Wildcat Mountain - Most Challenging Terrain in the Northeast and Awesome Scenery
Written: Jan 24 '08 (Updated Nov 05 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great vertical terrain, beautiful scenery, easy to find your way, good pricing
Cons: no night skiing, sometimes shorter open hours than other ski areas
The Bottom Line: This is a great ski area for those looking for terrain that's a bit more challenging than other trails in New England.
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Wildcat |
When I want to give my kids a bit of a challenge in their skiing, it’s a no-brainer where we head. Wildcat Mountain. It’s been in operation for fifty years now on National Forest land. This means there is no development right along the trails. It’s also one of the few remaining family-owned and run ski areas. Two years ago, it was the first ski area to open in the Northeast and we had the kids skiing there on Halloween.
LOCATION
Wildcat Mountain is located in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. This is on Route 16 about a half hour north of North Conway, NH, about 3 hours from Boston, Massachusetts, or 2 hours from Portland, Maine. The ski area is directly opposite Mount Washington and the view of that mountain is stunning. Being this close to “the world’s worst weather” helps greatly with Wildcat Mountain‘s snowfall totals and it usually has the highest rate each winter and is one of the resorts that tends to open earlier and close later than many other New England Ski Areas.
FACTS
The summit of Wildcat Mountain comes in at 4,062 feet with a total vertical height between the base and summit of 2,112 feet. It boasts 47 trails over 225 acres. Four lifts service these trails, including a high-speed quad that takes about six minutes to reach the summit.
There is snowmaking n 90% of the terrain if necessary. Each night, the majority of the trails are groomed. Wildcat Mountain does not offer night skiing.
CONDITIONS
Wildcat Mountain is one mountain that I can generally count on to have good snow coverage, even whether other mountains in the area are lacking. They also tend to have more trails open here percentage-wise than other local ski areas.
The terrain here tends toward the more advanced skier. Of the 47 trails at Wildcat Mountain, 25% are classified as beginner terrain, 45% as intermediate terrain, and 30% as expert terrain. This is largely due to the fact that the terrain tends to be steeper than at other resorts dues to the vertical drop.
With only four lifts, you would think things would be crowded. It can be, but the plus is also that the terrain is concise and difficult to get lost on. It's basically up and down with no connectors to side mountains so sooner or later if you ski pointed down, you will end up back at the base. This helps me have confidence that my kids won't end up lost.
The trails at Wildcat Mountain seem to be a lot longer than trails at other mountains. Where a mountain might state that it has 70 trails, some of those might be one trail from top to bottom divided up into three sections due to the intersections with other trails. At Wildcat Mountain, this happens as well. However, many of the trails are longer than at other resorts in the area. In particular, the three sections that make up the Polecat Trail total 2.75 miles in length.
That trail is classified as a beginner. However, reaching it with a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain might intimidate any beginner. There is a beginner slope are near the base lodge for those who are truly beginners, although they really won't get much out of Wildcat Mountain's great terrain.
There are a number of glades for skiing as well, which are closer to the base than to the summit. All of these are considered "Expert" areas, so it's not the place to get your first taste of glades.
It seems that Wildcat Mountain is lighter in the area on on-mountain staff than other ski areas, maybe because it doesn't draw quite the same crowds as other areas. Whether it's due to the ability of the crowds it does tend to draw, I am not sure, but this doesn't seem to be a problem. I see less incidents of skiers behaving inappropriately here and my kids have confirmed that they see less aggressive and careless skiers here than at many of the other ski areas locally.
RATES
Of all the local resorts, the prices here are probably the most reasonable. We usually head over there on Sunday afternoons for the special of $20 lift tickets from noon to close.
Daily lift ticket prices are $29 for juniors ages 6-12, $49 for teens ages 13-18, $59 for adults, and $29 for seniors ages 65 and up. Those just using the novice area pay $29. Adults and teens can add the next day's lift ticket for $39.
There are specials, such as "ten packs" and daily specials during the week, such as two people skiing or riding on Wednesdays for $59 (non-holidays). This is one of the cheaper areas to ski at anyway, and these deals just sweeten it all the more.
Rental charges at the mountain add $30 onto the cost. If you are coming up through North Conway, I recommend stopping there for your rentals. One shop, "Bob & Terry's" has rentals for the day for just $16.
Lessons are also available, and there are nice packages that include lift ticket, rental, and lessons for up to seven days. If you are just thinking you need a guide due to unfamiliarity with the mountain, that probably won't be the case since the trails are pretty much strictly vertical.
MISCELLANEOUS
The lodge at the base is nice, but perhaps not quite as warm and inviting as other lodges in the area. Since that's where I spend most of my time, I notice these things. People who are skiing probably won't care, but if you have someone who's sitting at the base, there's not really a cozy place to curl up with a book.
The food here is expensive like most ski areas, but not so outrageously expensive that you'll feel like you are signing over a week's salary to feed your family. It's decent, too. I generally head up to the pub to eat. There, I can get a burger and fries for $7.95 which is the price for just a burger elsewhere. I do like the atmosphere in the pub.
Parking is pretty easy and the drop-off and pick-up area works well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Wildcat Mountain is an affordable place for people who want good vertical terrain. It's a beautiful place to ski. The views are incredible and the terrain is excellent. It's one of the best ski areas locally for snow coverage, and they generally have snow before other areas and sometimes long after.
The crowds aren't intimidating. Although this might not be the first place I think of for those learning to ski, they will find plenty to do here. You can also let the kids loose with confidence that they won't get lost.
The food quality is decent without being overly expensive. Lift tickets are reasonable as well. If you're going to be in the area, I definitely think it's worth checking out.
Other sites to see in the area:
Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort ~ Bretton Woods Ski Resort ~ Canobie Lake Park ~ Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort ~ Franconia Notch State Park ~ Kancamagus Highway ~ King Pine Ski Resort ~ Loon Mountain ~ Madison Boulder Natural Area ~ Mount Washington Cog Railway ~ North Conway, NH ~ Polar Express Event ~ Shawnee Peak, Bridgeton ME ~ Six Gun City ~ Story Land ~ Whale's Tale Waterpark ~ White Lake State Park ~ White Mountain National Forest
Some places to stay nearby:
Attitash Mountain Village - Bartlett NH ~ Comfort Inn & Suites - North Conway NH ~ Hampton Inn - Concord/Bow NH ~ Yankee Clipper Motel
Places to eat in nearby:
Bea's Cafe, Conway NH ~ Cafe Noche, Conway NH ~ Decades Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Delaney‘s Hole in the Wall, North Conway NH ~ Harts Turkey Farm, Meredith NH ~ May Kelly's Cottage, North Conway NH ~ Merlino's Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Moat Mountain Smokehouse, North Conway NH ~ Muddy Moose, North Conway NH ~ Peach's Restauran, North Conway NH ~ Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub, Glen NH ~ Yankee Smokehouse, West Ossipee NH
© 2008 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: Intermediate
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
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Now writing reviews to pay for the "out of network" costs of our health insurance...
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