Blogs from the White Mountains

What a wonderful holiday. It is my favorite. The origin of the holiday reflects the Pilgrims celebration of a successful harvest with their Native American friends. For me it is a time to celebrate with family and friends and reflect on our gratitude for all we have.

Located on the town borders of Bartlett & North Conway along West Side Road is a popular hike and swimming spot known as Diana’s Bath.  If you’ve ever driven along West Side Road during a hot summer day it’s the spot where there are endless cars parked along the roadside.  

The Mount Washington Valley has so much to offer for a family like ours! Museums, summer markets, playgrounds, arts and of course the natural amusement parks that are our mountains, streams, and lakes.  The town playground is fun but nature is way cooler.  Hiking has become our favorite activity and surprisingly there are tons of hikes that our little man can handle with huge rewards.  

We hope you will join us for a glorious weekend of fun on the great trails and parks at Attitash Mountain Resort. Dress in layers, its winter in the Mount Washington Valley and the snow will have that wonderful squeak as you glide down the well groomed trails and gaze out at the spectacular Presidential Range in the background. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Our snowmakers have been working hard to expand our terrain for your enjoyment. Today we opened up a ton of new terrain including Tightrope & Spillway on the Attitash Peak.  Additionally we are cranking on Lower Saco and Chicken’s Option as we work to get down to Ammonoosuc and Lower Cathedral. The goal is to get another full length route off the Attitash summit.

It has been a long wait this season but the staff has worked diligently to get things rolling and give you an opportunity to enjoy the slopes of Attitash Mountain. We hope to see you Saturday and many days thereafter.

We are closing in on the end of December and it will likely turn out to be the warmest December on record. In spite of this challenge we are preparing for the coldest stretch of weather so far this year. Our snowmakers have been waiting at night for the temps to drop in hopes the forecasters are wrong. They will be back on site Friday night in hopes of firing up on Illusion, Northwest, Thad’s Choice, Upper Highway and the Learning Center. Once again they will be chasing the cold wherever it may be. Hopefully they will keep really busy right into Monday morning. Our current plan for Attitash Mountain Resort is to open up on Saturday December 26 for skiing and riding.

We have decided to postpone our opening here at Attitash for another week. The weather forecast is not favorable and once again we are faced with record warm temperatures coming over the weekend. Our snowmakers have been on call, waiting for every opportunity, and have done a great job under these marginal operating conditions. 

Years ago I was a ski racer. I remember being in the starting gate as the official counted down “3, 2, 1, GO!” Today racers are free to go when they wish once the beeps start and the wand is set. We are feeling like the racers of old here at Attitash and Wildcat, patiently waiting to hear from the official, (Mother Nature), the word GO! We did get a practice run up at Wildcat several weeks ago but that has been the extent of the snowmaking weather to date. Patience please. It is coming and we are ready!

The ski season is here and we'll be among the many ski resorts attending the annual Boston.com Ski & Snowboard Expo. Skiers and riders all over New England will gather in Boston to get excited for winter and to see or buy the latest gear, plan ski vacations, find one-of-a-kind lift ticket deals, and talk with staff from attending resorts.