It’s lunchtime, and my wife and two sons have finally found a spot, nestled on the floor in an upper corner of the K-1 Lodge. Just outside, there’s a similar, hefty crowd of people, some of the estimated 18,500 that came on this day to Killington Mountain Resort in order to witness the … [Read more...]
View From the Peak: New England’s ski season is officially underway
Killington was the first ski resort to open for the season in New England. But not in the East. That honor belongs to tiny Cataloochee Ski Area in North Carolina (elevation of 5,400 feet, 740-foot vertical), which started its lifts last Sunday, Nov. 3, at 8:30 in the morning. Killington … [Read more...]
Resorts big and small not standing still as new decade of skiing dawns
Not everybody has to be Epic or Ikon. As the season pass wars heated up even further during the offseason with Vail Resort’s acquisition of former Peak Resorts properties Attitash, Wildcat and Mount Snow — adding them to the company’s ever-growing family of mountains in New England — a new … [Read more...]
New England is a leaf peeping wonderland, from the Whites to the Greens
Despite the fact that you’ve probably noticed pumpkin spice varietals of every food and drink imaginable invading your favorite grocery stop since mid-August, the fall season glosses over New England for only a limited time. In a seasonal calendar of special offers, autumn has a more defined … [Read more...]
Granite State’s water playground never ceases to deliver
Not that we’re denying the due of those who decide to hit the beach during the summer, but, frankly, what else do you do? Laying around in the sun for eight hours a day might sound like a fantastic way to spend a summer vacation, but then what? Gorge yourself on fried seafood? Take in a movie? … [Read more...]
10 memorable food, drink havens in New England with a view
A handful of the choices are obvious — the unparalleled summer vibe at The Lobster Pool in Rockport, Mass., the energy at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet, Mass., wherever your scents may lead you during a weeknight stroll within Boston’s vibrant Seaport District, or even an island oasis such as the … [Read more...]
At Black Mountain, Andrew Drummond’s ski touring visions come true
Andrew Drummond was in Alaska visiting his brother when he had his epiphany. Prior to 2012, the 37-year-old native of Conway, N.H., already had plenty of alpine experience as a member of the Attitash racing program, in nearby Bartlett, and the Eastern Slope Ski Club. He raced as a member of the … [Read more...]
Crash courses at Loon, Fenway
Thomas Missert really just wanted a Red Bull jersey. It’s the reason why he originally tried out for the Red Bull Crashed Ice pre-qualifiers in December, a chance for ice skaters to showcase their speed and technical skating skills by racing around a series of flat-ice obstacles at a rink in … [Read more...]
The advantages of shopping local for ski gear
Here’s a classic example of the many differences between browsing the web and shopping for ski equipment online and visiting your local alpine shop. As the owner of Massachusetts-based outfitter Country Ski & Sport, Ray Stenson has seen it. "Every day," he said exasperatedly. "Every … [Read more...]
With Mikaela Shiffin, Killington momentum not slowing anytime soon
Herwig Demschar had every right to figure Killington could pull this off. When I spoke with the former head coach of the U.S. women and Austrian men’s alpine teams back in 2016 in preparation for the first World Cup skiing event to be held on the East Coast in a quarter-century, Demschar said he … [Read more...]
Wachusett Mountain: Starting with a flurry
Despite living only 90 minutes away in southeastern Massachusetts, Wachusett Mountain was never really part of my youth. In fact, the only real connection I ever had to the Princeton, Mass., area during my teen years was the ubiquitous jingle ("Waaaaaa. Wa. Wachusett"), born from one of the most … [Read more...]
Must-visit spas in New England’s ski country
My wife and I have had a long-standing commitment to how our skiing culture ultimately would evolve in our family: I get lost with the kids on the slopes while she loses herself in the relaxation of the nearest spa. While the downhill bug thankfully filtered down to each of my three offspring, it … [Read more...]
