The Northeast has had a roller coaster of a winter. Mild temperatures have led to a tough season for practically everyone. Snowfall totals are down, and when we’ve gotten snow, it’s quickly followed by a freeze/thaw cycle.
In spite of this, modern snowmaking networks have made many ski resorts persevere in adverse conditions. Ragged Mountain Resort in Danbury, New Hampshire has drastically upgraded its snowmaking network over the past decade. The result is 34 trails currently open, with a prime opportunity to open more trails and glades with snowfall projected for the next few days.
On Monday, I went over to shred Ragged with my friend Kyle Matzke, who is the Marketing Manager at Ragged. While conditions were firm earlier on in the weekend, warmer weather on Monday led to quality spring skiing conditions.
The best runs of the day were on the Upper/Lower Exhibition, Birches, and Showboat/Showoff trails. The snow was soft, but not too sticky. My favorite trails at Ragged are Exhibition and Showboat/Showoff.
Their terrain park setup is also very solid. They have a small park over on the Barnyard trail, with a couple of jumps and rails. The Wild Side and Wild Ride parks have a multitude of big jumps and rails with the lower portion just being completed on Monday. Lastly, they recently opened up their boardercross course on Lower Chute.
Another great part about Ragged is their base area setup. They have two lodges: the Meeting House and Elmwood. The Meeting House has a rental shop, race program, and ski school, while the Elmwood Lodge is home to their guest services, multiple dining spots, locker room for members, ski patrol, and the Sports Thoma retail shop. One of my favorite parts of the Elmwood Lodge is the Silo, which is quintessential New England architecture.
We had lunch over at the Stone Hearth Bar, which features a variety of brews on tap, along with classic pub fare and pizza. We got the nachos with pork on them, which were great.
The great news for Ragged and New England skiers/riders is the upcoming forecast. Last night, Ragged got an inch of snowfall. But wait, there’s more. Starting tonight, New England will see a significant amount of snowfall, as WMUR is currently projecting 6-12″ through Friday morning. It sounds like a great time to check Ragged out and send it over to their glades.
Image Credits: Ragged Mountain Resort, Ian Wood of Unofficial Networks
