_{By Monika McGillicuddy}

The weather outside is delightful...winter's coming...just in time for the Holidays and New Hampshire's Ski season.

New Hampshire  offers a wide variety of outdoor activities and pursuits..from coastal beaches to the White Mountains...there is a little bit of everything and something for everyone!

Traveling to New England don't forget to pack your skis...don't have any skis? not to worry there are plenty of rental shops and ski shops that will gladly fit you with the perfect pair. Explore Ski NH... it is a jam packed website full of ski and snow boarding information.

While my children were growing we spent many weekends skiing in New Hampshire and Maine.  Ski clubs, ski lessons, ski meets and races...It was a great family activity, one that involved the whole family and our extended group of friends. Nothing better than being on white powder on top of a mountain on a bright sunny day...ahhh perfection!  So whether your an expert skier or just beginning you'll be delighted by our ski areas.
Personally I can tell you..I am!

Let's take a peak at some of our fine New Hampshire Ski areas...but be sure to check out for SkiNH for complete listings and maps of all ski areas in New Hampshire.

Attitash in Bartlet NH states "We are making loads of snow!" check out the website for pricing and trail information.

Black Mountain  in Jackson NH has a long ski history extending all the way back to 1935 when NH first began to make people sit up and take notice of it's beautiful ski areas.

Bretton Woods Mount Washington  Ski Resort...This is where my kids learned to Ski and I spent many weekends on the trails.

Cannon Mountain  Franconia Notch State Park...the views here are phenomenal!!!

Cranmore Mountain in North Conway, When you tire of skiing this is the home of New Hampshire premiere shopping outlets...bling-bling-bling!

Crotched Mountain located in Bennington NH, they claim that snow making is currently active on about 90% of the mountain and they're not kidding around.

Gunstock Located in Gilford NH, will  be open for skiing and riding on December 19th.

Loon Mountain in Lincoln NH, has had a Santa spotting-Santa is a skier and he likes to relax before the holiday by skiing at Loon Mountain. So you better be good and look for Santa on the slopes!!!

Mount Sunapee  in Newbury NH, is open with terrain for all abilities including top-to-bottom skiing and riding from the Summit and South Peak.

Pats Peak in Henniker NH, claim they've fired up the snow guns and plan on keeping them going to bring you even more open terrain as soon as possible!

Waterville Valley in Waterville Valley NH...This place is a legend in my household as my boys ski raced here most winters.

Wildcat Mountain in  Pinkham Notch NH, ride NH's highest 4 passenger Gondola for awesome scenery.

Looking for some wonderful places to rest while skiing check out the offerings at Ski NH's Lodging Guide


For your learning pleasure...Some Snow Surface Terminology

I'm sure there are more but these are the most common;

Packed Powder - very dry natural or man-made compacted snow...fun to ski on.

Packed Snow - packed surface of natural or man-made snow...nice-nice stuff.

Groomed Snow - machine groomed...not bad at all :)

Groomed Granular - old snow base that has been machine-groomed to provide loose granular surface...nice.

Loose Granular - old base that is loose...not bad at all.

Frozen Granular - hard-surfaced granular base that has been frozen after thaw..."Opps" type of skiing for me.

Wet Granular - loose or frozen granular snow that has been subjected to warm temperatures...mushy stuff.

Spring Skiing - my favorite...old base that has been thawed and re-frozen by cold nights and warm days so that the surface becomes heavy...I like this stuff because it keeps me slow. I'm not a speed freak!

If you want more inside information about New Hampshire real estate visit our website here  or if you'd like to search NH homes for sale on or near ski areas of your choice or anywhere at all in the state of New Hampshire.

Remember even if you don't have snow...New Hampshire's ski areas have the finest snow making equipment available and that means you can enjoy skiing even if you see green out your window!

Need more info e-mail me at monika@monikamcgillicuddy.com

Have a Happy and a Safe Holiday Season!!!