HENNIKER, New Hampshire ??” Pats Peak, New Hampshire’s premier family snowsports destination, enters into its 43rd consecutive ski and snowboard season under the same family ownership. Every season Pats Peak continues to improve its facility and experience for their skiers and snowboarders. Pats Peak’s capital improvements have been aggressive in recent years with over $4 million in the past four years.

Improvements for the 2005-2006 season include improved snowmaking and grooming, upgrades to the Hurricane Triple Chair Lift, increased night lighting, new junior rental equipment, women’s only ski clinic program, renovations to the Sled Pub kitchen, computer systems upgrades and air conditioning in the Valley Lodge.

Increased snowmaking capabilities to a snowmaking arsenal that already gives the mountain 100% snow coverage, includes fifteen new HKD Spectrum Snowguns, two new SMI Polecat Snowmakers, 5,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe in Turbulence Terrain Park and increased coverage on Downdraft trail.

Two new Grooming Snowcats, a brand new Kassbohrer Park Bully and a Bombardier MP 400, have been added to the grooming fleet. The Hurricane Triple Chair Lift received a new electronic drive. Lighting for night skiing has been added on Downdraft trail.

Improvements in the Rental Shop include all new junior skis, boots and poles and a new Frequent Renter Card Program, which allows quicker and easier paperless service through the Rental Shop for renters who rent more than once a season.

New this season, is an exciting new program geared toward women only – introducing WOW ??“ Women’s Only Wednesday ??“ Ski/Snowboard Clinic. WOW provides the perfect program to focus on fitness, improve skiing/riding skills and simply having fun. Women start the day off by enjoying a continental breakfast and an exciting morning discussion designed especially for women. Discussion topics include: skiing/snowboarding fears and risk factors, yoga exercises, skiing/riding exercises, nutrition, strength & power, stance and balance, physical and psychological gender differences, confidence building, equipment and boot fitting, and video analysis to enhance basic skills and improve personal skiing. After discussions, participants head out onto the slopes for on-hill clinics taught by women only. The day ends with a delicious lunch with instructors, allowing students and instructors to discuss their morning on the slopes. The cost is only $250 for a full seven-week program, lift, lessons, morning discussions, continental breakfast and lunch.

The Sled Pub Kitchen renovations allow for even faster food service from the kitchen to the guests in the pub. Additional renovations to the kitchen area are planned in the near future.

A $50,000 upgrade to the Pats Peak computer system increases the speed of customer service transactions on a daily basis. During the summer months, Pats Peak banquet guests can enjoy the installation of air conditioning in the Valley Lodge.

Kris Blomback, general manager of Pats Peak, commented, “We continue our capital improvements every year to provide the best possible guest experience here at Pats Peak. Every change, subtle or dramatic, is targeted to make the guest’s experience better.”

Pats Peak will continue its most popular programs such as Pay-One-Price (POP) Saturday Nights, whereby one price of $29 on Saturday nights allows access to lesson tips, lifts, tubing, rentals, entertainment, bonfires and more from 3pm to 10pm (tubing hours 5pm to 10pm).

Adult/Corporate Night Racing keeps the Peak hopping during weeknights. The best Pats Peak athletes compete against each other at the end-of-season “King of the Hill Challenge.”