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Drop In, Skiers

Photo by DINO VOURNAS

A view of Mirror Lake in historic Lake Placid, New York, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

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By DINO VOURNAS

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 12, 2008

When most people plan their precious ski week, they usually focus on the offerings of the Rocky Mountains and destinations west. When New England skiing comes up, eyes glaze over and excuses pour forth: "The snow isn't as good; the mountains aren't as high; it's too cold," they say.

But to deny oneself a winter ski trip to New England is to miss great ambience, fascinating history, some surprisingly big vertical drops with accompanying steeps and, yes, lots of fine-groomed snow conditions and even fluffy, cold powder on occasion.

Historical New England ski areas are easily accessed via Boston with a rental car, a great network of highways and easy distances.

Interstate 93 skirts close to most of the ski areas of New Hampshire as we passed through Manchester and the smart little capital of Concord on our way to the northern White Mountains. Traveling north through beautiful Franconia Notch State Park, we glimpsed sublime rock formations, sheer cliffs and forests, all dominated by Cannon Mountain.

A short drive east along U.S. 3 and 302, and we arrived at our first destination: the spectacular Mount Washington Hotel and the adjacent Bretton Woods Ski Resort. The hotel, nestled in a valley under the summit of its namesake peak, resembles a classic Atlantic passenger ship, the design of which was not lost on its builder, railroad and coal baron Joseph Stickney.

At the turn of the 20th century, the East Coast gentry had to travel in the summer to keep up their social status. Stickney wanted to accommodate them, so with 250 imported Italian craftsmen, he built a steel, wood and granite Spanish Renaissance masterpiece, open for business in 1902.

No expense was spared. Thomas Edison himself electrified the building. The state-of-the-art infrastructure and decor, including Tiffany art glass, sumptuous furnishings and an exquisite setting enticed the well-heeled from all parts of the continent. Countless celebrities, writers, sports figures - including Babe Ruth, Winston Churchill, John Kennedy and other U.S. presidents - were among the visitors.

In the mid-'80s, the hotel received National Historic Landmark status, but by 1990, the winters had taken their toll on the structure, and it was in danger of being demolished. Purchased at auction in 1991 by local preservationists, the Mount Washington was on the road to recovery, culminating in a winterizing and modernization project that turned the hotel into a year-round resort in 1999. New owners are now creating a resort community with private homes and vacation amenities.

As the hotel opened for the winter, the adjacent Bretton Woods Ski Resort came into its own, too. The ski area boasts nine lifts on two ski mountains, including four high-speed quads and the most skiing acreage in New Hampshire. The vista from the summit is superb, with views of the Presidential Range, the hotel and the valley 1,500 feet below. The resort prides itself on its grooming regimen, with fully 92 percent of the trails snowmaking equipped.

For another ski challenge, head back to Franconia Notch to ski one of the granddads of Eastern resorts, 70-plus-years-old Cannon Mountain.

From the summit, views of the Notch and the Presidential Range unfold. With an aerial tram, six chairs (including two express quads), near 100 percent snowmaking coverage and 2,100 feet of vertical drop, it's a serious ski area and ranked with the East's best under good conditions.

Hop Aboard Cog Railway

Want a fun, old-time thrill? Take a ride up the flanks of Mount Washington on the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway, built in 1869. This hissing, black-smoke-belching beast of a steam locomotive has a carbon footprint the size of a brontosaurus. The railroad, mindful of the steam engine's environmental impact, just added a computer-assisted bio-diesel locomotive to its stable of "iron horses."

Other things to do at the hotel include a self-guided tour, admiring the Conservatory, Great Hall and veranda, perusing the subterranean shops on "Stickney Street" and carousing in "The Cave," a former speakeasy turned nightspot.

Dining options include the gourmet dining rooms of the hotel and the Bretton Arms next door. More casual spots include Stickney's, located in the hotel, and Fabyan's Station, at the old rail station.

Leaving Mount Washington Hotel, we hit the highway for two hours and reached our destination, northern Vermont's Mad River Glen ski area. Sixty years ago, ski area founder Rolando Palmedo fired up his single-seat chairlift hoping to start "not just a business but a winter community of people dedicated to the enjoyment of the sport."

The next owners carried on this tradition, and when it became time to sell the ski area in 1995, Betsy Pratt did the only thing she could do: She sold the area to her die-hard skiers, who formed the 1,667-member Mad River Glen Cooperative.

When the diesel-powered single chairlift was on its last legs in 2007, the group called the express quad folks at Doppelmeyer Lifts and asked them to replace it with a state-of-the-art, single chair diesel-powered lift, unique to North America. The skier-owners relish the knowledge that the Glen is not for everyone.

With three other slow double chairs on the mountain, long lift lines can happen on busy weekends. But there's nary a complaint. They know that lift lines translate into a less-crowded on-slope experience.

Snowboards? Not allowed here; it's one of only three areas in the United States to still ban them. Fancy ski suits? No way. Snowmaking? Just 15 percent of the higher-traffic trails. Grooming? Contrary to rumor, they do groom the intermediate and beginner runs, but the expert terrain remains untouched.

Their motto isn't "Ski It If You Can" for nothing.

If you want to stick around town for a spell, there are several nice bed-and-breakfasts and inns close by. We sampled the Waitsfield Inn, which was quaint, quiet and well-appointed.

On To Lake Placid

Another short two-hour drive and we were at the epicenter of U.S. Olympic spirit in the upstate New York village of Lake Placid, host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority makes it easy for visitors to experience all of the historical and modern venues with an Olympic Sites Passport allowing entry into the Winter Olympics Museum; the dizzying heights of the Ski Jumping Complex, including the 120-meter jump; and the Sports Complex, which houses the bobsled and luge track. Offers available include a ride on a real four-person bobsled down the Olympic track and a skate on the Olympic Oval.

Lake Placid is a real town that also happens to be a ski town and winter sports center. In essence, it's the anti-Vail. It's not cutesy but does have a small-town charm and beautiful settings along the banks of Mirror Lake and Lake Placid.

Main Street is fun to wander; there are myriad shops and restaurants, both traditional and eclectic. The Cafe Rustica at 211 Saranac Ave., located in a small shopping center, had creative, tasty food and a friendly owner-chef. Nicola's on Main was enjoyable, as was the Veranda, on the hill next to the Crowne Plaza, with its fine food and views.

Hotels in town range from the classic Adirondack-style Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid and Whiteface lodges and the contemporary Crowne Plaza to many economy motor inns.

Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid's ski center and the site of the Alpine events in the 1980 Olympics, is about eight miles out of town on State Route 86. It's a formidable mountain, at times a bit inhospitable, with a near-3,200 foot vertical drop. If you include another 250-foot vertical hike to the Slides runs, it reaches No. 1 in the East.

A gondola and eight chairs crisscross the mountain now. Another triple chair debuts this winter and opens up 2,200 vertical feet of skiing on the new Lookout Mountain.

Returning to town, we rushed to get in some quality Olympic Museum time.

One of the highlights of our Placid stay was running into Jim Rogers, who gave us a tour of the Herb Brooks Ice Arena and described the excitement and joy of the Hockey Miracle in great detail. Rogers, a longtime resident of the town, was the protocol chief of the 1980 Games and gave us a defining thought:

"In 1980, amateurs got together and did something wonderful," he reminisced.

Maybe Lake Placid will surprise the world again someday.

IF YOU GO

Gateway cities to New Hampshire's ski areas include Boston; Manchester, N.H.; and Portland, Maine. If you're renting a car, Boston is probably the best for prices. Don't forget to bring full-face protection and expedition-quality thermal wear, just in case, when skiing New England.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mount Washington Hotel and Resort: www.mountwashingtonresort.com; 1-800-314-1752

Bretton Woods Ski Area: www.mount washingtonresort.com/alpine_trails/trail _report

Cannon Mountain: www.cannonmt.com; (603) 823-8800

Mad River Glen Ski Area: www.mad riverglen.com; (802) 496-3551

Mad River Valley lodging and restaurants: www.madrivervalley.com; 1-800-828-4748

Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce: www.lakeplacid.com; 1-800-447-5224

Whiteface Mountain: www.whiteface.com/newsite/index.php; (518) 946-2223

Olympic Regional Development Authority Lake Placid: www.orda.org; (518) 523-1655

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