Wildcat Mountain Ski Area
Wildcat Mountain Ski Area is a ski area located on Wildcat Mountain near Jackson, New Hampshire, United States, in the Mount Washington Valley. Its vertical drop of is the second largest in New Hampshire and the ninth largest in New England. Wildcat is one of the best-known alpine skiing resorts in New England, with lifts from the base on NH Rt. 16 in Pinkham Notch up to the summit ridge. The area has 49 trails on , including the Polecat Trail — the longest ski trail in New Hampshire. The Wildcat Valley Trail, an ungroomed cross-country  ski trail, leads from the summit down to the town of Jackson, New Hampshire as part of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation trail network, dropping in . History. Wildcat is home to one of the oldest ski-racing trails in the United States. The original trail was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Wildcat was the first ski area to have a gondola lift, which opened on January 25, 1958. The lift has since been replaced with a Doppelmayr high-speed chairlift known as the "Wildcat Express", but gondola carriers are still used for summer scenic operations. Wildcat's  base elevation and proximity to Mount Washington produces an annual natural snowfall of over . As a result, the ski and snowboard season generally lasts from mid-November through early May. In recent years, Wildcat has worked to improve its summer and fall activities. In addition to replacing the aging gondola lift with a new high-speed chairlift (which is converted to a gondola during the summer and fall), the area has added a zip line, served by a triple chairlift. The resort was acquired in 1986 by Pat Franchi and family. In October 2010, they signed a deal to sell  the ski area to Peak Resorts subject to approval by the U.S. Forest Service which owns the underlying land. The new operators decided to not honor lifetime passes sold under previous ownership, resulting in possible legal action. Wildcat and Attitash in the town of Bartlett are now owned by Vail Resorts. Tickets are good at both mountain regardless of where they are bought. The Epic Pass can be used at these and all other ski areas operated by Vail Resorts.