Tin Mountain Conservation Center & Appalachian Mountain Club Offer Free Guided Tours at Wildcat Mountain

Pinkham Notch, NH – Wildcat Mountain and the Tin Mountain Conservation Center will once again offer “Wednesdays at Wildcat” naturalist led programs and new this summer “Tin Mountain Tuesdays” to a schedule of summer events. Also new this summer, Wildcat Mountain has partnered with the nearby Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to offer a monthly series of naturalist led summit tours and optional guided hikes from the summit to the base of Wildcat Mountain.

Also once a month this summer & fall, a similar high alpine summit tour will be led by naturalists from the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center followed by a guided hike down from the 4,062 foot summit of Wildcat Mountain. Scheduled dates for the “AMC Guided Summit Tour & Hike” are Saturdays - July 16th, August 20th, September 10th, & October 8th.

Big Beers Festival Organizer Grants Interview Co-Founder and Organizer Laura Lodge Discusses Charity Event

Vail, CO - The Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival is a three day event held in January in Vail, Colorado. Offering beer and food pairings, a commercial tasting, educational workshops and seminars, Big Beers is considered a premier destination beer event and is open to the public. Brother and sister team Bill and Laura Lodge host the event; Bill as founder of the initial concept eleven years ago, and Laura as the active organizer of this charitable event for beer enthusiasts. Laura was recently interviewed regarding her role with Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines.

The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is a three day event held in Vail, Colorado each January, featuring educational seminars, two Brewmasters dinners, a Commercial Tasting, a homebrew competition and other tastings and pairings. Designed to welcome the beer connoisseur, the innovative homebrewer, or the novice taster, participants will find events appropriate for all levels of interest. The festival regularly draws breweries from around the world offering literally hundreds of choices. The beer & food pairing competition is a popular option as well as the Cicerone Workshop, a program similar to the Sommelier designation in the world of wine. Additionally, the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival actively supports the efforts of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, a local organization that helps individuals who live and work in the Vail Valley that have critical financial need due to medical catastrophes, accidents or long-term illnesses.

Summer at Winter Park is Officially Open

New York Times named Winter Park Resort one of six “Bargain Summer Trips Free From Crowds

Winter Park, CO - Even with lingering snow on the slopes, the 2011 summer season at Winter Park Resort officially opened on Saturday, June 11, 2011. All family base area activities are ready for guests, the Epic Singletrack Series began the first of seven races and life has returned to The Village at Winter Park. Trestle Bike Park is scheduled to open next Saturday, June 18.

Opening day coincides with a recent article published by The New York Times, where Winter Park Resort was honored by being named one of six destinations in a story written by travel editor, Michelle Higgins, titled Bargain Summer Trips Free From Crowds. It highlights a value vacation free from the heat, where lodging prices are drastically reduced in summer versus peak winter travel dates. The article also references the abundance of family activities and the lift-accessible mountain bike terrain in Trestle Bike Park. Other destinations named include Aruba, Las Vegas, St. Petersburg, FL., New Orleans and Scottsdale, AZ.
Marlinton

Wilmington/Whiteface 100K Presented by SRAM Field begins to Fill

Wilmington, NY - From doctors to lawyers, Olympians to professional cyclists and even NFL punters, the inaugural Wilmington/ Whiteface 100K Mountain Bike Race presented by SRAM (WW100) will have a wide array of riders. Some of the more than 200 cyclists for Sunday’s, June 19, race are trying to qualify for August’s Leadville 100 MTB (LT 100), while others are hoping they can just complete the grueling 57-mile long course.

“Some of the cyclists have already been on the course preparing themselves physically and mentally,” said David Weins, the race’s technical director. Weins is also a six-time Leadville champion. “From what I’ve heard so far, everyone likes the course and the terrain that it covers. Some have even said the ‘climbs are fun.’ It’s demanding and will test these riders. This event will bring out the best from everyone in the field.”

“I’m pretty good at climbing, but my specialty is weaving through trails and trees,” added 2010 men’s singles luge Olympian Chris Mazdzer, of Saranac Lake, N.Y. “There are some pretty good climbs, especially up Whiteface … that’s a tough one to finish on.”

The race is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m., with a shotgun start from the Whiteface Mountain bridge. From there, the cyclists will tear down paved and dirt roads near Jay and Saddleback Mountains before returning to the Olympic mountain where a 2,566 foot climb awaits them before crossing the finish line.

The field’s top riders are expected to cross the finish line in about four hours. Racers will have a total of eight hours to complete the race.

“I really haven’t had a lot of time on a bike this summer,” continued Mazdzer. “I’m not really sure what to expect, but I plan on riding as much as I can, get some hours in, over the next several days and take it from there. I really don’t have a finish time in mind.”

Wildcat Mountain Offers “Fathers Day” Free Ride On New Hampshire’s Highest Scenic Gondola

Pinkham Notch, NH - On Fathers Day, Sunday, June 19, dads (and grandfathers too) can enjoy the Wildcat Express scenic gondola for free when one or more other family members purchase an adult or junior gondola ride. The only one of its kind in North America, the Wildcat Express transforms from New Hampshire’s arguably fastest and most powerful summit quad chairlift during the winter and spring skiing and riding season to the state’s highest summer and fall scenic gondola. The enclosed 4-person scenic gondolas offer a unique guest experience and opportunity to view Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range from atop the over 4,000 foot summit. The Wildcat Express scenic gondola is the best way for the entire family, including well-behaved dogs on leash, to enjoy the legendary views and scenery that have been consistently voted #1 in the East.

Pat’s Peak and Attitash Mountain host the Eastern New Hampshire State Championships and the States Cup

Pat’s Peak, Henniker, NH and Attitash Mountain, Bartlett, NH will host the Eastern States Cup USA Cycling Regional Championship Series and the USA Cycling NH State Downhill Mountain Bike Championships June 12th and 19th respectively. The Eastern States Cup Series is a USA Cycling Regional Championship Series and features three USA Cycling State Championships. The NH State Champions will be crowned at Attitash after the race. Both venues will offer Saturday and Sunday practice for the racers and spectators.

The ESC kicked off the series last weekend at Mount Snow, VT. Richie Rude and Becky Gardner took home the cash for the pro men and women classes. The full results and series standings are posted on the ESC’s website: www.easternstatescup.com

The race at Pat’s Peak is part of the 10th Annual Pat’s Peak Bike Festival Weekend. The Festival features a 6/12/24 hour race, the ESC downhill series race, an XC race and multiple other events to keep the whole family happy. The DH course is challenging but really fun for all abilities. Downhill racers get the better of two runs to prove who is the fastest racer that day. Bring the kids bikes and helmets for their own race. Pat’s Peak is located twenty minutes from Concord, ninety minutes from Boston and about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Albany, NY.