Danforth Bay Winter Trip!

Had a great weekend at Danforth Bay this past weekend.

* Went to King Pine (see my review in previous post)

* Spent quality time with our seasonal "family" who were staying in cabin #2

* Met up with our seasonal neighbors up in North Conway. It was wonderful to see them!

* Snowmobile parade that came down our street. It was cool!!!

* Our camper was surrouned by 2ft of snow.

We stayed in cabin #4:

* Warm cozy cabins

* Patty cooked! She warmed us up after a long day skiing with her home made beef skillet dish! (Jim -- you should of gotten pictures)
* Met and enjoyed a warm fire with new 2006 seasonals who were staying in Cabin 3 -- Mark and Kerry and their family.

* Loved the new additions in the cabins:

- New towel shelf in the bathroom

- New coffee maker

- New hooks for coats

- toaster new??

Cabins are only $86 a night + NH tax

- free cable (bring your own tv)

- free wireless internet (bring your own 'puter)

- access to family room

- also bring your own towels and any extra blankets you like (basics are provided)

Recommendations for next improvements for cabins:

* Replace the futons with REAL pull out sofa!

* New shower heads needed

Want a cabin reservation and it is sold out? Put your name on "waiting list"! Worked out great for our cousins.

2007 King Pine Trip

Last Friday we went to King Pine (KP) at Purity Springs Resort in Madison, NH. This pristine ski resort located just 7 miles south of Conway, NH was completely 100% open and ready to go with lots of natural and man made snow. There wasn't a single trail that was closed. (Remember previously how I reported that Pat's Peak stated they were open 100% when in reality there were several trails closed).

The tubing park which looked great and well groomed was even SOLD OUT for most (if not all of their runs). Even with the big crowds there was hardly a wait on the lift lines. King Pine had ALL lifts going at full speed. There was less stopage on these lifts as well (when compared to other resorts).

I got to try out my new Rossignol Z3 skis that I purchased recently from Ski Haus in Salem, NH. Um... my feet are still a little sore. I hope my boots will "pack in" during the next few trips. Now I just got to find the perfect winter coat to match my skis. LOL!

At King Pine, I really enjoyed the quieter side of the mountain which has the peaceful beginner trails -- Pokey Pine and Slow Pokey Pine. For those who are more advanced... not to worry ... this side of the mountains hosts trails such as Jack Pine and Red Pine. If you are really brave try out KP's new Pine Brule double black diamond trail! My kids did! My eight year old daughter who has only been skiing for 2 trips attempted this and realized her mistake. She ended up sliding down on her bum --- VERY FAST! The new triple chair lift is GREAT with little to NO wait. I have to admit the double chair that was there last year was a little bit scary.

I also love skiing between the trees up near the top of the lifts -- Pine Spills!

I wish Niki was with us (she's on her last week at USCG boot camp) because she would have LOVED the much improved snowboard and terrain park and the brand NEW 1/2 PIPE!!! Wow!!! You got to check this out! I was even inspired to do a small jump. They even had moguls on Pine Board.

Good thing about KP is that you'll probably run into a DB seasonal family. It was nice to meet up with the Flintstones and I could of sworn I saw other DB seasonals there (hard to tell with everyone decked out in winter gear).

This was an extra special trip because we went with our dear Danforth Bay seasonal family/friends (distant family but close friends). This was their first trip EVER for skiing/snowboarding and they couldn't have picked a better place! The rental shop really takes the TIME OUT to make sure the boots fit and you are well outfitted. They even got to see staff members Nick and Craig from Danforth Bay during their training sessions. They had a great time. King Pine puts a new meaning on their theme "It All Starts Here"!

The one thing that King Pine could do to improve is to replace the tow rope in the intermediate beginner's area with a moving platform near the front of the base.

To make things extra special King Pine had a Firework Display on Thursday - Feb. 22nd.

Next ski trip: Gunstock! Niki is coming home from USCG bootcamp and wants to hit the slopes!!!

That's Camping Spring Meetup at Danforth Bay

That's Camping is planning a Spring Meetup at Danforth Bay on June 1-3, 2007.

Check it out!

News from King Pine @ Purity Springs Resort

We are going up next week for some skiing!!!
Here is a message that I got today....
--------------------

King Pine and Purity Spring Resort are B U R I E D! Every trail has wall to wall powder and packed powder. Even the glades have plenty of fresh snow!Valentine's Day 2007 will go down in New Hampshire history as a snow-lovers delight!Approximate snowfall from our first Nor'Easter of 2007 is 16-18"! We're expecting a few more inches of snow on Friday, but then blue bird skies and temps in the 20's are predicted for the weekend... perfect for skiing, riding, snowshoeing... or whatever you choose.Now is the perfect time to take advantage of King Pine's KP4 Ticket. Simply buy ANY alpine ticket at King Pine and XC Skiing, Snowshoeing and Ice Skating are always included! Take some morning runs and head out for the woods for some adventure after lunch!
Adult tickets are just $39 and kids $26... everyday, even holidays!This weekend, we're looking forward to the opening of the halfpipe in the Twisted Pine Terrain Park! King Pine will be the only ski area in Mount Washington Valley with a halfpipe!
The snow is deep, fluffy and ready for any adventure! Come on up and experience Winter at Purity Spring! For lodging deals, see our special value packages for the best savings.
Hope to see you on the snow!Dano

Valentines Day at Purity Springs / King Pine

Got the following today from Purity Springs (from the same great folks that bring you Danforth Bay Camping Resort).

Wow! Sounds like a great deal!!!
Anyone want to babysit 3 kids. LOL!

---

Purity Spring Resort and King Pine are proud to offer our Snow & Snuggle Package on Valentine's Day for our eNews subscribers!

Listen to this folks... For just $82 per person, you and a loved one can stay in a deluxe room at Purity Spring with the following included:

• Deluxe lodging
• Flowers in your room and at dinner
• Candlelight dinner at The Inn Dining Room
• Horse-drawn Sleigh Ride
• Full Country Breakfast
• Wednesday or Thursday full-day ski tickets
• XC Skiing, Snowshoeing and Ice Skating
• The Mill Indoor Pool/Hot Tub and Fitness Center

Visit http://cl.exct.net/?ffcb10-fe3315717c650478731772-fdf2107376630d7a72147070-fef8107173670d-fe9f15737766007e74-fe0615707162077975117275 for lots of additional information or to see the menu that evening.King Pine is 100% open and is completely covered with snow! Snow conditions are fantastic and all winter activities are available!

The Purity Spring ResortSnow & Snuggle Package$82 pp/do

Does not include tax & gratuityUpgrade to a Luxury Suite for just $14 pp more!To book this 1-night package, simply call 1-800-FREE-SKI

I won ski tickets

I recently won a pair of ski tickets to a major ski resort in NH because I signed up to get the ski and snow reports from

www.skisite.com

They send me an email each and every day with the conditions.

If you are a skiier be sure to check it out (and perhaps win)!!!

Our next trip (and supposed to be our last trip) is going to be at King Pine and we'll be going out again too.

That's Camping Rally!!!

Debbie & Mike from That's Camping is hosting their first Spring Rally / Meet up at Danforth Bay. Check out the forum to vote on which days they should host it. We are planning on attending.

http://www.thatscamping.com/forum/index.php?topic=556.from1170897756;topicseen#msg3995

New England Camping Shows

Usually I post the camping shows on my website. I haven't had much time to prepare and post the list this year.

So I recommend that you look at That's Camping for the latest list of camping shows.

Snow Report from King Pine in Madison, NH

Got the following e-mail from Dano from King Pine:

WOW! This has been the perfect New England winter weekend! The snow and occasional squalls have moved out of the area leaving behind beautifully sunny skies and fantastic conditions for whatever snow activity you choose. Approximate snowfall from yesterdays storm was 5" - 6" of the fluffiest snow you can imagine! Winds and cold temps that were predicted for the weekend never really happened making conditions "picture perfect"!This past Friday was the grand opening of Pine Brule and the Black Bear Triple giving King Pine 100% terrain! Snowmakers have been cranking out tons of snow for the last month and King Pine is completely buried in the "finest quality snow" you'll experience in New England! This upcoming week, we're looking forward to the opening of the halfpipe in the Twisted Pine Terrain Park. King Pine may be the only ski area in the state with a halfpipe! Stay tuned for more info.
The conditions are perfect and King Pine is covered with snow! Come on up! See our special value packages for the most savings!
Hope to see you on the snow!Dano

Pat's Peak Report

We visited Pat's Peak in Henniker, NH yesterday - 2/3/2007. The skiing could not have been any better!!! This one was of our best skiing trips ever. Well... it could have been maybe a tad bit warmer but with our good thick layers of clothing we were warm. This was especially refreshing since we had a very disappointing trip at Cranmore when we visited in mid January.

With it being a sunny Saturday, in the low 30s, with a fresh batch of snow in the area (2-4"), it was sure crowded here. With the new snow being a big deal for us since our area has had no real significant snow at all this year. To alleviate the crowds, Pat's Peak opened up ALL their lifts including the Vortex double (which I rarely see opened). Therefore the lifts lines weren't that bad at all. When the 3-10PM skiiers came in, things got a bit crowded but that was for a short time and the lines were certaintly reasonable.

Some reports on the trails:
Puff/Whisper - Great snow! Small to medium jumps on Whisper. GREAT trails for beginners!!!
Squall Line - Great snow but very cold biting wind. You'll need a scarf. Level in some places. Need to pick up speed.
Zephyr/Glades - Love skiing through the woods. This was 100% snow covered and a lot of fun!
Blast - Lots of cool little jumps. Again 100% snow covered. This is one of my all-time favorite trails.

There were a few trails that were not 100% opened so their advertizement of being 100% was incorrect. Examples: path between Squal Line and Blast, path between Hurricane and Tornado.

Lifts:
- Hurricane Triple -- On this lift when you get near the top, on a very clear day, I believe you can spot a snowy Mt. Washington is the very FAR distance. I wish this lift went a little bit faster.
- They don't force you to go double or triple (like they do at Cranmore)
- The Vortex double and Valley double go somewhat faster to the top than the Hurricane Triple.

Lodge:
- Jammed pack. Eat lunch early to get place to eat. Love the outdoor bench seat (sun keeps you warm).

Other things to note:
- Pat's Peak BLUE trails aren't that too difficult to ski. Pat's Peak's black diamond trails are like Cranmore's BLUE square trails.

Here is a link with some of our pictures (included is two of them from Cranmore).