Page 14 - JAN2021

Page 14 Newfound Lake Life January 2021
Sports
Skiing Through Covid-19: How to Stay Safe and
By Brittany amalfi
The spread of Covid-19 has put a hold on many things in our lives, but the people of New Hampshire won’t let it take away their winter activities. New Hampshire is known for its fan- tastic ski resorts, and the people of these resorts are stepping up to provide a safe and enjoyable experience this winter amidst the pandemic.
The Granite State Safe “Know Before You Go” website provides users with different tips and links on how to stay safe this winter when participating in your annual activities. By giving peo- ple the basics on how to stay safe, individuals can begin to plan out their ski and snowboard adven- ture for the 2020-2021 season. Their quick and catchy Youtube
Have Fun During Winter Activities
videos also add an entertaining factor when learning the basics of staying safe!
Many ski resorts in New Hampshire are changing the game regarding health and safety protocols for their patrons. These resorts have made it their mission to put their customers’ health first on their list of priorities so that the people can feel safe this win- ter. From mask-wearing to social distancing, everyone should fol- low these guidelines in order to enjoy themselves while partaking in these activities this season.
Ragged Mountain Resort opened for its winter season on December 10th. With limited indoor space seating in their lodge, the resort completely rede- signed the layout to ensure social distancing. There is now more
outdoor seating with access to heaters available, and the time limit for indoor space is no more than thirty minutes. High-touch surfaces will be cleaned and dis- infected frequently, and food from the Harvest Cafe can be picked up and either eaten inside (with limited seating) or outside. There’s also the option of taking it back to your vehicle for a little car picnic. All daily rentals will be reserved and sold online, and somebody will clean the equip- ment between each use.
Reserving rental equipment online seems to be something a lot of resorts are practicing now. Like Ragged Mountain, Loon Mountain also has a reservation system for its customers. With Loon Mountain’s reservation sys- tem, you can pick an arrival time for the equipment to be ready, and face coverings are required at the time of pick up. Loon is
working hard to figure out how to keep skiers spread out. They plan on opening the terrain across the resort by opening select trails at each peak to get more lifts and lodges open quickly. On top of this new strategy, they have also added forty-one new KLIK hy- drants on Flying Fox, Link, and Crosscut. Loon plans on oper- ating all lifts this winter as snow conditions permit. Their fun doesn’t end there as they are also offering snow tubing evening sessions Friday through Sunday. Keep in mind they are not offer- ing Tot Tubing the Adventure Center activities this season. The Loon app can help people stay up to date easier as things change!
Mount Sunapee opened for the season on December 12th, and like Dartmouth Skiway and Whaleback Mountain, they re- quire face coverings at all times. These resorts ask all guests to ride
the chairlifts with their respective parties and refrain from riding with strangers. Sunapee’s instruc- tors have gone through COVID- 19 protocol training and are here to provide learners with a safe and enjoyable experience. Dart- mouth Skiway is also offering skiing lessons for groups within the same household and who traveled together. Guests who are interested in classes can give their Snowsports School a call begin- ning on December 14th. Dart- mouth opened for their season on December 19th and Whaleback on December 28th with condi- tions permitting. Tenney Moun- tain is also projected to open on January 1st with proper guide- lines in place, like limited space inside the lodge and limited food and beverages.
COVID-19 has cast a dark shadow over the world during these past few months, but peo- ple are finding ways to bring back some joy into their lives. Finding that joy is rooted in the safety we need to feel, and these commend- able ski resorts ensure that safety. By making it their mission to pro- vide a safe environment for their guests, they help these people find a little joy, and more importantly, a little normalcy. I hope we all can find some happiness when we hit the slopes this season. Stay safe and have fun, everyone!
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