Issues → January/February 2007 → Travel →
Winter's Hometown: Mount Washington Valley
Attractions, lodging, and dining in New Hampshire's winter playground
by Mel Allen
If winter could settle down and just stay, this is where it should be: in a valley rimmed with mountains, peopled by skiers and climbers who see a 200-foot frozen waterfall as an invitation; where ice skates never grow rusty; where pubs fill in the evening with ruddy-cheeked youth sharing that day's adventure; where hotels have seen a century's worth of visitors who come because of the mountains, not the beds.
Some 28 small towns and villages claim the valley for their personal geography, and within these towns you'll find seven alpine resorts, more than 200 miles of snowmobile trails, and 300 miles of cross-country trails -- but it's the mood, the desire for winter to come full blast and to linger, that sets the valley and its people apart from anywhere I know. Here's a starter kit for enjoying a Mount Washington snow day.
International Mountain Climbing School
One winter morning, I climbed Mount Washington with a guide from the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway. He showed me how to climb in crampons, how to thrust my ice axe hard into the ground if I suddenly found myself sliding out of control. Above tree line, in the teeth of a brutal wind, I felt I would be borne aloft like some parka-clad kite. At the summit, the buildings were shrouded in rime ice, stark and beautiful, a landscape I'd never seen before. [DETAILS]
Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods
It’s 5:15 p.m. at the Mount Washington Hotel. As if on cue, everyone inside makes their way outside to the sweeping veranda. A pink glow spreads across the flanks of Mount Washington. Slowly, the light slides away, leaving the mountain in darkness. This is the eighth year the grand hotel has been open in winter, and I wonder, Who looked at the mountain light this way when it was closed all those years? [DETAILS]
Cranmore Mountain Resort
With the slopes lit bright, the shouts come not from skiers but from throngs of spinning children, teens, and adults - all trying for speed in the snow industry's newest craze: tubing. Two slopes are dedicated just to this. When there's too much snow, the rides slow down, but last winter brought hard, icy slopes - a skier's nemesis, a tuber's delight. [DETAILS]
Weather Discovery Center
So this is what it felt like on April 12, 1934, on the top of Mount Washington, when the wind reached 231 miles per hour -- the fiercest recorded wind over land in history. I am inside the replica of the summit cabin from that day in the Weather Discovery Center. The cabin shudders as the simulated wind begins to shake the room, then soon I am engulfed by vibration and roaring. The Discovery Center is devoted to climate and weather, and five minutes inside this cauldron of noise will make you feel awe for the men and women who live and study weather atop the mountain's summit. The center features diverse weather-related exhibits, and a few times a day you can join a videoconference, held in a cozy theater, with the weather observers. They emerge on screen, and it's like talking to astronauts. [DETAILS]
AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch
There are many reasons to spend a night or more at the Appalachian Club's Highland Center, overlooking Crawford Notch. Everyone shares a love of the outdoors. There's an L.L. Bean gear room where you can try out snowshoes and other gear for free. The rooms are new, the fireplace is stoked, the bread is warm and fresh, and the club's conservation ethic touches everyone who stops by. [DETAILS]
Wildcat Mountain Ski Area and Summer Gondola
The single most scenic ski trail in America is Wildcat Mountain's nearly-three-mile, twisting, top-to-bottom Polecat run. Never mind that its gentle grade allows even snowplow novices to enjoy it; this trail is not about thigh burns or bragging rights. It's about looking. Nearly the entire way down, you can see across Pinkham Notch into the snow-covered chasm that is Tuckerman Ravine. [DETAILS]
Jackson Ski Touring Foundation
Zigzag tracks lead in all directions, everyone heading for solitude and beauty. Three hundred miles of trails bring skiers all throughout the valley, but home base is Jackson -- the largest, most famous Nordic ski town in the East. [DETAILS]
Sleeping in Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Bartlett Inn
Located near the southern entrance to Crawford Notch, this unpretentious 1885 New England farmhouse boasts a large living room with a few sofas, games, a fireplace, an outdoor hot tub around back, and a country-style dining room. A full breakfast provides the energy you'll need for exploring and skiing. There are six rooms (two with fireplaces) and 10 small cottages. [DETAILS]
Grand Summit Resort Hotel at Attitash Bear Peak
When Les Otten ran the American Skiing Company, he was criticized by some for creating all his resort hotels from the same mold. But one thing he got right was making sure steam rose from the outdoor pools so guests could toast in tropical waters as they watched the skiers on the slopes. [DETAILS]
Inn at Ellis River
The quiet, relaxed, cozy atmosphere makes this a great romantic retreat. (Children 13 and over are welcome, too.) You can cross-country ski by day and relax by the fireplace in the pub by night. [DETAILS]
Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and Joe Dodge Lodge
The center, run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, is base camp for anyone wanting to explore the Presidential Range in winter. Essential and potentially lifesaving information is given by resident staff. You'll find weather reports and a scale model of the Presidentials, plus a retail store. At the end of the day, stop in for a hearty meal or a welcoming bed. [DETAILS]
Nereledge Inn
This 1780s home with a warm Colonial-style sitting room has 11 guest rooms, some with views of the 700-foot sheer face of Cathedral Ledge. The inn is within walking distance of the Saco River, Cathedral and White Horse Ledges, and North Conway's commercial stretch. [DETAILS]
Notchland Inn
The inn's Tudor-style roofline pokes up out of the thick green of the White Mountain National Forest. (There are also a few cottages on-site.) After a five-course meal, relax with a book or work on a puzzle next to the fireplace. [DETAILS]
Dining in the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
The good news about the restaurant scene in the towns around Mount Washington is that there's plenty of it and prices aren't through the roof. Service across the board was friendly and courteous -- and a lot can be forgiven when your meal is delivered with enthusiasm and innate kindness.
Executive Chef Jonathan Cox at The Inn at Thorn Hill (Jackson) knows his way around a kitchen, and his expertise shows in the slow-roasted pork belly -- citrusy and very nearly addictive -- and crispy-skinned salmon, served with earthy, teeny-but-flavorful beets and pureed parsnips. The inn also offers a generous lounge menu, ranging from "wee bites" of spicy shoshito peppers to "small bites" of bresaola with cornichons to "bigger bites" of grilled Caesar salad and burgers.
Familiar standbys The Wentworth (Jackson) and The 1785 Inn (North Conway) came highly recommended, so the letdown was bigger owing to loftier expectations. From menus to decor to table settings, both establishments could use a buff and polish to bring them into the here and now. They get high marks for quick, well-made cocktails, but the wine lists are surprisingly unimaginative. I get that both dining rooms are in old structures, but that doesn't mean staff uniforms need to appear circa 1980 or that the menu ought to include tired, marinated portobello mushrooms with peppers and pesto, let alone veal and shrimp in a rum cream sauce. And why would a cheese course consist of English cheddar, unripe French camembert, and young Dutch gouda instead of a selection from one of the many area dairies or at least one American option?
We enjoyed better luck at the Thompson House Eatery (Jackson) -- not exactly cutting-edge, but the owners use fresh local produce in season (in warmer months there's even an "honor system" farm stand), and the naturally raised Angus beef comes from Peppermint Fields Farm, just over the border in Fryeburg, Maine.
A couple generations of hikers and skiers have trod a well-worn path to Horsefeathers (North Conway). It's something of a tourist trap, but the food was fresh and well executed. Case in point: the lobster and crab cakes, packed with meat and garnished with a jumpy dab of aioli, which, despite its heat, allowed the meat its moment in the spotlight. Equally delicious was the shrimp penne in vodka sauce -- hardly breaking new ground, but this pasta standard arrived not as the glunky heap I expected, but rather al dente, in a light and creamy sauce with sweet, juicy, fresh shrimp.
At the Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub (Glen), another perennial favorite, the main disappointment was that the staff didn't greet me by name the way they did just about everyone else who came through the door. That said, the "extensive" salad bar turned out to be barely a dozen bowls of the usual suspects, but the steak was perfectly cooked, and the coconut shrimp were surprisingly crisp on the outside and tender within. I understand why after some 30 years the place is still a hangout for locals and day-trippers alike.
Not as widely known, but gaining a well-deserved reputation for quality, is Coyote Rose (North Conway), which takes its culinary cues from Mexico. The smoked-quail taco balanced the slight gaminess of the bird with mildly tart apples and a touch of sweet maple, while roasted poblano chiles stuffed with spinach and goat cheese were light and fluffy, yet filling and deeply satisfying.
Looking for breakfast, lunch, or lighter fare? While wandering the streets of North Conway, be sure to snag one of the tables at the Stairway Café for pancakes that'll make you weep. Chef's Market is a great stop for well-crafted sandwiches, while the Old Village Bakery beckons for baguettes, muffins, and cookies, all warm from the oven. And before you hit the highway, don't forget to stock up at Zeb's General Store -- two floors of New England-made foods and crafts to keep you going till your next valley venture.
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