Tag Archive for: NH

Roger Lohr

Resort Review: Jackson, NH and The White Mountains

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The Hub Of The New England Nordic World Is In New Hampshire.

We excitedly planned a weekend trip to Jackson, N.H., because it is a true Mecca for Nordic skiers. This is the quintessential New England Nordic (XC) skiing experience with the covered bridge, white steepled church, brookside trails, and the accompanying village with all of the trappings.

Many of the trails lead right to the door of local inns, shops, and restaurants. It’s no wonder that Jackson Ski Touring Foundation has been rated the top cross country ski area in the United States by the website, America’s Best Online.

The Foundation is a non-profit organization chartered to maintain XC ski trails in and about the village of Jackson. There are about 75 landowners that allow trails to cross their property. Country inns are spaced throughout the region and the base lodge is a golf country club located on the village loop. The Cocoa Cabin is a warming hut serving hot cocoa on the weekend, located 3 km from the center on the gentle Ellis River Trail. Snowshoers can take a rustic narrow marked snowshoe trail from the center to reach the Cocoa Cabin.

We stopped at nearby Bretton Woods Nordic Center on the way to Jackson to ski in a snow storm for about 10 km on beautiful trails behind the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel. The grand hotel is at the southern base of the mighty Mt. Washington with 1,700 acres of spectacular scenery. This full service ski center has its own parking area and houses the ski school, rental equipment, and a retail shop with XC ski clothing and accessories. The center has a fireplace with couches and food service with tables and seating.

It was a problematic tour for my wife Kimberly, who had snow sticking to the base of her waxless skis. I tried applying a lubricant called Swix Easyglide a few times but it didn’t work for more than 50 feet before the snow stuck to the skis again. In a husband-oriented display of gallantry, I switched skis with her but I couldn’t get them to glide very well either.

We arrived at the Inn at Ellis River in Jackson after leaving Bretton Woods and were showed to our room-with-a-view by new innkeepers John and Mary Kendzierski. The next morning we awoke to the aroma of bacon, which while incredible, does not do justice to how good the maple bacon tastes when accompanying a choice of two hot entree specialties such as cinnamon crepe stuffed with apple filling and topped with creme fraiche or pecan praline French toast. There’s also fruit, yogurt, granola, and freshly baked breads, muffins, and other breakfast treats. The breakfast tables were covered antique metal sewing treadle tables. Looking out the windows from the dining room adorned with snowman figurines, we saw frolicking squirrels hopping from tree branch to tree branch.

Behind the inn and across the Ellis River is the Ellis River Trail, one of the most popular trails from the center lodge for XC skiers and snowshoers. We first stopped by the Jackson Ski Touring Center and got my wife’s skis hot waxed as we waited. The wax job worked like a charm as we left the center for a short tour through the covered bridge, ending up at the Cocoa Cabin. The skiers along the Jackson trails are mostly experienced and courteous meaning they give the right of way to downhill skiers and get out of the groomed ski tracks when appropriate. Most say hello as they pass.

We lunched on scrumptious sandwiches at the J-Town Deli & Country Store, a warm and enticing old-fashioned country store that has a bakery, beer, wine, sweets and treats. Then, we headed to our appointment for a “couples” massages at Moondance Massage. Beside massages, Moondance offers energy work, facials, and yoga classes. By the end of the massages, we were both amazed at how our respective soreness was alleviated. We noticed three more couples coming in the door at Moondance, so this apparently is a popular venture for Jackson visitors.

The “Foundation” maintains 150 km of varied and breathtaking XC ski and snowshoe trails 2 hours north of Boston. Foundation trails connect with A.M.C. trails in Pinkham Notch and White Mountain National Forest backcountry adventure trails.

Our après ski time led us to the Wildcat Inn Tavern in downtown Jackson for some live music and libations. The tavern walls display classic ski posters and some antique gear such as snowshoes and a pair of red Jarvinen XC skis. The seats in one of the rooms were built to look like double chairlifts and there were soccer jerseys from around the world pinned to the ceiling. Afterward, we dined at the nearby Christmas Farm Inn for a great dinner and dessert.

Our getaway day included a stop and tour at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, about ten miles outside of Jackson up the Pinkham Notch toward Gorham. The panorama view from the center of the Presidential Range and Mt. Washington is unparalleled. We skied a few cold and windy kilometers on wide whimsically-named trails such as the Great Grump Grade and Hairball Passage toward the Great Angel Warming Cabin. The trails were impeccably groomed and on our way back to the lodge we stopped by the new Glen House Hotel for a drink and lunch. The hotel has 68 rooms and is one of the most sustainable operations in the business. We also checked out the Mt. Washington SnowCoach to head up to treeline on the nearby Toll Road, which is an experience not to be missed.

The White Mountains and Jackson met our expectations delivering great snow, excellent trails, and a superb weekend at a destination worthy of being named a Mecca of Nordic skiing.

Editor Note: This article was originally published in XCSkiResorts.com.

mikemaginn

Mystery Glimpse: A Rare Artifact

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What Is This? Who Used It? Why Is It A Rare Artifact Of Ski History?

Thanks to the Colorado Snowsports Museum for this photo from its collection.

Last Week

Credit: New England Ski Museum archive

This is Betty Welch Whitney, born in Haverhill, MA, graduated from Smith College in 1923, and first went on a ski trip with the AMC in 1928. She remained an AMC member for life, and became a ski fashion and equipment buyer for Filene’s in 1936. With her husband H.H. “Bill” Whitney, she purchased the Moody Farm in Jackson, NH and with him operated Whitneys’ as the first ski area to combine food, lodging and a ski hill serviced by a tow.

They improved the existing the rope tow lift a year later by attaching 72 shovel handles to the cable, making it easier for skiers to hold on. The lift was henceforth known as the Shovel Handle, and it helped make Whitneys’ one of the more popular early ski areas in New England. Whitney’s Inn is still in business and offers a traditional New England get-away experience with four-season activities.

Thanks to the New England Ski Museum, now with locations in Franconia and North Conway, NH, for offering this photo for our Mystery Glimpse series.

Here’s the Shovel Handle pub at the current Whitney Inn, Jackson, NH.

Image result for historic ski area Whitney Inn

JacksonXCcoveredbridge
Roger Lohr

Art And Nordic Happenings In Jackson, NH, XC Capitol Of The East

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Up To The Minute Trip Report From Roger Lohr, Publisher Of XCSkiResorts.com.

Jackson’s famous covered bridge, a symbol of this charming New England town.
Credit: Jackson Ski Touring Foundation.

[Editor Note: SeniorsSkiing.com thanks Roger Lohr for this update.  XCSkiResorts.com is the premium resource for nordic ski vacation and resort information in North America.]

We excitedly planned a weekend trip to Jackson, N.H., because it is a true Mecca for Nordic skiers. This is the quintessential New England Nordic (XC) skiing experience with a covered bridge, white steepled church, brookside trails, and the accompanying village with all of the trappings.

Many of the trails lead right to the doors of local inns, shops, and restaurants. It’s no wonder that Jackson Ski Touring Foundation has been rated the top cross country ski area in the United States by America’s Best Online and is recognized in numerous polls as a favorite destination.

Abstract art in the woods, a natural gallery creating an unusual setting for art appreciation.
Credit: Roger Lohr

The Foundation is a non-profit organization chartered to maintain XC ski trails in and about the village of Jackson. There are about 76 landowners that allow trails to cross their property. Country inns are spaced throughout the region, and the base lodge is a golf country club located on the village loop. This full service ski center has its own parking area and houses the ski school, rental equipment, and a retail shop run by Gorham Bike & Ski with XC ski equipment, clothing, and accessories. The center has a fireplace with couches and tables and seating. Snacks and drinks are available in the lodge, too.

The Cocoa Cabin is a warming hut serving hot cocoa on the weekend, located three km from the center on the gentle Ellis River Trail. This is a popular trail often with many cautious yet courteous skiers. Snowshoers can take a rustic narrow marked snowshoe trail from the center to reach the Cocoa Cabin, and this trail avoids the ski trail.

Our accommodations were at the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa, which is set on a hillside overlooking Jackson Village. It has the personal touches of a country inn with the amenities of an upscale modern resort. The inn has a full service spa, restaurant and pub, fitness room, indoor pool, family rooms, spacious suites, and handcrafted cottages. We had breakfast there during our visit and scheduled massages at the Inn’s Aveda Spa for some earned relaxation after skiing. After skiing and some massaging, we dined at the Christmas Farm Inn for a scrumptious dinner and dessert.

The next morning, we skied down to town, stopped by the Jackson Ski Touring Center and heard about the Art Along the Trails exhibit staged on trees behind the lodge near the Jackson covered bridge. The lodge was bustling, and we passed hundreds of skiers and snowshoers along the Jackson trails, who were friendly and saying hello as they passed. The art exhibit featured two local abstract painters in a their works displayed with nature. Instead of a white walled art gallery, in its place were “walls” made from snow, hemlocks, and birch, all places for paintings to hang from, and the beneficiaries were on snowshoes and cross country skis.

During the four-hour show, Art Along the Trails was enjoyed by hundreds of cross country skiers and snowshoers, who were instilled with the energy of culture experiencing the avant-garde gallery in nature that included more than two dozen paintings installed on tree trunks and limbs. Prices of the different paintings (some as big as three-by-four feet) ranged from $125 to $2,900. The exhibit had titles such as “Illuminated Icefalls” and “Cosmic Wash”.

We lunched on soup and salad at the Wildcat Inn Tavern in downtown Jackson and stayed for some live music and libations. The tavern walls display classic ski posters and some antique gear such as snowshoes and a pair of red Jarvinen XC skis. The seats in one of the rooms were built to look like double chairlifts, and there were soccer jerseys from around the world pinned to the ceiling.

We browsed at some local retail establishments in Jackson including Flossie’s General Store & Gift Emporium, which has a potpourri of gifts, candy, and local keepsakes.

The Jackson Ski Touring Foundation maintains 154 km of varied and breathtaking XC ski and snowshoe trails and is about two hours north of Boston. Foundation trails connect with A.M.C. trails in Pinkham Notch and White Mountain National Forest backcountry adventure trails.

Here’s a New England classic.  Christmas Farm Inn has a warm, welcoming old-school ambiance as well as many modern touches.  
Credit: Roger Lohr

 

Cannon
mikemaginn

Free Senior Skiing Under Threat In NH

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State Legislature Considers Ending Decades Of Free Senior Skiing At Cannon Mountain.

Cannon Mountain is a state-owned area, famous for its aerial tram and free skiing for 65+ seniors. Credit: Cannon Mountain

Cannon Mountain is a state-owned area, famous for its aerial tram and free skiing for 65+ seniors.
Credit: Cannon Mountain

Since 1973, state-owned Cannon Mountain has been the only ski area in New Hampshire to offer free skiing to seniors 65-plus.  This year, a second attempt to end free skiing for seniors was introduced to the legislature.  The change would mean seniors would pay a discount of two-thirds ticket price on weekends and one-third on weekdays.  Free skiing is currently only available during the week.

Supporters of the repeal of free skiing say that the additional revenue is needed to help the NH Division of Parks and Recreation become self-sufficent, a requirement of 1991 legislation.  Opponents say that many seniors in the region are far from wealthy and view the change as a “tax” on seniors who usually ski during the week when the slopes are nearly empty.

In a close vote, the bill, SB 411, was passed by the House and now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for review before coming back to the House for a final vote.

There are currently about 97 ski areas that offer free skiing in North America, according to the National Ski Area Association.  A handful of small resorts start free skiing at 65, while the majority offer the privilege to 70+ skiers.  An adult ticket currently cost $75 at Cannon; the senior discount would mean a $50 weekend ticket and $25 for weekday.

SeniorsSkiing.com has recommended that the free skiing benchmark should be raised from 65 to 70, still providing access to skiing for the many skiers in the region while creating a reasonable discount for 65-70.  A season pass reflecting a deep discount for 65-70 is also recommended.  We hope the State Legislature of New Hampshire acts with a sense of compromise and fairness in this matter.

What are your thoughts?