Then, inexplicably, on a beautiful Sunday in March, I somehow found myself driving into New Hampshire with Sam, my boyfriend and favorite snowboarding companion, on our way to go skiing at Waterville Valley Resort . I was a little nervous at the thought of putting on skis again, but knew I couldn’t be more nervous than Sam, who was going to try skiing for the first time ever.

My anticipation grew as we wound our way alongside the Mad River into the vast White Mountain National Forest, and up to Waterville Valley. The parking area was abuzz, a testament to the mountain’s popularity, but we had no problem finding a parking space and making our way to the Sport Thoma ski shop where we met Bobby Foster, the mountain’s director of operations, who told us a little about the mountain and resort area.

At the top of the High Country Double Lift, we gazed in awe at the White Mountain National Forest spread out around us. (Caroline McDonald photo)

The mountain was first opened in 1966 by Olympic skier Tom Corcoran, and has changed ownership a couple times since. Throughout the years, it’s hosted World Cup alpine races and, apparently, was a favorite destination of the Kennedy clan. Another political family, the Sununus, purchased the resort before the 2010/11 season began and are investing some local TLC into the mountain’s operation. But it’s not just the 25 new snowmaking guns or renovated bathrooms that show how much love is being invested. Where it’s really evident is in the people.

Bobby introduced us to our instructors, Lisa and Clarence, who took us around to get our rentals. Sam and I were impressed by the genuinely friendly folks we met on the way—from Mike in rentals who told us about the variety of equipment available to Joe, the tall Austrian man who helped us properly fit our boots. (“No pant cuffs in the boot. Make sure your heel is all the way to the back.”) Everyone was helpful and made the rental process as simple as possible. Before we knew it, we were headed to the bunny slope with skis tossed (very carefully!) over our shoulders.

Snowboarder rehab: Clarence teaches Sam how to click in to skis for the very first time! (Caroline McDonald photo)

These weren’t the long, straight skis I remembered  from my early years, but shaped skis, no taller than my shoulders. Now, I know Sam and I look youthful, but surely they realized we are full-grown adults! Lisa and Clarence explained the rationale behind the 124cm skis I was using. Ski technology and the way skiing is taught nowadays has changed for the better. With a shorter, shapelier ski, beginners can make easier turns and become comfortable with equipment that might otherwise feel pretty awkward.

Furthermore, we weren’t just given the skis and pushed off the top of a bunny slope. Lisa and Clarence introduced us to the most fundamental techniques before we even put the skis on. We learned that good skiers rotate their legs in their hip sockets and minimize upper body movement, and that weight is evenly distributed in the middle of the foot to use the whole edge of the ski. After practicing this for a bit, we were finally ready put our skis on.

Clarence and Lisa are both snowboarders as well as skiers, so they adjusted our ski lesson to use snowboarding concepts we already understood. Lisa, who is the assistant snowsports director and head of the ski school, explained that all lessons are customized this way whenever possible. Instructors adjust to the students’ comfort levels, so whether you’re just starting like Sam, or want to brush up on techniques like me, the ski school at Waterville can accommodate you.

For me, clicking into skis again felt  comfortable, like coming home. It seemed like I’d never “gone over to the dark side.”But the best part of my day wasn’t going on to nail the half-pipe or conquer one of the bumped-up black diamonds (although that would have been very cool!). The best  of my day was discovering what a joy it is to be with someone else as they learn to ski. The excitement someone else feels when they connect those first two turns and burst into a proud grin is infectious. Clarence and Lisa seemed to feel the same way I did as we watched Sam weave back and forth across the bunny slope, proving himself to be a natural skier.

Us with our fabulous instructors, Lisa and Clarence. (Caroline McDonald photo)

We spent another half hour on some tougher green slopes (lessons typically last an hour and 45 minutes) before we said goodbye to Clarence and Lisa, and took a well-deserved break. There are two restaurants at the base and another lodge halfway up the mountain. We opted for Buckets, Bones and Brews at the base, where we sat on the deck to enjoy the perfect weather and watch skiers and riders come down the mountain.

After refueling, we headed up the White Peak Express Quad to see the rest of the mountain. Although we stuck to the blue trails, the mountain offers a variety of terrain. There are plenty of wide, sweeping slopes, but also enough narrow, tree-lined trails to keep diehard New England skiers happy. Every trail felt different. There are also plenty of tougher blues interspersed with black diamonds, particularly at the top of the mountain , which Sam and I decided to leave for another day.

The snow quality was consistent and held up well despite the sun, with only minimal icy patches. A few trails were left  ungroomed, but most of what we skied was groomed. The bottom of the mountain really softened up as the sun continued shining in the afternoon, and made turning easy. Wearing only a shell, I was reminded of how pleasant spring skiing is.

Waterville has 12 lifts and more than 50 trails. We didn’t come close to skiing the entire mountain. Ideally, we would have stay in Waterville for a week or so, not just a day. Spring lift tickets are only $25 Monday through Friday, and they are currently offering one of the best lesson packages I’ve ever heard of—only $35 for their Learn to Ski & Ride Special!. To snag a good deal on Tuesdays, keep up with Waterville’s Twitter page, as they base the day’s ticket price on the predicted temperature posted there. Friday, April 1 will be the best day, though. Tickets will only be one dollar. (That’s $1. No joking!)

Should visitors somehow tire of skiing, the White Mountains also offer cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. The town center close to the mountain’s base has a variety of lodging accommodations, restaurants, shops, a spa and even a hockey rink!

If we can’t make it back before the ski season ends, Sam and I definitely plan to make a trip up this summer. There’s camping, mountain biking and all sorts of activities for families. In fact, Waterville is the perfect place for my family from Tennessee to visit to see what the Northeast is all about. New Hampshire’s White Mountains would provide a wonderful break from Tennessee’s notoriously humid summers. It’s also an easy, quick getaway for Boston-area residents like Sam and me. At just under three hours, the drive lands you in a different world. Winter at Waterville (on skis!) was wonderful; and summer fun, here we come!

That’s not the kind of forecast that gives you warm fuzzies…in fact, it might even send a chill down your spine.  Cover every square inch of skin, use handwarmers, 6 layers of clothing…and take 2 runs, then go into the lodge and warm up.

Or, go to Black Mountain in Jackson, NH.

One of Tim’s “Forgotten Favorite” ski mountains, Black has two things going for it that most areas don’t.  First, it faces south…instead of the sun disappearing over the back side for most of the day, it warms you on the slopes and on the lifts.  Second, it sits in the shadow of Mt. Washington…and when I say shadow, I really mean “windshadow.”  The prevailing winds that come off that rockpile go around Black Mountain.  On days when other ski areas are shutting their lifts down for safety reasons, it’s calm at Black.  That’s a valuable thing to know…even if your ski trip is at another mountain in the Mt. Washington Valley, you may be able to save a lost day!

But on this day, Black Mountain was the intended destination.  In 1935, an inventor named George Morton designed the first overhead cable lift in the country; and he just happened to live in Bartlett, right  around the corner…and the rest is history.  Black became perhaps the first ski area in New Hampshire, one of the first in the country, and has operated ever since.  And, how can you have a 75th anniversary without a party???

And, to steal a phrase, they partied like it’s 1939.  The Swingtones, a local 14 piece band that specializes in Glenn Miller-era big band had the dance floor packed.  Well, except for when a group of skiers and boarders recreated a torchlight parade from Black Mountain’s history…and it was worth shivering outside to watch the lights swinging and swaying down the mountain.

Owner Andy & daughter Nicole take a break from serving to "cut a rug" (David Shedd photo)

Back inside, the party continued, with stories of Black Mountain’s history filling in gaps between food and dance.  And the nature of Black was brought home by realizing that one of the owners was carving and serving the ham on the buffet…and his kids were doing the serving and cleaning up.  Truly a family mountain, Black has been owned by two brothers, John & Andy Fichera, since 1996.  They grew up skiing on the mountain, and bought it to retain its original character.  John moved his family up from Massachusetts when they bought it, and basically lives and breathes the mountain; his 18 year old son is an active part of the mountain operations.  Andy’s still down in MA, but obviously comes up with his family to help when he can!

And they’ve been successful in retaining the mountain’s original charm.  Black is a classic old-style skiers mountain.  No wide open cruisers here; the trails are narrow and twisty, winding through gnarled trees to the base area.  Until you know the mountain well, you may be surprised when you come out into the open and find yourself in a totally different place than you expected!  We were worried about the conditions we’d find; this was Saturday, and on Monday we’d had one of those horrible January rainstorms, dumping nearly 4 inches and melting everything in sight.  Our fears were unfounded, though…virtually no boilerplate, and most of the runs a firm corduroy that took an edge easily.  Even Susan, a relative beginner, had no problems, and later in the day was flying down the trails, having a total ball!  This is the kind of mountain where anyone can have fun…enough steep areas, enough twisties to keep you focused, and no crowds.  On a sunny Saturday, we literally didn’t wait in a lift line behind more than two groups at any time.  Like the slopes, the lifts are in the wind shadow, so we had comfortable, quiet trips up…perfect for enjoying our companions.

Old style lifts, old style trails, and old fashioned fun define Black Mountain (David Shedd photo)

In an era of mega-mountains, of more trails, faster lifts, bigger terrain parks, the charm of areas like Black Mountain really hits you.  There’s a totally different pace; people aren’t pushing to get into the lines (WHAT lines?) to make sure they get that one extra run in.  Perhaps its because they aren’t feeling as much wallet pinch…if you manage to buy the most expensive lift ticket possible, you’re out a whole $39.  Juniors, from 6-17, set you back $25…that’s weekend and holiday pricing.  But keep your eyes open for deals…if you’ve got a group going up, drop them an email and see what they can do for you.

Or take advantage of the deals they’ve worked out with area lodging.  We stayed at the Eagle Mountain Resort, a historic hotel that looks across at Black Mountain, and sits directly on the Jackson XC trails.  An old-style “grand hotel”, it was built in 1916 and looks a bit like a pocket-sized Mt. Washington Hotel.  Packages here are very affordable…their “Ski & Stay” package, which gets you a room, full breakfast, access to the fitness/spa area, and a ticket at Black or other local downhill or nordic areas, runs $124/person.  There are family-friendly packages as well; you can spend a weekend skiing with your family here for less than one airfare to a Western resort!

For once, a "white elephant" is a GOOD thing! (David Shedd photo)

And then there’s the rest of the story, which is the town itself.  Black Mountain and Jackson have an interwoven history, both supporting each other over the 75 years.  Drive the whole 2 minutes from Black to downtown Jackson, and find a host of shops, restaurants, and activities.  This year, Jackson decided to have their annual snow sculpting competition coincide with Black Mountain’s 75th anniversary…and the long partnership between the two paid off for them.  That miserable rainstorm early in the week wiped out their snow for the competition, but Black came to the rescue.  Their snowmaking equipment saved the day, and with the sculpting and judging moved to the ski area’s base lodge, the festive atmosphere grew.  I’ve never skied down a mountain before to be faced with a white Art Deco elephant, or a giant hand holding a half eaten apple.  Watching the sculptors at work was enlightening…the speed and precision of these people needs to be seen to be believed.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait another 75 years to see this repeated…but wait, just think what their 100th anniversary party will be like!  In the meantime, take advantage of the warm slopes and warm family atmosphere at Black Mountain, and in Jackson as a whole.