Winter returns - so it's time for a road trip

Ski resorts in the Adirondacks, the Greens, the Whites, and the mountains of western Maine have been getting natural snow on top of the man-made snow they've been blowing every cold minute.

No, there haven't been any blizzards. But lots of nice little shots of a few inches here and a few inches there have added up.

That recovery prompted a road trip in my household a few days ago. We had our sights set on a two-day getaway to Jackson, N.H. --  a resort village a few miles north of North Conway and a few miles south of Mount Washington -- with visits to Wildcat and Black Mountain.

Black Mountain: The best area you've never skiied?

A cold northern wind was blowing on the first day of our trip.

Rather than fighting the cold, we opted to explore the sunny, south-facing and wind-sheltered slopes of Black Mountain in Jackson.

Black is almost certainly one of the best areas you've probably never skied. Even though it's been operating for 72 years, it's still a well-kept secret.

Many of the trails are narrow. They twist and turn through the woods the way ski trails should. It's a very different experience than skiing down the crowded, wide-open, straight-down the falline trails so prevalent of newer, more glamorous resorts.

Black had, I would guess, just under half of their trail system open, but it looked like it would only take a couple of inches of natural snow to open the rest. Still, half of their terrain was enough for a good day of skiing, especially since we hardly saw another skier.

Black is also a cheap date: their Family Passport lets two adults and two juniors (Ages 6-17) ski or ride for $89 on weekends and holidays and $70 Midweek!

Midweek at Wildcat: A secret paradise

The next day the wind had dropped and we were able to enjoy sunshine, and perfect corduroy at Wildcat, about eight miles north of Jackson at Pinkham Notch in the White Mountain National Forest.

Wildcat offers a wonderful trail system and the best views in all of the Northeast. On a clear day, the sight of massive Mount Washington looming just across the road -- with great views of Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines -- is something not to be missed.

On a recent Monday at Wildcat, conditions were perfect: Bright sun, freshly groomed powder snow and no wind.

There were fewer than 50 cars in the parking lot all day.

Do yourself a favor and build your weekends so you can ski on either Friday or Monday. Lift tickets are cheaper at most mountains and it's an entirely different experience having the entire mountain to yourself.

Duct tape, anyone?

Some ski resorts are all about glitz and glam ... seeing and being seen. Others are about the skiing and riding, pure and simple. If this last idea appeals to you, I'd strongly recommend you spend a couple of days in the Jackson, NH, area skiing or riding at Wildcat and Black Mountain.

I hesitate to use the word "authentic" to describe anything. But I will tell you this: At either area, you'll see gloves, parkas, ski boots ... you name it ... that have been mended or customized with duct tape.

You'll see parkas that were purchased second hand and at season-end closeouts. And you'll see skis and snowboards with dings on the top from hard use -- but with freshly sharpened edges on the bottom.

Wildcat and Black are the types of places that attract skiers and riders who are there for the trails, the snow and the scenery.

Check them out sometime!

Fuel stop

And while it may seem an odd juxtaposition to talk about Mexico and New England skiing in the same sentence, somehow skiing and Mexican food seem to go together.

We just discovered a new spot after skiing at Wildcat and Black: Margarita's Grill in Bartlett, New Hampshire, on Route 302 just west of the junction with 16 in Glen.

Hearty Mexican fare really warms you on the insides after a day on the slopes!

Recovery ...

Elsewhere in the Northeast, Mother Nature has continued to be stingy with natural snow in the Catskills and the hills of Connecticut up to the Berkshires and even into southern Vermont and New Hampshire.

But she has been pretty generous lately with the cold temperatures and dry air that's ideal for snowmaking. Those cold temperatures have given snow makers all the ingredients they need. Here are some examples of what a few days of cold weather can produce:

• Crotched Mountain in Bennington, N.H. may be the first area in New England this season to get 100% of it's terrain open. Great little area, great snow.
  
• Pats Peak in Henniker, N.H. has made an amazing recovery from the recent warm weather. With only a little cold weather, they, too, have 100% of their trail system open.
  
• Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, N.H. hasn't gotten a whole lot in the way of natural snow, but the snow guns have been hammering. On a recent Friday morning, about half the trails were open, freshly groomed and simply wonderful. The other half were getting pounded by an artificial blizzard in hopes of getting them open for what proved to be a cold and windy but busy weekend.