Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 4
THOUGHTS FROM THE PUBLISHER
Justifying North Conway’s #1 Ski Town honors
PUBLISHER/CREATIVE
Dan Houde
dan@wiseguycreative.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Cam Mirisola-Bynum
SALES MANAGER
Chris Pacheco
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Just recently, North Conway took top honors in the USA TODAY
2024 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Ski Town in North America.
North Conway has been on USA Today’s list of best ski towns
every year since 2016, ranking first twice, and again, for 2024. In
2017, North Conway was even ranked on the World’s 25 Best Ski
Towns, according to National Geographic!
With recent rivals including Mammoth in California, Jackson
Hole in Wyoming, and Vail in Colorado, how does North Conway
win such an award? While the North Conway area may not have the “biggest” ski resort in
the country, it does have what it takes to be well-worthy of the recognition.
Access to various ski resort options certainly needs to be high on the list—and North
Conway has that category firmly in place. In addition to seven alpine resorts with over 335
trails totaling 1,600 skiable acres, the Mt. Washington Valley area also features six unique
cross-country centers with over 450 km of groomed trails. All are within 30 minutes of
North Conway village, and three additional major ski resorts are within a one-hour drive.
With the resurgence of backcountry skiing (thanks to GBA), this area also offers over
While ski area access and options for all abilities can certainly help
justify such a recognition, North Conway is also loaded with rich ski
history, heritage, and culture.
30,000 vertical feet of backcountry gladed terrain, plus an additional 10,000 vertical feet
of historic CCC trails. With Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine, and the Presidential
Range in the heart of it all, some of the most extreme, notorious backcountry ski lines in
the Northeast can be found just minutes from North Conway.
While ski area access and options for all abilities can certainly help justify such a
recognition, North Conway is also loaded with rich ski history, heritage, and culture. In
the 1930s, Snow Trains from Beantown carried skiers to North Conway, which was often
promoted as the “birthplace of American skiing.” Legendary ski names like Hannes Schneider, Harvey Gibson, and Carroll Reed will forever be linked to North Conway since its early
beginnings in the 1930s.
Speaking of names, great ski towns tend to breed great skiers, and North Conway has
many. Olympian legends include Brooks Dodge, Tyler Palmer, Sue Wemyss, Marcus Nash,
Leanne Smith, Carl Swenson, and Sean Doherty, to name just a few directly from this area.
Recently, Cranmore’s own Caite Zeliff has made international headlines chasing big mountain ski lines and deep snow as a sponsored pro free-skier. Caite has frequently mentioned
how her ski roots can be traced back to skiing with ESSC. The Eastern Slope Ski Club has
provided affordable skiing (and now snowboarding) opportunities to elementary students
in Mt. Washington Valley since the 1930s.
We know the locals are well taken care of—but what about visitors? In addition to
white-steepled churches, creaky covered bridges, and a plethora of mom-and-pop shops,
there are breweries, distilleries, art galleries, locally owned pubs and eateries … plus a slew
of eclectic tax-free retail shopping options that will keep the non-skiers happy for days.
For lodging options, skiers on a budget can choose from over 55 privately owned
dorm-styled ski clubs from Tamworth to Gorham, most of which originated decades
ago. Those looking for something a bit more fancy can choose from dozens of New
England-style Inns and B&Bs, or even upscale grand hotels from yesteryear, such as the
Eastern Slope Inn or the Mount Washington Hotel.
There is a never-ending list of family-friendly activities, including winter snowshoeing and hiking, snowmobiling, ice climbing, sleigh rides, ice skating, scenic train rides ...
and even dog sledding!
While some may scoff at the idea of our little North Conway community taking the highest ski honors in the country, those who have been fortunate to ski, stay, and play in the area
know why our little part of the country continues to leave its mark in the world of skiing.
Bring on the snow and happy trails to everyone!
Dan Houde, dan@wiseguycreative.com
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