# Wildcat or Attitash?



## RichT (Sep 22, 2016)

I'm a Hunter regular, but now with the new season pass I get to go to more mtns! Can you tell me in your opinion, which one is better? and why? I've never been to NH.

Thanks!


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## Jully (Sep 22, 2016)

It really depends on the type of skier you are. I personally vastly prefer Wildcat, but Attitash does family resort with a nice mix of classic narrow New England groomer trails and newer style open cruisers really well.

Benefits to Wildcat that make me love it are:
- wonderfully fast lift with minimal crowds
- a lot of terrain variety with looong runs
- better natural snow than Attitash
- classic NE trails, some groomed but a lot of great ungroomed too


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## buellski (Sep 22, 2016)

I'll second Wildcat and add:

- best views in New England


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## deadheadskier (Sep 22, 2016)

Id imagine you would be going for a weekend no? You should ski both. Id recommend Wildcat for Saturday to avoid the big crowds and Attitash for Sunday.  For both, get there early as they can get skied off fairly quickly.


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## xwhaler (Sep 22, 2016)

I prefer Wildcat but my folks had a condo at Attitash for about 8 yrs so we skied it a lot.

If you like steep groomers Attitash has quite a few on both peaks.
Depending on when you go Attitash could have better weather (spring: it's lower elevation will allow the snow to soften up quicker, very cold winter days: lower elevation means less chance for nasty winds/cold that Wildcat is somewhat infamous for at times)

if you will be in the area try both (they are only about 20 mins apart)      pros/cons to each
both should be a welcome change over the crowds you are used to at Hunter


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## Jully (Sep 22, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> Id imagine you would be going for a weekend no? You should ski both. Id recommend Wildcat for Saturday to avoid the big crowds and Attitash for Sunday.  For both, get there early as they can get skied off fairly quickly.



That is a great plan actually. I like Attitash a lot too just not as much as Wildcat. There's a great deal to experience at both areas.


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## deadheadskier (Sep 22, 2016)

Jully said:


> That is a great plan actually. I like Attitash a lot too just not as much as Wildcat. There's a great deal to experience at both areas.



Same. I ski Wildcat 90% of the time.  Attitash only when bored and want to mix it up.  If they ever replaced the Summit triple at Attitash, I'd ski there more frequently, but still not as much as Wildcat


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## joshua segal (Sep 22, 2016)

deadheadskier said:


> Id imagine you would be going for a weekend no? You should ski both. Id recommend Wildcat for Saturday to avoid the big crowds and Attitash for Sunday.  For both, get there early as they can get skied off fairly quickly.


Agree.  But even if you're only up for one day, eat lunch in the car on the short ride between the two areas so you get to experience both. The pass is interchangeable.


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## frapcap (Sep 22, 2016)

95% of the time, I ski Wildcat. The only reason I'd venture over to Attitash is if its just too freggin cold and the snow is bulletproof. 

Crotched, on the other hand, is fantastic for some fast laps and a buttload of vert.


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## podunk77 (Sep 22, 2016)

If the whole mountain's open, Attitash has some pretty steep groomers that can be a lot of fun.  Only problem there is the slow summit lift on Attitash proper (not Bear Peak, the lift over there is faster).  As previously mentioned, Wildcat has a super-fast summit chair, looong runs and absolutely gorgeous views.  Come for a three day weekend, ski 'em both the first two days and ski your preference the third day.  Can't go wrong, and if you're looking for cheap, clean, very basic lodging, try the Maple Leaf Motel in North Conway.  $50 a night last time I stayed there, and the owner did something really nice for me that, according to his policy, he didn't need to do.


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## 2Planker (Sep 22, 2016)

I'd have to agree w/ most posters.  I far prefer The Cat.  Nothin beats it on a nice Powder Day !!!  Attitash is a lil bit more of a resort feel, albeit small, but there is great terrain up high.  We live 5 miles from Attitash and I'll go there on Fridays.  Usually go straight to Bear Peak and can park in the first 2-3 rows at 9am.

Saturday is all about the 20 min ride up to The Cat, primarily for the lack of crowds.  The Cat's HSQ has the most vert in NH or Maine, and you rarely have to wait more than 5 mins in line.  It's in the White Mt Nat'l Forest so NO Condos, NO Hotel, just less crowded. Everyone there is the to ski/ride.  Nice Pub upstairs w/ usually good apres ski entertainment.  Oddly enough, some of the best chow in ski country comes out of the small cafeteria right in the lodge. The Cat also has FREE bag check downstairs if you don't like leaving your bag/crap under a table in the main part of the lodge.

You can actually ski them both in one day, on the same ticket.  I've done the right ski boot off 20 minute drive many times


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## jimk (Sep 22, 2016)

Attitash is ok, but Wildcat is a must!!!
Wildcat pics, I'll let my photos do the talking:


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## 2Planker (Sep 22, 2016)

jimk,

  I got married right where you guys are standing in that pic


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## jimk (Sep 22, 2016)

A few more from Wildcat:


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## jimk (Sep 22, 2016)

2Planker said:


> jimk,
> 
> I got married right where you guys are standing in that pic



Yeah, it was love at first sight for me too


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## cdskier (Sep 22, 2016)

I've always wanted to make it to Wildcat at some point. The view looks stunning. From my VT condo it is only about 3 hours...if I happened to be in VT for an extended midweek vacation at some point it wouldn't be unreasonable to drive over to Wildcat for a day or two...


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## AmmergauerTele (Sep 22, 2016)

Wildcat hands-down.  Used to put out bumper stickers of:
"Wildcat no rules"
"Wildcat no ropes"
"Wildcat it ain't over till it's over"

We always called Attitash....Attitrash. Just kidding - looks like some decent there especially when it is cold out.

HSQ at the Kitty is sick.  Back when I was younger on a spring day started skiing at 9AM and quit at 2.  Was averaging a little over 5 runs an hour, 25 runs, over 50k vertical feet.  I would die doing that today!


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## snoseek (Sep 22, 2016)

JimK those are some fantastic cat pics. Looks like you got a good day!

Cannon/Wildcat are in the Same league in Nh...and then there's everthing else IMO. Attitash is ok if you like steep groomers. Its not a flat mountain by any means just rolled flat.


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## deadheadskier (Sep 22, 2016)

Love it

It isn't very big in terms of acreage, but everything there has so much character and is fun to ski. It has very few "meh" trails. I guess Lower Catapult, Bobcat and Cheetah aren't too exciting, but everything else is great, even the green trails.  Enjoying it with Mount Washington in your face, no lift lines off a fantastic HSQ = big fun.


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## snoseek (Sep 22, 2016)

Polecat may be the most fun green on the planet!


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## deadheadskier (Sep 22, 2016)

snoseek said:


> Polecat may be the most fun green on the planet!



With Wild Kitten being number 2. Both are fantastic.

It would never happen, but sometimes I think about how cool it would be if they extended Wild Kitten up to the summit branching off Upper Wildcat to have a Polecat twin.  

Most mountains the green terrain gets ragged on. Not Wildcat


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## snoseek (Sep 22, 2016)

Yeah forgot about the kitten....that always a good way to extend a long run. Polecat is often my warm up run and also my last run. Overall the trails quality is everything I like about New England skiing. Even Bobcat/Cheetah are nice because they give you a rare opportunity to let em run and just rail turns on the bottom. This thread and the pics are warming me up to skiing NH this winter!


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## jimk (Sep 23, 2016)

cdskier said:


> I've always wanted to make it to Wildcat at some point. The view looks stunning. From my VT condo it is only about 3 hours...if I happened to be in VT for an extended midweek vacation at some point it wouldn't be unreasonable to drive over to Wildcat for a day or two...



Back in 2005 I drove all the way from VA to Wildcat for two days of skiing.  I had my son and nephew with me.  It was Easter break and that was all the time we had.  My nephew actually came up from Norfolk to join us in Northern VA for the drive up.  We were going to do a third day at Wachusett on the way home, but it got rained out.  All three of us still considered it a successful trip.  Back in VA all the nearby ski areas had been closed for a month or more.






This old article covers a lot of why I think Wildcat is so special:   http://www.dcski.com/articles/view_article.php?article_id=838&mode=rss


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## dlague (Sep 23, 2016)

I too am more of a Wildcat fan.  Better views, fast Chair, more vert, fewer people.  Attitash gets too many people and after 10 am it gets skied off.  I have been to Attitash 5 or 6 times and I feel like u should have worn skates. Not sure about their snow making, but they seem to make hard snow (wet) and open up.slow.  Also annoying is the summit triple - slow as sh**!  The fastrst chair goes 2/3 of the way up.  The lodge gets way over crowded.  Bear Peak does have a few nice runs but the lift line can get long.  Also parking while not the worst is not great.


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## cdskier (Sep 23, 2016)

jimk said:


> Back in 2005 I drove all the way from VA to Wildcat for two days of skiing.  I had my son and nephew with me.  It was Easter break and that was all the time we had.  My nephew actually came up from Norfolk to join us in Northern VA for the drive up.  We were going to do a third day at Wachusett on the way home, but it got rained out.  All three of us still considered it a successful trip.  Back in VA all the nearby ski areas had been closed for a month or more.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice article. I take it you wrote it?

One of the main reasons I never visited was distance. When I was only doing one or two long weekend trips to New England a year, I always stuck to VT. My driving limit was around 6 hours (which put Stowe at the northern edge of my range and Wildcat about 1 hour outside of it). Now with a condo in VT that changes the dynamics. For normal weekend trips I'd always ski at Sugarbush, but if I can find time to stay up there for a week, then it opens up possibilities of taking a few days out of that week to travel somewhere else without a terribly long drive.


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## bigbog (Sep 23, 2016)

podunk77 said:


> If the whole mountain's open, Attitash has some pretty steep groomers that can be a lot of fun.  Only problem there is the slow summit lift on Attitash proper (not Bear Peak, the lift over there is faster).  As previously mentioned, Wildcat has a super-fast summit chair, looong runs and absolutely gorgeous views.  Come for a three day weekend, ski 'em both the first two days and ski your preference the third day.  Can't go wrong, and if you're looking for cheap, clean, very basic lodging, try the Maple Leaf Motel in North Conway.  $50 a night last time I stayed there, and the owner did something really nice for me that, according to his policy, he didn't need to do.



Agree with all although I've only skied Attitash in early Spring(~99') and Wildcat a few times near Spring, both after their prime snow coverage, but you have to love Wildcat's pitch plus the beautiful stream flowing by it's lodge.
A Little Hi-Jacking Trivia:
Podunk77, your lodging info begs for a poll for *which line from which President would apply to your $50 price/night @the Maple Leaf Motel?*....:lol::lol:

1) "_Yes We Can_.."
2) "_Well There You Go Again_.."
3) "_The Only Thing We Have To Fear is Fear Itself_.."
4) "_There is a Malaise(sp?) that rests with the Population_.."
5) "_Because the People of America Need to Know Whether Or Not Their President's A Crook_.."
6) "_Read My Lips No New Taxes_.."
7) "_We All Must Sacrifice_.."

It's been an exciting morning...up in the attic, checking out the top of my soffit vents..
Agree, I know of a lodge close to Someday Bigger, that has some terrific pricing...


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## thebigo (Sep 23, 2016)

My family's criteria:

Crotched - When only man made snow is available or we want to night ski
Attitash - When on vacation with the family or wildcat is frigid
Wildcat - Whenever powder is available and/or the family gives me a day off. Not to say there is no lower level terrain at wildcat but the family prefers attitash for the warmer temps and reduced drive.



RichT said:


> I've never been to NH.



Stretch it to a three day weekend and add Cannon on Monday, you owe it to yourself and will not regret it.


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## RichT (Sep 23, 2016)

Thank you so much everyone!!!!! I love the pictures too. Look like i'll be visiting all of them.


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## yeggous (Sep 23, 2016)

I'm a fixture at Wildcat. I consider it home. I hit it early and often. My record vertical skied in one day is 52 runs,104k vertical feet.

Everything else said in this thread is spot on. On most mountains the trails down the center are swarmed. At Wildcat the opposite is true. Everyone skis the side trails and rarely ventures down the middle. This is partially because it's not obvious how to access them. My wife calls this the wildcat wormhole.

Attitash has some excellent glades if you know how to access them. In winters with lots of mixed precipitation the tree skiing can be better there as the valley dams in the cold air. I've seen crazy deep base snow at Attitash in years where inversions scorch Cannon and Wildcat.


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## deadheadskier (Sep 23, 2016)

Hopefully the middle trails open this season!  Other than a couple days on Lift Lion and one run poaching Al's to Catenary/Cougar, that was it for me last year


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## Los (Sep 24, 2016)

podunk77 said:


> and if you're looking for cheap, clean, very basic lodging, try the Maple Leaf Motel in North Conway.  $50 a night last time I stayed there, and the owner did something really nice for me that, according to his policy, he didn't need to do.



Maple leaf -- thanks for the tip!!


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