Small Hills, Big Thrills

Community Ski Areas Have Their Own Value

When thinking about skiing, people often believe they should head for a ski resort that offers all the amenities: not only plenty of dining options and après-ski entertainment, but also massages, saunas, and hot tubs. Those are all great, but skiers then are likely to miss out on are the close connections and family experiences that smaller ski areas offer in their place. Choosing a smaller ski hill not only may avoid long lines and the crowding that often detracts from the experience at large resorts; skiing can be just as thrilling and satisfying in a different way.

Take the Abenaki Ski Area right here in Wolfeboro. It is a community-owned ski area that opened way back in 1936, just one year after Black Mountain — the state’s oldest ski hill — opened. It still holds the record as the oldest community-operated ski area in the country.

It was winter sports enthusiasts from Wolfeboro and Tuftonboro who formed Abenaki Outing Club who cut the first trails on the Hersey family’s Poor Farm Hill in 1936. Four years later, they installed a rope tow and built the base lodge.

Old does not make it obsolete. In fact, new LED lighting is allowing the Abenaki Ski Area to open its Main Hill and Twister trails to night skiing. It has an expanded terrain park with four jumps, two rails, two boxes, and other rotating features. There are seven trails, ranging from green to black diamond, with one of the fastest rope tows on the East Coast.

Abenaki also boasts a full-size groomer and a “small but mighty” snowmaking operation, while maintaining its small-town atmosphere, where there are no lift lines. Its ski lodge is small, but its wood stove makes it a warm and friendly place to relax.