Spring Skiing in New Hampshire

Best Things Nearby:
We were there to ski, so for us the best things nearby were the mountains. There were three great ski hills within 20 minutes of the resort. The shops in North Conway were also great, and we were able to score some wonderful deals on snowboards for the kids. If you are a shopper, there was certainly a lot of variety to choose from.

Best Things About the Resort:
The best things about this resort are the location and the scenery. Again, since we spent our week skiing, we did not do much at the resort other than eat and sleep.

Resort Experience:
The resort has a variety of accommodation types. We had a huge one-bedroom unit with two floors that was well appointed. Our friends, on the other hand, had a very old unit that was small, cramped, and very dated. Apparently, when booking, you should look for the units that sleep six.

Our unit had a huge master bedroom with a Jacuzzi, fireplace, big-screen TV, king-size bed, and bar fridge. It was wonderful to come back from a day on the slopes to soak in the tub with a drink.

There was a pullout couch in the living room and a Murphy bed. This was great for the kids, since they both got their own beds. There was also a Jacuzzi tub in the downstairs bathroom.

It was very easy to entertain in our unit, so every night our two families (eight in total) would eat dinner together. There was plenty of space for everyone, and on the last night, we discovered that the table expanded to seat eight.

This was a wonderful unit which compares very favorably to many others that we have visited. One complaint was that we did not get linen service in our unit, although our friends did in theirs.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Good

This resort offered lots of challenges and was much enjoyed by the more experienced skiers in the group. Only 20% of the runs rated for beginners, 47% as intermediate, and 33% as expert. The kids spent two days in snowboard school and really enjoyed the experience. Although we paid for a group lesson, our two had an instructor to themselves for both days. That is definitely a bonus for skiing in the middle of the week during the spring.

I was glad that we didn't ski with the kids at Attitash, since I found the terrain very challenging. It would have been nerve-wracking to have had the kids along, too. The summit elevation is 2,350 feet, offering some great views of Mount Washington and the valley. The vertical drop is 1,750 feet. There were some very "exhilarating" runs down the side of the mountain, and there are some wonderful long runs that made my legs burn. There are 12 lifts that can handle over 14,000 passengers an hour. Since we were skiing in March during midweek, not every lift was running. We often skied down one run and right onto the next lift without any waiting.

The lodges are well-equipped, and we found the employees very helpful. Take your own lunch, though, since the food is typical of most ski resorts--expensive and tasteless. Overall, though, this was a great ski resort, and we will definitely be back for more spring skiing.

The day we spent at Black Mountain was a blast. This resort looks like it hasn't changed in decades. The prices are similar. Our family of four paid $70 to ski for the day during midweek. Ski rentals, on the other hand, are more expensive. We needed to rent a pair of children's ski boots and paid $10. At Heaven's Ski Shop in Glen, you can rent a junior set of skis, boots, and poles for $8 a day.

The skiing was great, though. We basically had the mountain to ourselves. Without stretching the truth, there were less than 30 people skiing on a sunny, clear day in March. Of the four lifts, there was one chair and a disc tow open. If older-looking chairs and lifts make you nervous, this might not be the mountain for you. Rest assured, though, that the guys running the chair and tow looked like they were also the ones who fixed it. There are no fresh-faced ski bums here. These are New Hampshire characters. The ski patrol has a border collie that rides the chair with her and skies down the slope around her neck. She looks like a shepherd bringing in an errant sheep.

We had a vast range of skiing ability between the eight of us, and we were all able to challenge ourselves on this mountain without feeling like we were risking our lives. There is 1,100 feet of vertical drops and 143 acres of ski-able terrain. Since there was no one else on the trails, the kids were able to tackle runs that would have been very nerve-racking under more crowded conditions. The kids especially loved the beginner glades. This mountain was a lot of fun. Don't go if you want a polished "resort" experience. This is truly for people who don't care about the extras, but are there for the snow and skiing.

Cranmore Resort is located in North Conway. This is a very large, well-run ski resort with a lot going on. There are over 200 skiable acres with 40 trails. Skiing this mountain can be a bit confusing since there are a lot of intersecting trails. Some of the intersections could be quite nerve-racking on a busy day. We happened to be at Cranmore on a school holiday, which meant it got pretty busy as the day wore on. The high-speed quad moved things along, and the crowds were manageable. Cranmore really caters to families and fun.

There are two terrain parks which provide options for all levels. Our novice skiers really enjoyed the challenge of the small jumps (bumps really). They could have spent all day going through the mini terrain park. Don't get me wrong, there are some very challenging trails. The summit elevation is 2,000 feet and the longest trail is over a mile. Only 36% of the trails are novice, and 20% are advanced. The conditions in mid-March were wonderful with 100% snow-making ability, there was a great base. There are a lot of options for eating, and we had a great time augmenting our picnic lunch on the sunny sheltered patio. A special highlight for the kids were the geese that wandered around begging for scraps. Cranmore was great, and we will definitely be going back for more great skiing.