Conditions Report
Report from Thursday, February 21st – 22nd
For many years since childhood, I have often driven down the I-93 from Quebec towards Boston and have always been impressed by Franconia Notch State Park. On the park’s northern edge, in perfect view from the highway, lies Cannon Mountain, a beast of an East Coast resort that rises to an impressive 4,080′ above sea level – the 11th highest on the East Coast. Unfortunately, I was always passing by this place in the summer, and while I did have the chance to ride the oldest tram in North America (built in 1938) during one of those trips, I never had a chance to ski it.
When planning my winter ski trip this year and saw that Cannon was on the Indy Pass, I knew I had to go. I booked a hotel room in the nearby town of Lincoln, NH, reserved my dates online, and was looking forward to it more than any of the nine resorts I was visiting on my ski trip.
Quick Facts & History
- Date Opened: 1938
- Multi-Destination Pass: Indy Pass
- Number of Trails: 97
- Skiable Acres: 285
- Vertical Drop: 2180′
- Base Elevation: 1900′
- Summit Elevation: 4080′
- Average Annual Snowfall: 160″
- Terrain Breakdown:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 52%
- Advanced: 33%
- Number of Lifts: 10
- Night Skiing: Yes (only a couple times a year and only serviced by a rope tow)
- Other Activities:
- New England Ski Museum
The only area of concern I had when visiting Cannon was the weather. I had heard about how Cannon can be notoriously cold, specifically because of the winds they get there, so when I saw the first day skiing was going to be 5ºF (-15ºC) in the morning, I began to get a little worried. Then, as I got closer and closer to the resort, instead of a mountain appearing over the horizon, a giant cloud towered over the entire Franconian mountain range.
- Related: 5 Coldest Ski Resorts in the USA
It was a breathtaking sight. I had never seen such clouds appear like that on the East Coast before. When I got to the parking lot, I layered up and prepared for whatever the mountain would throw at me!
As I took the Peabody and then notoriously cold Cannonball Express lift right to the top of the mountain, I had never experienced such strong winds skiing. But as intense as those winds were, I was bundled up and embracing it, happy to be at a new resort skiing. The clouds ripped over the mountain a mere one hundred feet above me and then dispersed into thin air afterward, an incredible sight to behold. After a couple of hours, all clouds had passed, and a bluebird day was upon me.
- Related: 9 Coldest Lifts in North America
While many runs had been stripped of any loose snow due to the winds, lift lines were completely absent on every lift (including the tram), and there was plenty to explore. After getting a lay of the land, it was clear where the best spots were to still find good snow amid such high winds, and the day went on.
My favorite part of Cannon was the views, where you can look down at Echo Lake or across the valley to Mt. Lafayette. On a clear day, you can see as far as Canada and several neighboring states, including Maine and Vermont, with Mt. Washington being visible from the top of Cannon as well. I often found myself paying more attention to the horizon instead of where my skis were, a foolish idea when ripping across steep and often icy slopes.
While Cannon has no slopeside accommodations, there are plenty of options in Lincoln, NH, where I stayed for two nights. At only a 15-minute drive from the slopes, the town served as an easy basecamp with plenty of lodging, dining options, and other activities.
On my second day skiing Cannon, lift lines were even less present. This was all the more surprising after learning that this week is winter break for schools in Massachusetts, and I could not find a table at a restaurant anywhere the night before in the nearby town of Lincoln without a 30+ minute wait. My time at Cannon ended that day at around 3 pm after freezing rain started to slowly make an appearance.
Weather Outlook
Temperatures are expected to rapidly rise above freezing for most of the northeast today through tomorrow. Luckily, Cannon’s high elevation has evaded it from high temperatures and will hover just a couple of degrees above freezing in the coming days. The mountain should see snow instead of rain tonight and hopefully picking up a couple of inches of snow in the coming days.
Additional Photos
After spending two days at Cannon, there were a couple of main takeaways. First, this resort is definitely in the running for one of the most scenic ski resorts on the East Coast. Second, the people who ski at Cannon are proud to ski there, and you can feel their energy and passion for the place simply by overhearing their conversations. They rep all sorts of Cannon stickers on their helmets, skis, and cars, and it is always awesome to see a resort have that following. Cannon should certainly be on any East Coast skier’s bucket list, so get out and ski the Living Legend if you can.
For more information, check out Cannon Mountain’s website.
