By Dick Butler         

January 26, 2005
(Photos courtesy of Mount Sunapee)

If good luck comes in triplicate, Mount Sunapee is a winner. Count ease of access, especially from Boston (it’s just a 90-minute drive) as one part, add number two: a winning management team in the Mueller family, and to complete the formula, add number three: it’s a great summer place to be.

There are very few winter resorts that you could say are located in a truly year round resort area. Mount Sunapee, is one. It’s not only a ski resort but also a facility that can host special events. But for me a summer resort has to mean water. And the view from Sunapee shows it. Near its base is New Hampshire’s second largest lake, Lake Sunapee. The mountain provides a stunning view of the lake and a setting for many opportunities in addition to skiing and riding. For swimming, boating, and just plain summer recreation, the area can’t be beat.

But it is winter now. Can this resort compete for your attention when the white stuff falls? Sure it can. Since the Mueller’s started managing the mountain back in 1998, they continue to impress all comers. I’m sure you have heard of their first mountain, Okemo, in Ludlow Vermont, and their success at making it a first class destination resort. Perhaps it is their hands on management style or the compassionate way they treat their employees, or their snow management expertise. Whatever it is, it works. Their capabilities are all on display at Mount Sunapee. Add their third resort, Crested Butte in Colorado, purchased in 2004, and they have both the east and west regions covered.

Over the past six seasons they have invested over $14,500,000 in capital improvements all over the mountain. This is more than any other area in New Hampshire for the same time period. This season’s investment of $250,000 includes a new grooming machine, a new Alpine Race Program building, improvements to the rental shop inventory, and miscellaneous enhancements to the snow making system.

Mount Sunapee boasts a complete beginner’s area with five lifts and thirteen trails, all right next to the Children’s Learning Center. With a summit elevation of over 2,700 feet and a vertical drop of 1,510 feet, this mountain is the highest resort in southern New Hampshire. It has a whopping 97% snowmaking coverage. Its free-ride zone includes an enormous 550 foot long super pipe with 19 foot high walls and a Bose sound system.

And Sunapee has deals. On Mondays everyone can ski or ride for $30, excluding a few block out dates. On Tuesdays ladies can purchase a day ticket that includes a luncheon buffet for only $37. Also on Tuesdays, childcare is available at half price. Bring a friend on Wednesdays and the both of you can ski or ride for $52. And for bonafide local New Hampshire residents, Sunday afternoon is for you. For just $26, a ticket can be purchased that’s good from 12:30 till 4PM.

Sunapee is wide awake and awaiting your arrival. For more information contact the mountain at 603-763-2356, (or click on our link), and visit the New London-Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce website at www.lakesunapeenh.org