Though the Great North Woods Region lies just to the north of the White Mountains it still hosts several ski area, two of which continually rank tops in Ski Magazine reader surveys.
New Hampshire's largest ski area (in terms of acreage) is the Bretton Woods Mountain Resort with 411 acres available offering 93 trails and numerous glades (for all abilities), nine lifts (4-highspeed) accessing 1,500 vertical feet.
The accolades for the area keep on rolling in from Ski Magazine's readers' survey: #1 in snow quality, grooming, weather, family programs and the East's top ski resort.
Coupled with its 100 kilometers of Nordic ski trails operating out of the new Nordic center near the hotel (complete with Biathlon range, mountain cabin, and warming hut yurts) and Cog Railway accessed ski trail on the west flank of Mount Washington (2005), the Mt. Wash is a definite must for ski vacations, weekends or day trips.
One of the state's oldest ski areas is also one of its toughest though it offers some smoothed edges and accommodates all levels of skiers.
Wildcat Mountain www.skiwildcat.com dates back to one of the first racing trails hcked on a mountain side in 1933 by the Civil Conservation Corps. By 1957 a T-bar and enclosed gondola were servicing what was to become Wildcat Mountain (known by its devotees as "the Cat")
Ski magazine readers picked it for the "best scenery in the East" and it's pretty obvious as one can see into the famed ski bowl Tuckerman's Ravine nestled in the elbow of Mount Washington just across the road.
With an average of 250 inches of natural snow supplemented by 90% snowmaking, the Cat offers 2,112 ft. of vertical serviced by the fastest, highest high-speed quad which travels to the summit (6,700 feet distant) in 6 minutes. In summer months the detachable quad is indeed detached and four-place gondolas take their place to service tourists looking for a mountain panorama.
Snow reports are available by dialing 888-SKI WILD While the area is reachable at 800 255 6439 Or 603 466 3326
To the far north is found the Balsams Resort's Wilderness Ski Area www.thebalsams.com with 16 trails, 5 glades, terrain park and an average of 250 inches of natural snowfall owing to its base elevation of 1820 feet, supplemented with 80% snowmaking.
Ski Magazine named the Balsams "one of the world's 12 poshest ski hotels."
Attached to the hotel across Route 26 is the Balsams 95 kilometers of Nordic ski trails accommodating all levels. With 85 kilometers groomed 14-feet wide the area offers two diagonal tracks separated by a skate lane in the center. The trails traverse the hotel's 15,000 acres of property, an expanse larger than Manhattan Island. Snow Country magazine described the Balsams "one of North Americas 10 best cross country resorts."
In the Nordic realm are 10 kilometers of groomed and maintained trails by White Mountains Regional High School for its member communities, championship ski teams and the public.
Located just north of the school, about a mile north of the Mountain View Grand turnoff just beyond the regional high school entrance. These trails are skiiable with little cover owing to the fine grading that is reflected on the student and volunteer-maintained trails.
