Ragged Mountain installing at HSQ to replace Spear this summer

[canobie#1]

I'll take raggeds terrain over attitash's any day.
More character and better maintained.

 

[EPB]

I can't wrap my head around someone liking the terrain at Ragged over Attitash and I had a pass to Ragged for a couple seasons.

This might sound ridiculous, but I keep a rank list of places I've been in the east and I actually have Ragged ahead of Waterville but a few places behind Attitash.

Sorry to derail this thread a bit by the way. Sometimes I can't help myself when I see so many other places installing high speed lifts.

 

[deadheadskier]

I enjoy Ragged more than Waterville with the exception being a warm spring day and Waterville having great bumps on True Grit.

Ragged is the single worst 1000+ vert ski area in New England for moguls. It's the #1 reason why I stopped getting a pass there. I return each winter to check and see if things have improved as well as read everyone's TRs here and it's still pretty bad. I love the "vibe" at Ragged. I love the Ravine and all the other trees, but they are pretty unreliable in Southern, NH. The groomers are okay, but not plentiful. Pinnacle will help a lot with that.

 

[Newpylong]

I'll take the terrain at Ragged any day over Attitash as well.

 

[deadheadskier]

Fair enough. Don't get it, but fair enough. Attitash trails are much longer, FAR better pitch and the vertical is way better. The only advantage I give Ragged is trees and that's really it. Well, that and lifts now.

 

[St. Bear]

If the trees are in play, Ragged can't be beat by any mid sized mountain. If the trees are not in play , it's a very boring mountain.

 

[Newpylong]

Fair enough. Don't get it, but fair enough. Attitash trails are much longer, FAR better pitch and the vertical is way better. The only advantage I give Ragged is trees and that's really it. Well, that and lifts now.

Trees at Ragged and the terrible lift system as Attitash. I hate Bear Peak so that while side is a write off for me.

 

[deadheadskier]

What don't you like about Bear Peak?

 

[xwhaler]

Ragged should be most compared to its closest competition from which they are likely going after same demographic (day trippers, possible condo buyers on mtn or in area)
Ragged, Gunstock, Sunapee

To me Sunapee has the best cruising terrain if we are sticking to groomers. Gunstock too many intersections that disrupts flow on their cruisers.
Ragged best trees and probably now best lift system to help spread crowds.

 

[sull1102]

Isn't it someday of a compliment then if we're comparing it to the big boys?

 

[Abubob]

If the trees are in play, Ragged can't be beat by any mid sized mountain. If the trees are not in play , it's a very boring mountain.

I agree with this 95%. When the ungroomed side of Showboat is skiable its a lot of fun. My beef with that is the way they've been handling the groomed side. They build of this "road" down skiers left with a berm of icy boulders blocking the best part of the fall line right down the center of the slope. Plus they block off the last section of slope directly above the ravine. I guess they're worried too many skiers would ski right into the stream. If it weren't for these foibles Showboat would be, hands down, my favorite slope there - Flying Yankee gets my nod there.

 

[Newpylong]

What don't you like about Bear Peak?

The trails are 80 feet wide and nothing holds snow worth a damn.

 

[joshua segal]

I'm not sure how this thread turned into a comparison of Attitash and Ragged, but here is my take:
Vertical: Attitash wins
Steeps: Attitash wins
Glades: Ragged wins
Proximity to metropolitan areas: Ragged wins
Availability of overnight accommodations: Attitash wins

Now EasternPowderBaby noted s/he had Attitash ahead of Ragged, but Ragged ahead of Waterville.

On SnowJournal in 2009, we put together a "best of the 1000 foot (or larger) vertical areas in NH" and the result was:
1. Wildcat
2. Cannon
3. Attitash
4. Sunapee
5. Black
5. Ragged

Note neither Loon nor Waterville were in the top 5!

deadheadskier said: "Ragged is the single worst 1000+ vert ski area in New England for moguls."

I went there a couple of times last season. I thought that Sweepstakes skied a lot like MRG's Canyon; there were wonderful bumps on both the east side of Exhibition and through the Reggae (faux-)Glade. Ragged's biggest problems: Not enough snow to keep the glades open for much of the season and no true steep of any length, (except in the glades).

I've got to agree with sull1102's comment: "Isn't it someday of a compliment then if we're comparing it (i.e. Ragged) to the big boys?"

 

[deadheadskier]

Maybe you have a different definition of good bumps than I do. In all of those locations, I've found the bumps to be fair at best each of the past 6 seasons. Each of those trails except for Sweepstakes gets skied by a lot of lower level skiers. Everyone has to start somewhere, but such skiers don't make for good bumps. The biggest problem in southern NH regarding moguls is lack of natural snowfall. Sunapee gets this and seeds Goose and a Sunnyside trail accordingly to make up for the deficiency in natural snow. Pat's Peak doesn't seed Hurricane, but they pound it with snowmaking and don't groom it. Pat's and Sunapee are the only Southern NH areas with decent bumps IMO. Ragged, Crotched and Gunstock are all pretty awful regarding bumps. No clue if Granite and McIntyre have decent bumps, but they are off my radar anyways.

 

[bobbutts]

Mac doesn't have bumps.

 

[xwhaler]

While we are on the topic of S NH bump runs,Whaleback has very nice bumps on The Face as well as sometimes smaller ones on Bougainvillea

 

[deadheadskier]

I've heard that about Whaleback and see them driving by all the time. One of these days I'll get back there. Always seems I've already got plans skiing somewhere in VT when I get up that way.

 

[xwhaler]

Probably best to wait until Feb/March when they have a good amount of snow both made and natural...they do training there with Evan Dybvig so if you can look at the calendar and see when they have a bump competition going on going on either side of that will likely yield good results.

 

[Newpylong]

don't forget the bumps on the other front two, jawbone and blowhole too! Oops I am off topic on Whaleback too.

 

[Abubob]

Oops I am off topic on Whaleback too.

Hijack of the month. I'll get things back on track with my first ride in the new Spear lift. Promise. btw The best moguls at Ragged are usually on Birches or Sweepstakes but I agree they don't really compete with places like True Grit at Waterville.