You will have to excuse the lack of pictures in this report. It wasn’t for lack of a blue bird spring day. And it wasn’t for lack of intent. Upon arriving at Mount Sunapee, I was directed to park in distant lot three which requires taking a bus to the lodge. Since it was busy enough for a bus, I opted to boot up at the car (which I am unaccustomed to doing). Between the bus and booting up at my car, I forgot my camera in my car way back in lot three. Alas, no photographic evidence was recorded of my first and likely only visit to OkemoNH Mount Sunapee.
If you follow thesnowway.com, you may recall my particular distaste for long distance parking lots that require bus transportation. It is one reason that I don’t care for many other large scale resorts with long distance parking. I don’t mind walking. But if I am paying to ski, I prefer a short walk over a third of a mile haul with gear.
Okay, enough about the bus.
I can’t compare the Mueller’s Sunapee to how New Hampshire operated Sunapee in the past. I can only report on my impressions of present day Sunapee. The vibe and feel of the area is distinctly Okemo-esque. No small surprise that the parent mountain is the most prominent ski area in the skyline. Sunapee just doesn’t feel like a State Park the way Cannon does. It ain’t quite a shit show, but it ain’t a crown jewel of the park system either.
One thing is for certain: Sunapee packs a crowd under the Mueller’s direction. But it is the ideal mountain to pack a crowd. Sunapee is under two hours from Boston, almost exclusively groomed flat (excepting a seeded bump line on a third of one trail), massive amounts of wide open cruisers, and a dedicated beginner area. A race program and freestyle program are both offered in addition to a park and those crowds are given a token trail each, far away from the main mountain.
I was pleasantly surprised at the pitch offered by the North Peak Triple. But anything of pitch is limited to three trails. Aside from the seeded bumps in the middle of Upper Flying Goose, no natural snow trails are offered. Some glades have been added recently but Sunapee has no natural snow trails, no natural bumps runs, nor any fun “terrain features”. It is cruiser paradise. And that is surely where the money is.
Thankfully trails haven’t been completely blasted open. Many trails have curves and wiggles though more often than not the boulevards are scraped bare and devoid of quality snow. It was hardly crowded (by Sunapee standards) on this March spring day yet it still felt dangerous and out of control at times. This place would be a total nightmare on a typical mid-winter weekend and worse than a nightmare on a holiday. I can’t think of a worse mountain for a family.
So the mountain is what it is. The culture is entirely foreign to my tastes: homogenized skiing for the masses, escape the city just to board another bus and have out of control yahoos buzzing you. Don’t just come for the snow! Come for the concerts! This isn’t a ski area. It is an empty shell of a mountain lacking soul.
All this for only $72 weekend/holiday! Take that NH Tax Payers for Sunapee! Only $1,019 for an unrestricted season pass with no blackouts. The NH Resident season pass at Cannon is almost half that at $570 (one of the cheapest unrestricted season passes to a 2000 vertical foot mountain in the east). Sunapee offers scraped to the bone Sunday late day skiing for $39 to NH residents compared to Cannon’s full day $36 Wednesday deal. Thanks for nothing, Sunapee. Tax payers for what?
If the lease argument strictly boils down to increasing skier visits, reducing state expenditures, and driving revenue, then there is no question that leasing is the best option (and if Tax Payers for Craziness quotes that, it damn well better be in context because here comes the BUT). But the Mount Sunapee lease was done in the spirit of funding improvements so that the Cannon experience could be preserved, protected, and made viable for the long term. Sunapee was not leased as a future model for raping the crown jewel of the New Hampshire State Park system. This isn’t about the bottom line. There is much more at stake here than money. An essential component of the culture and soul of Franconia Notch State Park is at stake. Sunapee was an ideal mountain to pawn off to the highest bidder. Cannon will never be Sunapee. And thank goodness for that.
Besides, I don’t want to be bussed into Cannon from the Flume Visitor Center because Cannon’s guest visits quadruple.
7 thoughts on “Don’t Sunapee Cannon”
Sounds like you need an intervention. Cannon? Jay?
I’ve only been to Sunapee 2 or three times since the new lift alignment (which, frankly, is starting to be a long time ago.) While the old set up made it a little tough to lap the North Peak, it allowed Flying Goose to be the gem of a natural snow treasure that it was.
Sunapee was always heavy on cruisers and family terrain, but the character, convenience and value made it worth an occasional visit. It’s nearly devoid of all three now. Certainly the last thing I’d want to see at Cannon.
Sled- Thanks for the historical perspective. Glad I didn’t get a bad read just due to associated perception of the owners.
Alex- It is all good, we’ll can agree to disagree. I thought my review of the terrain at Sunapee was actually the most positive part of my post. Even with a natural trail of wall to wall bumps, I’d still hate the place due to the atmosphere and general feel. You can tell it used to be a ski area and its now trying very hard to be a fashionable homogenous resort.
First-great blog. Second, I don’t think I’ve disagreed with your description yet of any of the mountains I’ve skied that you have reviewed. Until now. I’ve skied Sunapee regularly for the past 4 years or so due to its proximity. I think this was simply a tough year for them. Being further south then some of their cohorts, and despite excellent snow making, they clearly groomed down every last inch of trail (other than the one manicured bump section) in an effort to hold onto snow longer. Several trails often are bumped up and there are a few fun glade shots. Unfortunately, there was never enough snow this year to properly bump up the right trails or leave some in a more natural state. I was truly disappointed by the mountain this year too. I would advise trying Sunapee again on a spring day when winter has been more generous-hopefully next year.
It seems like Taxpayers For Cannon is in fact trying to “Sunapee Cannon”. Any additional thoughts or comments on the group or their mission?
In my opinion, some work needs to be done to improve Cannon’s management and access for those who don’t purchase a lift ticket. But I am in full agreement that leasing the operations to private management will eventually lead to a big resort and corporate atmosphere. Although I live next to Sunapee, there is a reason why I have not skied there (or Okemo) in almost 10 years!
Thanks for the trip reports, keep them coming!
-Dave
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the comment. I removed your link to so called Taxpayers for Cannon. Sorry, I just don’t want to have them get legitimation in the search ranks by anything linking there from my site.
Regarding their group and mission, I only know as much as I have learned from that site’s webmaster who posts as threecy on AlpineZone.com and rocket21 on SnowJournal.com’s NELSAP forums. Interestingly enough, I’ve yet to hear from anyone else espousing the view points of the TFC excepting politicians who just happen to put out bills with nearly matching point by point grievances against Cannon and matching action plans. I still don’t know what came first, the chicken or the egg, but this hardly seems what most people would call grassroots.
Regardless of your position on Cannon and leasing, I think it is pretty clear that TFC is run by someone that is fanatically libertarian and small government oriented. With all the other problems with the budget, it is an interesting pet project on ensure one little part of the government is outsourced.
I have no problem having an intellectual discussion on the future of the State Park system in general and Franconia Notch State Park and Cannon in particular. But I don’t think the foundation of that discussion should be radical ideology. Government and politics sucks right now because everyone starts from their own extremes instead of looking at each individual issue on a case by case basis. TFC starts with the solution in mind, not the problem, and that is no way to begin a discussion.
TFC is absolutely trying to Sunapee Cannon and this post was an initial shot across the bow regarding how I feel about the topic. For what it is worth, if you search AlpineZone.com forums, I actually originally tried to defend TFC and its webmaster and try to steer some threads into a logical and intellectual discussion. But when a politically charged platform begins the “discussion” with their solution instead of beginning with discussing the issues, nothing good can come of it.
Cannon is what true skier’s desire and need. We can’t caught up with a big mountain process with a mid level moutian. If I am going to shuttle I will sacrifice my time and money and head to Kill or Sunday River.