By Caroline Devine
Pats Peak, a family ski area in Henniker, New Hampshire, offers skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing for all ages. Lift tickets range from $24-$56 for adults aged 18-64, and $24-48 for 6-17 year olds as well as seniors(65+). Renting costs $10-$46, depending on what you need and your skill level.

Pats Peak is offering a new contraption this year, the SnowBike. The SnowBike is used with skiis, and with a simple turn of your head the bike will stop. “The ‘Reflex Based Learning Method’ is intuitive. Only the original Brenter Snowbike® is built to respond to your reflexes. That’s how easy it is,” the Pats Peak website stated.  Pats Peak is also offering POP on Saturday nights from 3-10pm.  POP allows you to get in for one price of $42, and if you rent you’ll have the option of switching to skiis, a snowboard, or snowtubing throughout the night.  This is great option for beginners who are not sure which they like.

I have skied at Pats Peak for over 5 years, and I personally like the mountain because there’s a great park with jumps, stairs, and box jumps.  Also, the trails change by level throughout the mountain.  You can ski or snowboard the black diamonds for a little, but switch to beginner or intermediate later down the mountain if you don’t like it.  Sometimes there are hundreds of people there, but the mountain is big enough that you don’t get traffic, especially while loading onto one of the five chairlifts.

Patty, a ski instructor for 19 years at Pats Peak, said she likes the mountain because there’s something new to learn everyday.

Pats Peak is only a 90 minute ride from Hopkinton and I definately recommend it for a fun, stress-free day of riding! For more information, visit PatsPeak.