The Valley Voice by Tom Eastman [10/10/2008]

Columbus took a chance, and so do Ghoulloggers!

SO, HOW'S YOUR FOLIAGE STOCK MARKET SLIDE OF A GHOULLOGING GOING?The downs of the stock market have been scary at that, and so have so many of the debates, so we've got a great suggestion to lift your spirits in a very spirited way: Go try Cranmore's Ghoullog, ongoing now through the end of October.On a chilly Thursday night Oct. 2, we headed up to the Ghoullog, otherwise known as Cranmore Mountain Resort, to get a ghoulish gander at this year's scarily improved Ghoullog, a presentation of the resort and Death Becomes You Productions.We're not sure what ski great Hannes Schneider (1890-1955) would make of it, but Cranmore has been transformed by the Ghoullog (maybe the Austrian ski instructor would tell us all to bend ze knees when we go through the maze-like arrangement of tunnels at the base, who knows?), but is is a blast. If you haven't taken the Ghoullog yet, do yourself a favor and go scare yourself silly.The plot this year is that two not-so-nice brothers have returned from the gates of that hot place down below (no, not the base deeper. Much deeper). They have set up shop. so to speak, at the Meister Hut at the summit, their former hunting grounds, which they claim was stolen from them. Now (scary music please) theeeeeeey're ....BAA-ACK, and they are extolling their terror on poor villagers (pretty ones at that) whom they have imprisoned and tortured.(You know, torture: kinda like how last winter's consistently stormy Mountain Meister weather on Wednesdays tortured and tested all of us Mountain Meister racers, remember? Ah, who could forget. But, we digress ....).As we got ready to board the Skimobile Express Quad at the base, some guard who looked an awful lot like Bruce Campbell (or Albert Einstein with dark hair) warned our group of eight to remember to stay together once at the summit. Once there at the top, as we walked along the ridge toward the Meister Hut cabin in the dark, another voice behind our ear warned, Don't be the last in line!, which was somewhat upsetting, because it was about that time that I realized that I was, in fact, the last in line in our group that also included Dave Eireman and Meghan Simone.Hey guys, I yelled out to the darkly lit group in front of me, wait up! I suddenly felt like the lone straggling fish in the school or the lone lamb as the bigger fish or wolves circled around us. Somehow, the odds were not stacked in my favor. I was the odd man out, and I knew it. Come to think of it, it was a bit of a flashback to every memory I have as kid No. 7 in a family of eight, struggling to keep up with my older siblings on some woodsy adventure or playing of the hunt and tag game, Ghostriders.As I was having my flashback down getting lost memory lane, suddenly, a ghoul jumped up behind me out of the dark, and none too friendly. Now look, you'll never make friends if you come up to people like that, I scolded him, You really need to work on your manners, I added, feeling like I was some bit player in a remake of the Rocky Horror Picture Show or some other campy B-horror film.As we made our way toward the hut, we could gaze east over the darkened and very well-named Black Cap and see the lights of the Fryeburg Fair lighting up the night sky in the distance, reflecting off the clouds. Not scary at all just beautiful. To the south blinkered the lights of North Conway's commercial district off the North-South Road.I won't spoil the surprises awaiting the faint of heart inside the cabin, but know that it has been retrofitted from last year's initial Cranmore Ghoullog, which means that just because you did it last year doesn't mean that you won't be surprised or scared something wicked this year, all over again.Once we made it through the cabin, we were out on the deck, where one of the most fantastic treats of living here in the valley was ours to enjoy the twinkling lights of North Conway Village way down below!.Inspiring, and well worth all the hassle of putting up with these rude monsters, unfriendly guards and Cousin-It look-alikes to experience it.Meghan and I rode up and back with Mary and Jamie, a couple from Houston, Texas, who said they were here in the valley on their first trip to New England to witness the foliage to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Friends gave us a gift certificate to the Muddy Moose, so when we Googled that, and a link came up to Cranmore and the Ghoullog, so we thought it would be fun, expalined Jamie, who said he and Mary had taken the Conway Scenic, driven the Kanc and up Crawford Notch past th egrand 1902-built Mount Washington Hotel and Resort at Bretton Woods. They didn't get to the fair, but Meghan assured them they should come back, just for that. They said they just might next year.Back at the base, we all agreed that the Ghoullog was pretty scary, with Meghan and I agreeing it was even better than last year. Soon, we were walking through the Ghoul Shop, and were out on the Outdoor Fall Food Court. Nearby was the Boo-Bonic Pub and Outdoor Beer Garden, where Carmine and Tammy waited on us.At the Creature Feature Movie, there was also a rather revealing showing of The Shining. Rent the movie and you'll see what we mean, because we doubt that Cranmore will be showing the unedited version at the base any time again soonAlso new for this year is the new Fall Fun Zone inside the 10th Mountain Pavillion. It features a 65-foot inflatable obstacle course. Friends can race each other through the course for $5 per person. The Ghoullog will operate from 7 to 10 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. For Halloween Weekend only, Oct. 31 through Nov. 1, the Ghoullog will open extended hours with doors opening at 5 p.m., and the attraction running from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The ticket office, Pub and outdoor food court will open at 5 p.m. on all dates of operation.Event dates are Friday, Oct. 10 through Sunday, Oct. 12, Friday, Oct. 17, Saturday, Oct. 18, Friday, Oct. 24, Saturday, Oct. 25 and Thursday, Oct. 30 through Saturday, Nov. 1.The attraction is recommended for ages 10 and up and parental discretion is advised. Tickets can be reserved online at www.cranmore.com or by calling the resort at 356-5544. Only a limited number of tickets are sold each night so visitors are advised to reserve theirs in advance. Tickets cost $25 for all ages.Tickets purchased online in advance will be available for $23. Residents of Carroll and Coos County, N.H., and Oxford County, Maine and members of the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce are entitled to a special $18 "locals" rate on Thursday, Oct. 30. Large groups are welcome and special group rates are offered on Thursday and Friday evenings. Stay and Spook packages with area hotels and motels will be available online at Cranmore.com including lodging and Ghoullog tickets.IN OTHER SCARY MATTERS: After last Thursday's Ghoullog, we went home to get really scared, as we wanted to see the Gov. Palin-Sen. Biden vice presidential debate, the only one that will be held between the candidates for VP this election season. Overall, we thought that Gov. Palin did a very nice impression of Tina Fey doing Gov. Palin as seen on recent episodes of Saturday Night Live. The second presidential debate was held Tuesday evening, Oct. 7, and the last debate is set for Oct. 15.Less than one month and counting until the election, if you can believe it.FAIR NEWS: Fryeburg Fair down, Sandwich Fair to come. The Sandwich Fair hits just as the foliage hits its peak, with this year's fair set for Oct. 11 through 13. Meanwhile, Attitash presents Oktoberfest Oct. 11 and 12.This year's fair attendance is Fryeburg was beset by economic woes and poor weather, with total paid attendance coming in at 146,955, down 38,292 from last year's 185,247. We caught last Friday's Night of Rock Opera at the Grandstand, and i led us to wonder: did you ever think you would hear Queen or David Bowie at the Fryeburg Fair? I guess it proves that it truly is an Old-Time Country Fair Enriched with the Progrss of Time and music. Kudos to Tony Martineau for booking them great music it was really wonderful.We headed back over on Saturday, when the skies were clear (finally) and attendance reflected that good weather, with 37,106 in attendance. The fair in 2007 drew 37,799 on Saturday (the record was 46,834 in 2001). The winner of the Fryeburg Recreation Department's annual Corvette raffle drawing was Rob Scammon of Brunswick, Maine, who was thrilled, as he told Rick Buzzell of the Rec. Department that he had always dreamed of owning a Vette. This year's was a 77.TOM ON THE TOWN: Looking ahead, The Brass Heart Inn in Chocorua is scheduled to host a fall Nashville in the Mountains benefit concert Friday, Oct. 17, to aid families whose property was impacted by the summer tornado that hit the Ossipee area.An up close and personal greeting session is set for Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. for fans to obtain autographs and take photographs.The concert on Oct. 17 will feature Jon Sarty and the White Mountain Boys as the opener and Nashville's Bulls Gap as the main act. The Oct. 17 show is to open at 7 p.m.For more information, go to www.double-h-farmproductions.com or email double-h-farm@earthlink.net, or call the Brass Heart Inn at 323-7766.Don't miss the Mount Washington Valley Arts Association Show and Floyd Corson concert at the Salyards Center this weekend, the White Mountain School of Art Show at the Jackson Historical Society, the Abbey Road and other Pumpkin People displays in Jackson through Oct. 20, the Ghoullog, the Corn Maize at Sherman's Farm, and all the other Columbus Day sales and events. Lastly, Go Red Sox! They take on the Rays beginning tonight, Oct. 10.