King Pine is known for the stately white pines that crown its summit.
Here we are in the depths of January, and more than six weeks have passed since a major snowfall. Up north, snowmakers and groomers bust their tails trying to work their magic, but variable weather makes it difficult to write a truly upbeat ski report. The language of ski reports* is always optimistic, but I know what those words mean.
“Frozen granular” = “Hard-packed snow with a glazing of ice pebbles concealing some large patches of ice.”
“The surface yesterday was still firm, but definitely on the mend, fun, and not difficult to lay an edge into” = “The slopes are like concrete but if you can carve into the ice, you’ll get down the mountain.”
“Once again some squeeky corduroy, very nice for carving and even some skidding” = “Skiing on groomed terrain isn’t impossible, but you will need to lean hard into the ice or feel your skis skid sideways down the mountain.”
These flamingos, below the Black Bear Triple Chair, are a well-known harbinger of winter at King Pine.
What these reports tell me is that now is the time for a visit to King Pine, the Little Mountain That Could, especially for skiers with younger children. King Pine doesn’t offer much in the way of vertical (350 feet), and has only 17 trails, but during a lengthy patch of variable weather, when every other area is stiff and scratchy, conditions at King Pine are always consistently good, with plentiful snowmaking and expert groomers who know how to spread their snow around this small friendly mountain.
With its reliable snow and family vibe, King Pine is sort of a miniature version of Bretton Woods. Also, like Bretton Woods, King Pine, located in a protected valley, seldom feels the impact of a bitter wind. A bonus for me is that King Pine is just an hour and 20 minutes from my house, so I can enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning at home and then head north to take advantage of the $26 Sunday afternoon ticket (about $10 less for kids).
I love hopping off the lift and into this grove of pine trees on the summit of King Pine.
King Pine’s ski school is another plus. Years ago, I visited Smugglers Notch in Vermont based on its reputation for children’s programs. But the lessons turned out to be one big cattle call, with hundreds of nervous kids herded into their 20-student groups.
Kids love the sense of independence available to King Pine skiers.
At King Pine, the instructors are generally not transient seasonal employees, but locals of varied ages and backgrounds who have been teaching for years. They know kids and skiing. The classes are small. The Seal took intermediate-level lessons here for two seasons and he typically had two or three other students in his class. The short runs are easy for kids to manage and help build their confidence.
Expert skiers may get bored with King Pine’s short runs, unless they are parents of young children. Then those parents will gladly enjoy their workouts on King Pine’s two double-black slopes while the kids gain confidence during their lessons. Maybe those parents will enjoy a beer in the laid-back Trails End lounge and watch their school-age kids race around the mountain. King Pine has that 1970s vibe in which kids can be independent masters of their own universe. And if they fall and are struggling to get up, a ski patroller or other adult is always going to stop and help them get back on their feet.
A view of Purity Spring Lake from the top of Pitch Pine, one of the mountain’s steepest trails.
King Pine may be old school, but has definitely kept up with the times. High-speed triple and quad chairs keep skiers moving. I’ve been to King Pine more times than I can count, and I can’t ever recall waiting more than a few minutes to get back on the lift (the one exception is during the February school vacation week, when King Pine is crowded with vacationing families and young skiers participating in its annual noncompetitive Ski Camp).
King Pine is part of the family-owned Purity Spring Resort, which offers a plethora of activities for non-skiiers, including snow tubing, ice skating, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing (admittedly, the cross-country skiing isn’t all that exciting, but the main loop provides a solid hour-long-ish workout).
Purity Spring offers inn-type lodging, a solid restaurant, and a health club with a swimming pool (plus the other activities). Although we usually visit King Pine as a day trip, I have spent a couple of weekends there for extended family gatherings. The lodging is “New England charming” rather than upscale condo (think creaking floorboards and rooms of various shapes, sizes and furnishings). I like that sort of thing, but if you must have your flat-screen TVs and shiny modern rooms, then you’re probably better off staying in North Conway, about 30 minutes away.
King Pine is definitely not Taos, with all of its vertical feet, bowls, and legendary powder glory. I went to Taos last year and felt very much at home, thanks to a lack of snow that left the slopes icy and hard.
Back in Freedom, New Hampshire, at the Little Mountain that Could, those high-speed lifts chugged along. Probably a few kids experienced a surge of glory as they jumped off the rails in the terrain park. Otherwise, not much glamour–just lots of happy skiers gliding and turning down the slopes.
*All quotes about ski conditions pulled from various ski area websites that may wish to remain anonymous until a major storm dumps a foot of fresh snow in the mountains.
Additional Resources
For information on more deals, like the Moonlight Family Four-Pack, see King Pine’s Specials page.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Inn at Crystal Lake and its Palmer House Pub, just a few miles down Route 153 in Eaton, New Hampshire.
