
Wildcat Mountain
225 acres, 48 runs in Pinkham Notch. Epic Pass access, spectacular Mount Washington views.
Wildcat Mountain's summit reaches 4,059 feet, dropping 2,112 vertical feet to a base at 1,949 feet across 48 runs spread over 225 acres in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. Terrain splits 46 per cent intermediate, 33 per cent advanced and 21 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs, and average annual snowfall of roughly 103 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Five lifts, including one quad chair and three double chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
Wildcat Mountain is renowned for offering some of the most spectacular views in the Northeast, with the summit looking directly across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. This dramatic outlook, combined with the resort's considerable 2,112-foot vertical drop, gives Wildcat a genuinely scenic and challenging character among White Mountains resorts.
The resort's founders, George Macomber, Brooks Dodge, Malcolm McLane and William 'Mack' Beal Jr, first envisioned Wildcat while sitting on Lunch Rocks in nearby Tuckerman Ravine during the 1950s, looking across Route 16 at a trail originally cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Macomber and Dodge had each raced on two US Olympic teams, McLane brought legal expertise, and Beal contributed experience in forestry, development and banking, a genuinely well-rounded founding team that opened Wildcat Mountain Ski Area in 1957.
On 25 January 1958, Wildcat became the first ski area in North America to install a gondola lift, a landmark achievement in American lift technology. In 2019, Wildcat and its sister resort Attitash were purchased by Vail Resorts, bringing both mountains into the Epic Pass network. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 139 US dollars.
Wildcat Mountain looks across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington, with 48 runs over 225 acres (91 hectares) and a vertical of 2,110 ft (644 m). The summit sits at 4,060 ft (1,238 m) and the base at 1,950 ft (594 m). Terrain is 21% beginner, 46% intermediate and 33% advanced, a spread that tilts toward confident skiers. Snowfall averages around 103 inches a year. The Wildcat Express quad carries most of the traffic to the top, so the layout is simple to read and easy to lap.
The Wildcat trail, cut in 1933 as one of the first ski racing trails in the United States, remains the mountain's namesake run. Polecat is 2.75 miles long and the longest novice trail in New Hampshire, a beginner-friendly descent that shows off the Presidential Range views. Strong skiers have the mountain's solid advanced share to work with, and the 2,110 ft of vertical gives long laps from top to bottom. Wildcat suits intermediates and advanced skiers wanting real vertical, and beginners can still enjoy the long Polecat run.
The 2025-26 season at Wildcat Mountain ran from 6 December 2025 to 5 April 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 103 inches. Wildcat markets itself as offering one of the longest ski seasons in New Hampshire, aided by its considerable elevation and reliable natural snow.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to Wildcat's intermediate-and-advanced-weighted terrain, with spectacular views across Pinkham Notch to Mount Washington throughout. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Wildcat draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside visitors specifically seeking its dramatic mountain scenery.
The resort's genuinely challenging terrain profile, with no beginner-only easy option beyond its 21 per cent beginner share, tends to draw a more experienced skier base relative to some White Mountains competitors. School holiday periods bring some family visitation, though the mountain's character skews toward intermediate and advanced skiers seeking Mount Washington views. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Boston and southern New England region.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' 2019 acquisition alongside sister resort Attitash, Wildcat has continued operating as part of the Epic Pass network, building on nearly seven decades of history dating to its 1957 founding. The mountain's dramatic Pinkham Notch setting remains central to its seasonal appeal.
Daily snow reports at Wildcat Mountain go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Wildcat Mountain sits in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, directly across from Mount Washington, with a base elevation of 1,949 feet and a summit at 4,059 feet across a 2,112-foot vertical drop over 225 acres. This dramatic setting gives Wildcat some of the most spectacular mountain views in the Northeast.
Jackson and North Conway, both within a reasonable drive, offer the nearest substantial lodging, dining and services, with the broader Mount Washington Valley region surrounding the resort. Pinkham Notch itself, part of the White Mountain National Forest, offers extensive additional hiking and outdoor recreation immediately adjacent to the ski area.
New Hampshire State Route 16 runs directly past the resort through Pinkham Notch, providing straightforward access from both the north and south. Winter driving conditions through the notch can include snow and ice, particularly given the area's elevation and exposure, though the well-travelled route is regularly maintained. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Specific nearest commercial airport details are not confirmed in available resort information, though Wildcat's White Mountains location keeps it within a reasonable drive of the greater Boston metropolitan area's major airports for visitors travelling from further afield.
Hotels and lodges near Wildcat Mountain, powered by Stay22.

The Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi lift link isn’t dead after all. A South Tyrol court has overturned Santa Cristina’s rejection of the new Monte Pana-Saltria link on procedural grounds, after the council skipped required public information sessions. Opponents want the missing sessions held and a fresh vote, and nothing has been approved. For now it’s still a bus between the two, but a plan first floated in 2017 is back in the conversation.

A section of Whistler Peak terrain will stay closed all 2026-27 season, Vail Resorts has confirmed, with rockslide mitigation work continuing into summer 2027. Peak Express is still expected to run this winter, but locals are already arguing about what’s actually off limits, whether the Whistler Bowl is gone, and why the news landed after pass sales wound down. Here’s where things stand.

Loveland is open. The Colorado ski area started Chet’s Dream turning on Saturday 7 November to kick off 2026-27, with $60 adult lift tickets to mark 60 years of snowmaking. Expect three runs, nearly 1,000 vertical feet (about 300 metres) of top-to-bottom skiing, live music on the Basin Patio and no beginner terrain yet. Here’s what’s open, what it costs and when Loveland Valley follows.

Fried chicken is heading up the Dolomites. From 5 December KFC will run two restaurants on the slopes - one at 2,123 metres at Cortina, one at 1,700 metres at Madonna di Campiglio - and the polenta-and-canederli crowd has opinions. Local politicians, conservation groups and plenty of Facebook commenters are calling it a step too far, while others just want a cheaper lunch. Here’s what’s on the menu and what’s the fuss.

Mt Rose is going for the first-in-Tahoe title, with the Lakeview Express due to spin at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 6. One main lift, three runs and plenty of snowmaking, sitting on the highest base elevation in the region at 8,260 ft. Here is what is open, what is not (sorry, tubing fans), and how the early North American openings are stacking up.

Europe has had a quiet start to November, but our 10-day forecast has Serre Chevalier on 82 cm and Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm. Two pushes are lined up: a western Alps top-up from Friday, then a bigger, wider system on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 that reaches Italy and Switzerland. Full leaderboard inside.

Mammoth just moved opening day forward to Thursday, November 5, eight days ahead of schedule. A snowy weekend and cold snowmaking nights did the work, and our forecast shows up to 33 inches more landing on November 13 and 14. Here is what opens, what the weather looks like and where Mammoth sits among the early Ikon Pass openers.

Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
Live open status isn’t available right now.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
Days 1–7
4.6"
Days 8–14
0.2"
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Wildcat Mountain, summit conditions (1238m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Wildcat Mountain's 594m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Wildcat Mountain snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 5 lifts, including a quad chairlift.
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Wildcat Mountain.