Take a tour through the Smokin’ Snowboards new factory in Sparks, Nevada. This is how real snowboards are made, in the U.S.A by snowboarders for snowboarders.
Welcome to the Flume Gorge and Visitor Center at Franconia Notch State Park, in the heart of the popular White Mountain National Forest.
Discovered in 1808, the Flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. The walls of Conway granite rise to a height of 70 to 90 feet and are 12 to 20 feet apart. A trip into the Flume begins and ends at the Flume Visitor’s Center. Guests can choose to walk through just the Gorge or do a two mile loop. The walk includes uphill walking and lots of stairs.
Framed by a spectacular vista of Mount Liberty and Mount Flume, the Visitor Center houses the Flume ticket office, information center, cafeteria, gift shop, and the state park system’s historic Concord Coach. A 20-minute movie showcasing beautiful Franconia Notch State Park is available for viewing.
Old Man of the Mountain update – The Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund has started construction on a new monument being erected by Profile Lake. To learn more and to donate to the project, click here.
For lodging options, call one of the following lodging bureaus:
Pets are not permitted in the park. See the NH State Parks Pets Policy for more information.
Through the Carry-In/Carry-Out Program, you can help us keep your parks clean and beautiful by carrying out whatever you carry in. Thank you for your cooperation and remember to recycle.
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Access for Persons with DisabilitiesPlease contact the park office directly for information regarding disability access needs. |
Franconia Notch State Park
Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site
Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway
Notch’s Natural Wonders
Ski boots are a big investment. So how do you know if you are getting the right ones?
Buying a snowboard isn’t as trouble-free as it used to be. There are approximately 20 various types of snowboards. With so many enormous choices, the snowboarder in the present day needs to be knowledgeable, so I put this list together in hopes that “How to Buy a Snowboard” will be an exciting and pleasurable experience.
There are many different types of snowboards available today. Here are the most common types of snowboards: Freeride boards, Freestyle boards, Backcountry boards, Park/Pipe boards, Kid’s boards, Women’s boards, Boardercross boards and Signature series boards. As you can see, you have your work cut out for you in making a decision on what board to buy.
Snowboard buying necessitates a few central questions to be answered, but you’ll be encouraged in knowing that you, by now, have the answers. Your height, weight, riding style and foot size are the chief features that will classify the suitable width, shape, stiffness and height of the board you’ll buy.
Although there are other factors to be taken into consideration, a couple that you should be familiar about are your riding ability and riding style. The riding style you have a preference for will lend a hand in determining the sort of board you ought to buy. There are a lot of diverse opinions on the countless riding styles there are but I am going to split them up into three main categories of riding styles.
All Mountain and Freeride style; a freeride or all mountain snowboarder makes use of the whole mountain. You enjoy catching air, carving and basically all riding aspects. This is the essence of snowboarding. While a cliche’ in snowboarding, freeride is still the best way to portray the majority of snowboarders. These riders take pleasure in the whole thing about snowboarding: the imagination that can only be understood sliding the half-pipe, the astounding feel of carving a turn on slopes, the sense of flight you get at lift-off from the big-air jump, and the feel of freedom one gets sliding on new snow. It is still inconceivably first-rate fun on spruced slopes.
Freestyle or Technical riding- involves mostly jumps, trick riding, rail sliding, grabs, jibbing, spins and tearing it up. Technical freestyle riding is usually set up in the parks or near the halfpipe. For a beginning snowboarder, freestyle and technical boards are the best choice. This style is well-liked among the younger snowboarders. Many of today’s technical freestyle riders come to snowboarding with an understanding as a BMX, in-line skater, skateboarder, or other action sports conditions. While the gear specific to this category of rider excels in park and pipe riding, it can also be very adaptable across the whole mountain at less than full-speed. We now will move on to the last category.
Carve/Alpine style-pulls together speed and deep turning and make the most of everything the mountain has to put forward. Alpine riders are repeatedly transitioning from one turn into the next. It is all about hard carving and high speed. Expert skiers who decide to learn snowboarding tend to like the performance of carving boards, although stiffer flex and narrower width can make them intolerant for beginners. These types of riders are recognizable out of the crowd; they are always seen laying a trench in the snow with each turn. These riders “use” a snowboards edge like no others, while using authoritative body movements and gravity as their friend, alpine riders enjoy the sport only when they are attached to the snow.
In conclusion, these are the basics of How to Buy a Snowboard. All the most important issues have been included and hopefully the buying process will be simpler for you.
Get out and enjoy family, friends and New Hampshire’s beautiful backcountry, all year long. Alpine adventures has two separate tours and every zipline tour includes an off-road Safari ride in our Pinzgauers to the top of the course.
When life was simple and skiers wore stretch pants or jeans to ski in, we only had to choose between three basic types of skis, all based on racing. However, now that we are enjoying the engineering marvels of the shaped ski, the focus of ski design has become more complex.
When it comes to actually looking at skis, reading ski publications or walking through a ski show can be overwhelming. For example, Ski and Skiing magazines test at least 300 models, while Ski Press may test 500 different ski models in a year. You could ski every day for almost a year and a half and never use the same skis twice!
So, is finding the right ski easy? Not as easy as it was when we walked up to a ski sales clerk and said we wanted a Giant Slalom, Slalom, or Downhill ski then raised our arm so he could find the right length. Finding skis is certainly doable though, as long as you stay focused on your search.
Reading ski reviews is helpful. I believe the major ski publications approach testing seriously. Ski Press uses a percent of recreational skiers chosen at random to test skis, while the others use pros only. The pros are almost all certified instructors so they know their business.
Narrow the playing field to the field you’re playing on. Don’t grab that great deal on super fat powder skis if you only intend to ski the mid and eastern U.S. Focus, instead, on skis engineered to that snow.
Talk to your favorite ski shop owner. Ski shops are in business to stay in business and 99% of them have qualified people who know local conditions. Bring your ski test wish list, but, listen to their advice. They usually have good advice on what you will need.
Most top name brands will have a ski for you. If you look at the models available from the top 10 or 15 ski manufacturers, you are almost guaranteed to find a ski to meet the snow conditions where you typically ski, your type of skiing, and your ability in each brand.
Try before you buy. This is important, because you know when a ski is good for you when you ski on it, not before. When you’re trying the skis and you think the skis can read your mind, you’ll know that you have found your skis.
Demo, demo, demo – because that is how you will be most happy with the ski you buy. I believe I could ski on similarly designed models of the 3 or 4 top brands and be hard pressed to pick “the best.” Focus on your typical skiing conditions, your ability, and your experience. I look for the best ski for the conditions I usually ski. Those most important to consider in skis designed today are – Pure Powder, Groomed Powder, and the catch-all Packed Powder Conditions. You will find these conditions in varying degrees and times at most resorts. However, in general terms powder reigns in the west and the east hopes for the best. Your next consideration should be your skiing ability and your experience. Experience only comes with time on the snow, but, it is the end product of our learning how to use our skis in a variety of conditions. This ability improves with proper instruction and review.