Snow Business: Fired Up Over Gunstock

GILFORD, NH — In a cool sort of way, as a snow sports family matures, the youngest discover new things and the oldest rekindle old relationships, and that is the case with Gunstock Mountain Resort.

The New Hampshire mountain is now an annual bucket list trip.

I first discovered Gunstock in the old straight ski days, when a friend convinced me to lug the stiff-as-heck 205 CM Olin cruisers (yes made in Middletown) up to Gilford, NH to take on Gunstock. It was an instant love affair because of the scenery overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and its variety of terrain.

Several subsequent trips, with better twin tips and all-mountain modern skis, just made the relationship better.

Alas, the kids came, and when it was time to learn how to ski, it made sense to stay around Connecticut, central Massachusetts and the Berkshires. The drive was shorter and the terrain was gentler.

The the darn pandemic further pinned us to the immediate region.

Fast-forward to last season. With the kids now able to navigate green, blue and even some black trails, it was time to venture out. A trip to Gunstock was a no-brainer. Though it was March and before the big late-season dumps, it still was a marvelous time.

The kids were in awe at the lake views and loved the old-school, but still modern feel of the lodge and facilities.

And those cruisers, particularly Ramrod, Flintlock and Trigger, kept them happy all day.

Gunstock seems to get better and better as we move into the middle part of this season. As of Friday, all eight lifts were servicing 43 of 49 trails with 7 inches of fresh snow and base depths of 2 to 3 feet.

Ski New Hampshire points out that, last summer, Gunstock put into effect a $4.8 million capital expense plan that included $1.6 million for snowmaking expansion on the mountain, widening one trail, and extending and reconfiguring another.

Additional plans include expanding a deck for outdoor dining at the Stockade Lodge, and a new Campground and Nordic Skiing Welcome Center, which is currently under construction. The new $1 million structure will provide visitors with modern facilities, a spacious check-in lobby and expanded retail space for equipment, clothing, provisions, and sundries.

Gunstock also features a terrain park, an extensive learning program and night skiing and riding.

Now here's the kicker. Gunstock is closer that you at first think. It's less than three hours from Hartford.

For pricing and schedules, check out: www.gunstock.com.

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor who has been writing about skiing and snowboarding since 1999. He has contributed to several books and magazines on snow sports and is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association. His Snow Business column appears periodically during the season.