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Story by Tim Jones
don't know about you, but I get more than a little annoyed with TV weather people. First they tell you about the forecast in Boston, or Manchester, or someplace equally remote and uninteresting, then they wave their hands somewhere in the direction of Hudson's Bay and say something like, "And some light snow across ski country." Then, if the temperature is a little lower than normal and there's more than a hint of breeze, they spout forth a bunch of warnings about not going outdoors. They make it sound as though you'll die instantly if the windchill factor is below zero.
Well, let me tell you two things. (I've tried to tell the weather folks, but they aren't listening). First of all, you can ski comfortably in the coldest weather if you just dress properly. And, second, there's a lot of ski country in southwestern New Hampshire.
One fine winter's day, my boys and I decided to forego our normal day of school and work in favor of pursuing an alternative educational experience. On the educational agenda for the day were Anatomy, Applied Physics, Geography, and Map Reading. We decided to pursue our studies in these subjects at Mount Sunapee.
Sunapee may be one of the best-kept secrets in skiing. The area has some very impressive statistics. The vertical drop is 1,510 feet, the largest in New Hampshire south of the White Mountains. It has 200 skiing acres, 37 trails, three triple chairs, three double chairs, and a beginner's pony lift, for a total uphill capacity of about 8,550 skiers per hour.
On this particular Monday, they didn't need that much lift capacity. In fact, with the weather forecasters predicting rain showers (which never materialized until 3:00 in the afternoon), the mountain was practically empty. We never once had to wait for even a single other skier to get on the lift ahead of us.
As with most ski areas, the terrain at Sunapee is primarily targeted toward intermediate skiers. My boys referred to Blast Off, which runs top to bottom parallel to the 6,300-foot North Peak triple chair as "the fun run" -- which it was.
Beginners have their own separate area at Sunapee with five easy trails, a double chair, and a pony lift, where they can practice to their heart's content before tackling the tougher slopes on the main mountain.
Experts are kept happy with some serious bumps on several steep trail sections including Middle Wingding, Upper Cataract, and Upper Flying Goose. Both the Cataract and Flying Goose trails are groomed on one side of the trail and allowed to bump up on the other, a situation that allows the Jones boys to blast the bumps as much as they want, while Dad gets to escape to steep-but-smooth terrain when his thighs have had enough. We spent more time on Cataract and Flying Goose than any other trails on the mountain.
Despite the dire predictions of the weather wizards, the sun shone through thin clouds most of the day, the rain held off, and we had absolutely perfect snow conditions. Basically, we skied until we weren't physically able to ski anymore -- at which point the lifts closed anyway. That makes for a perfect day of skiing!
Sunapee is offering a tremendous midweek deal this season: two adult passes for $28 on nonholiday Tuesdays and Thursdays. That's a bargain!
For more information, see Sunapee's Web site at www.nhparks.state.nh.us/sunapee.html or call 603-763-2356.
Copyright ©1997, Stephen O. Muskie and Tim Jones. All Rights Reserved.