Hard to
believe that you can ski over 45,000’ vertical in a day at New
Hampshire’s Ragged Mountain. All you need are strong quads and a
six-pack, Ragged provides the six-pack.
Actually, this family friendly N.H. resort, just 90-minutes from
Lowell, offers 220 acres and 50 trails of skiing, serviced by their
premier six-passenger chairlift that reaches Ragged Mountain’s summit
in 4 ½ minutes. So by these calculations, you could get in six runs in
an hour, and attain 36 runs on the 1,250-foot vertical ski area,
including a lunch break.
But there is no need to run your self “ragged.” Skiers and riders
should take time to enjoy this mountain, and to appreciate the
attention to design and detail at this New Hampshire ski area.
Pulling up to Ragged ski area, you feel like you are arriving at a
country Inn, thanks to the tastefully designed New England-style base
lodges. Modeled after a New England farmhouse with a classic big red
barn and silo, the lodges are pastoral and attractive – not like your
typical utilitarian building.
Then there is the skiing, two mountains worth, Ragged and Spear.
Ragged Mountain is the peak serviced by the speedy six-passenger
couch-size lift. With this phenomenal lift, the only six-passenger
chair in New Hampshire, lift lines are nary a problem.
Ragged’s
honest 1,250’vertical includes dozens of trails, something for
everyone. A meandering Easy Winder trail from the top allows beginners
to experience the summit. You can’t help but enjoy intermediate
cruisers on New Found Ridge and rolling, knolling Exhibition, aptly
named for its liftline location. The trail selections are easily
navigated, and ideal for families, who inevitably can’t all decide on
the same run, but want to regroup at the base for the ride back up.
Ragged’s terrain park and half pipe, which would not be my first
choice –since I am a conservative gravity loving mom, is a whole trail
chock full of features. Designer Eric Webster is a professional rider
and serves as Technical Advisor to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard
Association, so his park is cutting edge and definitely gets the
“cool” stamp.
Spear Mountain, to the west, is a separate peak with a slower triple
chair. The ride here is more relaxed and less popular – the adjacent
six-seater gets more attention. Spear Mountain spreads skiers out and
includes yet another summit to base novice run, Cardigan Turnpike. But
we found some tenacious glades and bumps on Double Take and Joe’s
Ravine. Blue-square Flying Yankee is a favorite for its S-turns down
Spear.
Back at the base is the beginner area called Juniper Meadows. This
learning area is well located near the rental shop and childcare, but
tucked away from the mainstream traffic. Two slow-moving handle tows,
a ski carousel for tots, and a comfortable triple chair serve
perfectly pitched introductory slopes. And all this is a snowball’s
throw from the resort’s main lifts – so families can keep dibs on each
other and meet up at any time.
Ragged even offers lift accessed tubing if skiing and riding is not
your thing – but you want some on-snow gliding.
If you really fall for Ragged, you can sleep on the mountain. That’s
right, the only slopeside lodging available is literally on-slope,
though it is billed as more of a rustic overnight adventure. The
mid-mountain Ridgeline Cabin is available for groups of 28 . Groups are
ski in on their last run, or are delivered to the on-mountain lodge by sleigh
or snow cat for the
night.
For more grounded, more traditional slopeside homes, their are
condos and homes
at the base of Ragged overlooking the 18-hole Championship golf course
.
Ragged may not have received an avalanche of superlatives on the New
England ski scene. It deserves your attention since it skis like
a big mountain, with a small mountain feel and price tag. It is easy to get to as an
alternative to northern, more popular ski destinations.
