part of the week. Maine had it off too... so did NY and MA and... Saddleback was crowded for Saddleback which is not. Sugarloaf was mobbed. We drove from Maine up to Mont Ste. Anne, then hit Jay Peak on the way home. Ste Anne was not crowded at all. Jay Peak was pretty full.

I think you should look into not going during that week. Check some of the mountains ticket and lodging deals they always have holiday rates during the President's week break so not only is it packed, everything is full price. Tell teach to get powder fever and call in sick.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

If you want to go cheap then Gorham, NH is a good bet. Littleton maybe not so much -- Gorham's next to Wildcat (and only 1/2 hour from Sunday River) while Littleton's next to Cannon. If you want to be really close to Cannon for cheap but don't need the Ritz check out Parker's Motel in Lincoln. I beat both towns' lodging options, what I know of 'em, to death in this post last year. Twin Mountain, NH is probably closest to being between both areas, but someone else will have to tell you what the lodging situation is there.

The only place I've stayed when going to Sugarloaf is the White Wolf Inn in Stratton, Me. Not too far from the mountain, clean, cheap. This is what their website says: "This is not a "Martha Stewart" style inn. This is the White Wolf Inn. All rooms have indoor plumbing, clean sheets, towels, cable TV and heat."

Yes, they advertise that their rooms have heat.

Seriously, it's a fine place and when heading up there I don't even bother looking anywhere else. And hopefully they're honoring their "stay two nights midweek get the third free" deal this winter. Never done the drive to Saddleback but Google suggests it's about a 53 minute drive. 15-20 mins to tha Loaf.

 

[riverc0il]

There are different Feb vacation weeks. I am pretty sure VT and NH are not the same as MA. VT and NH weeks are better bets... avoid MA vacation week if you can.

You are picking ski areas pretty spread out so it would be difficult to pick a "home base" for that stretch. East-west travel in Northern New England sucks balls to say the least. Cannon and Wildcat are an hour apart and Saddleback at least another 1.5 hours (maybe two?) from Gorham and Sugarloaf still further than that. I would recommend clustering closer together. Saddleback and Sugarloaf make sense to do together. Cannon and Burke or Cannon and Wildcat make sense together. If you base in Gorham, you can also tag Black as an option as well. Basing in Twin Mountain and tagging Burke, Cannon, and Wildcat would probably make for a good week.

Or how about this. Parkers in Lincoln for Cannon. Then an hour driver over to Wildcat then head over to Rangely and base their for Saddleback and the Loaf. Or reverse that with a stay over in Gorham on the Wildcat night so you have the least amount of driving on the way back home? Still a crap ton of driving to hit multiple areas. At the very least, you picked the best mountains that the Whites have to offer

 

[Johnskiismore]

There are different Feb vacation weeks. I am pretty sure VT and NH are not the same as MA. VT and NH weeks are better bets... avoid MA vacation week if you can.

You are picking ski areas pretty spread out so it would be difficult to pick a "home base" for that stretch. East-west travel in Northern New England sucks balls to say the least. Cannon and Wildcat are an hour apart and Saddleback at least another 1.5 hours (maybe two?) from Gorham and Sugarloaf still further than that. I would recommend clustering closer together. Saddleback and Sugarloaf make sense to do together. Cannon and Burke or Cannon and Wildcat make sense together. If you base in Gorham, you can also tag Black as an option as well. Basing in Twin Mountain and tagging Burke, Cannon, and Wildcat would probably make for a good week.

Or how about this. Parkers in Lincoln for Cannon. Then an hour driver over to Wildcat then head over to Rangely and base their for Saddleback and the Loaf. Or reverse that with a stay over in Gorham on the Wildcat night so you have the least amount of driving on the way back home? Still a crap ton of driving to hit multiple areas. At the very least, you picked the best mountains that the Whites have to offer

NH vacation week is the last week is the last week of February, starting on the 21st. We'll go to Sugarloaf for a few days during this time and the crowds are minimal for a vacation week.

 

[Johnskiismore]

And I didn't mean to quote riverCoil, it was meant for the original poster!

 

[Mildcat]

A couple people have mentioned Parkers already, I've never stayed there but have only heard good things about them. Another option in that area is The Riverview Motel. Right up the street from Parkers next to Clarkes Trading Post. Stayed there last winter, $39 weekdays, clean, fridge and microwave.

Gorham is a good choice too. I had a bad experience at the Gorham Motor Inn though. I'll never go back there even if it is cheap.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Gorham is a good choice too. I had a bad experience at the Gorham Motor Inn though. I'll never go back there even if it is cheap.

I splurged the past couple of years and stayed at the Town and Country. Always top-notch. Ran a random Feb night (the 24th) thru their reservation engine just now and it came back with a "Stay and Save" rate (whatever that is) of $58.80/night for a queen bed, $62 for 2 doubles. The rooms are big. Well worth it, and cheaper than the Joe Dodge Lodge(!) Travelocity is showing the same rate so I guess it's a good one.

I've also stayed @ the Mt. Madison Motel. Clean for a roadside motel, but this was 5 years, 4 years and 3 years ago. Okay, would stay again if T&C was full, but the quality difference is pretty pronounced so unless the Mt. Madison is offering really low prices I go for the T&C.

Never stayed @ the Gorham MI -- what happened to you there?

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Oh, and scootertig, if you run out of resources for cheap tix before you go, see if the local motels are selling discount tickets. Usually not a fantastic discount, but less than full-fare, anyway. I've definitely picked 'em up @ Parker's for Cannon before.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Never stayed @ the Gorham MI -- what happened to you there?

Never mind, I found this thread. Eeesh.

 

[Mildcat]

Never mind, I found this thread. Eeesh.

That's not the worst part. The room was so scuzzy I ended up shooting over to Walmart to buy a blanket and travel pillow to sleep on. I'm not picky but when the bed spread has nasty looking stains that's where I draw the line. uke:

 

[scootertig]

I'll bump this to ask a few more questions, now that some of the trip planning is coming along.

We're trying to decide between skiing before the NH and ME Feb vacation weeks, or after them. That will leave us skiing either the week of 2/8, or the week of 3/1.

Given that it's impossible to predict conditions this far out, etc, is either week a more likely better choice? Or in a typical year, will they be more or less equal? I'm thinking Feb could be a lot colder, but then again, my April trip to Sugarloaf last year was the coldest skiing I'd done all season, so it can be a crap shoot.

We definitely want to avoid those vacation weeks, though...

Also - does anyone have a suggestion of someplace to stay on the cheap for a few nights that will be roughly equidistant from Cannon and Wildcat, and ideally, less than an hour from either of them? Cabins or the like are OK, divey motels are fine, too. I'd like to keep it to less than $80 or so, if possible.

Thanks!

aaron

 

[deadheadskier]

If I had to pick one week for a ski trip in Northern New England, it would most definitely be the first week of March. Historically, I find that week to be the best week of the season with the deepest base depths and most natural snow.

As to answer your question concerning lodging, I'm not sure of a specific property, but the town of Twin Mountain would be the most logical choice for equidistant, being somewhat closer to Cannon. I just spent the night at the Cannon Mountain View in Franconia, which markets itself as the closest motel to Cannon and they'll charge $75 mid week and $85 on weekend. It was pretty divey, but had a fridge and micro wave and a cool pub with decent eats and cheap drinks.

 

[riverc0il]

I have driven past the Cannon Mountain View in and can not believe they charge $75 mid-week Parkers is south of the notch and very cheap though obviously will not split the distance. Twin Mountain has several options but I have never stayed over in Twin Mountain and can provide no guidance. Lots of cheap options in Gorham as well. You might just want to pick either a cheap place in Gorham or Parkers if you are looking for the cheapest lodging possible. It means a longer drive when you go to the other mountain but you are going to be doing the same amount of driving no matter how you slice it traveling between two different mountains.

Regarding your options for when to go... first week in March trumps first week in February for odds of having the most terrain open and best base depths. Anything can happen with the weather so you can't plan around that. But you can definitely play the odds that you generally will have a lot more terrain open early March than early February pending no recent rain/freeze events rolled through. Which you can't control any ways. So go with the odds during first week of March. Four or five winters ago, we were skiing groomers only right into February whereas that almost never happens (weather events excepted) by the first week in March.

 

[deadheadskier]

. Four or five winters ago, we were skiing groomers only right into February whereas that almost never happens (weather events excepted) by the first week in March.

heck two years ago outside of some early season action in Northern VT, we didn't really see anything until Valentine's Day

 

[riverc0il]

heck two years ago outside of some early season action in Northern VT, we didn't really see anything until Valentine's Day

I wouldn't know anything about that :lol: Actually, in all honesty, even in NoVT it was a tough three weeks with no powder days.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

I have driven past the Cannon Mountain View...

<Rest of post snipped, because no point rehashing the truth.>

What riverc0il said, all around. Tell us if you find a good place in Twin Mountain, as it's a town I've always wanted to check out more.

And yeah, if the past couple (three?) years are any indication, early March seems like a better bet.

Have Fun!