Wildcat Mountain Ski Area
Encyclopedia
Wildcat Mountain Ski Area is a ski area located on Wildcat Mountain
near Jackson, New Hampshire
in the Mount Washington Valley. Its vertical drop of 2112 feet (643.7 m) is the second largest in New Hampshire and the ninth largest in New England.
Wildcat is one of the best-known alpine skiing
resorts in New England
, with lifts from the base on NH Rt. 16
in Pinkham Notch
2,112 ft (644 m) up to the summit ridge. The area has 47 trails on 225 acres (91 ha), including the 2 and 3/4 mile Polecat Trail — the longest ski trail in New Hampshire.
Also, the Wildcat Valley Trail, an ungroomed cross-country
ski trail, leads from the summit down to the town of Jackson, New Hampshire
and are co-operated in part by the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, dropping 3,240 ft in 11.1 miles (988 m in 17.8 km).
The original trail was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
.
Wildcat was the first ski area to have a gondola lift
, which opened on January 25, 1958. The lift has since been replaced with a Doppelmayr
high-speed chairlift but Gondola cars are still used for summer scenic operations.
Wildcat's 2,000 ft. base elevation and proximity to Mt. Washington produces an annual natural snowfall of over 200 inches. As a result, the ski and snowboard season generally lasts from mid-November through early May.
In recent years, Wildcat has worked to improve its summer and fall activities. In addition to replacing the aging gondola lift with a new high-speed chairlift (which is converted to a gondola during the summer and fall), the area has also added a zip line. The zip line is open year round, served by a triple chairlift.
The resort was acquired in 1986 by Pat Franchi and family. In October 2010, they signed a deal to sell the ski area to Peak Resorts
subject to approval by the U.S. Forest Service which owns the underlying land. The new operators decided to not honor lifetime passes sold under previous ownership, resulting in possible legal action.
Wildcat Mountain (New Hampshire)
Wildcat Mountain is a mountain located in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is part of the Carter-Moriah Range of the White Mountains, on the east side of Pinkham Notch...
near Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 816 at the 2010 census. Jackson is an elegant resort area in the White Mountains. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west, north and east...
in the Mount Washington Valley. Its vertical drop of 2112 feet (643.7 m) is the second largest in New Hampshire and the ninth largest in New England.
Wildcat is one of the best-known alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
resorts in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, with lifts from the base on NH Rt. 16
New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...
in Pinkham Notch
Pinkham Notch
Pinkham Notch is a mountain pass in the White Mountains of north-central New Hampshire, United States. The notch is a result of extensive erosion by the Laurentide ice sheet during the Wisconsinian ice age. Pinkham Notch was eroded into a glacial U-shaped valley whose walls are formed by the...
2,112 ft (644 m) up to the summit ridge. The area has 47 trails on 225 acres (91 ha), including the 2 and 3/4 mile Polecat Trail — the longest ski trail in New Hampshire.
Also, the Wildcat Valley Trail, an ungroomed cross-country
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
ski trail, leads from the summit down to the town of Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 816 at the 2010 census. Jackson is an elegant resort area in the White Mountains. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west, north and east...
and are co-operated in part by the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, dropping 3,240 ft in 11.1 miles (988 m in 17.8 km).
History
Wildcat is home to one of the oldest ski-racing trails in the United States.The original trail was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
.
Wildcat was the first ski area to have a gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
, which opened on January 25, 1958. The lift has since been replaced with a Doppelmayr
Doppelmayr
The Doppelmayr Garaventa Group is an Austrian-Swiss company that manufactures chairlifts, cable cars, gondolas, surface tows for ski and amusement parks as well as urban people movers and material handling systems. To date, Doppelmayr and Garaventa have produced over 13,700 installations in 78...
high-speed chairlift but Gondola cars are still used for summer scenic operations.
Wildcat's 2,000 ft. base elevation and proximity to Mt. Washington produces an annual natural snowfall of over 200 inches. As a result, the ski and snowboard season generally lasts from mid-November through early May.
In recent years, Wildcat has worked to improve its summer and fall activities. In addition to replacing the aging gondola lift with a new high-speed chairlift (which is converted to a gondola during the summer and fall), the area has also added a zip line. The zip line is open year round, served by a triple chairlift.
The resort was acquired in 1986 by Pat Franchi and family. In October 2010, they signed a deal to sell the ski area to Peak Resorts
Peak Resorts
Peak Resorts is a privately owned Missouri-company that operates ski resorts in the Midwest and Northeast United States.The company was founded in 1977 by Tim Boyd, two years after graduating the University of Missouri when he bought the Wildwood Golf Course in the suburban St. Louis, Missouri...
subject to approval by the U.S. Forest Service which owns the underlying land. The new operators decided to not honor lifetime passes sold under previous ownership, resulting in possible legal action.