What’s New in Maine, New Hampshire This Season

If you like to ski or ride in the northeast, you’ll have lots of new lifts, new terrain and upgraded amenities to explore and enjoy this season at downhill and XC resorts in Maine and New Hampshire.  There’s even a brand new pass for uphillers in New England.

In alphabetical order, by state, since that’s the only fair way.   See you on the slopes!

Maine

Saddleback

The resort has joined Uphill New England

This is a brand-new collective mountain pass whose members gain access to 12 ski resorts and uphill trails in MA, VT, NH, and ME.  Cost is $185. There’s also a new high-elevation restaurant, perched at 3,620 feet, with both a full-service restaurant and a ski-up bar. The resort also added 50 new snowguns and upgraded electrical water connections for more efficient snowmaking.

Sugarloaf The resort is adding 120 acres of new terrain with 12 new trails at the West Mountain area.  It’s the largest expansion in more than 40 years and further cements its position as the largest ski resort east of the Rocky Mountains.

 New Hampshire

Attitash Mountain Resort

The new high-speed 4-passenger The Mountaineer is set to open in mid-December.  It replaces the Summit Triple, and is expected to reduce ride time by more than half, increase uphill capacity and improve the flow of traffic in the base area.  The new lift follows the replacement of the East and West Double-Double with the Progression quad, which opened last season.

Bretton Woods

In preparation for its 50^th Anniversary season, the iconic resort has improved snowmaking and grooming on its 100km Nordic trail network.

Cannon Mountain

The NH State-owned destination has upgraded snowmaking on Upper Ravine, Lower Cannon, and Gremlin trails, for more consistent season-long use.  Also, the Middle Ravine and Turnpike trails have been widened to provide more room – and therefore safety – for skiers and riders

Cranmore Mountain Resort

The new Fairbank Lodge, named for the resort’s owner, offers an expansive food pavilion, retail shops, locker rooms, a slopeside bar and condominiums.  It’s part of an ongoing upgrade to the base area, which includes a new base lodge for the Mountain Adventure and Tubing Park, and biking center in non-snow months.

Gunstock Mountain Resort

There’s a new rental building near the Learning Center, so guests no longer have to wait in line at the ticket office to receive their rental contract.  Additionally, Gunstock is paving its main parking lot to maximize space and improve visibility.

King Pine Ski Area

The “Cubby Tow” rope tow lift has been replaced with a new Sunkid moving carpet lift. A new Prinoth Husky snow groomer will be used to improve conditions on the Purity Spring Resort XC & Snowshoe Reserve Nordic trail network, the Pine Meadows Tubing Park and add more lanes for greater capacity. There also a new rooftop deck off the main base area lodge Evergreen Room for additional outdoor seating.

Loon Mountain Resort

The new South Peak expansion adds eleven trails and one four-person chairlift, Timbertown Quad, increasing the area’s skiable terrain to more than 400 acres.  The new lift is one-half mile from Maine Street and less than two miles from Interstate 93.  It opens in December 2023.

The 30 acres of new terrain includes two tree skiing areas, which cater to beginner and intermediate levels.  More than 60 percent of the new terrain is green level, with the remainder rated more difficult.  With a vertical drop of 2,190, Loon has the longest runs in New Hampshire. There’s also state-of-the-art snowmaking on the new terrain.

Mount Sunapee

The South Peak is being revitalized with New Hampshire’s only ski-through lighthouse, inspired by Lake Sunapee’s three iconic lighthouses. Interactive signage which will create what the resort describes as “a photo moment” to memorialize your visit.

Pats Peak Ski Area

There’s a brand new Race Training Area with snowmaking, lighting for evening training sessions, and a specially designed smaller trail in the woods near the training lanes for intensive grills.  The Alpine Training Center, a hub for more than 150 Pats Peak Ski Team Racers, received an interior facelift with new furnishings and lighting, and energy efficiency upgrades.New LED lighting on the East Wind trail will improve night skiing visibility.  The system works with reduced power consumption, so it minimizes the area’s carbon footprint without compromising the quality of illumination.

Also, active and retired military and their dependents ski free any day between opening day on Dec. 15 and Dec. 24.

Waterville Valley Resort

There’s a brand new outdoor deck off the popular Freestyle lounge, with al fresco dining, and a firepit for apres ski.  Its location is ideal for parents and grandparents to watch as the kids learn to ski or ride on the Pasture Carpets.  Waterille has built a new Ski Patrol and sled garage at the summit, adjacent to the top of the Northside lift, and upgraded employee housing to attract and keep employees, including international employees.

Wildcat Mountain

New this year is the Mobile Pass & Mobile Lift Ticket available at all Vail Resorts destinations, allowing users to store their Epic Pass or lift ticket on their phone for touchless lift access.  The system also is available at Mount Sunapee, Attitash Mountain Resort and Crotched Mountain resort.  Wildcat also has replaced the Peabody Pedestrian Bridge, which connects the base lodge to the slopes.