December 10, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Road trip!

by Marty Basch/

A loop drive through New Hampshire's White Mountains nets skiers and snowboarders a wealth of choice, including Attitash. (photo: Attitash/Ski NH)

A loop drive through New Hampshire's White Mountains nets skiers and snowboarders a wealth of choice, including Attitash. (photo: Attitash/Ski NH)

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Last January, an intrepid squad of eight diehard skiers and snowboarders set out to tackle what could be the ultimate winter Maine road trip. Under the auspices of the Ski Maine Association, the loyal children of the snow had an incredible plan: Ski a run at all 17 Ski Maine areas in 3½ days.

Heather Atwell of Keene, N.H., was one of them.

"It was basically an extremely long road trip, and rather than making pit stops at gas stations, we made ours at ski areas," she recalled. "The worst part of the trip was that we could only ski one or two runs at each mountain, but that was part of the deal and I knew that from the outset. The best part was that I got to experience all the different mountains, from the huge resorts to the community ski hills, in three days, and drive all over Maine with its gorgeous scenery."

The recession is official, gas prices seem cheap but they're not, and many vacationers are hunkering in for a "staycation."

Time for a road trip.

Northern New England is ripe for ski area road trips. Snag all the ski areas in Maine. Take a trip down Vermont's Route 100, the "Skier's Highway." Make a loop around New Hampshire's White Mountains

Maine

The Ski Maine Peak to Peak Challenge is the most extreme of the trio. Skiers can download a form from the Ski Maine website (skimaine.org), track their visits during the season, and enter for a chance to win a pass good at all member areas.

And now the Challenge has grown to 18 with the addition of tiny Powderhouse Hill in South Berwick.

Vermont

Route 100 traverses the Green Mountain State from the Massachusetts border by Mount Snow to near the Canadian line by Jay Peak. Along its roughly 200-mile length is relatively easy access to a wealth of alpine areas such as Magic Mountain, Stratton, Okemo, Killington, Sugarbush, Mad River, Smuggs and Stowe. The state of Vermont produces a ski map showing the state's downhill and Nordic areas (as well as maple syrup producers). Avid skiers and riders can map out their own Vermont challenge. (See Tony Chamberlain's piece on a couple of Vermont escapes.)

"Route 100 is endearingly called the 'Skier's Highway,' and many a challenge have been enjoyed on it," said Jen Butson of Ski Vermont (skivermont.com). "I've heard stories of all-nighters, driving and skiing nonstop, to more relaxed versions where they'll break down the stops over a week."

New Hampshire

New Hampshire's White Mountains region is another magnet for skiers and riders. There is a roughly 100-mile-or-so loop through the Whites that uses various roads like the Kancamagus Highway, I-93 through Franconia Notch, Route 3 by Twin Mountain and Route 302 through Crawford Notch. An excellent drive, the circuit passes by several ski areas: Loon, Cannon, Bretton Woods, Attitash and Cranmore.

"Many people who take ski vacations in New Hampshire tend to stay in either Lincoln or North Conway," said Karl Stone of Ski New Hampshire (skinh.com). "Even if staying in one location in that loop, skiers can experience many different ski areas while on vacation."

Map it and hit the road.

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