Attitash/Bear Peak, NH 12/25/99

<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 12/27/99. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>My mother was working the ticket window on Christmas day so some free Mcskiing was available. Because of a late night at a Christmas Eve party and a slight hangover I didn't get there until 11:00. I was expecting bitter cold temps but it wasn't bad at all. Blue Jay day with great views of the Presidentials. They had about eight or nine ways down the hill top to bottom. I don't know the trail count but no where near 70% covered. There was about 4-5 inches of natural at the top with a dusting to an inch at the bottom. Everything was McGroomed McFlat except for a section of one trail. I started over at Attitash but quickly went over to Bear Peak to get in as much McVertical on the McQuad as I could. The trails on the top of Attitash (Saco, Northwest, Tightrope) were bulletproof with a thin layer of sugar granular on top. Good thing the place was deserted. A crowd would have turned them into a sheet of ice in no time. The conditions were much better on lower Attitash and Bear Peak. Good carving man made snow that was very edgable. I mostly skied Morning Star to Kachina Falls to Myrth Maker to Lower Kachina. The Myrthmaker Headwall was all ungroomed whale backs with little moguls on the whales. The snow was like velvet chalk. It was like skiing on a curved chalk board. Wandering Skies had decent coverage because it was just opened. A typical McSki day but turns is turns and free turns are even better.