{"id":7843,"date":"2018-03-21T15:08:46","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T21:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.powder7.com\/ski-blog\/?p=7843"},"modified":"2020-09-11T16:31:38","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T22:31:38","slug":"the-cold-heart-of-new-hampshire-skiing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powder7.com\/ski-blog\/the-cold-heart-of-new-hampshire-skiing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cold Heart of New Hampshire Skiing"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tim Peck<\/p>\n

Being a New England skier means embracing \u201cbad\u201d weather and making the most out of conditions that keep most sane people inside.<\/strong> Diehard East Coasters associate bitter cold, bone-chilling winds, and gray skies with short lift lines. Icy trails just make you ski faster. Nowhere on the East Coast embodies this ethos more than New Hampshire\u2019s Cannon Mountain.<\/p>\n

At Cannon, perceived negatives of freezing weather, challenging terrain, and brown-bag lunch sentiment conspire to form a quintessential East Coast ski experience. Cannon averages 160 inches of snowfall per year, a total that would be a good month at some western resorts. The line between an epic season and a disappointing one runs thin. What\u2019s more, the mountain\u2019s formidable reputation goes beyond snow totals. Notoriously frigid, Cannon faces northeast and receives minimal sun. Bitter winds scream through Franconia Notch and buffet the slopes. Cannon\u2019s summit hits 4,080 feet, making it the highest ski area summit in the state\u2014but it\u2019s miniaturized by 6,289-foot Mount Washington, 30 miles east and home to the \u201cworst weather in the world<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"skiing
Gray days are a way of life in Upper Right, USA. PHOTO: Tim Peck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Considering the weather and terrain, you might think Cannon would try to soften its edges with fancy on-mountain lodges, fine dining, and high-tech snow making. Nope. The mountain is owned by the State of New Hampshire, and upgrades are infrequent when compared to its more luxurious neighbors, Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods. Even more unique in the age of the mega-resort? Cannon has no on-site lodging.<\/p>\n

All of this begs the question: Why would anyone ski here?<\/p>\n

Old School ‘n Rugged<\/h3>\n

When you glance at a trail map of Cannon, you notice no double-black runs. But don\u2019t be fooled\u2014the trails here are understated. DJ\u2019s Tramline, rated black diamond, drops below the tram straight, narrow, and rocky. Sloping to around 40 degrees, it\u2019s considered one of the hardest runs in the East. Overall, Cannon boasts New Hampshire’s longest vertical at 2,180 feet. Its 285 skiable acres are only 5,004 fewer than Vail\u2019s!<\/p>\n

Other tantalizing options? Cannon skiers stay warm ripping scratchy runs on the Front Five\u2014five steep, and often bumpy, runs located on the frontside of the mountain facing the highway. They\u2019re fast, and the reputation is well-deserved. Before Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion Bode Miller became a household name, he barrelled down these runs as a child. His five Olympic medals are displayed next-door to the tram at the New England Ski Museum.<\/p>\n

And the history doesn\u2019t stop there. Taft Slalom is the oldest ski racing trail in the East.<\/p>\n

\"skiing
Taft Slalom was one of Cannon’s first trails when the tramway opened in 1938. PHOTO: Tim Peck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fittingly, Cannon skiers can be a little bit old school. Avoid judging someone for wearing a twenty-year old Karbon jacket and skiing sticks almost as old as you; chances are they crush. Imagine how good they would be with new skis and outerwear that actually kept them warm and dry. At Cannon, these are the skiers you want to meet\u2014if you can keep up, that is. They know every twist, turn, and stash. Just be ready for them to cackle at your neon Gore-Tex.<\/p>\n

The person who chooses to ski Cannon is someone who cares more about skiing than they do about convenience or gourmet mid-mountain brisket. They\u2019re the folks left behind when the mountain\u2019s fierce reputation chases fair-weather skiers away. If you feel like an abnormally high percentage of Cannon skiers zipperline hard moguls, lay down technical turns on granular groomers, or parallel through tight trees, you\u2019re getting the picture.<\/p>\n

Waiting a Few Minutes<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll find those same skiers toasting winter, and hoping for more, with beers at the Cannonball Pub. But when a storm rolls through and the snow starts stacking up, they won\u2019t linger. Some of them may have been there when Mark Twain famously said, \u201cIf you don\u2019t like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.\u201d And they know that when powder blankets their edgy playground, the heart of New England skiing starts to beat.<\/p>\n

\"skiing
Believe it or not, bluebird days do exist at Cannon. And they feel like Christmas. PHOTO: Tim Peck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This rings particularly true this year. Most of the 2017-18 ski season has disappointed. December snowstorms dropped more than 50 inches on Cannon, but they came with sub-zero temps that almost froze the optimism out of even the hardiest locals. Temperatures normalized in January and February, but the snowfall all but disappeared. Only race-tuned edges bred confidence.<\/p>\n

Then a few minutes passed, and five feet of snow transformed Cannon in the first two weeks of March. Those stoic New England faces, hardened by ice, soften into powder-caked grins. Powder clouds burst on DJ\u2019s Tramline. Hoots and hollers rise from the birches. Cannonball Pub vibrates. Snow transforms Cannon\u2019s treacherous runs into powdery highways and fills its numerous named and unnamed glades. The party is on until the snow goes away again.<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s back to waiting. And out here waiting means skiing.<\/p>\n

Looking for some adventure skiing out West?\u00a0Read our trip report<\/a> from Colorado’s abandoned Rock Creek Ski Area.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correction: the original version of this story said that Cannon’s 2,180 feet of vertical is the longest in New England. It is the longest in New Hampshire and seventh longest in New England.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Tim Peck Being a New England skier means embracing \u201cbad\u201d weather and making the most out of conditions that keep most sane people inside. 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