Cranmore Mountain Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cranmore Mountain Resort |
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Cranmore Mountain
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| Location | North Conway, New Hampshire, US |
| Vertical | 1,200 ft |
| Runs | 54 - 28% beginner - 44% intermediate - 28% advanced |
| Longest run | 1 mi |
| Lift system | 5 chairs, 5 surface lifts |
| Snowmaking | 100% |
| Website | http://www.cranmore.com/ |
Cranmore Mountain Resort is a fun place for skiing and snowboarding in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. When it's not winter, it becomes the Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park. The resort first opened in 1937. It was owned by the Schneider family for many years. Today, a group of New England business people own it. They are working to make Cranmore even better with new updates and expansions.
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History of Cranmore Mountain
Cranmore Mountain has a long and interesting history. It started small and grew into the popular resort it is today.
How Cranmore Began
Local businessman Harvey Gibson started Cranmore. It opened for its first winter season in 1937–1938. Back then, it only had one rope tow. A rope tow is a simple lift that pulls skiers up the hill while they hold onto a moving rope.
The Famous Skimobile
For the 1938–1939 season, Cranmore added a special new lift. It was called the Skimobile. This unique lift had small cars that traveled on a wooden track. A local mechanic named George Morton designed it. The Skimobile took people from the base of the mountain about halfway up. In its early days, Cranmore stood out because of its Skimobile. It also had a well-developed base area and a ski school run by European skiers.
Hannes Schneider's Influence
In 1939, a famous Austrian skier named Hannes Schneider came to Cranmore. Harvey Gibson invited him. Schneider helped Cranmore grow even more. A second part of the Skimobile was added to reach the very top of the mountain. More ski trails were also created.
Snow Grooming Innovations
In the early 1940s, Cranmore was one of the first ski areas to work on snow grooming. This means making the snow smooth and ready for skiing. Cranmore needed this because its slopes faced west. This caused the snow to melt during the day and then freeze into ice at night.
Changes and New Lifts
Over the years, Cranmore added many new lifts.
- In 1955, the East Bowl area opened with a new double chairlift.
- More double chairlifts were added in 1963 and 1969.
- In 1984, the Schneider family sold Cranmore.
- The new owners added two triple chairlifts in 1986 and 1987.
- By 1988, the Skimobile was no longer used.
- In the early 1990s, Cranmore changed owners again.
- In 1995, new owners installed a fast, high-speed quad chairlift to the summit.
Recent Updates
In 1996, Cranmore became part of a larger ski company. Later, in 2010, it was sold to Brian Fairbank, Tyler Fairbank, and Joseph O'Donnell. They also run the Jiminy Peak ski area in Massachusetts. Right away, the new owners announced big plans. These included a new quad chairlift, better snowmaking, a new mountain coaster, and a rebuilt tubing park.
In 2012, Cranmore replaced an old double chairlift with a triple chairlift. This made skiing even better. In 2019, the mountain opened its ski season on November 16. This was the earliest opening day in the resort's history!
Mountain Fun Facts
Cranmore has over 200 acres (81 hectares) of skiable land. It offers 54 trails and glades. A glade is a ski trail that goes through trees.
Ski Lifts and Trails
The mountain has 9 lifts to take you up. These include:
- One high-speed quad chairlift
- One fixed-grip quad chairlift
- Two fixed-grip triple chairlifts
- One fixed-grip double chairlift
- Four surface lifts
The trails are rated for different skill levels:
- 24% are easy (great for beginners).
- 46% are intermediate (good for those with some experience).
- 16% are expert (for advanced skiers and riders).
The longest run on the mountain is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long. Cranmore can make snow on all of its trails. This means they can keep the slopes covered even when natural snow is low. The mountain has a vertical drop of 1,200 feet (366 meters). This is the difference in height from the top to the bottom of the ski trails.
Summer Adventures
Cranmore Mountain is not just for winter! In the summer, it turns into an exciting adventure park.
Summer Activities
You can find many fun things to do in the summer, such as:
- An aerial adventure park with zip lines.
- Summer tubing, where you slide down a hill on a special slippery surface instead of snow.
- Bungy trampolines for bouncing high.
- Hiking trails to explore the mountain.
In 2015, they added even more fun for younger kids. This included bouncy houses and climbing walls. There's also a mini-adventure park for kids who are not yet big enough for the larger one.
