It's All Downhill: The essential but often overlooked ski lodge

[View web version]( [It's All Downhill] Friday, March 10 [Follow Matt Pepin]( [A good base of operations](#) A ski area's base lodge is never going to be a deal breaker for me when it comes to choosing where to go. It's always going to be about the skiing. But there is something to be said for a good lodge. I thought about this a lot during and after my first visit to Bretton Woods in New Hampshire last week. As good as the skiing was, and it was great, I was really impressed with the lodge. The four-level structure was spacious and easy to move around in, with plenty of storage space for bags and stuff without becoming a ski gear yard sale. [600_brettonwoods] It had nice tables and benches, tall windows looking out toward the racks and lifts, and easy-to-find restrooms. It seemed like things like the cafeteria, ski shop, and bar were in the right places. It even had the unusual added attraction of an indoor climbing wall. The only quibble? The gas fireplaces threw no heat, which was a bummer on a brutally cold day when it would have been nice to toast up your gloves while having lunch. But the way everything came together so well at Bretton Woods' lodge got me thinking that the planner was likely guided by best practices from other lodges. That naturally got me thinking about what I like about other New England lodges, and a few distinctive features came to mind. Among those that stand out: -- I really like lodges with unique decorations, like the flags from various countries that hang outside Berkshire East's lodge. When I see that lodge nestled among a grove of trees as I ski down Competition, it feels like you're arriving at the finish of a World Cup race in Austria. -- There's a fascinating coat of arms on the wall inside Gunstock's lodge (pictured below), and many other lodges have unique art. And I'm a real sucker for old equipment nailed to the walls. [gunstock_lodge] -- I like the lodges at Sunday River and Sugarloaf for their sheer size and layouts that spreads people out quite nicely. -- I like Loon's Octagon lodge because it opens up into the gondola barn. -- Mount Sunapee's separate storage room below the main level is a total game-changer. Just a brilliant way to clear space, especially on those crowded weekend days. -- This is ridiculous, I know, but when I ski at Cannon, I feel like as I approach the lodge from the slopes, I'm reminded of a military outpost in Antarctica or something. The adventurer in me likes that. -- Wachusett's little sitting area around a fireplace (which does throw some heat) near the midpoint of its immense base lodge is a really nice feature. Ragged Mountain also has a nice four-sided fireplace, as I recall. -- I'll always remember Stowe as the place I was served my first beer - at age 16 - and how cool it was to just chill in a dark and comfy apres bar around a wood table and reminisce about a fine day of skiing. What are your favorite lodges and why? [Drop me an email](mailto:matt.pepin@globe.com) and I'll include some of the responses next week. LASTING IMPRESSION: One other thing from my visit to Bretton Woods will stick with me for a long time. At 4:03 p.m., a few minutes after the scheduled lift close of 4 p.m., my boys and I skied up to the Bethlehem Express lift and I just wishfully called out to the liftie "can we get one more ride?" To my surprise, he said sure, one more. That took us to the top of a freshly groomed slope for one final run to cap a truly exhilarating day. Several years ago, the exact opposite happened to me at Loon's South Peak, and that too left a lingering memory. My kids and I sped down Cruiser to try and catch one last ride ahead of a 3:30 closing time, and we were thisclose. As we approached, the attendant put the rope across and when I asked I was told no. The lift was still running and the signal cone the attendants use at closing time hadn't gone up - it was sitting right there beside the loading area. We were all pretty bummed, especially because we were the only ones there. I get it that it was quitting time, and who doesn't want to punch out when the work day is supposed to be done? But I doubt I'll forget the disappointment we all felt that day, just as I doubt I'll forget the Bretton Woods experience. Little things like that leave a lasting impression. [CannonNCAA1] GOOD SHOW: The NCAA skiing championships, both Alpine and Nordic, began Wednesday and run through Saturday in New Hampshire. The Alpine events were held at Cannon, and our pal Greg Keeler, Cannon's director of marketing and sales, shared the photos above and below. The results of all the competitions can be found [on the University of New Hampshire's sports website](. UNH was the host school for the event. [CannonNCAA2] SKI THE EAST, RULE THE WORLD: Two ski racers who grew up on New England mountains became world champions this week in Sweden. Alice Merryweather of Hingham, Mass., and Sam Morse of Sugarloaf, Maine, won the downhill events at the Junior World Ski Championships. I wrote [a full story about the races for the Globe on Wednesday]( but also later spoke with the US ski team's Alpine development director, Chip Knight, about them via email. Here's what he told me . "Alice made good steps forward in each of her training runs here, and she executed her plan well on race day. She has two NorAm Cup wins this year and three top-10 Europa Cup results, so we know she has the ability against continental cup competition but it's another step to perform in a championship event. She will be looking to progress onto the World Cup in the next couple of years, following in the footsteps of her teammate Breezy Johnson." "Sam has had an unorthodox season because he started college at Dartmouth this fall. He banked a lot of technical training last spring and summer, both to build volume and also to reinforce his fundamental skills. He started out this winter skiing quite well, especially in GS, and that improvement carried over into today's race, where strong linked turns were critical to success. Looking ahead, he will still need to perform at the continental cup level before he's ready to cut his teeth on the World Cup." THIS IS HARSH: Have you seen the story and photo of the ski instructor in Wyoming who crashed into some trees and had his lip impaled by a branch? It's no easy thing to look at, so I caution anyone put off by injury photos to NOT CLICK THE LINK. There's no blood, and the guy is OK, but he does have a branch piercing his lower lip. Have I warned you enough? OK, the link is [here](. HARSH, PART 2: Here's [a video of what happens to a chairlift in 75 m.p.h. winds](. Remember it next time your favorite ski area is on a wind hold - they're just looking out for you. DEALS GALORE: 'Tis the season to get the best bargains for next year. Iseult Devlin [has a good look at some of the more popular options](. INADVERTENT OMISSION: For some strange reason, an email from Black Mountain in New Hampshire didn't make it through to my inbox last week and they were unfortunately left out of my roundup of New England ski areas that planned to continue making snow. FYI, they made snow at the Jackson, N.H., area, and have a base of 12-30 inches and 30 trails open, [according to SnoCountry](. WORTH A LISTEN: It's always interesting to learn the story behind a ski area, whether it's an origins tale or about the people who run it, and that's what makes [the latest Wintry Mix podcast so fascinating](. Alex Kaufman interviews Marc Stemerman, who along with business partner John Maier bought the Greek Peak and Toggenburg ski areas in New York in recent years. [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe](. [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters](. About This Email You received this message because you signed up for the It's All Downhill newsletter. To automatically unsubscribe, [please click here.]( If you wish to unsubscribe from all BostonGlobe.com newsletters, [please click here.]( Please note: this will unsubscribe you from the newsletters only. If you wish to cancel your BostonGlobe.com subscription, please call 1-888-MY-GLOBE (1-888-694-5623). [Manage Your Account]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Help Center]( | [Advertise](mailto:mbentley@globe.com?subject=Advertising in BostonGlobe.com) Address: The Boston Globe 135 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 ©Copyright 2017 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC