Here is a sampling of what you and your family can experience at Loon Mountain:

Summer Events

Bike Parts and Accessories By

Bike Mechanics are Always Available for Repairs

We also feature bike rentals:

• $30. per day includes helmet
• Self-Guided Bike Tour of Franconia Notch
• We provide the transportation to Echo Lake, where you can begin your spectacular cruise on a paved bike path.

Things to do:

• Artist’s Bluff – Just a short hike that leads to the most majestic view of the Notch.
• Echo Lake – a great place to swim or soak up some rays.
• Cannon Mt – ride the Tram to the top – you may see Canada!
• Check out the New England Ski Museum.
• Old Man Historic Site – a “must see”
• Visit the Flume and Clark’s Trading Post……….so much to do!!!!

Fees:

• 1 person: $10.00
• 2 or more: $5.00 per person
• w/out bike rental: $15.00 per person

Store open daily 9am to 5:30pm. Bikes must be returned by 5pm.

Have fun!

• Go to a shop that actually fits you for boots.  A good fitter will remove the liner, you’ll step into the empty plastic shell, and the fitter will check the size by giving it the “two finger test.”  When the boot is reassembled, the correct size will be firm and not fit like a shoe.

• Be sure to get boots made from high-end plastics.  All plastics are not the same.  Good quality plastics can be “punched or ground” – that’s ski tech lingo for ways to ease a tight spot and make the boot conform perfectly.  So ask: “Can this boot be punched and ground?”  Low-end plastic boots cannot be adjusted and you’ll be stuck with them the way they are.

• Trust the boot fitter.  Sometimes people come in and say: “I want the best boot on the market,” but a good boot fitter will examine your feet and ask about your skiing – then they’ll recommend the boot that’s right for you.

• A good shop will take care of you after the sale.  So ask, “What will you do for me after I ski in the boots?”  A good shop will work with you and tweak the boots.

• Manufacturers expect you to throw away the generic foot bed that comes in your boots and replace it with an orthotic that suits your needs, such as Super Feet or something that’s customized.  It’s not a sales pitch.  Everyone’s arches are so different.

• If you buy boots on your own without being properly fitted, those boots might be too big for you – and no shop can shrink the boots to fit you.

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.

Click here for more information.

• The Flume is a natural granite gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty.
• Towering granite walls rise to a spectacular height of 90 feet.
• The Flume Gorge was discovered in 1808.

The Flume Gorge surrounds our stunning Visitors Center where you can experience the historic wonder of Franconia Notch State Park in high definition, enjoy a meal or light snack and browse our selection of New Hampshire made products.

Flume Gorge Ticket Rates:
The Flume Gorge is open daily from 9am -5pm, from May 7, 2010 through October 24, 2010.

Adult (ages 13+): $13.00
Children (ages 6-12): $10.00
Children ages 5 & under: Free w/ paid adult

PETS: Pets are only permitted in Franconia Notch State Park in the designated dog walks in the Flume & Tramway parking lots. Pets are prohibited from Echo Lake Beach, Lafayette Campground, on the Tram and in the Flume Gorge.

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.