Skiing Black Mountain (NH) (Day 16/Indy Day 13)

Skiing Black Mountain (NH)

Saturday, January 31st

Runs: 17

Distance: 12.96 miles

Elevation: 13,503 feet

Max Speed: 30.7 mph

Avg. Speed: 12.2 mph

Moving Time: 1hour, 2 minutes, 58 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 47 minutes, 57 seconds

After the big snowstorm last weekend, Sarah and I decided it was time to make one of our pilgrimages up to our favorite little hill, Black Mountain! It was supposed to be a borderline perfect day and the mountain was going to be 100% open, including three new double-blacks that they were cutting the ribbons on at 11am (I was not sold on going to them, Sarah wanted to). We got to the mountain around 8:30 after a long drive up NH-16, got our Indy passes right away, enjoyed the newly reorganized lodge, and got to work on our chores! The ticket area was the same, but they moved the rental station down and there is now a proper gift shop where the old rental station used to be - it was nice! Sarah asked an employee where to leave our bags and she said "whereever you want - how it should be!" (we left them in the car since we had princess parking in the already small parking lot). We booted up and excitedly got right to work!

Snow Report & Daily Conditions

Saturday - January 31st

6AM - You can expect a near-perfect mid-winter bluebird day at Black Mountain. With almost zero wind and warming temps into the low 20s, it is going to be a downright heatwave compared to what we have been dealing with the past few weeks. We will be spinning the Summit Double, East Bowl Triple, Platter Pull, the Fluffy Cow Handle Tow, and the Historic J-Bar all day. 100% of terrain is open.

While the weather will be near perfect, the mountain is actually in perfect shape. Grooming has been out in force all week cleaning up from the mega storm, but there area still tons of fresh turns in very soft snow to be found. Most trails have had the fresh snow worked into perfect corduroy, and the winch cat has been busy on Roller Coaster and at the summit.

Make sure you are at the summit for our ribbon cutting at 11am, as we open our extreme hike-to trails: "Back Out," "Black Out," and "Champagne Problems" for the first time ever. We suggest a backpack to carry your skis or board to make the climb to the summit of Black Mountain, otherwise go old school and just sling them over your shoulder. Either way, this new extreme terrain is not to be missed. We will be taking a commorative group photo with the first group of skiers and riders to make the march to the summit.

We are bringing back the "Noon Groomer" today on Jackson Standard. Look for a full re-groom of the trail around noon. Rumor has it there will be free cookies shortly after.

The DJ Party at the Alpine Cabin will be in full force today. Rumor has it there will be Champagne sprayed. We have a full lineup of live music starting at 11am and going all the way to 9pm. The Base Lodge Kitchen starts with a yummy breakfast at 8am, powers through lunch, and serves a full dinner menu till 9. Our hot food and salad bar are back as well.

We are freeing up a bunch of additional parking spots today with our staff parking off-site, and this allows us to open a few more lift tickets for sale today. As always, please watch your speed coming through town, adn enver park on the state highway. Rumor has it the big chief is watching.

Thanks for being here.

Erik

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Summit Double Chair - Upper Black Beauty - Black Beauty - Juniper

[1.26 miles; 4:19; 1,129 feet; 28.8 mph max; 17.5 mph avg]

Run 2: Summit Double Chair - Upper Maple Slalom - Maple Chute - Upper Speedwell - Lower Speedwell - Valley View - Jubilee

[0.95 miles; 3:59; 1,129 feet; 27.8 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

Run 3: Summit Double Chair - Upper Maple Slalom - Maple Chute - Sun Valley - Roller Coaster - Farmer A - Ninow

[0.83 miles; 4:05; 1,093 feet; 25.0 mph max; 11.8 mph avg]

There was virtually no line when we started skiing just after 9:00am and fresh corduroy was all around the mountain! We gasped at the unload area at how insane Mt. Washington looked in its dramatic blanket of white draped against a winter-blue sky - aboslutely stunning. The ravines were looking mighty fine, too. Our first run was down Upper Black Beauty to Black Beauty to Juniper, which was just excellent. I remember Upper Black Beauty getting a little dicey the past few times I'd been to Black Mountain, so it was nice to get it while it was good!

Run #2 followed the looker's left side of the mountain, which similarly in delightful shape. We hit a new trail for us, Roller Coaster, on Run #3, and the snow was the best there! Roller Coaster partially followed the double's lift line, and then an unnamed narrow steep bit dropped off and connected to Farmer A - it was fantastic and just a little challenging! We followed Farmer A to Ninow to wrap this one up.

Runs 4-8

Run 4: East Bowl Triple - Sugarbush - Juniper

[1.06 miles; 4:08; 804 feet; 26.6 mph max; 15.1 mph avg]

Run 5: Summit Double Chair - Upper Black Beauty - White Knuckle - Sugar Loop - Sugarbush - Sweet Dreams - Sugarbush - Juniper

[1.23 miles; 5:59; 1,093 feet; 21.5 mph max; 12.1 mph avg]

Run 6: East Bowl Triple - Chute - Unmarked Woods - Upper Jackson Standard - Runaway - Dire Gamble - Lower Jackson Standard

[0.70 miles; 5:35; 784 feet; 26.0 mph max; 7.0 mph avg]

Run 7: Summit Double Chair - Upper Maple Slalom - Maple Slalom Chute - Sun Valley - T2 - Valley View - Bob O Link - Valley View - Jubilee

[0.94 miles; 5:12; 1,093 feet; 25.0 mph max; 10.1 mph avg]

Run 8: Summit Double Chair Mid Station - Maple Slalom Chute - Sun Valley - Roller Coaster - Ninow

[0.76 miles; 3:38; 820 feet; 30.7 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]

Now that we got some groomers under our belts, we wanted to start exploring some of the glades and ungroomed runs. They groomed most of the mountain since the storm, but there were still some pockets left au naturale! I wasn't sure if I wanted to join Sarah on the new trails, so I proposed hitting the blue glades, then single black, and then double black just to size them up. Run #4 was over to the Sugar Glades, which either don't exist or were closed? It was unclear, but we ended up just skiing the lovely green run "Sugarbush" to Juniper. We also saw the "Sugar Shack," which is on the map, but it looks not yet open nor done being constructed.

Run #5 brought us back to the top and we followed the double-black run "White Knuckle," which was narrow and bumpy, but the steep spot was short. The most challenging part of the trail was just the conditions, which was hard pack bumps and ice. On the powder day, this trail would have been super fun! It was also good to know that a double black non-tree run at Black Mountain is 100% in my skill set. Afterwards, we hit Sugar Loop, Sugar Bush, and Sweet Dreams, with Sweet Dreams being a favorite.

Run #6 was back off of the Triple due to length of lines at the double (we got chair #69, which was fun), and we were looking for some woods over near the Jackson Standard. We found our way into a short, narrow single track that was apparently a set of unmarked woods and overall not too pleasant to ski. THEN we found the actual glades off of "Runaway." We dipped into Dire Gamble, which in good conditions would be 100% in my skillset and easier than many of the glades I've done at Jay, but this was 18" of powder on a nonexistent base, so most of the time in there was spent dodging rocks and logs. I popped out onto S-Turns for a moment, but decided to commit to the rest of the run. If they get another dumping, those woods would be fun!

We gave the woods one more shot on our seventh run. We got off at the top (gawked at Mt. Washington again) and went down Upper Maple Slalom to check out the Carter Notch Glades (double black). They were definitely steeper than anything I had done before, but I did think I could do it. Thankfully, Sarah simply did not want to do it. It was tracked out and looked a little "sendy" to get below the cliff band, so we side stepped out of there and continued on down towards the T2 glades (single black), which were more friendly. Little tracked out with a few rocks and logs to dodge, but otherwise fine. We both said we were food with woods for the day, and Sarah no longer felt compelled to go to the new runs. We did hit Bob O Link for the first time, which was a fun windy spit!

We got stuck on the double for about five minutes (plus lines were now about 10 minutes long) before skiing Run #8. Comically enough, we ended up being music nerds and trying to figure out what the solfege syllables were for "99 bottles of beer on the wall," and the SECOND we figured the full thing out the chair started moving again - it was pretty poetic, stupid, and incredible. We opted to get off at the mid-station since we had to pee, were hungry, and simply wanted to be off of the chair. We split up for this run since my lunch was in the car and Sarah was going straight to the lodge. We had a wonderful break, even eating in the sun outside!

Runs 9-11

Run 9: Summit Double Chair - Upper Black Beauty - Black Beauty - Galloping Goose - Juniper

[1.19 miles; 4:22; 1,086 feet; 24.9 mph max; 15.7 mph avg]

Run 10: Summit Double Chair - Upper Maple Slalom - East Bowl - Valley View - Galloping Goose - Runaway - S-Turns - Raceway

[0.93 miles; 4:01; 1,099 feet; 25.7 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 11: Summit Double Chair - Lostbo - Upper Black Beauty - Spruce - Cross Cut - Juniper - Goose Pitch - Juniper

[1.07 miles; 4:00; 1,063 feet; 25.9 mph max; 15.4 mph avg]

Runs 9-11 were our "lets cleanse our pallets post-lunch and enjoy some easier trails" runs. Run #9 brought us back up Upper Black Beauty, which was acting a little scrapey now and much busier, and then we meandered our way down to Galloping Goose, which became an instant favorite! It was just a touch steeper than the greens and was just a delightful cruiser with good snow! Run #10 brought us back to Runaway to hit S-Turns, which was ungroomed but in very nice condition. We finished out on some fun rollers on Raceway. Finally, #11 we went down the double-black Lostbo from the top, which was just descending a frozen man-made snow cliff... From there we went back down Upper Black Beauty, eventually landing on Goose Pitch, which was another fun one!

Runs 12-14

Run 12: Platter Pull - Jubilee - Kinda Flat

[0.23 miles; 2:00; 200 feet]

Run 13: J-Bar - Whitney's Hill

[0.16 miles, 1:37; 125 feet; 14.4 mph max; 6.0 mph avg]

Run 14: J-Bar - Eno's Trail

[0.20 miles; 1:30; 125 feet]

The next batch were some of my favorite. Sarah and I love hitting a beginner area/surface lift. Run #12 brought us to the Poma Lift and we used that to get over to the J-Bar via Jubilee and "Kinda Flat," which was more just a snowmobile trail for mountain ops, but it worked!

We rode the historic J-Bar, which was super cute and followed Whitney's Hill, which had some untouched powder! It felt super silly to ski untouched powder almost a week after it fell off of a J-Bar on a green slope, but we giggled the whole way down!

We rode the J-Bar a second time to get back to the double via Eno's Trail, which was a bit longer than Whitney's and plenty of fun.

Runs 15-16

Run 15: Summit Double Chair Mid-Station - Maple Slalom Chute - Sun Valley - Roller Coaster - Farmer A - Ninow

[0.70 miles; 4:29; 804 feet; 22.1 mph max; 9.4 mph avg]

Run 16: Summit Double Chair - Upper Maple Slalom

[0.20 miles; 1:00; 252 feet; 24.0 mph max; 10.0 mph avg]

We had planned to take the double to the top, ski partway down, and enjoy a drink at the Alpine Cabin (where the resident DJ, Erik, who is also the GM and owner of the Indy Pass, was doing a set of wild EDM music), but I managed to pop my goggle lenses off and they fell into my lap, then onto the chair, then onto my boot, then onto my skis, and then to the ground. The girls behind us shouted "DO YOU KNOW YOU DROPPED YOUR LENS?!"... yes... yes I knew. We got off at the mid-station, borderline cackling, and skied down Roller Coaster to get them, including the steepest pitch that had a child fully splayed out unmoving on it (the dad was right there staring at the child...). We eventually got the goggles, though! It was a VERY silly sun and Sarah had a BLAST watching me ski with the lens-less goggles on.

Run #16 was redemption! We rode to the top, waved to George, and skied down Upper Maple Slalom to the Alpine Cabin, which was absolutely alive with music and good vibes!

Run 17

Run 17: Alpine Cabin - Chute - Valley View - Maple Slalom - Upper Jackson Standard - Lower Jackson Standard

[0.55 miles, 3:50; 804 feet; 29.5 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

I got a hard iced tea and Sarah got a hot cider with rum. We sat outside and enjoyed our drinks and the music and the wonderful weather (it was sunny and barely over 15 degrees). It was a perfect day! We both agreed that the problem with coming to Black Mountain on a day with good conditions is that you have to choose whether you want to ski or hang at the Alpine Cabin! When conditions are horrible, it's so much easier to spend a good chunk of the day at the cabin, but we didn't want to stop skiing! Tragic! We wrapped up around 3:45 and skied down in an attempt to beat the 4:00pm crowd. 

We changed at the lodge, bought new matching hoodies (the gift shop lady was an absolute delight) and made our way to the Applebees in North Conway for a quick and easy dinner (I was feeling sleepy and didn't want to be so far away late in the day with low energy). We had a long drive back, but it was so worth it! I was excited to get home because a new character, Christien, was coming over and we'd be spending tomorrow up in the Whites for his first visit!

Map of Black Mountain (2025-2026)

Skiing Cannon Mountain (Day 15/Indy Day 12)

Skiing Cannon Mountain

Tuesday, January 27th, 2026

Runs: 16

Distance: 10.86  miles

Elevation: 16,073 feet

Max Speed: 29.2 mph

Avg. Speed: 10.1 mph

Moving Time: 1hour, 9 minutes, 23 seconds

Total Time: 4 hours, 39 minutes, 3 seconds

Apres-Pow Day! I woke up super excited for what was in store at Cannon! I wouldn't be able to ski the whole day due to plans in the afternoon, but I was itching to make the most of the time I had! I am upset that I didn't get a screenshot of the snow report, but it did a nice job hyping up the day! I did get their end-of-day post, which I'll write at the bottom of this.

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Missing Link - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine - Gremlin

[1.05 mi; 3:36; 1,381 ft; 29.2 mph max; 17.4 mph avg]

Run 2: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Gremlin - Parkway

[1.10 mi; 5:27; 1,460 ft; 24.8 mph max; 12.1 mph avg]

Run 3: Peabody Express Quad - Big Link

[Not on Strava]

I drove by myself and planned to get to the lodge for 8:00am, but landed just after 9:00am due to some residual snow snowers and wildly slow drivers. Linnea and Andrew were going to join Sarah and I along with Sarah's Mom! Linnea and Andrew made it much earlier than we did, but I booted up quickly and we got our first run in once Sarah and Mom arrived. The three of us got a nice groomer run in down Easy Link, Missing Link, Middle Ravine, Lower Ravine, and Gremlin. The snow was NICE. I am always humbled by fresh corduroy because while it is easy to control speed and what not, I can REALLY tell when I am not carving correctly, and I was not, but fun was being had!

Run #2 was still just the three of us, even though Sarah and Mom were almost ready. Andrew spotted some mostly untouched stuff on Parkway, so we headed that way, and it was soft, delightful, and fun! Again, I did not ski my best, but I was having so much fun! It was also just fun to be skiing with these two again!

We saw Sarah and Mom on the lift on our way down, so we all agreed to meet up top for Run #3. We said our hellos, and took Big Link down to the Cannonball Quad to get to the tippy top for some bathroom, photos, and some runs before it gets skied off (which we were emotionally ready for based on past experiences on Cannon). 

Runs 4-7

Run 4: Cannonball Quad - Upper Cannon - Big Link

[0.60 mi; 3:20; 1,010 ft; 19.1 mph max; 10.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Cannonball Quad - Profile

[0.48 mi; 3:10; 994 ft; 14.7 mph max; 9.0 mph avg]

Run 6: Cannonball Quad - Vista Way - Big Link

[0.60 mi; 4:44; 997 ft; 21.4 mph max; 7.6 mph avg]

Run 7: Cannonball Quad - Taft Slalom - Upper Hardscrabble - Middle Hardscrabble - MH Cut Thru - Red Ball

[1.60 mi; 12:13; 2,208 ft; 24.8 mph max; 7.9 mph avg]

Now that we were all together, we congregated up at the Tram house for a photo and bathroom break (the cinnamon rolls smelled AMAZING). It was cold and windy up there (no surprise), so after we did those chores we went down Upper Cannon, which was super fun and silly. Some hard pack, some ice, and lots of powder - kept things exciting! Andrew said it was like skiing out west - I was just having a blast! Run #5 was down Profile, which was similarly either windblown or deep. I forgot how steep Profile was! The deep stuff was so fun and silly to ski in, and definitely more of a workout than I was used to! I'd get a few good turns in and then fully forget how to ski, which made for many breaks and lots of fun.

Run #6 was per my request - Vista Way. It had been closed every other time I'd been to Cannon, and it was wonderful! The view was spectacular of Franconia Ridge and the skiing was, to no surprise, super fun!

Mom wanted to hit the Taft Slalom, which skied fast and firm, and they went on Hardscrabble for an adventure run. The good parts were GOOD. Upper Hardscrabble was pretty much all fun, big bumps. Middle Hardscrabble had the trickiest section where we had to think about dodging some ice flows, but again, still fun, and I did not feel like I was over my head at all (which was a little fear). Once we finished with the challenging sections we followed MH Cut Thru and Red Ball which were fun and ungroomed the whole way down. 

Runs 8-9

Run 8: Fleitman Trail - Deer Run

[0.30 mi; 3:02; 157 ft; 20.7 mph max; 6.0 mph avg]

Run 9: Tuckerbrook Quad - Rabbit Path - Baron's Run

[0.40 mi; 1:49; 341 ft; 23.9 mph avg; 13.2 mph avg]

After our run down the Hardscrabbles, we went inside for a quick snack/lunch before making our voyage over to Mittersill. Only Mom had been over there before, so we were all pretty excited! Run #8 was from the Peabody Lodge across Fleitman Trail (a dreadful cat track) and then down Deer Run (we should have taken Brookside all the way down) to the Tuckerbrook Quad. From the top of Tuckerbrook, we followed Rabbit Path to Baron's Run, which had some fun, soft, mellow bumps, eventually landing us at the Mittersill Double!

Run 10-12

Run 10: Mittersill Double - Skyline - Ridge Run - Mittersill Lift Line - Dragons Drop

[0.81 mi; 5:39; 1,407 ft; 23.2 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Run 11: Mittersill Double - Cannonball - Dragons Drop

[0.79 mi; 5:44; 1,388 ft; 22.2 mph max; 8.3 mph avg]

Run 12: Mittersill Double - Baron's Run - Way Back - Raven Ridge - Huckerbrook

[0.92 mi; 5:56; 1,237 ft; 25.1 mph max; 9.3 mph avg]

Andrew and I rode up the double for Run #10 making endless jokes about being the best skier on the mountain, and we all had our sights set on a run labeled on the map as "Idiot's Delight." Naturally, we wanted a picture with the sign, but the sign was nowhere to be found! We found the entrance to Idiot's Delight and Candyland, but it looked more like it would be a gladed run instead of normal one, and personally I was not feeling THAT adventerous. We got a little intel from a local who skied by us, and all decided to continue to Ridge Run, which was mostly groomed and flat, and then the Mittersill Lift Line, which was narrower and bumpy and fun! Andrew followed the lift line all the way down while the rest of us went onto the lower stretch of Dragons Drop, which had the deepest snow we'd found all day. It was wildly fun to ski through and I had not a single clue of what I was doing, it was a blast!

Run #11 was down the narrow Cannonball, which had one scratchy spot near the end of it, and then down Dragons Drop the rest of the way, which was similarly delghtful. Run #12 brought us down Baron's Run, which was just a snowy playground! There were powder-covered whales on skier's left with the usual deep powder in the middle and right. We all had a field day in there. I continued my pattern of a few good turns followed by acting like I'd never skied before and we giggled the whole way down. We followed Way Back to get back to the main side, skated across Raven Ridge, and we hit a few boxes and "jumps" in the Huckerbrook park before hopping back on the Peabody Express.

Runs 13-16

Run 13: Peabody Express Quad - Bypass - Extension - Paulie's Folly

[0.91 mi; 6:48; 1,526 ft; 22.4 mph max; 8.3 mph avg]

Run 14: Zoomer Triple - Zoomer

[0.39 mi; 3:04; 689 ft; 24.2 mph max; 7.6 mph avg]

Run 15: Zoomer Triple - Rocket

[0.39 mi; 3:05; 689 ft; 25.4 mph max, 7.7 mph avg]

Run 16: Zoomer Triple - Lower Cannon

[0.50 mi; 1:42; 591 ft; 24.6 mph max; 17.5 mph avg]

I was in my last hour on the hill, and I wanted to make sure to get over to the front side of the mountain to hit those steeps with this snow before I left! Sarah ran in to use the bathroom, but I wanted to keep moving so the four of us got back on the Peabody Express and followed Bypass to Extension, which was mostly fun with some ice and rock scattered about, and then went down Paulie's Folly, which was a an absolute blast and a bit ridiculous for me to get down. It was steep, but the snow was so deep and bumpy I couldn't go fast if I tried - it was so much fun! Sarah caught up with us as the trail passed Zoomalanche.

Run #14 was down Zoomer, which had small bumps on the part that has man-made snow and usually groomed, and the ungroomed/natural side was equally a blast. It was possible to get some speed on the skier's left side, but the right side was so deep I would come to a screeching hault. Again, so much fun! A girl also dropped her phone from the lift during this run, screamed bloody murder, and then loudly lamented that it was the second time it had happened today.

Run #15 was down Rocket, so a little less steep than Zoomer, but still just an absolute blast. We were all feeling a little cooked at this point, and I was skiing absolutely horribly, but it was so much fun! Run #16 was my final run of the day down Lower Cannon - it was fun to end on a fast run! I said goodbye to my friends, they got a few more runs in, and it was back to reality soon after!

Mountain Report

"It's only cold if you're standing still." - Unknown

Good afternoon, Cannon skiers and riders. I hope you were here for it, because it was another banner day! The best part is it's not over, there is a chance for more snow showers this evening and throughout the night. Another possible system moves in come morning bringing a chance for more snow and flurries, start up your snow dances! Expect tomorrow's temps to be hovering around 0 up top and climbing the single digits throughout the day at the base. With the wind coming out of the NW at a moderate pace. It seems like we have another killer day on the forefront, Be here for it!

9 lifts will spin at 9:00am tommow. Groomers will be out over 43 trails pressing in the fast track. Expect conditions to be machine groomed with packed powder on the sides. Heads up: DJ's Tramline and Kinsman's glade close at 3:00pm and the Saddle closes at 3:30pm. Come on down and get your plans on the most open terrain in NH!

Snowmaking: With almost all of our terrain open and Mother Nature delivering some additional snow this week, our snowmakers are taking a temporary break.

Winch Operation: Taft Training Slope, Profile, Rock Garden, Avalanche, Zoomer, and Extension.

Parks: A pop-up park will be on Lower Gremlin with a couple of new rails added recently. The Huckerbrook Park will be open with 9 features. A future park on Tossup is now under construction, so look fo rmore fun features coming soon! Huckerbrook Under the Lights will run every Friday and Saturday from 4-6pm through February. The park crew put in extra hours to bring you an entirely new park on Huckerbrook, with more features, a more technical line and a guaranteed good time.

Racing: Training on Taft Training Slope

Patrol would like to remind everyone: DO NOT DUCK ROPES. They are there for an important reason: your safety! Hikers heading up Kinsman Ridge and planning to ski or ride down MUST have a valid Cannon season pass or lift ticket to access our trails.

Uphill: FULLY OPEN. The route is as follows: Lower Ravine > Middle Ravine > Upper Ravine > Taft Slalom > Summit.

Map of Cannon Mountain

Skiing Blue Hills Ski Area (Day 14)

Skiing Blue Hills Ski Area

Monday, January 26th, 2026

Runs: 10

Distance: 2.98 miles

Elevation: 3,425 feet

Max Speed: 20.3 mph

Avg. Speed: 9.6 mph

Moving Time: 19 minutes, 17 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes, 18 seconds

Powder day at the Blue Hills? We ended up getting somewhere around 18" of snow from the storm and after digging out and the snow subsiding, Sarah texted me asking if I wanted to meet her at the Blue Hills for some Monday night night skiing... absolutely! I truly had no idea what to expect, but I was sure glad that I dug my car out! When I left home around 6:20pm, snow had started to fall again, and the roads were... interesting! I didn't even try to park in the main lot, so I parked in the north Trailside Museum lot, met Sarah, and we huffed it over to the lodge!

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.25 mi; 1:28; 338 ft; 17.3 mph max; 10.3 mph avg]

Run 2: Double Chair - Chute - Patriots

[0.37 mi; 2:36; 335 ft; 20.3 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Run 3: Double Chair - Patriots

[0.41 mi; 2:53; 354 ft; 19.4 mph max; 8.5 mph avg]

The vibes were good and we were thrilled to learn that buying online meant we had direct-to-lift access. The hill was also delightfully not-too-crowded! The line looked pretty long, but the waits were never awful. Plus, the place was just buzzing with energy and joy! We hopped in line just after 7:00pm after booting up in the lodge and got to it!

Since the Blue Hills doesn't have 100% night skiing, the only three runs that were open were Big Blue, Chute, and Patriots, so we figured we'd just work out way across the hill. Run #1 was down Big Blue (after a reminder on how sketchy the lift is!) and it was SO MUCH FUN! I had never skied in soft powder before, and it was so silly and fun to have my first real experience skiing it be at the Blue Hills! Did I ski well? Absolutely not. Did I giggle the whole way down? Yes!

Run #2 was down Chute and then Patriots. Chute is narrow and was a little skied off, revealing some surprise rocks, but still fun! Patriots was where most of the people were and got a little slow with the fresh snow.

We hit the famous Patriots headwall at Run #3, which was shockingly skied off between the bumps. Still fun! We both agreed that Big Blue was our favorite run du jour. The line was about the same length for all of this, but always moving well. We even saw patrol practicing sleds on Big Blue with a dummy - someone screamed "they have no pants on!" which got a good laugh out of the lift line.

Runs 4-5

Run 4: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.27 mi; 1:35; 344 ft; 17.4 mph max; 10.1 mph avg]

Run 5: Double Chair - Chute - Patriots

[0.40 mi; 2:50; 348 ft; 18.7 mph max; 8.5 mph avg

We decided we'd just work our way across the three runs like a typewriter throughout the night, especially since we were only skiing from 7p-9p. Run #4 was back down Big Blue, and man, it was just such a delight! I was starting to get better at keeping my weight forward to really tackle the bumps, but still had a few moments where it felt like my skis were simply in charge and I was just going along for the ride.

We had a still-very-fun-yet-not-as-fun-as-Big-Blue run down Chute and Patriots. After which we decided we'd just lap Big Blue until close!

Runs 6-10

Run 6: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.25 mi; 1:53; 338 ft; 18.0 mph max; 8.1 mph avg]

Run 7: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.26 mi; 1:23; 341 ft; 16.1 mph max; 11.3 mph avg]

Run 8: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.26 mi; 1:56; 344 ft; 15.7 mph max; 8.2 mph avg]

Run 9: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.24 mi; 1:18: 338 ft; 16.9 mph max; 11.3 mph avg]

Run 10: Double Chair - Big Blue Headwall - Lower Big Blue

[0.26 mi; 1:25; 341 ft; 17.0 mph max; 11.1 mph avg]

The next five runs were all wonderful, joyful laps. Run #8 I performed exceptionally well, which felt GOOD. All five runs were so much fun and if we had more time, I easily could have spent hours rinsing and repeating! Run #9 was likely my least glamorous, as I did something weird, slammed into a bump burring my skies, and FLEW forward in a puff of white smoke - my first yard sale in a while, and definitely first of the season! Due to the nature of the soft snow, I was completely unscathed and just mad that Sarah didn't get to see! We finished our last run right at 9:00pm, packed up, and giggled some more about how much fun we had. The good news was that we would see eachother again VERY soon, as we had plans to ski at Cannon Mountain tomorrow (we planned to call in sick, but both of our schools had a double snow day!). 

Map of Blue Hills Ski Area

Quincy Hills Loop via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Quincy Hills Loop via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: oo-O Loop

Distance: 5.13 miles

Elevation: 600 feet

Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Grid, Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)

The Hike 

Although I still wanted to be skiing, the ridiculous cold up north and impending snow storm kept me local. It was a balmy 10 degrees and I forced myself out the door to explore some of the Quincy area of the Blue Hills for my second winter map. The storm was slated to start around noon, so I figured a 9:00am start would be good! 

I started with spikes on after walking the sidewalk past the Shea Memorial Rink and the plan was roughly a wide loop hitting all the hills on this side of the park, Skyline Trail to Fox Hill to Sawcut Notch. Even with it being 10 degrees, the Nano Puff came off soon into the hike. I followed the Firepit Path around the totally frozen St. Moritz Pond and I was still feeling warm with two pairs of leggings on under my pants. 

I crossed Wampatuck Road and took my fleece off at the Quarry before hitting Rattlesnake Hill (which had one persons' footprints) and The Crags before a rough descent down with not enough snow for spikes, but I had already committed. 

After working my way up Wampatuck Hill, I giggled at seeing the mall, since I had just stopped there to grab a few things from Target before the storm. There was a bit of a breeze near Chickatawbut Road so I began to pick up the pace to stay warm as I climbed up Fox Hill, and I was rewarded with a lovely tree view to Boston as I descended. I put my fleece back on once at the bottom and continued on!

I wiggled my way over to Sawcut Notch Path and took a quick bushwhack to Little Dome, which only had deer tracks. I continued on to Great Dome, which similarly only had deer tracks (but also some orange flagging tape?). I love these two little trail-less hills - they both have humble views and feel very remote for being in the Blue Hills. I also felt wildly satisfied hitting all five hills in this stretch of the park in one hike!

After descending Great Dome, I began to hear the pitter-patter of falling snow, and then it increased! Seemed like the storm was starting a couple of hours early! I passed my first and only person near Wampatuck Road, and I made it back to my car in time to see all of the salt trucks congregating in the Shea Memorial Rink parking lot. The drive home was a little slippery, but I made it back in time to hunker down and do some Legos!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Shea Memorial Rink.

- Turn left onto Willard Street.

- Turn left onto path.

- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Winter Carnival Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Minichiello Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Firepit Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Cross Wampatuck Road, follow Skyline Trail to 4134.

- At 4134, turn right onto path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Water Pipe Line.

- At terminus, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

- At 4102, turn left onto Indian camp Path.

- Before 4091, turn left onto path.

- At 4083, turn right onto Sawcut Notch path.

- Hike unmapped spur to Little Dome, then continue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- Hike unmapped spur to Great Dome, turn conitnue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- Merge with Skyline Trail.

- Follow Skyline Trail back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Sunrise Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (Blue Hills Reservation)

Sunrise Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 4.83 miles

Elevation: 1,214 feet

Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026; Great Blue Hill Summits

The Hike 

The original this weekend was to go up to Jay Peak where my roommate would take his first two ski lessons on his Indy: Learn to Turn pass, but due to a comically cold forecast (-40 windchills up at Jay), we opted to postpone, freeing up my weekend (we made the right call, as the mountain actually closed for the cold). I checked the forecast for the Boston area and it was going to be less riculously cold (low single digits) and clear skies, so I ended up decided to get a sunrise Skyline Loop in before the snow storm tomorrow. It was 5 degrees out without wind and I started hiking at 6:45am with only ski area workers in the parking lot.

My spikes were on and my puffy came off once at the Summit Road, where I could hear the groomers at the ski area. There was just enough snow and ice to warrant the spikes. I made it to the tower just as the sun broke over the clouds and horizon, which was truly perfect timing, as I couldn't stay for long due to the cold. I made my way over to the summit once the intense orange faded to a bright yellow, passed two people who were running(?!) the road and realized I forgot my Nalgene... bummer! There was naturally more snow up high than down low, but nothing too intense.

I made my way down Great Blue Hill, put my puffy back on, took it off after climbing Wolcott, and took my hat off after climbing Hemenway. It was breezier and colder on Hancock and my poor spikes took quite a beating on it, and I almost slide right down Hancock!

I crawled up Houghton trying not to sweat and I realized it might just be time to retire my spikes... It was breezier, colder, and shadier between Houghton and Great Blue Hill, the streams were still running, and the trees were making some scary sounds in the wind. I worked my way carefully up the headwall and back to the summit, arriving at the same time as another runner who said "son of a b****" once he landed which made me giggle. 

I made my way back over to the Eliot Path for my descent, and the breeze was now head-on, making for a COLD descent. Thankfully, this was the coldest I'd been for the whole hike, so I would be warm soon. This was overall a great hike, and the only real issue I had was that my cold-weather exercise-enduced asthma started to act up, but thankfully I found my inhaler!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike from Trailside Museum parking on Eliot Path (red dots).

- At terminus, climb tower for sunrise, and then turn right onto Eliot Circle. 

- At trail jct. after crossing the Summit Road, turn left to summit.

- Hike around observatory building clockwise.

- Follow gravel path to Skyline Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Descend summit towards Skyline Trail South.

- Turn left onto Skyline Trail, and then right onto Skyline Trail North.

- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St.

- After stables, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.

- Follow Skyline Trail South to Eliot Circle.

- At Eliot Circle, turn left.

- At gravel path (same as before), turn right to summit Great Blue Hill.

- From summit, retrace steps to Eliot Path and to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Skiing Ragged Mountain (Day 13/Indy Day 11)

Skiing Ragged Mountain

Thursday, January 22nd, 2026

Runs: 20

Distance: 22.45 miles

Elevation: 21,841 feet

Max Speed: 38.7 mph

Avg. Speed: 17.8 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes, 3 seconds

Total Time: 3 hours, 47 minutes, 24 seconds

'Twas the day after my winter chorus concert and I was supposed to have jury duty for the first time. I was not upset about this, as I am frankly a nosy person and have little issues with not being at work. Yesterday, I made my sub plans, went for a hike in the Fells, did the concert, and then learned I was not needed for jury duty. The sub plans were already made, though... Time to ski! I toyed with hiking instead, but when I saw Ragged was mostly open (the past three times I'd been only the snowmaking trails were open), I decided that was my destination for the day! The drive wasn't bad at all, temps were wildly reasonable in the upper 20s, and the clouds were starting to part, making for a wonderful morning!

Runs 1-6

Run 1: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Newfound Ridge - Main Street

[0.91 mi; 3:04; 1,099 ft; 31.6 mph max; 17.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Headwall - Upper Chute - Raggedy Andy - Main Street

[1.02 mi; 3:03; 1,152 ft; 32.1 mph max; 20.0 mph avg]

Run 3: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Sunnyside - Blueberry Patch - Upper Chute - Lower Chute - Village Green

[1.07 mi; 2:51; 1,152 ft; 33.4 mph max; 22.6 mph avg]

Run 4: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Upper Crewcut - Upper Ridge - Lower Ridge - Pines

[1.18 mi; 4:35; 1,145 ft; 31.0 mph max; 15.4 mph avg]

Run 5: Summit Six Express - Blueberry Patch - Lower Ridge

[1.19 mi; 3:39; 1,099 ft; 32.6 mph max; 19.5 mph avg]

Run 6: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Newfound Ridge - Main Street

[0.90 mi; 2:31; 1,060 ft; 32.6 mph max; 21.4 mph avg]

My first batch of runs were all of the groomers on the Ragged Mountain side. To my delight, it was gloriously uncrowded (and I think I was the youngest person in the lodge before first chair by at least 20 years... I cannot wait to be retired!). These runs were fun and fast with fresh corduroy for the majority. I never waited in a lift line for the gates, and never waited more than three chairs once through the gates. It was wonderful!

Run #1 was down Upper Ridge to Newfound Ridge to Main Street. As per tradition, I fully forgot how to effectively ski for most of this run, but I eventually remembered that I actually do know how to engage my edges by the end of it!

I hit the infamous Headwall on Run #2 - short and fast and fun! In hindsight, not nearly as steep as I thought it was the first time I skied it. From there I followed Upper Chute to Raggedy Andy to Main Street, definitely starting to remember how to ski! 

Run #3 followed Sunnyside to Blueberry Patch, which had some fun mellow rollers down to Upper and Lower Chutes before ending on Village Green - I was feeling good! I was also enjoying watching the groomers push out the whales on Exhibition. Each time I rode the lift they were tacking a new whale - it was cool to see!

Run #4 was more adventerous. I went down the black run Upper Crewcut from the Upper Ridge, not realizing it was ungroomed and had some powdered sugar bumps on top of boilerplate ice... made for some interesting "turns"! From there, I followed the Upper Ridge to Lower Ridge and scooted out on Pines, all of which were in great shape still!

I completed the full Lower Ridge (and subsequent skate back to the lift) on Run #5 and did a repeat run for Run #6 down Upper Ridge, Newfound Ridge, and Main Street before hopping on the Spear Mountain Express!

Runs 7-10

Run 7: Spear Mountain Express - Showboat - Showoff

[0.85 mi; 2:23; 991 ft; 36.3 mph max; 21.3 mph avg]

Run 8: Spear Mountain Express - Flying Yankee

[0.92 mi; 2:27; 994 ft; 33.3 mph max; 22.6 mph avg]

Run 9: Spear Mountain Express - Cardigan - Turnpike

[1.21 mi; 3:25; 1,047 ft; 34.4 mph max; 21.3 mph avg]

Run 10: Spear Mountain Express - Cardigan - Jughandle - Turnpike - Home Run - Barnyard

[1.34 mi; 6:24; 1,073 ft; 27.2 mph max. 12.6 mph avg]

The plan on this side was just to work my way from Showboat to Cardigan and MAYBE peek into the woods... MAYBE. Run #7 went down Showboat and Showoff, which I did NOT ski my best on. I did ski fast and in control, but I did not excel in making active, carving turns at a high speed and steeper pitch. Oh well! Run #8 was down Flying Yankee and... I did the same. Pull it together!

Turns out I just needed an easier run to remember how to ski again. Run #9 was down Cardigan and Turnpike and I was back to knowing how to ski well - I need to work on bridging the carving skill gap between mellower and steeper runs. Run #10 went back down Cardigan (with a peek into the woods... super soft up at the entrances...) to Jughandle, and then I got crazy and went into Home Run and Barnyard (of COURSE I skied through the barn!).

Runs 11-15

Run 11: Meadows Carpet - Summit Six Express - Upper Easy Winder - Lower Easy Winder

[1.54 mi; 7:12; 1,135 ft; 26.6 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

Run 12: Summit Six Express - Upper Easy Winder - Big Rock - Upper Easy Winder - Lower Easy Winder

[1.52 mi; 7:20; 1,138 ft; 28.8 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

Run 13: Summit Six Express - Blueberry Patch - Reggae Glades - Pines

[1.20 mi; 5:49; 1,135 ft; 31.7 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

Run 14: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Headwall - Lower Ridge - Moose Alley - Lower Easy Winder

[1.19 mi; 5:46; 1,138 ft; 28.3 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

Run 15: Summit Six Express - Blueberry Patch - Raggedy Andy - Main Street

[1.13 mi; 3:07; 1,138 ft; 30.9 mph max; 21.7 mph avg]

Tragically, the Barnyard Triple was temporarily down for some mechanical something, so I rode the Meadows Carpet back up and then skated over back to the six-pack. Now it was time to explore some of the natural and gladed trails on the Ragged Mountain side!

Run #11 brought me down Upper and Lower Easy Winder. Upper Easy Winder had a steep entrance off of the snowmaking hardpack and traversed some bumps and whales with a few drops. It was fun, but confusing to ski on initially because of the wildly variable snow conditions. It was good practice for me, and I enjoyed myself! Lower Easy Winder was mostly flat and easy with a few water bars to navigate, but I was going slow enough where it wasn't remotely a problem. It was a fun, quiet trail!

Run #12 started back on Upper Easy Winder and then I turned onto Big Rock, which I assume was named for a rocky ledge that it descends. There was a little bit of exposed rock, but nothing I hadn't done before. The bumps were bumpier on this run, and again, I had fun!

Run #13 was down the Reggae Glades, which weren't really glades, but more a normal blue run at Ragged with an occasional tree. This was the bumpiest run of the day, which I enjoyed. Only thing I didn't enjoy about this one was that between the bumps was some boilerplate ice, which made for some exciting slips!

Run #14 brought me into the actual woods on Moose Alley, a blue glade run. The layout itself was not difficult at all, but the woods were very boney, so dodging rocks and roots made for some more technical skiing than I was ready for (again... good practice... this season is all about practice). 

Back to feeling good about myself... Run #15 was a groomer run down Blueberry Patch, Raggedy Andy, and Main Street! The fresh cords were naturally gone, but the trails were holding up beautifully!

Runs 16-19

Run 16: Spear Mountain Express - Cardigan - Gobbler's Knob - Ridge Runner - Turnpike

[1.10 mi; 6:46; 1,056 ft; 31.5 mph max; 9.7 mph avg]

Run 17: Spear Mountain Express - Showboat - Showoff

[0.87 mi; 2:15; 1,050 ft; 38.7 mph max; 23.2 mph avg]

Run 18: Spear Mountain Express - Flying Yankee

[0.94 mi; 2:19; 1,030 ft; 37.2 mph max; 24.4 mph avg]

Run 19: Spear Mountain Express - Cardigan - Turnpike

[1.26 mi; 3:46; 1,066 ft; 33.6 mph max; 20.0 mph avg]

Time to check out the woods on the Spear Mountain side! I skied down Cardigan and went in at the comically named Gobbler's Knob! Tree spacing and grade were both right at my skillset, but the low-tide was less than ideal! There were a few patches of deeper snow to turn through, but it was pretty boney. I think I maneuvered my way over to Ridge Runner, which was tracked out and narrow on skier's left but more bumpy on skier's right (I went right). Both funneled to a narrow, boney runout, and I did manage to scrape on a rock which sent me down to the ground, but nothing too bad! I did NOT feel the need to go back in there, though!

Runs #17-#19 were all repeats of groomers, and fast ones, apparently! I redeemed myself on Showboat and Flying Yankee (and apparently FLEW, hitting my fastest speeds of the season), and I wrapped up the Spear Mountain Side with a nice mellow run down Cardigan and Turnpike.

Run 20

Run 20: Summit Six Express - Upper Ridge - Headwall - Reggae Glades - Pines

[1.11 mi; 5:21; 1,145 ft; 31.2 mph max; 12.5 mph avg]

To wrap up my truly wonderful day at Ragged Mountain, I hopped back on the Summit Six Express for one final run down Upper Ridge, Headwall, and then the Reggae Glades. At this point in the day, it was cloudy again and snowing! 20 runs in less than four hours elapsed is pretty solid - I could get used to the midweek skiing!

My return trip was slightly eventful. I got stuck behind a pretty serious car fire on I-93 right before the Hooksett rest area, and since I was meeting a friend in Cambridge to see Wonder (a new musical), I didn't have time to go home and change, so I had to stop at an Old Navy and bought a full outfit for the night... so silly!

Map of Ragged Mountain

Skyline, Reservoir, Molly's Spring Loop via Long Pond Parking (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Skyline, Reservoir, Molly's Spring Loop via Long Pond Parking (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: -Oo- Loop

Distance: 2.24 miles

Elevation: 220 feet

Time: 45 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

It's concert day! Whenever I have a day where I need to be at school at night, I try to get at least a little bit of time in in the Fells to get out of the building and get outside. It was 26 degrees out with a nice little snowpack (I probably should have brought spikes with me) and I didn't have much of a plan at all! I started on Molly's Spring Road and turned onto the Skyline Trail, mostly because I needed to pee! The Skyline Trail was less packed down, but still fine for bare boots. I accidentally got off of the Skyline Trail at one point and landed on the possible closed to public use West Dam Road, but it was pretty! I jumped onto the Reservoir Trail/Mountain Bike Loop for a bit and continued to hike out, and then I found out a plumber came to my apartment and made an absolute mess AND the pianist for my chours got sick... The stress had arrived! I turned around and made my return trip on the Reservoir Trail to Molly's Spring so I could get back to school and start solving problems. Thankfully, I heard an owl hoo-ing to cheer me on, which did lift my spirits!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Long Pond Parking Area.

- Start hike on Molly's Spring Road.

- At B4-4, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At B4-13, accidentally turn left and follow mapped, and then unmapped path to West Dam Road.

- At West Dam Road, turn right.

- Realize you are on West Dam Road, and then merge right onto Reservoir Trail.

- At Gate 12, turn around.

- At B5-4, continue on Mountain Bike Trail.

- At next jct., continue straight onto Reservoir Trail.

- At B4-6, turn left onto Molly's Spring Road.

- Return to car.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album