Plymouth Powder

Nick Fiore

For The Clock

nsfiore@plymouth.edu

Winter is approaching and that can only mean one thing for a lot of Plymouth State students: Skiing and snowboarding. Plymouth is nestled within the White Mountains of New Hampshire and with that comes many areas for skiing and snowboarding. Skiing and snowboarding is a way of life for students of Plymouth. There is nothing like getting out of class and heading to the slopes with a few of your best friends and shred the mountain for an hour or four.

However, this raises the question of what is the best mountain to ski at around Plymouth? Better yet, what are best trails that one can ski all day long? Well when asked, PSU snowboard enthusiast and former instructor at Loon Mountain, Julius Van Den Broek, said that his favorite trails come from both Loon and Cannon Mountain. “My favorite trails on Cannon Mountain are ‘Hardscrabble’ to ‘Low-ball,’ an extremely quick trail that does not require much turning, but does have a lot of speed”. He goes on to say “The trail also avoids some of the extreme icing that other trails on the mountain receive.” When talking about Loon, Van Den Broek says “One of my favorites, despite being a short trail, is ‘Sunset’.” The steep terrain immediately goes into a slight uphill/flat section. The point of the trail is to get as much pace as possible. It's a blast every time I go on.” One perk about the trail he mentioned was that “whenever a trail has a bunch of whale backs, it becomes the trail of the day. Flying off the freshly made snow piles is the (most fun) activity on the mountain and is something to take advantage of early in the season.” According to visitnh.gov, some of the best trails in New Hampshire include Cannon’s “Vista Way” a blue-square trail which can best be described as scenic run, a perfect way to take in the scenery that New Hampshire has to offer. “Ripsaw” on Loon Mountain is a double black diamond which is more for experienced skiers but the trail is “about a mile long, the trail descends 1,800 vertical feet, with twists, turns, and views of Franconia Notch and the town of Lincoln along the way.” Waterville Valley’s, “True Grit,” is ranked 11th on the Ski Channel’s “Gnarly 99” list. The trail begins steep and just keeps going featuring half and half grooming which lets you decide if you want to take the smooth powder or take in the bumps that can be found on the route.

When asked which trails should be avoided, Van Den Broek said his least favorite trail at Cannon is “Bypass” to “Extension.” “Even during the best of seasons those two trails are always covered in ice, the wind immediately picks up any snow and usually what's left is an ice sheet that's scary to traverse.” He goes on to say “the trail itself isn't bad, however the consistently poor conditions make it nuisance, especially because it's the only route to some of the best terrain on the mountain.” For Loon, Van Den Broek says his least favorite trail is “Upper North Star,” “its narrow next to a lift, and all the trails around it have more varied terrain. The trail also suffers from quite a lot of freezing in parts”.

Regardless of your preference or riding style there are many trails and routes to take so find the one that best suits your style and skill level. Almost every mountain gives out a map of the mountain with the name and skill level on it. So go out this winter season and shred all the great mountains and trails New Hampshire has to offer.