Old Man Winter Returns to New England

He’s been missing in action for upwards of a month, minus a few brief teases. But now it appears that he’s ready to take up residence – for at least a few weeks – and his stay affects our commutes, our plans, our landscape, our municipal budgets, and a lot of other things about our lives.

He is, of course, “Old Man Winter”. And while he was nary to be seen in December, meteorologists insist that he’s making a slow but sure return to New England, whose major population centers have seen little more than a dusting or two of snow all Winter. His first stop was this past week, when 6- 10 inches of snow fell across fell across interior Northern New England. That includes the ski resorts of New Hampshire and Maine, who received a welcome dollop of “white gold” to augment the herculean efforts their own snowmakers and groomers have staged since mid-December.

“When I tell people that we’ve got 80% of our skiing terrain open, they’re astounded,” noted Rachael Wilkinson, Director of Marketing for the Shawnee Peak resort. “They usually say, ‘but there hasn’t been any snow!’ And they’re right, but our snowmaking capacity is now so extensive that our guests consistently tell us they can’t believe how good their skiing and riding experience was.”

This dynamic is what’s known in the snowsports resort industry as the “backyard syndrome” – the tendency of people to not think much about Winter sports like skiing, snowmobiling, and sledding when they don’t see snow in their backyards.  And no doubt, it’s a challenge for snow-dependent businesses in the North Country to succeed when the weather doesn’t cooperate, but that’s where technology changes the game.

Like some of their larger competitors in the competitive mountain resort industry, Shawnee Peak’s investments in the past 10 years in super-efficient snowmaking guns have allowed the resort to offer open the vast majority of its terrain as long as overnight temperatures dip below freezing, which is commonplace at Shawnee Peak’s latitude and elevation. And Wilkinson notes that the resort offers top-to-bottom skiing and riding at far lower prices than many of their big-name, corporately-owned competitors.

“When I hear of New England resorts charging upwards of $90 for a weekend lift ticket, I really don’t know what to think,” admits Wilkinson with a mix of shock and bemusement. “Our highest price for an adult lift ticket is under $60, and that’s before the myriad of deals we offer to keep skiing and riding affordable for the while family.”

Those include online-only discounts, as well as creative discounts such as Shawnee Peak’s “Saturday Night Special”, which allows guests to ski or ride on Saturday nights from 4 – 10 PM and the following Sunday at a significant discount. “Perfect for families with kids involved in activities on Saturday mornings,” said Wilkinson. Recently, the resort has begun offering services aimed at avid skiers and riders, including the ability to ride up the mountain in a snow groomer, and take two runs before the lifts open, as well as the opportunity to enjoy one-hour ride in the groomer after 4 PM, when the resort is hard at work recreating well-groomed corduroy for its night skiing operations, which are the most extensive in New England.    

As part of its larger efforts to keep skiing and riding accessible across the income spectrum, Shawnee Peak is a member of the Green Alliance, which connects green businesses with the burgeoning eco-conscious communities of eastern New England. Green Alliance members receive discounts on lift tickets and equipment rentals all season at the resort, as well as discounts at 95 other green businesses across the region.

Meanwhile, Wilkinson is confident that mid-January is when the dam breaks, and Old Man Winter takes up an extended stay in New England after a sluggish start. “Even though we’ve been offering great skiing and riding since we opened for the season, natural snowfall helps create an astounding beauty that’s hard to match,” said Wilkinson. “And creates the kind of conditions that leave you pining for more!”

For more information:

Shawnee Peak Mountain Resort: www.shawneepeak.com

Green Alliance: www.greenalliance.biz