After arriving at home the itch to get out in the hills I grew up on became overpowering. The $17 St. Patty’s Day lift ticket special for Waterville Valley, Attitash/Bear Peak and WildCat was an easy sell, especially upon discovering that you could ski Attitash and WildCat with the same ticket. All the ingredients were lining up for a mid-week road trip – my mate Brian was easily convinced so we split at 7AM up good ol’ Route 16, listenin to The Shark and yarnin about Sixth Grade Sunday Ski Trips.
Attitash was fun, it seemed a bit smaller from my junior highschool memories. After bashing around both Attitash and Bear Peak and checking out some of the local outfits, we decided to hit the road up to where the party was really at – Wildcat – meow!
What makes Wildcat so special is its steep pitch and its neighbour – Mt Washington, home of the worst weather in the world and Tuckerman’s Ravine. This mountain is New England’s big mountain epic, it is our Grand Teton, our Denali, our Cook and maybe even Everest – no that is going way too far…
Anyway, it is a big mountain haven, with only foot access during the winter/spring. Many a fond memory hath been made up at Tucks for anyone who has bathed in its glory. There are many lines in both Tuckermans (the main bowl in the middle), Huntington (bowl on lookers right) and the slide paths (on the left). I am looking forward to getting back up there this year as there is plenty of snow and plenty of Tuckerman’s Beer to drink.
Speaking of Tuckerman’s Beer, the local Conway Brewery came out for the St. Patty’s celebration at WildCat and chucked us a few rounds of samples. As I knew one of their best customers, a fine gentleman living just up the road in Conway named Daddy-O, the sample cup never seemed to empty. Thanks again Tuckerman’s, you always make me feel at home!
