FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information:
Karl Stone: 800-887-5464 x202
Alice Pearce: 800-887-5464 x203
Email: media@SkiNH.com
Download Release: www.SkiNH.com
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY AT
NEW HAMPSHIRE SKI AREAS
Millions of dollars being spent to enhance skier experience
NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH, AUGUST 2009 - Every summer New Hampshire's ski areas roll up their sleeves and get to work improving their resorts for guests. This past summer was no different with many improvements underway across the state. Following is a list of projects in the Granite State for the upcoming 2009-10 winter season.
Great Glen Trails, Pinkham Notch - Construction is set to begin on the fifth rendition of the Glen House. The Glen House will be a full service hotel located at Great Glen Trails and the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road. It will consist of approximately 80 rooms and offer views of the Presidential Mountains and Great Gulf. The hotel will include a large veranda, terrace, indoor pool and spa, conference facilities, great room, dining room and more. Upon completion, the Glen House will embody the look and feel of a classic New England mountain lodge. It will incorporate modern technology in order to be environmentally-friendly and meet LEED standards. Cross country ski trails will run directly from the Glen House to the Great Glen Trails network of trails.
Gunstock, Gilford - Gunstock is completing a two-year $3.25 million dollar expansion. Guests will find a new fixed-grip quad chairlift along with two new trails and two extended trails in the Gunshy Beginner Complex. The new lift will result in almost quadruple the uphill capacity in the area. Upgrades are also being made to the snowmaking system through the addition of 4.5 miles of new snowmaking pipe, 13 new tower fan guns, and refitting 25 Ratnik tower guns to be more efficient. These snowmaking improvements along with a capacity of 6,000 gallons of water per minute will result in nearly double the snowmaking capacity compared to three years ago.
Pats Peak, Henniker - Pats Peak spent $500,000 this summer on improvements, bringing the total spent in the past five seasons to $5 million. Among the projects this summer were major improvements to the "Bears' Den" home to the learning program, which doubled the area's size and includes new bathrooms and a separate kids' kitchen. High-end skiers and riders will find a new lift-serviced terrain park. Snowmaking has been improved with the addition of more fan guns, more HKD snowguns and more snowmaking pipe. The Alpine Training Center for racers has doubled in size. The rental shop will offer 400 new pairs of skis and bindings, 400 new pairs of boots, and 100 new snowboards. Regrading of the base area will result in an additional 50 parking spaces. New "secret gladed areas" have been added that require "secret lines" to discover, some of which involve hiking.
Cannon Mountain, Franconia Notch - Cannon is in the midst of phase two of its expansion. Among projects currently underway are improvements to the Notchview and Peabody Base Lodge that will result in doubling the size of the pub, base lodge and family room areas. Cannon is also conducting small-scale brushing and trimming on the recently re-opened Mittersill Ski Area. Other projects include the purchase of a Prinoth BR350 grooming machine, new snowmaking pump, upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems for the facilities, and expansions to the rental shop and retail areas.
Attitash, Bartlett - A focus on snowmaking improvements leads the way at Attitash for this winter. New snowmaking pipe, snowguns, flow meters and more are being installed in order to ensure optimal snow quality regardless of what Mother Nature provides. Enhancements are also being made to the base areas and lodges. The rental shop will be getting an upgraded inventory as well.
Wildcat Mountain, Pinkham Notch - Among the improvements made this summer at Wildcat are additional snowmaking pipe to enhance the snowmaking system. The Jib Lot was moved to the Lower Catapult Trail to improve the terrain park experience and improvements were made to the maintenance building.
Crotched Mountain, Bennington - Much of the work conducted this summer at Crotched Mountain was in direct response to guest requests. The lodge entrance will have a new welcoming feel along with a new high-tech floor covering. The upstairs of the lodge will now have a fireplace to add to the atmosphere. Improvements are also being made to the snowmaking system as well as the natural snow trails.
Granite Gorge, Keene - The rental shop at Granite Gorge has been expanded and relocated for more convenient service. The snowtubing area has added new Tube Pro tubes in both single and double rider formats.
Bretton Woods, Bretton Woods - Bretton Woods is now home to one of the longest, year-round Canopy Tours in the United States. The tour descends over 1,000 vertical feet and consists of a series of tree-top zip lines, suspension bridges, and hiking trails. The tour concludes with the Williwaw Racing Zip, a dual, side-by-side zip line running right into the base area. The Williwaw Racing Zip can also be enjoyed without participating in the entire Canopy Tour.
Mount Sunapee, Newbury - Mount Sunapee purchased ten more energy efficient snow guns in order to make more snow utilizing less energy. A new gladed trail was cut on Mount Sunapee's South Peak Learning Area. The main terrain park will now incorporate part of a third trail with four progression lines and has been renamed "603".
King Pine and Purity Spring Resort, East Madison - Over the summer King Pine added to their already powerful snowmaking system with a dozen new, energy-efficient tower snow guns. The rental shop added 70 pairs of skis to the largest rental fleet in the White Mountains. The guest experience was enhanced with upgrades to parking and signage. The snowtubing area was also improved.
Ski NH is the statewide association representing 36 alpine and cross country resorts and more than 200 lodging properties in New Hampshire. For more information on ski areas, lodging packages, and updated winter events at Ski NH mountain resorts, call Ski NH at (800) 88-SKI-NH (800-887-5464) or visit the Ski NH website at www.SkiNH.com. For statewide media relations assistance, visit the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism's media room at http://visitnh.gov/media/ or contact Mr. Tai Freligh at 603-271-2343, option #2.