Bretton Woods: A Matter of Degrees

No Grooming on Snake

I will address the elephant in the room straight out: Bretton Woods is flat. Really flat. Bretton Woods makes Okemo seem challenging. But outside of Bretton being protractor challenged, I really enjoyed the ski area. Everyone is friendly, the base lodge is amazing, there are four high speed quads, parking is close to the lodge on level ground, and there are tons of glade options. Does the entire Bretton Woods experience make up for the lack of pitch?

When I began booting up in the base lodge, I was approached by an ambassador informing patrons that the Zephyr Quad was closed. The ambassador explained how to utilize the existing lifts to best access the terrain. This completely blew me away. I was then invited to sample a complimentary hot cider in a generous sized cup. Personal service and complimentary beverages at a ski area? And I didn’t even get asked to attend a real estate session, this is very nice.

Complimentary Hot Cider

The base lodge is a model of perfection for other mountains. The wooden structure with beam construction sports wide open areas and corridors that lead to intuitively laid out services. The food court area is massively spacious with a variety of stations. My french toast and sausage was cooked to order, tasted great, and proportions were humongous.

Rentals are tucked away downstairs with an automatic sliding door at snow level. Right outside the lodge is a massive and fun looking beginner area. The first floor features a well laid out remote exhibit from the New England Ski Museum. Bretton Woods shows a lot of class by offering NESM that space.

Small wooden tables are scattered about the main floor utilizing two person benches for seating. Cubes are available for storage if you didn’t want to take advantage of the bag check. This lodge is stellar in form and function.

Boundary Line at Bretton Woods

Bretton Woods trail layout is a beginner and lower intermediate’s dream. Two out of the four high speed quads only service beginner and intermediate terrain. Every lift services at least one green circle run. I can think of no other major resort that can make that claim.

West Mountain steps up the difficulty level a tad but there isn’t much a beginner couldn’t handle aside from some spacious glades. Even a basic snowplow would be enough to handle the steeper runs off the Mount Rosebrook Summit.

Every trail at Bretton Woods is rated at least one difficulty level above most other major mountains and some trails are rated two difficulty levels higher. Many of the double diamond glades would be blue square glades at other mountains. The steepest trail, Bode’s Run, is only steep for a short section that might be a steep part of a blue square at many other areas. This makes Bretton Woods an ideal mountain for the developing skier as well as skiers trying to learn glade skiing.

I was impressed with the amount of terrain left ungroomed. More grooming would have been preferred due to last night’s freeze. Ungroomed terrain including glades were crusty teeth rattling affairs. The only trail marked as a bump run sported very few moguls due to its lack of pitch so aspiring bumpers should look else where.

I was hoping that Bretton Wood’s extensive glade system would keep me entertained. Due to conditions, I didn’t sample many tree shots. But even from the outside, I quickly concluded that I would not be adding Bretton to my short list of powder day stashes. The glades lack pitch and are very spacious. The few glades that looked entertaining were decidedly short.

Presidential Range from Bretton Woods

Bretton has added a lot of gladed terrain these past few years but almost half of their glades are short little diversions rather than immersive experiences. The two lift round trip required for the Rosebrook and Stickney Glades simply isn’t worth the short length of the runs. Though I certainly appreciate the traffic limiting traverse to the Stickney area with glades signed by numbers similar to Saddleback’s Casablanca.

Conditions on the groomed trails were generally very good considering the freeze that happened last night. Trail edges were often left ungroomed even on many beginner runs giving developing skiers a great learning opportunity. I found the most pleasing skiing off the Rosebrook Quad for its mildly steep short pitches and the Waumbek trail on West Mountain.

The trail names add tremendously to the experience. There is no specific naming convention but the trails are named after historical figures and local geological landmarks. With a grand view of the Presidentials as a back drop, Bretton Woods has all the elements of a great New Hampshire ski area. Even if Bretton Woods is not a character rich skier’s mountain like nearby Cannon, it is a classic skiing experience. The skiing and trails felt pure; full of integrity.

Bretton Woods NESM Exhibit

Bretton Woods is similar in many ways to its distant grand resort cousin the Balsams Wilderness. Bretton is like the Balsams on steroids. Both ski areas are mellow affairs in the back drop of a famous grand hotel nestled into a stunning setting. Alpine skiing is only one of many diversions at both grand hotels. So the ski areas were laid out not based on ideal topography but rather proximity to the hotel.

So does all of Bretton Wood’s charm, hospitality, form, and function overcome the limitations of its pitch and vertical? Would Bretton Woods be an ideal off the radar powder paradise? Not for this skier. But Bretton Woods is the ideal mountain for a significant number of skiers and families that often times find themselves struggling or lost at bigger uncaring mountains.

9 thoughts on “Bretton Woods: A Matter of Degrees

  1. Your “beyond the obvious” observations hit the nail on the head. The resort moniker used to be “Low Stress Skiing” (and should still be). I can think of any other area that goes above and beyond in this category, as Steve so aptly describes.
    I took my family once there when the kids were quite young. No worries about getting creamed and building a comfort factor without fear of stepping out.

    While not your cup of tea, it hit one of the most important market segments. It’s only disadvantage is that most people perceive BW to be at the ends of the earth.

    Lastly, the view across the valley to Mt. Washington and the same-named hotel is stunning.

    Bravo Steve!

  2. Nice piece, Steve. You covered all the different aspects of the entire BW experience, including the smooth customer-service/operations end. While not a place for skiers of Steve’s level — when I went down my first single-black, I thought that I had accidentally turned onto a green — it’s one of the best family areas I’ve ever visited. Can you think of any other ski area that gives lower-level skiers/boarders so many terrain options (other than just cut trails)? As mentioned in my report, I look forward to bringing the wife and kid there.

  3. I can’t think of any other mountain that offers so much terrain to lower level skiers and riders. I was thinking about that while riding the lift. Any one can ski any trail at Bretton Woods with a basic snow plow (except perhaps a few of the steeper glades, there aren’t many). It really is cool for your average skier and family.

    One thing that struck me about Bretton is how it is so unlike Okemo, another mountain that caters to skiers and riders seeking mellow terrain. While Bretton is more mellow than Okemo, it is so much more friendly and charming whereas Okemo is a meat factory.

    While neither place meets my needs, I was stunned by both mountains and in quite opposite ways.

  4. If you don’t go there on a weekend, Bretton Woods is a pretty nice place. If you go there on the weekend, it’s essentially Okemo with a few extra glades. I made that mistake once.

  5. Thanks for the comment, Sara! For what it is worth, I went on a Sunday and I skied right on almost every lift. One minute wait for West Mountain Quad. Not all weekends are the same, but I went after the Presidents Holiday the day after it rained in the flatlands and sleeted at Bretton, so that was likely a factor.

  6. I’m a 44 year old who started skiing last year, but it came quite naturally to me. I have skied quite a few times this year and I feel like I have progressed nicely – an experienced skier referred to me as a strong intermediate level skier yesterday.

    Anyhow, Bretton Woods was my first “real” mountain last year and I absolutely loved it. It probably made me look like a better skier than I was that day! I stuck to the green trails and flew down them comfortably carving nice turns along the way.

    My father is 74 and got back into skiing after not doing it for 30 years. (family and finances mainly) He was TERRIFIED at Bretton Woods. But I think it was mostly psychological, with the intimidating Mount Washington in his face all day!

    We’re possibly going back tomorrow for a stay and ski package with the Omni Mount Washington.

    Ill be on the groomed blue cruisers and I’ll check in on him regularly. He plans to take another lesson.

    Just how crowded can I expect it to be on Saturday?

    From where we are we can probably make it to Sunday River in the same amount of time – which is another place that offers a lot of terrain for the beginner and intermediate skier. Which place will we have less of a problem with crowds and slow lifts?

    Thanks.

    1. Hey Timothy,

      Thanks for the comment. Having only skied Bretton once (and on a late season Sunday following bad weather at that), I am hardly qualified to discussion what can be expected. But I think it is safe to say that it won’t be a zoo this late in the season, especially considering the warm weather. A lot of folks probably are not thinking about skiing given the warm weather.

      For beginner and intermediate terrain, I would hands down recommend Bretton Woods over Sunday River. As Jamesdeluxe notes above, there really is no other major mountain with the extensive amount of beginner and intermediate terrain that Bretton Woods offers. And with four high speed quads, you are not going to find many other mountains with as comprehensive coverage of high speed lifts as Bretton Woods (though I’d rather ski right onto a slow fixed grip than stand in line for a high speed lift).

      For this Saturday, you should be less concerned with the warm spell than the cold weather we are going to have Friday into Saturday. Warm weather is fine for skiing. It is the subsequent freeze that screws it up. Any mountain with a large and capable fleet of groomers will be fine. Which is to say, pretty much any mountain. Don’t pick a mountain based on the weather Saturday. Pick a mountain based on your terrain needs and other preferences. Again, I don’t think crowds are going to much of an issue from here on out even at the larger more well known resorts.

      Have fun!
      -Steve

  7. Also, with this nasty warm spell, which mountain will likely have the trails straightened out by Saturday?

  8. I completely agree that Bretton Woods is a very easy mountain and the amenities are top notch. When asked to describe it by someone who’s never been there I tell them it’s “upper class”. Where I disagree is that I skiied a powder day there a few weeks ago (it was snowing all day, totaling about 10″) and found some nice big glades with long runs, much longer than the trails. In my opinion, the glades are their best feature.

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