Written By Heather & Greg Burke  Hard to
believe that you can ski over 45,000’ vertical in a day at New
Hampshire’s Ragged Mountain. All you need are strong quads and a
six-pack, Ragged provides the six-pack. Actually, this family friendly N.H. resort, just 90-minutes from Lowell, offers 220 acres and 50 trails of skiing, serviced by their premier six-passenger chairlift that reaches Ragged Mountain’s summit in 4 ½ minutes. So by these calculations, you could get in six runs in an hour, and attain 36 runs on the 1,250-foot vertical ski area, including a lunch break. But there is no need to run your self “ragged.” Skiers and riders should take time to enjoy this mountain, and to appreciate the attention to design and detail at this revamped, rather polished ski area. And for a bit of local trivia, Ragged’s owners are from Massachusetts. Pulling up to Ragged ski area, you feel like you are arriving at a country Inn, thanks to the tastefully designed New England-style base lodges. Modeled after a New England farmhouse with a classic big red barn and silo, the lodges are pastoral and attractive – not like your typical utilitarian building. Then there is the skiing, two mountains worth, Ragged and Spear. Ragged Mountain is the peak serviced by the speedy six-passenger couch-size lift. With this phenomenal lift, the only six-passenger chair in New Hampshire, lift lines are nary a problem.  Ragged’s
honest 1,250’vertical includes dozens of trails, something for
everyone. A meandering Easy Winder trail from the top allows beginners
to experience the summit. You can’t help but enjoy intermediate
cruisers on New Found Ridge and rolling, knolling Exhibition, aptly
named for its liftline location. The trail selections are easily
navigated, and ideal for families, who inevitably can’t all decide on
the same run, but want to regroup at the base for the ride back up.Ragged’s terrain park and half pipe, which would not be my first choice –since I am a conservative gravity loving mom, is a whole trail chock full of features. Designer Eric Webster is a professional rider and serves as Technical Advisor to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, so his park is cutting edge and definitely gets the “cool” stamp. Spear Mountain, to the west, is a separate peak with a slower triple chair. The ride here is more relaxed and less popular – the adjacent six-seater gets more attention. Spear Mountain spreads skiers out and includes yet another summit to base novice run, Cardigan Turnpike. But we found some tenacious glades and bumps on Double Take and Joe’s Ravine. Blue-square Flying Yankee is a favorite for its S-turns down Spear. Back at the base is the beginner area called Juniper Meadows. This learning area is well located near the rental shop and childcare, but tucked away from the mainstream traffic. Two slow-moving handle tows, a ski carousel for tots, and a comfortable triple chair serve perfectly pitched introductory slopes. And all this is a snowball’s throw from the resort’s main lifts – so families can keep dibs on each other and meet up at any time. Ragged even offers lift accessed tubing if skiing and riding is not your thing – but you want some on-snow gliding. If you really fall for Ragged, you can sleep on the mountain. That’s right, the only slopeside lodging available is literally on-slope, though it is billed as more of a rustic overnight adventure. The mid-mountain Ridgeline Cabin is available for groups of 28 for $750 a night. Groups are delivered to the on-mountain lodge by sleigh for the night. Marketing director Mark Pins said, “Every one that books the Ridgeline Cabin loves it and immediately wants to reserve it again, it is a very unique on-mountain lodging experience – there are very few like it around.” Ragged’s owners, brothers Al and Walter Endriunas from Easton, Massachusetts, plan to expand the ski area to the western 250-acre Big Rock Basin with lifts and new trails. Construction of slopeside homes at the base of Ragged overlooking the 18-hole Championship golf course is in the works. While not exactly a rags-to-riches story, Ragged is surely a far richer ski experience than 17 years ago when the Endriunas’ bought the defunct ski area in 1986. “At first we wanted to operate the ski area at whatever level kept us going – and now we put in a little more capital improvement every season,” said Al Endriunas. “We plan to keep expanding and upgrading Ragged every year until we develop the entire 2,000 acres into a high-quality, four season resort that’s affordable for families.” The Endriunas brothers also hold the 5-year lease for Boston-based Blue Hills Ski Area. Ragged may not have received an avalanche of superlatives on the New England ski scene, yet. It deserves your attention since it skis like a big mountain, with a small mountain feel. It is easy to get to as an alternative to northern, more popular ski destinations. Ragged Mountain Resort can be reached at (603) 768-3600 or visit www.ragged-mt.com |
