Stay with the Appalachian Mountain Club and Ski Free at Great Glen Trails

By AlpineZone News |
Nov 03 2005 - 03:11 PM

PINKHAM NOTCH, New Hampshire ??” The Appalachian Mountain Club is teaming up with Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center to offer free cross-country ski trail access all season long for guests at AMC’s Joe Dodge Lodge in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Rates start at $57 per person/night for adults ($36 for children) and include dinner and breakfast, with no restrictions or minimum, plus doorstep access to winter trails and backcountry terrain. Visit before December 24, 2005 for additional savings.

Through this special, all-inclusive offer, guests at Joe Dodge Lodge receive a freshly prepared, four-course dinner served family style; comfortable overnight accommodations; a full-buffet breakfast; and a free, one-day ticket to ski Great Glen’s 25-mile cross-country network. Located at the base of Mount Washington, Great Glen’s groomed trails offer easy to moderate terrain with spectacular views of the northern Presidentials in the White Mountain National Forest.

While at Joe Dodge Lodge, guests also have access to snowshoeing and ungroomed backcountry skiing on trails surrounding the lodge, downhill skiing at nearby Wildcat Ski Area, and opportunities for ice climbing and winter mountaineering on Mount Washington. After a day outdoors, guests can enjoy an evening program at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center adjacent to Joe Dodge Lodge, join friends around the fireplace in the lodge, or curl up with a book in the library.
AMC is also offering a Joe Dodge Lodge downhill Ski and Stay package in conjunction with Wildcat; Highland Center cross-country and downhill Ski and Stay packages with Bretton Woods and Cannon Mountain; and a Cardigan Lodge downhill Ski and Stay package with Ragged Mountain.
Not Your Average Ski and Stay:

A unique blend of recreation, education, and spectacular locations at AMC lodging destinations makes it easy to combine a ski weekend with snowshoeing, ice climbing, winter hiking, backcountry snowboarding or telemark, and more for a diverse, multi-day getaway. Doorstep access to extensive trail networks and backcountry terrain in national and state forests and parks gives experienced guests an opportunity to tackle more challenging terrain while offering beginners and families a chance to practice their skills and benefit from AMC expertise in winter safety and instruction.

At AMC Highland Center in the White Mountains, a sampling of daily day-time and evening walk-on programs includes moose hikes, guided cross-country ski tours, snow shelters, moonlit and star gazing snowshoe walks, and junior naturalist activities. Also free to guests is use of equipment from the L.L. Bean gear room, which is stocked up with trekking poles, boots, snowshoes, fleece jackets, hats, mittens, and backpacks. The Highland Center is ideal for beginners and families who are trying outdoor activities for the first time and have not yet made the initial investment in equipment, and also gives guests the option of leaving bulky winter gear behind when traveling long distances, without the extra cost of renting.

Just a two-hour drive from Boston, Cardigan Lodge is an historic AMC ski lodge located at the base of Mount Cardigan in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. The newly renovated lodge is a great do-it-yourself destination for families and groups that is open for self-service all winter long, with 50 miles of hiking/snowshoeing and backcountry skiing. The backcountry trails on the slopes of Mount Cardigan were some of the first ski trails cut in the northeast and are considered classics by many.

All of these special deals, along with a list of nearby winter adventure ideas, are detailed in AMC’s new Winter Planning Guide, available for free at http://outdoors.org/lodging/winterguide.cfm

A wide variety of introductory and advanced outdoor programs led by AMC’s education staff is also scheduled this winter, including snowshelters, snowshoeing and animal tracking for families; beginner backcountry snowboarding; telemark skiing; basics of winter mountain skills; and much more. A searchable index of winter instructional programs for all ability levels, including special programs for families, is available at: www.outdoors.org/education/workshops/availability/index.cfm

2006 Rates and Reservations:
See the AMC Winter Planning Guide at http://outdoors.org/lodging/winterguide.cfm or call 603-466-2727 for Ski and Stay rates and reservations, seasonal activities, winter workshops, and events at AMC destinations.

Ski and Stay packages offered by the AMC this winter include:

  • Joe Dodge Lodge and Great Glen cross-country all-inclusive package, starting at $57 for AMC members ($62 non-members)
  • Joe Dodge Lodge and Wildcat Mountain downhill all-inclusive package, starting at $69 for AMC members ($73 non-members)
  • Highland Center with Bretton Woods cross-country and downhill all-inclusive packages, starting at $63 for AMC members ($82 non-member) for cross-country and $94 ($113 non-members) for downhill
  • Highland Center with Cannon Mountain downhill all-inclusive package, starting at $69 for AMC members ($88 non-members)
  • Cardigan Lodge with Ragged Mountain downhill self-service package, starting at $62 for AMC members ($67 non-members)

Starting at rates quoted reflect the adult, per person/night mid-week rates for shared accommodations.

Private rooms with double or queen-size beds are available at all destinations. Or, bring friends and family and fill a two to six-person shared room, depending on the destination. Discounted rates are available for AMC members and children ages 15 and under. Peak rates apply during holiday and vacation periods.

Ski and Stay packages at Joe Dodge Lodge and Cardigan Lodge are valid during the winter 2005/2006 seasons of the respective ski areas. Packages at Highland Center are valid December 23, 2005 through the end of the winter 2006 season.

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region.

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