Happy Holidays

As the holiday season comes to an end, I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you a happy and safe new year. The snow up here has been a gift to everyone and as families come out of their egg-nog haze, they are able to enjoy it like you wouldn't believe. There are people skating on the lakes- playing hockey with their friends and family, snowshoeing, snowboarding, tubing, sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, everything fun to do in the winter, people here are doing it all and loving each and every minute. This is what winter is about, happy times with loved ones, outdoors in the snow, under the sun, making memories.

King Pine is alive again after its summertime rest and there's no denying, it's the place to be. The outdoors are full of smiling happy people here and walk into the Tavern to see old friends meeting up again, music being played, darts being planned and good times being had. If you're nostalgic at all for the old days, where things were safe, fun, and good, you need to be here. Just bundle up in the long-johns, wool sweaters and socks that grandma bought you for Christmas and head outside, here at King Pine and Purity Spring Resort for some good times.

Opening day, FRIDAY at 12:00!

100% open by Christmas, that's the prediction. Merry Christmas to everyone! We've had flurries all day and now the sky is blue and the sun is shining. With fresh powder on the ground and temps favorable for making snow, it looks like it's going to be a heck of an opening day on Friday. Guest services will open up at noon and our lifts will shut down at 7. Tubing will be available from 12-4 Saturday and Sunday. Tickets opening day are $5 and all profits will go to the Gary Millen Foundation.

See you on the slopes.... SH

Update

Just a quick update... We recieved about 10" from the last storm. We would have been happy with another 8" like they predicted but with the low temperatures lately, we're cranking out the snow on the hill. The tower guns have been running like crazy and we're making snow on the tubing hill which is fantastic. We're looking at the best start we've had in decades.

The final countdown...

The patio furniture is stowed away, the lights are up, the fridge is stocked, and we're ready for a snow event here in "Happy Valley". The expectation is to wake up to 3-5" of snow which will continue, heavy at times through Monday evening with totals of 10-14". Stay tuned!

Snow totals predicted!

From weatherunderground.com:

... Greater than a foot of snow is possible across Maine and New Hampshire... ... Winter Storm Watch in effect from Sunday evening through Monday evening... The National Weather Service in Gray has issued a Winter Storm Watch... which is in effect from Sunday evening through Monday evening. This winter storm has the potential to produce greater than 12 inches of snow in the watch area.

Bring it ON!

Just in case you're living in a cave, let me fill you in on a little something; there is a humongous storm hovering just southwest of the Great Lakes right now, and we are its ultimate destination! In other words, we're just giddy about the first, significant pre-Christmas storm in years!

In between pulling out my cross country ski gear, I've kept an eye on this storm and here's what we're looking forward to: tomorrow we'll wake up with wind chills to below 6 degrees but it'll warm up to the low 30's, a nice, partly cloudy day. The evening will bring temperatures below 20, the perfect "guarantee" (as if you can guarantee any weather in New England) to turn any precipitation into snow. Predictions are that the snow will become steady by midnight. Monday, the temperatures mirror Sunday and they're showing snow all day. Tuesday there's a 50% chance of snow, and WEDNESDAY shows a 40% chance at this point. And although I'm beside myself to tell you this, they report THURSDAY the day the snow tapers off with a 50% chance of snow showers. The reality of this all is that there is a slight but crazily wonderful chance that we could receive 4 days of SNOW!!!!!!!!! I'm off to light a fire in the back yard and get the last of the patio furniture away. Yipeee!

Groups at King Pine Ski Area

Let's face it folks, winter sports are getting really expensive. In fact some ski areas make it cost prohibitive- unless of course you're living on a rich Uncle's trust fund which most of us aren't. But here, at King Pine... we've remained affordable so that we can keep people enjoying themselves and so we can keep growing winter sports. And even though it's only $39 to join us on any given day, there are still plenty of ways to save. My particular area of expertise on this subject is bringing a group to King Pine- for a day, a weekend, or for multiple weeks. It only takes 20 individuals to qualify for a day or weekend group... that's only 4 or 5 carloads of people caravaning here- and exploring our resort with a group this big is allot of fun!

When you make reservations 48 hours ahead of time, you can receive a significant discount for skiing and riding. Not to mention great deals on rentals, lessons, and the fact that xc skiing, Nordic and ice skating, and snowshoeing are all available for free on this same ticket! Your 21st and 22Nd tickets are free and for each additional 20 tickets purchased, you'll receive the 21st ticket complimentary. We'll send you your rental forms ahead of time and if you're staying somewhere in the valley, we'll deliver your tickets to you!

To give you a better idea, a full day of mid-week skiing would only cost adults $23 and kids, $15. You'll have to let me know if you can find a rate for less than that! On the King Pine website you can find our full group price list and my contact information to make a reservation.

Being affordable doesn't mean quality suffers! It's quite the opposite. We have a world-class, PS IA certified ski school, one of the first established in the United States. Our conditions are always beautiful and because of our southeastern exposure, we remain protected during the windy and coldest of days. There are over 1,000 acres here to explore by ski, snowboards, snowshoe, snow-tube or skates. On site is the Hoyt Audubon Sanctuary where wildlife abounds. Our staff is friendly, happy to help in any way and are recognized by guests year, after year. We have a great list of on site events, amenities, and a valley that supports the interests and abilities of anyone in your group.

Whatchya waitin' for?!!!

See you on the slopes!
SH

Nordic Skating on Lake Purity

We’re getting ready… ready for new adventures in winter, and whether this is your first or forty-first time to the resort, there’s something new for you to explore. This year, we’re proud to introduce the new sport of Nordic Skating. It’s a sport that’s been more than positively reviewed in the U.S. by establishments like The Boston Globe, The New York Times and Men’s Health. And it’s a perfect sport for those coooold northeastern days when we have no snow but plenty of beautiful ice smooth and ready to take you where you want to go.


The nice thing about Nordic Skating is that whether you’re looking for a gentle cruise around Lake Purity or if you want to find black ice to race on at heart stopping speeds, you’ll find it on Nordic skates. They consist of; cross country ski boots that provide warmth, comfort and support, on their natural heel free bindings, attached to a single 20” long, 2” thick blade. This blade enables the user to traverse any condition of ice even with imperfections. When it snows a little or perhaps there’s been some rain, you can cut through the conditions with the tall blades easily. Poles are optional and are very handy in case you’re in less than ideal conditions. No more fumbling with ice skates on open ice, all you need to do is get to the ice, click in and go. Go speeding from end to end or take the more scenic route along the edge. Perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of the Fox hunting or the deer bedding down at the end of the day.

You can easily compare the movements it takes to speed skating but it’s less defined with less speed. It’s easier to learn on these blades as they’re much longer and support you better by distributing your weight over a longer blade. This sport is incredibly popular in Europe, Canada and our neighbor Vermont; so much so that groups wait for vast lakes like Champlain to freeze solid to they can click into their blades and cruise- the more area, the greater the adventure. And, you can travel with the boots and blades in your car to explore any lake great or small throughout your travels (of course there are other safety measures to be taken).

Jamie Hess of Norwich, VT the recognized top American enthusiast, owner of Nordicskater.com and marathon distance skater describes this sport as life changing and we’re very honored to be working directly with him in our efforts.

Winter is second nature to us North easterners and we’re happy to find new ways to share them with everyone.

Boston Ski Show!

It's so much fun to catch up with old friends and to make new ones at the Boston Ski Show. It's 3 days full of fun, information and excitement. Mountain Dew always hires these gymnists who bounce on trampolines doing tricks strapped into their skis or snowboards. There are local vendors sampling their goods whether it's a frothy cup of mint hot chocolate or some yummy spicy Cranberry chutney made fresh in time for Thanksgiving. There were innovative folks with some great and not so great inventions to make our sporting lives easier. Working the booth is great...because I have a 3 year old it's great to interact with the toddler aged kids and their parents because we are the absolutely perfect place for young families- Hands Down. We're a hip place full of lively families and although there's a market for everyone at King Pine- we service young families exceptionally well. Being a member of a young, hip family it's so cool to know there's a place where the children are safe, and memories are there for the making for the kids and mom and dad all without sacrifice. While I was at the show I remember thinking, I wish I could put the magic of King Pine into a little box and bring it along with me to show people how VERY special it is here- at least I have my passion and my words... I hope they're enough. I drove past King Pine today on my way to work and THEY'VE MADE SNOW!!! It was so very exciting and I'm thinking we may need to have a small, secret snowball fight some afternoon!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...

SH

A Quaint New England Destination

We have these loons on Lake Purity that have been coming here to hatch their young for over 20 years. Unbelievably, some of our human guests have been coming here for twice as long and then some. Why? Because Purity Spring Resort IS magic- there's no simpler explanation. No matter what the season, Purity Spring and King Pine Ski Area create the perfect setting for getting back to family. For remembering what's truly important.

In a world where parents are too busy, children are too scheduled, and older generations are waiting for some time to free up with the kids there still exists a place that nurtures togetherness and it's right under your nose. You see, here, you have the luxury of taking a breath. You have the time to just sit and look at your kids, and remember holding them as helpless infants. Your time here is spent making precious memories just as beautiful as the first you can remember with them. Their grandma and grandpa wait nearby, relaxing and taking in the beauty until they can get their hands on the grand kids. And when you're alone, you're falling in love with your spouse all over again. What is it about this place? I've thought about it at least a gazillion times and each time I come up with something different... Maybe it's because there's always something to do no matter who you are or how old you are. You can do something, or nothing here and feel satisfied. Maybe it's because we're gifted with such private and unbelievably breathtaking surroundings and it helps you feel thankful for all that you've been given in this life. There's the accommodations, maybe it's that... the feeling of being away, on a great vacation, with all the cozy comforts of home. Comfort food, prepared just right, being nestled between two New Hampshire destinations, the Lake's Region and the White Mountains, amenities, lobster bakes, bonfires in the winter, our outstanding hospitality, movies in the pool, full moon snowshoeing, our history, the incredible family that runs the resort, it's everything. There's no one thing you can put your finger on and say, "yeah, that's IT". It's this place... it's the history seeping through the floorboards, it's mother nature, it's the friends you've made here, it's the magic that is Purity Spring Resort in East Madison, NH. And it's waiting for you to discover. This IS New England.

Fall Vacations in New Hampshire

Autumn is slow coming this year but there are signs. Despite the climbing mercury, the leaves are slowly turning color and the animals are preparing for their migration to warmer climates for the time being. Columbus day weekend is almost is here and we're ready for our Covered bridge tours and our Peeping paddler's trip. It'll be an amazing time on the Saco with new foliage (thanks to our cold nights), and balmy weather the ingredients are right for cooking up an unbelievable weekend. My husband, Dan, who is the marketing director for Purity Spring and its sister companies, will be paddling alongside our guests and helping out with meals and transportation. He never misses this trip. There are so many beautiful photo ops and fun people to meet, I don't blame him. My mom is coming up this weekend and we'll be taking my 3-year old to the Fryeburg Fair over in Maine with my grandparents for 4 generations of rootin' tootin' fun. So whatever you decide to do this weekend, it should be outstanding. Take the kids for a walk in the woods, sign up for one of our theme weekends, go apple picking or gather the family together for a game of whiffle-ball on the front lawn. Have a blast!

-Shannon

Fund Raising in New Hampshire

Did you know that you could use the Pine Meadows Tubing Hill for fundraising? Well lemme tell you how...

For$700, you can reserve the entire tubing park for 2 hours. Then, you go out and sell 100 tickets at our regular rate of $14. This leaves you with $700 profit nevermind the money you could make selling hot cocoa and baked goods. Wow, what fun!

Just email me if you need any more information.

Smile!

Shannon

Skiing and riding just around the corner in the Northeast

Holy moly...it happens every year, and each year I forget just how much I love it. The Summer slowly turns into Autumn, and then, into Winter. This morning was about 50 degrees and sunny. So I open up the car windows, crank up Van Morrison (and the heat) and have my own personal rock concert. As I take each turn on my way to work, I inhale the beauty of the majestic place I call home. There's steam rising from the small chain of ponds and lakes leading to Purity Lake. There are loons calling and flapping about, fish rising, and leaves turning color. And as I sing the words "smell the ocean and feel the sky" I can actually feel the sky- it's refreshing chilliness awakening the parts of my being that have been slumbering in the Summer heat and I'm so energized I hardly know what to do with myself. Why oh why do people rally against the change of seasons and say they hate winter? When I hear those snow guns on King Pine, me, I'll be in heaven.

Although I'll never understand it, I'll always understand that the differences in opinions, skin colors, backgrounds and upbringings, religions and political views, tastes and desires will always be what makes life interesting. Greeting each new experience with an open mind and an open heart allows us to learn to grow and makes us who we are through and through. After all, without the yin there would be no yang.

Namaste,

Shannon

Skiing, snowboarding, family fun, New Hampshire and Paul Newman

It's official... I'm a Blogger. As a matter of fact I'm pretty psyched about it. So what to blog about first?

How about the fact that I just selected a delecious beverage from the fridge of a fantastic local market based on the words "all natural" and "No High Fructose Corn Syurp" highlighted on the label. Curiously, I opened it and took a nice refreshing blackberry sip. "It's delicious" I declare. "What's in it"? So, I roll the bottle in my hands, the purple deliciousness calling for me to take another sip. "Hold on just one cotton picking minute, I gotta look at something". Focusing on the ingredients I read: Filtered Carbonated water (that's nice of them to filter the water), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYURP, sugar... hold on, I bought this because there was no High Fructose Corn Syurp! That stuff ends up on my butt, and I don't need any more of that!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do I do now? There's a website on this thing but the last thing I want to do is be like the other percentage of the population that I personally can't stand. The ones who do nothing but crab and complain about "Poor Me". Ick. Time will tell where this saga has me going.

In other news last week was the Northeast Winter Sports Summit at Bretton Woods. It was 2 days full of interesting seminars and demonstrations related to winter sports like the one from the people at Winter Feels Good. The site is full of great information and is geared towards kids, parents, and educators. It's a great resource for allot of things like, events, programs, activities, information on starting up a new winter sport, etc.

Think about it... there's so much you can do here at KPSA; snowshoe, iceskate, cross country ski, alpine ski, and tele ski (there may be even NEW activities at the resort to participate in by the wintertime too!). Is there something new YOU want to explore, what is it? Leave comments and we'll chat about it. Last year I learned to snowboard. At 33 I felt sort of shy trying something new but after recovering from the bruises, strains, and pulls, I had so much fun that I can't wait to start snowboarding again! Yeah, this conference has me psyched up about winter already. Is it wrong to wish for snow on a 70 degree day?

Happy Hump day everyone, it's almost Friday!

Peace,

-Shannon

P.S. We also picked up some of our Twisted 10 series prizes while we were there. They're sweet!