The highlight is a new high-speed quad at LOON--a very nice mountain a little less than three hours from Boston.

http://www.snowjournal.com/article842.html

New Hampshire seems to have been a state where the ski areas have done a real good job of collective marketing and improvement. Isn't/wasn't there some sort of "Ski 93" marketing group? I thought Dan Egan was the head of it before he started working at Tenney Mountain. Maybe the DC areas can form a similar initiative. A new Tory Mountain, MPC (??), capital flowing into T-Line, and a re-opened Laurel Mountain and the Allegheney front could become a local destination area. It be great as long as all the tourists went to Wisp, Seven Springs and Snowshoe.

John, what areas have you been to in New Hampshire? Even though I've skied 10+ areas in Vermont, I've yet to ski New Hampshire. Cannon and Wildcat seem right up my alley.

From Cannon's current trail map, looks like the Mitterskill base has been re-opened. Does anyone know how high up the ridge the old trails were cut? From the trail map, looks like the new trails only go part way up the mountain compared to where the old ones may have been. (Just a guess on my part.) Denis, seems like you would know.

John:

I agree that NH could be a good model for this area. The state does a terrific job of marketing skiing to the Boston area.

I've skied the following NH resorts:

Waterville Valley--12 plus times
Gunstock--12 plus
Pat's Peak
Sunapee


I've never skied Cannon, Loon, or Wildcat--three of the state's best resorts.

I haven't looked at trails maps recently for Cannon/Mittersill area and don't know anything about the opening of lower Mittersill terrain, but the old Mittersill lifts and trails extend pretty close to the top of a common ridge along the right flank of the Cannon terrain.

I've been to Cannon, Wildcat, Waterville and Gunstock. Wildcat was my fav of that bunch, but Cannon was a little bigger. Waterville, and to a slightly lesser extent Gunstock, are very respectable areas too.
I hear Black Mtn, a little old ski area near N. Conway, has some cool terrain. The scenery at Cannon and Wildcat exceeds anything in VT, except maybe Stowe.

Was perusing forums (jonesing to ski) and saw this post. Since I live and ski in NE, thought I'd respond. The new terrain at Cannon is really not the old Mittersill -- it's basically novice and intermediate terrain cut between the old Mittersill and Cannon. Many folks hike (short hike) from Cannon to the old Mittersill trails and ski them as back country. If Cannon ever clears and re-opens the terrain at Mittersill it'll be a heck of a ski area, though some BC skiers will not be happy. Cannon really lacked terrain for those new to skiing, and the expansion gives newbies and lower intermediates a good area in which to progress. Cannon, and perhaps to a lesser extent Wildcat, offer the most challenging terrain in NH. In general, I think VT areas tend to offer more challenging terrain. But lots of good intermediate cruising in NH. FWIW, I think Bretton Woods is a terrific area for novice to upper intermediate skiers looking for great cruising terrain. Green trails off almost every lift (and they're not flat connectors requiring lots of poling), easy blue terrain to which novices can advance. The groomed blacks would likely be blues at places like Cannon or Stowe.

SkiHound,

Thanks for the update on Cannon/Mittersill.

I've heard on other forums that Cannon & Wildcat have lost some of their toughness in recent years. Do you agree? Is this because they are grooming more, or have widened/regraded some trails, or have cleared out some debris/thined out glades? I thought I read somewhere that the Lower Tramline @ Cannon was cleared of a few stumps, etc., making it a lot more accessible.

JohnL,

I'm not the best person to answer you question about whether or not Cannon and Wildcat have become neurtered. I'm fairly new to skiing and the blacks at Cannon would be very tough for me to handle. I'd say the blues at Cannon are at least as challenging as the Blacks I've skied at other NH resorts -- comparable to runs like Gondolier or Perry Merill at Stowe. I think if I got on tramline I'd have to just sit and cry. If you're interested in getting more insider information on Cannon (especially) and Wildcat I'd suggest visiting www.snowjournal.com -- several Cannon lovers participate there. The new Terrain at Cannon basically provides better beginner/novice/low intermediate terrain. Cheers!