Cross Country Skiing at the Franconia Inn
| Date: | 3-24-2024 |
| Location: | Franconia, NH |
| Distance: | 2.59 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 40′ |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Parking: | 10+ cars |
| Difficultly Rating: | Green, Blue + |
I thought last week would have been the end of cross-country skiing in the Northeast. But we just got 2+ feet of new snow in Northern New England last night and it looks like winter is back.
I woke up this morning a bit tired from the concert the night before. So, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere too far. There were a lot of options with this new snow, and I began to look at all the xc ski reports.
Waterville Valley looked the most appealing, but I also noticed that a network of trails at the Franconia Inn were open and groomed. I decided to stick to my original plan and headed up to Waterville.
When I got to the exit for Waterville, I decided to keep driving. I know Waterville will have some snow next week, but these Franconia Trails may not. So, I continued up to the Franconia Inn which is right across the street from the Franconia Airport.
I got to the parking lot and there were a few others there. The parking lot is across the street from the Inn. The lot was mostly plowed and easy enough to drive on. I parked and went to buy a ticket at the front desk of the Inn.
I talked with the groomer a bit and he showed me what trails were open and groomed. It looked like just what I was looking for. All the trails were green and flat.
Once I got my skis on, I decided I would ski around the Franconia Airport first. This is the same track they were giving horse drawn sleigh rides on. It was cool to share the trail with a horse drawn sleigh.
The Airport loop is big and flat. The groomed trails were about 4 feet wide with a classic track in the middle. So, these trails do not seem good for those with skate skis.
The snow was soft in some areas but I had to remember there was about 2 feet of snow backed down. Started the loop in a counterclockwise direction. I did stop and talk with a few people I passed along the way. When I got back to the parking lot, I crossed the street and headed to explore down by the river.
At first, I came to a small metal bridge that leads to the Flat Track Circle Trail. The temperature is really starting to warm up the snow and the snow is getting a bit stickier and some of the track is collapsing.
After crossing the bridge, the trail follows the river a bit. I would guess this is good fishing in the summertime.
I soon got the split in the loop. This time I decided to go in a clockwise direction. The trail was a bit uneven due to the snow softening. In the shaded areas the snow got very sticky. The more I kept moving the less I would stick.
The trail weaves in and out of the pines and is very beautiful. I got to the end point near the Beaver Bend trail junction and started to loop back. This part of the trail seemed a bit faster and less sticky. There were a few wet spots in places but easy to navigate around.
Before I knew it, I was back at the beginning of the loop. I skied on past the river and over the bridge. I looped behind the Inn over by the horse stables and then climbed up and over to the parking lot where I started.
These trails were very fun. I’m really looking forward to coming back when we get some more snow and checking out the rest of the trail network. I’d even like to stay and the inn sometime. Looks like there is lots to do in the winter and summer.
