Looking back over past Christmas articles I wrote for The Mountain Ear and later The Conway Daily Sun, I noticed a pattern. At least three of the articles focused on the need for snow, usually under the title, “All I want for Christmas is snow or more snow.” They were the typical end-of-Dece…

It was my friend’s question that started my quest. She asked, “Where can I take my cross-country skis to get them waxed?” I gave her some suggestions, but realized I didn’t really know the answer.

Skiable snow before Christmas is a gift we Nordics are happy to see delivered early. From old skiers like me to youngsters of all ages, we’re delighted to already be feeling the snow beneath our skis.

Two phrases I heard recently amused me. In a cartoon, I saw “touch grass.” On a T-shirt, I saw “I was born in the 1900s.” Since the latter saying described me, I didn’t feel embarrassed to not be familiar with that first modern statement.

What is a Trail Angel? Trail Angels are those people, now departed, who worked in the background, getting support and funding for trail projects. This year, we lost two trail visionaries — Steve Swenson and Joe Berry. Because of their efforts and abilities to galvanize the Mount Washington V…

I felt my skis gliding over powdery snow, with a whisper-quiet shush. The tips were barely visible in the unbroken snow. I was in skier’s heaven. Everything was fluid motion and soft sounds. The woods were peaceful and beautiful. The sun was setting in the west and turning the sky a vivid pi…

Waiting in line outside Jackson Ski Touring last Saturday, I could sense the winter excitement in the air. There were no conversations about biking, running or swimming. The tide had turned, so to speak, to thoughts of winter pursuits.

By Ellen Chandler, Special to The Conway Daily Sun

The answer to your questions: “Yes, I’m still skiing,” and “No, I haven’t ridden my bike yet.”

It’s that “ski it now before it goes” season. With spring’s advent and warmer, rainier weather, that snowpack is disappearing fast. Bare ground is popping up everywhere. If your favorite trail is groomed and ready today, don’t hesitate — go.

In the mid-80s, we were living near Keene. For our February break, the second week of Vacation Week, we’d load up the kids and skis and come to Mount Washington Valley. One of the first alpine areas we tried was Jackson’s Black Mountain. It had a reputation for being a family-friendly mounta…

What is a loppet?

Monday was the day, the window of opportunity I’d been looking for to ski the trails at Purity Spring Resort XC and Snowshoe Reserve. The weather was mild, the trails had just been groomed and I had the time.

You don’t have to be out on the frozen tundra to get into trouble when skiing solo.

On Jan. 30, I drove to Bartlett’s Bear Notch Ski Touring Center to celebrate its 30th year of operation. It was like coming home and finding things are as good as they’ve always been. The trails were impeccably groomed, just like they’ve always been. Bear Notch’s claim to have a snow belt ad…