Bad news out of New Hampshire. “There’s war in them thar hills” as they said back in the old wild west days. Gunstock Mountain, a staple of the New Hampshire repertoire may transfer from public to private hands, and locals, employees, and officials are not happy with the proposal. First, crediting the Laconia Daily Sun for the scoop, the team over...
Is Indy Pass the best deal for dedicated powder hounds with wanderlust? Perhaps even by an order of magnitude? It’s hard to argue with their wild success in just three years of existence. With a whopping 92 resorts and counting on their international roster, skiers anywhere are bound to find several superb options in America, while it seems the sky’s the...
We here at JF.com are thrilled to bring you the magnificent photo essays of Andrew DiGiovanni, a US ex-pat now living in Vienna and teaching school there. Proving you should meet as many people on a ski lift as you can, Andrew and I bonded the first time I ever skied my beloved Magic Mountain in Vermont. We lost touch after I published my Magic article in 2019, but a...
“Finally!” “Thank God!” “About time!” “What took so long?” and “I’ll believe it when I see it…” Those are actual reactions from Eastern skiers when they heard the blessed news: Vail has filed a proposal to replace that infernal, wonky, and roundly despised Attitash Summit Triple chairlift...
Once a gold standard example of a destination that got both skiing and golf absolutely right, New Hampshire’s fabled, palatial, and refined Balsams Resort is primed for a comeback. Dormant for ten years in bankruptcy, skiing financier and developer Les Otten has announced his intention to reopen the ski area next season (2022-23). A new hotel is anticipated...
Pat’s Peak loving Life on Indy Pass —Special to NASJA and JF.com by Jay Flemma— Quick! What loveable local mountain was described by expert skiers as, “so tough you’ll want an extra hour at lunch for hot chocolate before you go back out for more?” It’s New Hampshire’s Pat’s Peak. Beloved in New Hampshire since it...
Two important news items form the winter sports world today: First, everyone’s favorite pass is back from next season at the same affordable price as this year. Indy Pass announced today they are keeping the same pricing schedule for the 2022-23 season. From the press release: PORTLAND, Ore. (March 2, 2022) – The Indy Pass announced today that there will be...
Minnesota’s Giants Ridge is renovating both its winter and summer sports facilities. Already one of the Midwest’s premiere golf destinations with two courses designed by award-winning architect Jeff Brauer, the resort is committed to projects all across their 35-trail, 500-foot vertical mountain and beyond. “We regraded the novice area this past...
2022 Update – Magic for the Win [Editor’s Notes: As we go to press, Magic, like most of the northeast, is just exiting a bad stretch of warm weather. However, hope is on the horizon; a nor’easter is on the way, plus lake effect in some areas. Magic may well be in sterling shape by the weekend. Keep a sharp eye and ear on the weather and stay stoked. In...
In one of the most ambitious of Alterra’s world-wide, multi-million dollar property upgrade projects, the main base lodge of Utah’s Deer Valley Resort is set for a major expansion and renovation. The resort’s Snow Park Lodge will have all of its facilities significantly improved. The new base area will provide additional accommodations and skier...
Idaho’s Schweitzer Mountain Opens New Humbird Hotel —by Jay Flemma, special to NASJA— As part of a multi-year master plan launched in 2017, Northern Idaho’s Schweitzer Mountain has opened a new 31-room hotel accepting reservations for January 14, 2022 and beyond. Named in honor of the lumber company that was for decades the sturdy economic...
Border War! Vermont vs. New Hampshire Skiing Part 1 – Waterville Valley —by Jay Flemma Special to Slave to the Traffic Light Adventure Magazine— WATERVILLE VALLEY, NH – It all started with a snarky T-shirt worn by a local skier at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire: SKI NEW HAMPSHIRE – WE’RE LIKE VERMONT, JUST NOT AS STUCK UP “Bro...
LINCOLN, N.H. – This winter New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain Resort unveiled North America’s fastest eight-person chairlift as well as what is billed as “the most technologically advanced lift in the east.” Called the Kancamagus 8, this state-of-the-art Dopplemayr D-Line system spins at a whopping 1,100 feet per minute, (that’s 18...
It was an innocuous question under ordinary circumstances, but this time the answer could not have been more poignant. “Are you almost ready for the season?” You have no idea. A LONG EXPECTED PARTY It was a gorgeous fall night, and my birthday party was in full swing. I throw a birthday party like a hobbit throws a birthday party, right down to the sign...
Proving once again that a sense of humor is the best weapon in the modern age, Taos Ski Valley has done it again. The “Free Tacos” campaign continues with the renaming of their Pioneer Glade as “Free Tacos” in honor of George Medina, the legendary Taos instructor who helped end the resort’s ban on snowboarding in 2008. “Free...