Go North for Downhill: North Conway

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Tubing at Cranmore Mountain. Photo by Stillman Rogers.

Skimobile Express, one on the most comfortable ways to a top of a mountain. Photo by Stillman Rogers.

Views of Mt. Washington Valley from Cranmore. Photo by Stillman Rogers.

Tubing at Cranmore Mountain. Photo by Stillman Rogers.

Web Extras

See the gallery for all the photos we couldn't fit in print.

Click here for a Google map of all the locations mentioned in this story. If you have a Google account you can save it into Google's "My Places" so you can refer to it at any time.

January is the perfect month to head to North Conway, where the American passion for skiing began.

Friday Evening

We set the tone for an Alpine weekend with dinner at The 1785 Inn, where our waiter, Cranmore ski instructor Eric Styffe, broke into a yodel as he set aflame the inn's signature Bananas Foster, prepared tableside. Less dramatic were the perfectly cooked venison medallions and smoked rabbit loin. Returning to elegant Cabernet Inn, we chatted with innkeepers Jessica and Bruce before retiring to our romantic room to relax in front of our fireplace.

Saturday Morning

It was one of those glorious days that make winter's cold worthwhile, mountains white against a brilliant sky and sunlight turning the snow outside to a field of diamonds. So anxious were we to hit the mountain for first tracks that we didn't linger over the inn's superb breakfast of Tuscan omelet with maple-smoked bacon.

Views of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range from Cranmore Mountain were breathtaking. From all the way down Middle and North Slope, mountains looked near enough to reach out and touch. Snow conditions rivaled the "Champagne powder" that western skiers think falls only there. It was Cranmore where my brother taught me to ski when I was still in a one-piece snowsuit, and America's ski history began there, too. Cranmore was America's first ski resort and its founder, Hannes Schneider, is considered the father of modern skiing. Cranmore was among the first to groom trails, even inventing machines to do it, and today's lifts, snow-making and grooming are among New England's best.

Lunch

We waited for the rush to slow at Meister Hut, the cozy cabin at the top of Skimobile Express chairlift, where we had hearty sandwiches at a window table with views across the valley.

Saturday Afternoon

After a few runs on East Slope and a nice series of expert and intermediate trails, my knees reminded me that they no longer wore a one-piece snowsuit and had been working since the lifts opened. So we skied over to the new Adventure Park for a couple of runs down the Mountain Coaster before walking over to the tubing hill to join squealing kids in another knee-friendly way to hurl ourselves down a mountain.

Saturday Evening

For après-ski we chose the Ice Bar on the heated patio at Wine Thyme Restaurant Wine Bar. The tapas were just right for a post-slopes snack and we munched lamb "lollipops" and cheeses with our wine as the light faded.

Dinner at Stonehurst Manor

Wood-oven pizzas get justified attention at this gracious shingle-style Victorian mansion built by carpet baron Erastus Bigelow, but we opted for succulent roasted Muscovy duck breast with raspberry/blackberry sauce and Veal Oscar -breaded veal topped by delicate crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise.

Sunday Morning

Saturday's blue-bird sky was too good to last - a "weather-breeder" my dad always called those too-perfect winter days. So this morning we gave Cabernet Inn's breakfast the lingering appreciation it deserved, savoring Lemon Blueberry French Toast and sizzling sausage as the wind blew light snow across the valley. On our way into town we stopped to have our ski boots tweaked at Stan & Dan's, an annual custom-refit that keeps our feet happy all winter.

If it is this windy here, we thought, what must Mt. Washington be like, so we stopped at the Weather Discovery Center to see the live video link with the summit and to play with the weather toys. Abandoning plans to snowshoe on one of the valley's trails, we watched skaters in Schouler Park in front of the grand Victorian rail station and browsed through New England-made crafts and foods at Zeb's General Store.

Sunday Afternoon

Still not really hungry after Cabernet Inn's bountiful breakfast, we split a Coevolution pizza - Kalamata olives, red onion, local goat cheese, roasted sweet peppers and mozzarella - at Flatbread Company before heading home through the snow. With darkness falling early, we felt it an important safety measure to have something handy to keep us awake, so we stopped at Bavarian Chocolate Haus for our favorites - dark cashew turtles, chocolate-dipped candied ginger and marzipan. NH

FYI

The 1785 Inn
(603) 356-9025
the1785inn.com

The Cabernet Inn
(603) 356-4704
cabernetinn.com

Cranmore Mountain
(800) 786-6754
cranmore.com

Wine Thyme Restaurant Wine Bar
(603) 356-8463
winethymeonline.com

Stonehurst Manor
(603) 356-3113
stonehurstmanor.com

Stan & Dan’s
(603) 356-6997
stananddansports.com

Weather Discovery Center
(603) 356-2137
mountwashington.org

Zeb’s General Store
(603) 356-9294
zebs.com

Flatbread Company
(603) 356-4470
flatbreadcompany.com

Bavarian Chocolate Haus
(603) 356-2663
bavarianchocolatehaus.com