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Just got back from a group trip. Skied 5 different XC places. Most places had 2 feet of snow.
We stayed in Gorhan NH, Town and Country Motor Inn and Resort. They have great package deals which include the
room, breakfast and dinner. They have on site a large pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room. They are nicely located
to XC and downhill places to the East (Maine), West, and South. Dinner is very good with huge portions.
Package includes ordering off the menu (no special limited stuff- one night the special was whole lobster,
which several of us had). They are very large (300 rooms?) and get busloads of kids from England, Ireland, and
other parts of the world or this country, so things can be noisy sometimes. On weekends they also get quite a
few snow-mobilers.
XC places;
Great Glen- 15 minutes South, excellent lodge (fireplace, views, comfy!)and cafe, very good snow and grooming.
Almost all trails are pretty easy greens and blues (they tend to be on the easy side). Great Glen often has
snow when other don't. They do get a lot of wind, being close to Mt. Washington, but once you scoot past the
open area you are in woods.
Jackson Village- this is the first time I have been there that they have had enough snow so all their trails
are open and groomed (this is like 100 miles of trails! Got to ski some brand new trails (the Wave trail to
Black Mountain, had lunch at the Black Mountain ski lodge (noisy- crowded-drafty)) Very fun trail coming back
down. Jackson lodge is very pretty and has a smallish area around a fireplace, but only small snacks. Greens,
Blues and Blacks seem accurately graded.
The Outdoor Center at Sunday River- mostly flattish green trails and a few fun blues. There are 3 black trails
(one perm closed, one closed due to logging(?)), last one very very steep- now marked one way up. Also plenty
of snow to cover trails (this is not normal for them- they usually are short on snow.) Greens and Blues tend to
the easy side.
Bretton Woods has a huge trail system and is very often short on snow. They also get a lot of wind and you must
get past the golf course before you get out of it. Golf lodge serves as day lodge, some food available, but
they seem to run out fairly quickly. Grooming is excellent if they have snow. If they are short of snow they
don't groom so they don't kill their base, but makes for hard pack nastiness. I am not sure of overall trail
grading accuracy as I have only been there once with decent snow.
Bear Notch is on the other side of the pass from Bretton Woods and seems to get four times as much snow. They
take great care of their trails and grooming. It is a small family run place with a rustic lodge. They have
home made breads and soups which are great. Some of the trail connections through town can be toughtto find and
follow, but each group of trails is well marked and numbered. Blues and Blacks tend to be on the easier side,
but close.
Also visited the New England Ski Museum in Franconia (at Canon)- If you like ski history this is great!
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