Cannon Mountain, NH

Cannonball Quad

The forecast depicted today as possibly the coldest day of the 2001-2002 winter so far. Given recent abnormally warm temperatures, this was not saying much. But given Cannon’s well earned reputation for fearsome winds and cold temperatures, I was prepared for the worst Cannon had to offer.

Much to my surprise and relief, the weather was not bad at all and quite pleasant at times! Winds were at their worst on the Peabody Express Quad. Winds seemed to only effect the north facing slopes of the lower mountain. Winds and temperatures were actually pleasant on the Cannonball Quad and the upper mountain trails which normally show Cannon at its worst.

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Cannon Mountain, NH

The weekend of January 22nd and 23rd brought the UMass Lowell Ski Team to Cannon Mountain in the Franconia Notch of New Hampshire for two days of racing. My performance in the Giant Slalom on the Rocket trail was excellent until I carried more speed than I could control and blew passed a gate resulting in a DNF. Cannon was to become my home mountain while I lived in northeastern Massachusetts and this weekend trip to Cannon laid the foundation for my strong inclination towards the mountain.