Loon Mountain outlines upgrades for upcoming season

Sunset off of North Peak is often one of the first trails to open at Loon Mountain. (Keith Pearson)

With the season right around the corner, Loon Mountain outlined what it has been up to since ending winter operations in April.

Like many areas across New England, the Boyne Resorts-owned mountain made a significant investment in its snowmaking infrastructure.

The mountain added more than 100 semi-automated snowmaking hydrants on Haulback, Brookway and Bear Claw Extension — three trails on the main mountain that receive heavy use throughout the year.

On South Peak, snowmaking was added on Upper and Lower Stinger, giving the Timbertown area that debuted last season 100 percent coverage. Cruiser, Ripsaw, Escape Route and Chipper also will have expanded coverage.

In addition to the hydrants that produce the snow, Loon was able to increase the amount of water getting up the mountain with the water intake system at the Old River Pumphouse being replaced and upgraded.

The patio outside the Octagon Lodge was redesigned with tables and chairs throughout the area with new stone pavers, and a wall, like the one at Camp III, was erected. The staircase leading to the Paul Bunyan Room was pulled away from the lodge.

For those who get to the mountain early, the main parking lot was repaved.

Loon already hasannounced a big offseason with a Doppelmayr pulse gondola spanning the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River from RiverWalk to Timbertown base area as well as work on the Governor Adams Lodge.

RiverWalk completed an expansion during the offseason, adding 66 units of 2- and 3-bedroom suites, giving the resort 145 units. It added a new lobby, real estate office and 10,000-square foot ballroom/conference center. Rhythm Cider and Seven Birches Winery both made the move from the nearby Village Shops to RiverWalk, the latter now having a 10,000-square foot facility.

Loon initially had hoped to open on Nov. 15, but the first day tickets are currently available online is Nov. 22.

The mountain took advantage of colder temperatures Tuesday night to make snow on trails that are always among the first to open, such as Sunset, Haulback and Lower Walking Boss on North Peak, and Bear Claw Extension, Upper Bear Claw, Exodus, Grand Junction, Seven Brothers, Link, Crosscut, Flying Fox and Seven Brothers on Loon Peak.