Holidays at Bretton Woods, Whatever the Weather

On this first day of winter, the snow-covered Presidential Range is watching over the valley floor below where the Omni Mount Washington is decked in its finest for the holidays. The sense of magic in the air is palpable as I watch kids stare wide-eyed at the towering Christmas trees lining the grand hall of the Hotel. If there ever was a setting made for the delight of the holidays, this is it. It's hard to believe in its 113-year history, the Omni Mount Washington Hotel has only been open in the winter since 1999.

Although there certainly have been snowier starts to Bretton Woods winters, a fun vacation week is still in store for those of us lucky enough to spend it in the White Mountains. Bretton Woods is boasting the most open terrain in New Hampshire and I’m betting the Number One Groomers in the East will be out there ensuring perfect corduroy for everyone.

If you’re lucky enough to ski or ride on Christmas day, you’ll find the gift of $30 lift tickets at the ticket windows, and the lifts will be turning 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., giving you plenty of time to enjoy morning traditions before getting out for a leisurely first tracks.

In addition to hitting the slopes, here are some other great resort activities to enjoy this week:

• Indoor Climbing Wall and Bouldering Cave - A year-round indoor climbing experience located on the lofty Slopeside level of the Bretton Woods Base Lodge. With routes up to 30 feet for beginners to experts, staff will ensure everyone in the family has a fun afternoon – rain, shine or snow. Also explore the 300 square-foot Bouldering Cave for more fun closer to the ground.
  
• Bretton Woods Canopy Tour - I can personally attest that the Canopy Tour is not to be missed when you are at Bretton Woods, no matter what time of year. Descending over 1,000 feet of elevation, the tour takes nature lovers and thrill-seekers across a series of nine treetop zip lines, and is one of the longest zip line canopy tours in New England. Suspension bridges and hiking trails connect the highflying zip lines. Reservations required.
  
• Dog Sledding (currently operating with wheeled carts) - Take in the spectacular winter scenery as you glide behind a powerful team of sled dogs. Experience nature as explorers have for hundreds of years. Reservations required.
  
• Elf Tuck-In and Tea with Mrs. Claus - For a holiday treat for the kids, you can schedule a special bedtime story and treat with one of Santa’s own  with the Elf Tuck-In. Or for an afternoon with the lady who’s really in charge, Tea with Mrs. Claus is sure to delight as it fills their tummies.
  
• Kids Apres Ski Parties (and ones for the adults too) are scheduled throughout the week. This free party for the kids takes place upstairs in the top level of the base lodge and will include live entertainment, games, activities, and refreshments for kids. Parents are welcome to leave their kids at this supervised program and enjoy entertainment at the Slopeside Lounge. 

I hope your holidays are filled with joy and wonder.

Not-So-Secret Tips for a Happy Ski Vacation

As any parent knows, expectations run high this time of year for young and old alike.  With so many tasks to juggle, I'm hoping this list of tips will help make your ski vacation be just that: a true vacation from the everyday, with time to truly cherish some family moments.

Following your holiday festivities with Santa next week, many of you will be joining me for a week filled with all things Winter Fun: skiing and riding, skating, snowshoeing, dogsledding, sleigh rides, tubing, and of course, a little hot chocolate at the end of the day.

Here are a few dos and don'ts as you head to the resort next week:

Make sure that you make reservations for all the great activities you'd like to take part in.  Ski school,  canopy tours, babysitting, sleigh or dogsled rides and many other activities fill up over vacation week, so be sure to call the activities desk ahead of time to make sure you don't miss out.  (And don't forget your Spa reservations; you deserve it after all you've done to get the gifts under the tree and the family to the mountain!)  Lift tickets, rentals, and ski school reservations can also be made online ahead of time, which will give you more time when you're at the mountain to be on the snow.

Show up for first tracks.  There are some days when it's nice to linger over your morning pancakes and coffee, but vacation week is the time to get an early start.  You'll get a better parking spot, avoid lines for rentals, lessons, the lifts, and enjoy some fresh corduroy, or even perhaps some untouched powder tucked away in the woods.

Make use of those friendly red-coated Ambassadors you see in the parking lots and along the entrance to the lodge.  Need some help carrying all that gear AND managing the kids? They'll be happy to help. Wondering where to go for lessons?  They'll head you in the right direction.  At your mid-morning break, search them out: they'll be handing out steaming cups of hot cider to warm you up.

Ski on trails that you can't see from the lifts.  There seems to be a draw for people to ski on Bigger Ben and Range View, perhaps because you can see all the great snow you'll find as you speed over those trails on your way up the lifts.  But if you're looking to find a trail that's a bit less populated, do a little exploring.  Just to skier's left of Bigger Ben, In Between is a "hidden gem" that winds over the terrain cut to take advantage of the contours of the mountain.  Crawford's Blaze will also take you away from the masses along an undulating ride through the forest.

Ride on lifts you can't see from the base lodge.  When the Bethlehem and Zephyr lifts get busy at high times, usually between 10:00 and 2:00, enjoy some of the terrain you can access from the Rosebrook or West Mountain lifts.  The lines at these lifts are usually much shorter, and again, you can explore new trails that are less frequented than those that you can see from the lifts.

Break early for lunch. The base lodge will get busy at high noon with hungry skiers and riders looking to fill up on hearty soups and sandwiches, so buck the system and head in closer to 11:00 for lunch - you'll be ready for some chow by then, since you arrived for first tracks!  Then, when everyone else piles in for lunch, you can be back out on the trails.  For an elevated lunch, try Latitude 44, at the top of the Bethlehem Express Quad, for a quick sit-down lunch and stunning views of the Presidentials.

Relax and have fun.  Remember to enjoy each other's company, whether you're sharing a lift ride or just waiting in line to pay for that chocolatey brownie you'll share as a reward for a few good runs.

A Dog Sled Adventure

If you’ve ever read Call of the Wild or watched the grueling Iditarod, you might have, like me, visions of dog sledding being an epic journey through frozen tundra, relying solely on your survival skills and the cunning of your faithful dog team.

Alas, my 20-minute ride with a musher from the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel around the grounds of the Omni Mount Washington Resort was not exactly a brutal test of endurance. But we did get to enjoy the company of some energetic furry friends, one of which that actually did participate in the Iditarod.
After a check- in at the Activities Desk at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, we drove down to the Dog Sled area, near the Bretton Arms Inn. There were four or five teams there, and they all looked anxious to get running. Since you have to be at least three years old to ride, Bridget and I would be hopping in the sled while Matt and Timothy took pictures.

Even though Bridget is enamored with dogs in general, I wasn’t sure if she would suddenly become tentative in the face of so many dogs - some a bit more energetic than our 11-year-old Lab. But she didn’t hesitate to approach them and begin petting their ears.
Chris, our musher, first introduced us to all the dogs. He clearly cared for the dogs, and shared a story or some history for each one, including one of the two lead dogs, named Quebec, which had lead in the Iditarod and won! The Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel is based in Jefferson, NH, and many of the dogs are “rescue” or “second chance” dogs, meaning that they’re either past their prime for racing or just in need of a home. The front three pairs were all Alaskan Huskies, and the two wheel dogs were Siberian Huskies, and Chris loved to give Spike a hard time for the tendency of his belly to bulge out a bit from his harness. They were especially friendly and eager for Bridget to pet them. In the sled, we cozied up in a warm blanket and got ready for the ride. The dogs knew it was time to get running and all of them, including the other teams who were not going out yet, started barking excitedly – it was impossible not to feel their pure enthusiasm for running through the snow. As we toured the Resort grounds from a dog’s eye view, Chris gave us some more background on the dogs and the commands he uses to guide them. It was amazing to see how well they all worked together, even though some were in training. Chris encouraged them as they pulled us up a little hill and Bridget and I laughed as we barreled down the other side. When they got going fast, Bridget announced happily, “Mommy, my eyes are cold!”

Although the dogs surely know the route they follow for this short excursion, it was a moment of new perspective in putting myself and my daughter in the hands (paws?!) of the dogs… the musher has a snow brake, and they followed his every command, but what a treat to allow the dogs to carry us along.

Bridget didn’t say much as she took it all in, but the grin on her face told me the dogs were pure bliss to her. Following the ride, Chris had us thank each dog and tell them what a good job they had done. Bridget gave them each a hug. I have a feeling this won’t be our last experience with dog sledding!