Louis B.
Yelp
I have been skiing now for over 40 years and skied from Chile's Nevados to Japan's Nagano, and from West Virginia's Snowshoe to Switzerland's Zermatt to Canada's Whistler. Hands down, Sunapee is the friendliest ski mountain around. What it lacks in sheer size, it makes up in family enjoyment and staff dedication to ensuring guests have a superb experience. Most of all, it is hard to find a ski resort that sports the grooming quality of Sunapee.
Mount Sunapee is a mid-size area serving the New Hampshire market as well as a sizable contingent from the Boston area, with a location short of two hours from Copley Square. With two high-speed quads, a fixed quad, two triples and a venerable old wooden double, as well as several surface lifts, it can handle a crowd with ease. Its 1,500' vertical is quite respectable, and it spreads over four sides of a mountain complex with an additional expansion in their future master plan.
Arriving at Mount Sunapee ski area the visitor drives by Parking Lot #3 on the left side, which is the "busy day" parking area, and then Parking Lot #2, which is used invariably on a daily basis. Then the guest arrives to Parking Lot #1 (usually full by 9:00 AM, flanked on the North by the older and cozier Spruce Lodge, and to the South by the newer Sunapee Lodge. Both lodges have full service dining facilities, guest service counters, rest rooms and bag check rooms. Spruce Lodge also has the Goosefeathers Pub upstairs, the only place on the mountain that serves alcohol. On the other hand, the newer Sunapee Lodge has a large upstairs that serves as overflow and additional seating. It is worth noting that there is still one more lodge on top of the mountain, the Summit Lodge, a two story lodge with amazing views, a full service dining facility and a huge fireplace.
Adjacent to the Spruce Lodge, the terrain park is served by its own chairlift, the Spruce Triple, that serves the terrain park, an awesome competition and training run, and a groomed green run. To the South of the Spruce Triple, the North Peak Chair serves two competition runs, an amazing and steep Double Black Diamond run. This chair also serves as the route to the Sun Bowl terrain and the new Sunbowl Express Quad leading to the top of the mountain. Farther along towards the South, the Sunapee Express Quad serves the top-to-bottom runs on the main face of the mountain and they connect to the South Peak terrain with its own fixed quad chair.
Perhaps one of the salient points of the mountain is that the official learning areas are totally segregated into its own mountain with its own dedicated quad leading to the top of the South Peak. Yes, the fixed quad runs slower for the benefit of the less experienced skiers or boarders. Yes, you can get warned if you speed down the slopes in the South Peak. But what it creates is a wonderful area for the beginning skier or rider with little interference from experienced skiers and boarders and in turn, allows the folks in the rest of the mountain to enjoy a safe mountain experience.
Another magnificent part of Mount Sunapee, and one that is an admirable community service, is the NEHSA program run by the New England Handicapped Sports Association out of its own lodge next to the South Peak learning area. Whatever the challenge for a child or an adult, be it physical, traumatic, psychological or sensory, the NEHSA instructors are experts in their field. The NEHSA lodge has numerous devices to ensure the safe and enjoyable outdoor experience for the skier. Visually impaired, physically challenged and everal times a year, Wounded Warriors come up to Sunapee to enjoy the mountain.
The view from the top of Sunapee Mountain is magnificent. To the South, the distinctive shape of Mount Monadnock lies in plain view. To the East, the coastal plains are visible all the way to Maine. To the North, the snow-capped peaks of the White Mountains and Lake Sunapee present a spectacular scenery. And looking Westward, the ski resorts of the Green Mountains of Vermont are visible in a chain, from Stowe in the far horizon to Killington, Okemo, Bromley, Stratton and Mount Snow.
The learning center is staffed with superb instructors. We took my 12-year old niece to the Learning Center for two days last year. With the lessons fresh on her mind, the third day she skied a blue run. Just last week, her fourth day on skis, she skied a black diamond run. While I can justly say that she's an able child, the instruction she received was superb.
Mount Sunapee can get crowded on holiday weekends, but even so, there seems to be room for everyone on the mountain. The Sun Bowl particularly is quite an attractive, scenic and generally uncrowded area. On the main face, the steeps at Goosebumps, Blastoff and Hansen were challenging and fun.
Mount Sunapee is a great place to bring a family for Winter fun.
