From Greg Morell
The glory of the Attitash Mountain Resort is the grand variety of terrain on two separate side by side mountains-Attitash and Bear Peak-two brothers with distinctly different personalities. However, the big news at Attitash this year is the addition of the nearby scenic wonderland, Wildcat Mountain, (one of my personal favorites). A single Attitash lift ticket offers the pleasures of three distinct mountains.

The Attitash snowmaking team deserves a blue ribbon for their amazing ability to create a pleasurable ski surface in the virtual absence of help from Mother Nature. Snowmaking is a fine art of moisture content
craftsmanship, knowledge of wind and weather and extreme diligence. Kevin Kasten, the Attitash snowmaking guru, knows his snow. He has made the stuff in Colorado and Australia. It is said that the eskimos
have 30 different words for snow. Kevin knows how to make snow that stays snow without compacting into ice. For this, we skiers and snowboarders tip our helmets.

The trails and terrain on Bear Peak cater to the more advanced skier with 30 acres of glades and some serpentine double diamonds that offer a hearty challenge. Doug Tulin, the Attitash Big Kahuna, likes to compare Bear Peak to his frolicking ski days out west.

The Attitash peak is a more family oriented mountain with two terrain parks, an easy-peasy learn to ski area (where my brother learned to conquer his fear of standing upright on a snowboard), some wide gently curving trails, a ski school, and a new this year Mountain Coaster.
The Coaster is a seven-minute thrill ride for the kindergarten set that winds in and out of the trees on the lower end of the mountain, only steps from the lodge. The Coaster runs on weekends and vacation days and has a separate fee per ride.

Attitash faces North and commands grand views of the Mount Washington Valley. My favorite vantage point is at the upper end of the trail called Humphry’s Ledge. Just off the lift as you make the first turn, the expansive panoramic bowl of the Washington Valley stretches out
in front of you as you make your descent. To your right the peak of Mount Washington rises like a great white whale over its lesser peaks. The view is stunning.

Wildcat Mountain is about a 25 to 30 minute drive from the Attitash base. You can ski in the morning at Bear Peak, leave your spouse and the kids to enjoy the afternoon at Attitash, then depart for an afternoon romp at Wildcat. Along the way you can stop midway at the
Glen Junction Cafe for lunch or have a super sandwich at the the Appalachian Mountain Club closer to the Wildcat gate.

APRES SKI:

There are many choices for after ski dining and libations. Closest to the Mountain is the “Cheers” of the area called called Matty B’s after its friendly proprietor. Seated at the bar you get a full view of all the action on the lower part of Attitash. Here you can sample the
local Tuckerman Pale Ale brewed in nearby Conway and catch up on local gossip.


There are two dinner suggestions that I highly recommend. The Red Parka (named for those famed ski patrol jackets emblazoned with the white cross) is a festive and fun steakhouse and pub. The digs in the pub are funky ski town trash and treasures. Every nook and cranny is
crammed with ski paraphernalia. Skis are hammered in the ceiling above with RMV vanity plates papering the walls around the music stage that features bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Monday nights are reserved for the much anticipated Open Mics--a long time tradition at
the Red Parka. The upstairs restaurant is a tasteful and unique series of comfortable rooms and alcoves that was at one time the local general store. For the train lover, the Ski-boose, a renovated 1914 Flanger car that in a former life cleared the snow off the railroad
tracks, is the seating of choice to dine with friends and family.

For elegance and intimacy, a raging fire, and a menu worthy of literary award, The White Mountain Cider Company, a stone’s throw from the mountain, is the place to make your reservation---a must on weekends as the seating is limited. On my visit, I opted for the
casual corner of the menu and ordered the Moroccan Grilled Chicken andwich adorned with red pepper relish and goat cheese and served on a grilled pita. This was an affordable trick of gastronomic magic that was a treat for the eye as well as the tummy.


For those seeking to enjoy the fruits of Attitash in economy mode, the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel offers a midweek ski and stay package for only $79 per person based on double occupancy. Thi includes your lift ticket, your hotel accommodation, and free breakfasts and dinners for your children. If you are familiar with the Jordan Grand Hotel at Sunday River, this hotel is its twin sister. It’s complete with steaming hot tub and heated
outdoor pool (there’s nothing like swimming under the stars in a cloud of hot steam after a hard day on the slopes), fitness room, valet service and a ski out to Bear Peak directly from the second floor. An added hotel convenience is the complimentary gear check room right at the door to the slopes.

The hotel’s downstairs bistro, the Crawford Pub and Grill, is surprisingly reasonably priced and the hotel’s bartender, Matt Nicol, will regale you with a personal ski story that seems like it came directly from the pages of Stephen King. After hearing that saga your speed on the slopes will definitely slow down considerably.

Ski resort reviews can be helpful only if you know the skill level and skiing perspective of the person authoring the review. My perspective is focused on the actual skiing experience (terrain, crowd, and snow factors), and not so much on the ancillary aspects surrounding skiing. I am a middle-age advanced skier with no interest in jumping off cornices or cliffs. I will often at high speeds hit a small lip in the terrain and get a little air, but that is about the extent of it. I venture in and out of moderate mogul fields in an attempt to become a better all-around skier, but I tend not to spend a majority of my ski day dealing with the bumps. I love moderately spaced glades, but shy away from the dangers of extremely tight glades. If I had to describe the type of skier with which I most closely identify, it would be a high speed cruiser who enjoys medium to giant slalom turns. My three other ski buddies of 10 years and I just finished a one week skiing trip to northern New Hampshire’s White Mountain Region. We managed to ski Attitash, Wildcat, and Cannon mountains. The evening that we arrived, the region was blessed with about eight inches of fresh snow. Here are my impressions of Attitash:

Terrain: Rated 4.0:
It had been 13 years since I have skied Attitash, and this was to be my first time experiencing Attitash’s Bear Peak. For our first run of the day we started on “Attitash Peak”, and took “Lift #2” up to mid-mountain to warm up on the intermediate trails called “Upper Cathedral” and then “Lower Cathedral”. They were classic New England trails that were relatively steep for an intermediate designation. They kept us on our toes with many twists and turns. After warming up, we took “Lift #3” to the summit and swooped down the black diamonded trail called “Humphries Ledge”. It wasn’t too steep, but with the new snow steepness didn’t matter. We were confident that wherever we set our edges, they would hold in the new snow. We connected to the intermediate trail called “Northwest Passage,” which led us to the connecting trail to “Bear Peak”. Now here comes the criticism. The connecting trail is a trail called “Bear Notch Pass”. It happens to be a novice trail and it is as flat a deflated silicone implant. You have to pole or skate on flat ground for approximately 200 yards. By the time we finally got to the “Bear Peak” lodge, we all needed to use the men’s room. The connecting trail needs to be cut slightly higher up on “Attitash Peak” in order to take advantage of the natural downward slope of the hill toward “Bear Peak.” “Bear Peak” was great. It tended to have more of the wider cruising trails and less of the classical New England trails. The “Broken Arrow Glade” directly to the left of the summit trail called “Wandering Skis” was super. The trees were nicely spaced and the glades were full of fresh snow. “Bear Peak” appears to be glade heaven. There were six other “Bear Peak” glade areas that we just didn’t have the time to explore. I wanted to get back to “Attitash Peak” and explore many more of the classic New England trails, but the day seemed to end in no time. But no one complained. We had a great day of skiing.

Service: Rated 3.0:
The service aspects of Attitash was everything that you would expect and demand at a ski resort. The lifts ran as expected. There were no outstanding aspects of service, nor were there any major breakdowns regarding service. We were skiing so much, we didn’t even take a lunch break. I therefore have no comment regarding any of the food services (and that might be a good thing).

Crowds: Rated 4.0:
We were skiing on a Monday and experienced no crowding whatsoever. No lift lines. There were plenty of seats in the main lodge at “Attitash Peak” and at “Bear Peak” lodge it was almost a ghost town. I believe that the poor economy we are experiencing is really kicking butt in ski country

Activities: Rated 5.0:
There were no glitzy rock bands or tubing at Attitash. There was a small terrain park at “Bear Peak”, and a larger one at Attitash Peak. But who needs all of that stuff when North Conway is only about 2 or 3 miles away. In North Conway there is outlet store shopping and additional small and quaint clothing shops, and variety stores. Snowmobile rental shops abound in the North Conway area, and there are plenty of good restaurants and breakfast stops. There is also a movie theatre, and historic looking Jackson, New Hampshire, with its red covered bridge, is only another 3 miles away.

Value: Rated 4.0:
Attitash’s “walk-up to the window” lift tickets are generally what you would expect for a decent size mountain in premier ski country. But most of the lodging facilities in the area give substantially discounted lift tickets. Purchase them through where you are staying, and you will reap a substantial discount. Since I didn’t eat at Attitash, I have no idea of what the food prices run.

In summary, Attitash and its neighboring mountains gives you great skiing without all the glitz, attitudes, and needless expense. But shhhhhhhh! Don’t broadcast it so loud. All those Vermonters may cross the border and swamp the place.