little help from the New England crowd?

[davekempmeister]

I'm much more familiar with VT than NH and need some info. Were I to fly to Manchester, NH and take my family to the nearest family friendly hill that has some terrain for every ability and good instruction for the littlest, which hill would that be?

Accomodations a short walk to the lift preferably. Looking at doing this mid-late 01/10. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Jack Michaud]

Loon.

[GeoffV]

Dave when are you thinking of doing the trip. Holidays can really pack out the mountains. But there are still some gems that are managable during the holidays. Bolton Valley, Vt near Waterburry is a very good family mountain. Good prices good runs and it's near Stowe, which is packed and $$$.
Sunapee in NH, is real close to Manchester, amazing grooming, good program for kids.

I'd recommend Sunapee over Loon. It's received awards for top 10 best grooming in the country, has an outstanding kid program and is one of the better carving mountains in NE.

I'll let the T32 guys fill you in on Loon since they ride there.

[Flyin Hawaiian]

Loon!

[EZE]

Ranked again #1 in the East for Grooming and Snow Quality.

www.mtasunapee.com and you can stay at the www.mountainedgeresort.com that has a daily non stop shuttle to the lodges.
They also have a spa for the ladies and a indoor to outdoor heated pool. There is also a get pub on site another across the street next to a ski shop and this is all within 45 minutes of Manchester.

If you can go non holiday mid week you will own the mountain.

EZE

[EZE]

My fat little finger caught an extra a for sunapee.
www.mtsunapee.com It is also a great pub not a get pub and it is literally 3 minutes from the base lodge.

[durace]

If you end up at Sunapee stay at the Back side Inn... yes that is the real name. They have the best food in the area. The couple that own it are real good people. It is 5 miles from the Mt. you can see the back of the Mt from the front deck.

Almost Time EZE! Did you pick up your pass yet?

Paul

[EZE]

I picked that Jem up in April at discount.
I even bought the Full Pass so I can raise havoc on vacations and holidays.

I like to leave the 6 inches trenches for all those nice tourists that get on the slopes at 10am and have missed all the smooth cord, due to there 2 hour commute from Mass.

The get out before the straight liners get off their bus.

[Gecko]

I pretty much learned to snowboard at Loon and Stowe but I have to say Soonapi is kick a55. nice mountain and a very pleasant vibe....plus the grooming rocks

[TheTruth]

Cannon over Loon any day. Just a few minutes up the highway from Loon, but you get much better terrain for advanced skiers/riders, way less crowded, and way less expensive. Cannon has it's own kids development area, complete with it's own lifts near the base lodge. Kids program is rated one of the best in the country, and is far better than Loon's (I've experienced both). The views from the top of Cannon are better than any other place in NH, with the exception of Wildcat. The State has dumped a lot of money into the snowmaking at Cannon in the last few years, so the conditions are as good as any of the other areas in NH. Best of all, most of the "skiers" and "riders" from MA get off the highway at Loon, so Cannon is mostly Ma$$hole free:biggthump

P.S. Cannon was where Bode Miller learned to ski and race, and if it is good enough for Bode...

[EZE]

Has any new equipment is because Sunapee is generating large amounts of profit which it has to share with the state per their lease agreement.

If I remember correctly when the did the audit of Canon last year they realized how much money it was actually loosing and that they had large amount of cash unaccounted for and had numerous employees aware of the safe combination.

Don't they still use Tucker snowcats up there to groom with large chickenwire rollers?

Check out the new Ski Magazine for who has the best of what in the east.

Trolling trolling trolling.

[EZE]

For my comments above, if I have personnaly offended and Canon Carvers.

Just anxious for snow and a bit bored at work.

EZE

[Jack Michaud]

Cannon's grooming can't touch Loon or Sunapee. Only reason I didn't say Sunapee was the OP requested ski in/ski out accomodations. AFAIK, Sunapee doesn't have it, right?

[bobdea]

sunapee is a all around better experience for most people with kids, way cheaper too.

most of the bigger resorts have really stepped it up with their youngster programs in the last ten or so years.

[davekempmeister]

Thanks all. Bomber is the greatest. Great feedback direct from the like-minded. I have an opportunity to do a 4 or 5 day trip the week after president's birthdays without too much disruption to my 7 yr old's school schedule. Typically, I patronize the only hill in MD (Wisp) at that time of the year but want to do something different this year. Something with slightly more predictable/reliable conditions also. I've been lucky the last few years, but weather here in MD can shut down the resort in the space of a few days if things turn for the worst.

Nice that this post didn't get buried in the VT/NH/ME ride board, though I'm sure TT would have. IF he were able. Thanks again.

[TheTruth]

For my comments above, if I have personnaly offended and Canon Carvers.

Just anxious for snow and a bit bored at work.

EZE

Hey no problem. Actually, they have vastly improved the grooming too. If the NYC and Connecticut big spenders at Sunapee help subsidize Cannon, even better.:eplus2: But that's OK if you guys like hanging with the crowds at Loon and Sunapee. More carving with less people on the slopes for me at Cannon, plus my buddies at the Franconia Ski Club let me run gates with them.:biggthump

[Shred Gruumer]

Is a massive no non sense wide open ...1500m... Wait.. never mind..

Sunapee or Loon... Wait... Thunderdome!!! Berkshire East..Thats the ticket...:lurk:

[Jack Michaud]

sunapee is a all around better experience for most people with kids, way cheaper too.

ski in/out is key with kids. You'll see. :)


I have an opportunity to do a 4 or 5 day trip the week after president's birthdays without too much disruption to my 7 yr old's school schedule.

Keep an eye on ECES news, it may end up being the last week of February. You won't find better rates anywhere.

[Dave Pushee]

OK, I've got to admit that I'm biased toward Loon.

I volunteer there as an Ambassador. If you go, let me know when and I'll give you a mountain tour. I'll be sure to take you and the kids down Lower Bear Claw and point out some of the Beech trees that were climbed by Black Bears.

To be fair, snowmaking and grooming are good at both Sunapee and Loon. They are both about the same drive time from the Manchester airport. I think Loon has more lodging choices. Loon has ski-in/ski-out options as well as shuttle served lodging. I'm not sure about the Sunapee setting as far as lodging goes.

- Dave

[TheTruth]

Is a massive no non sense wide open ...1500m... Wait.. never mind..

Sunapee or Loon... Wait... Thunderdome!!! Berkshire East..Thats the ticket...:lurk:

Yea, good old Berkshire East. We used to call it Berkshire ICE, until the owners invested some big bucks into new snowmaking a few years ago. That little place has more character than Loon and Sunapee put together. Probably my favorite small mountain in New England. Incredible junior race program for their size--they have produced a number of top notch racers over the years.
:biggthump

[davekempmeister]

Mr. Michaud knows what he's talking about when he says ski in/out is the way to go with kids. Bathroom, change clothes, warm up the feet, whatever they are lobbying for. Just stomp through the lobby and elevator up. Nothing like it. When I'm on my own it's just the opposite approach, pretty spare, even sleeping in the vehicle occasionally. When the whole family goes, I try to arrange it such that no transport of any kind is necesary once we've checked in (including shuttles). I usually mess that up when I end up at the wrong lodge after the lifts close.

[dingbat]

Berkshire East has ski in/ski out accomodations.:biggthump

Bit of a drive from Manchester though.:(

[Jack Michaud]

Loon has the best full service <i>resort</i> experience in that area. Cannon is rather old-timey (which is cool if you want that), and Sunapee is more of a "ski area", not quite a resort. Although I haven't been to Waterville Valley in a while, I think the trail layout and skill level is better at Loon for family skiing. There is some tough stuff for you there too. The only downside to Loon is that there are 2.5 base areas, so it is possible to get separated. Just keep the kids in sight and tell them to stop at any intersection and you'll be fine.

[bobdea]

ski in/out is key with kids. You'll see. :)



Keep an eye on ECES news, it may end up being the last week of February. You won't find better rates anywhere.

correct, was thinking day trips.
did one with a 8 year old last year, sunapee. as far as the ski area goes sans the ski in ski out it's small and hard to lose people, loon is not. where I was coming from

[xxguitarist]

I love sunapee, but have nothing to add that others haven't said already.

[Dave Pushee]

Loon has the best full service <i>resort</i> experience in that area. Cannon is rather old-timey (which is cool if you want that), and Sunapee is more of a "ski area", not quite a resort. Although I haven't been to Waterville Valley in a while, I think the trail layout and skill level is better at Loon for family skiing. There is some tough stuff for you there too. The only downside to Loon is that there are 2.5 base areas, so it is possible to get separated. Just keep the kids in sight and tell them to stop at any intersection and you'll be fine.

What he said (mostly). Jack, when was the last time you were at Loon? If the half base area is Camp 3 then you need to add one more. There is a base area at the bottom of the South Peak area now.

The worst place for getting disconnected from your party has got to be Sunday River. I took a Boy Scout Troop there 10 or so years ago. It was about an hour after lifts closed when our missing 2 boys came back via ski patrol snowmobile. It was dumping snow and we had to drive in a whiteout from there over to the base lodge at Wildcat where we were to spend the night. I vowed that I would never take another group of scouts there! Mind you, I like SR but not when I'm responsible for keeping track of other people's kids.