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48-571: Wildcat is one of the best-known alpine skiing resorts in New England , with lifts from the base on NH 16 in Pinkham Notch 2,112 feet (644 m) up to the summit ridge. The area has 49 trails on 225 acres (91 ha), including the 2.75-mile (4.43 km) Polecat Trail — the longest ski trail in New Hampshire. The Wildcat Valley Trail, an ungroomed cross-country ski trail, leads from

96-638: 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. In 2019, Wildcat and its sister resort, Attitash (in the town of Bartlett ), were purchased by Vail Resorts . Tickets may be used at both mountains regardless of where they are purchased. The Epic Pass can be used at these mountains, and all other ski areas operated by Vail Resorts. Wildcat currently has four operating chairlifts , with one detachable quad . Wildcat Mountain

144-409: A hard plastic/resin shell with inner padding. Modern ski helmets may include many additional features such as vents, earmuffs, headphones, goggle mounts, and camera mounts. The protective gear used in alpine skiing includes: helmets, mouth guards, shin guards, chin guards, arm guards, back protectors, pole guards, and padding. Mouth guards can reduce the effects of a concussion and protect the teeth of

192-775: A modified type), and internal ducts blowing hot air on the surface. The forerunners of the snowcat were the tracked "motors" designed by Captain Scott and his engineer Reginald Skelton for the Antarctic Terra Nova Expedition of 1910–1913. These tracked motors were built by the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company in Birmingham . Theodore P. Flynn and the United States Forestry Service in Oregon developed

240-399: A normal downhill ski which would most likely sink into the snow. Freestyle skis are used by skiers who ski terrain parks. These skis are meant to help a skier who skis jumps, rails, and other features placed throughout the terrain park. Freestyle skis are usually fully symmetric, meaning they are the same dimensions from the tip of the ski to the backside (tail) of the ski. All-mountain skis are

288-468: 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

336-409: A snow tractor in 1937. The name "snowcat" originates from the 1946 trademark by Tucker Sno-Cat Corporation of Medford, Oregon . This specialized over-snow vehicle dominated the snow transportation market until the 1960s when other manufacturers entered the business. By then "snowcat" was such a common description that it was used to describe all over-snow vehicles (see generic trademark ). Tucker

384-425: A solid foam interior. Their design is optimized for a snow surface, or soft grounds such as that of a peat bog . The cabs are optimized for use in sub-zero weather or cold conditions worsened by wind chill , with strong forced heating and a windshield designed to be kept clear of internal and external ice or condensation through a variety of means such as advanced coatings, external scrapers (windshield wipers of

432-402: Is a device used to connect the skier's boot to the ski. The purpose of the binding is to allow the skier to stay connected to the ski, but if the skier falls the binding can safely release them from the ski to prevent injury. There are two types of bindings: the heel and toe system (step-in) and the plate system binding. Ski boots are one of the most important accessories to skiing. They connect

480-540: Is also well known for its use of four tracks on its vehicles. Tucker Sno-Cat is arguably the best known of the early manufacturers and remains in business today. Tucker Sno-Cats have been used by numerous military, governmental agencies and utilities. Competitive snowcat trials were conducted by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service in Sun Valley, Idaho from 1950-1952. In the 1955–1958 Fuchs and Hillary Transantarctic Expedition , four modern snowcats were used, produced by

528-775: Is an enclosed-cab, truck-sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to travel over snow . Major manufacturers are PistenBully (Germany), Prinoth (Italy), and Tucker (United States). A snowcat dedicated to snow maintenance rather than transport is known as a snow groomer. Other terms are "piste machines", "trail groomers" (in North American English) or "piste bashers" (in British English ) because of their use in preparing ski trails (" pistes ") or snowmobile trails. In addition to grooming snow they are used for polar expeditions, logging in marsh areas, leveling sugar beet piles, medical evacuations, and seismic studies in

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576-462: Is from Norwegian dialects slalåm meaning a trail ( låm ) on a slope ( sla ). In Telemark in the 1800s, the steeper and more difficult trails were called ville låmir (wild trails). Skiing competitions in Telemark often began on a steep mountain, continued along a logging-slides ( tømmerslepe ) and was completed with a sharp turn ( Telemark turn ) on a field or frozen lake. This type of competition used

624-447: Is made of plastic and contains the buckles. Most ski boots contain a strap at shin level to allow for extra strength when tightening the boots. Ski poles, one in each hand, are used for balance and propulsion. Ski helmets reduce the chances of head injury while skiing. Ski helmets also help to provide warmth to the head since they incorporate an inner liner that traps warmth. Helmets are available in many styles, and typically consist of

672-438: Is measured by percent slope, not degree angle. A 100% slope is a 45-degree angle. In general, beginner slopes (green circle) are between 6% and 25%. Intermediate slopes (blue square) are between 25% and 40%. Difficult slopes (black diamond) are 40% and up. Although slope gradient is the primary consideration in assigning a trail difficulty rating, other factors come into play. A trail will be rated by its most difficult part, even if

720-429: Is rotated onto its edge, the pattern cut into its side causes it to bend into an arc. The contact between the arc of the ski edges and the snow naturally causes the ski to tend to move along that arc, changing the skiers direction of motion. This is an advanced form of speed control by increasing the pressure on one inside edge (for example the right ski), then releasing the pressure and shifting immediately to increasing

768-404: Is the stem, angling the tail of the ski off to the side, while the tips remain close together. In doing so, the snow resists passage of the stemmed ski, creating a force that retards downhill speed and sustains a turn in the opposite direction. When both skis are stemmed, there is no net turning force, only retardation of downhill speed. Carving is based on the shape of the ski itself; when the ski

816-774: The World Championships , and the Winter Olympics . Broadly speaking, competitive skiing is divided into two disciplines: Other disciplines administered by the FIS but not usually considered part of alpine are speed skiing and grass skiing . The triple crown of alpine skiing consists of winning all three World Cup titles in one season or all three Gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games in Slalom , Giant slalom , and Downhill skiing events. Only two people have ever accomplished

864-458: The stem christie in Christiania (Oslo) in 1868, the technique was originally called christiania turn (norwegian: christianiasving or kristianiasving ) after the city (first printed in 1901 in guidelines for ski jumping). The telemark turn was the alternative technique. The christiania turn later developed into parallel turn as the standard technique in alpine skiing. The term "slalom"

912-704: The 103 ski resorts in the Northeastern United States operating in 2012 may not be able to maintain an economically viable ski season by 2050. In Europe, half of the glacial ice in the Alps has melted and the European Geosciences Union projects snowpack in the mountains could decline 70 percent by 2100 (however, if humans manage to keep global warming below 2 °C, the snow-cover reduction would be limited to 30 percent by 2100). Snowcat A snowcat (a portmanteau of snow and cat erpillar )

960-709: The Imp, Super Imp and Spryte dual-track models. Thiokol manufactured an amphibious version of the Spryte, called the Swamp Spryte. Thiokol sold its ski-lift and snowcat operation in 1978 to John DeLorean , and changed its name to DeLorean Manufacturing Company (DMC). DMC was later bought out by its management team and renamed Logan Machine Company (LMC). LMC ceased production around 2000. The Spryte, sold later as 1200 and 1500 series machines, are still popular in commercial, industrial use, and as privately owned snowcats. In 2002 Ohara acquired

1008-795: The Tucker Sno-Cat Corporation. These vehicles were highly modified for the purposes of the expedition. Between 1956 and 1968, Kristi Company made two-track snowcats in Colorado but ceased production with fewer than 200 total units sold. Another early model was the Swedish made Aktiv Snow Trac of which 2265 were manufactured in Sweden between 1957 and 1981. The Snow Trac was used by NATO forces, and by research organizations such as A.N.A.R.E. in Antarctica. Over 1000 Snow Tracs were imported to Canada and

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1056-561: The United States, mostly by Canadian utilities and U.S. governmental agencies; the Snow Trac is still in common use in private ownership. An updated version called "Sno Trac" is produced by an Idaho company. Around 1959 Bruce Nodwell Ltd. of Canada produced the Nodwell 110, which in 1965 became a new company, Foremost Industries. Thiokol was another American maker of small snowcats, notably

1104-475: The athlete. Shin guards, pole guards, arm guards and chin guards are mainly used in slalom skiing in order to protect the body parts having impact with the gates. Back protectors and padding, also known as stealth, is worn for giant slalom and other speed events in order to better protect the body if an athlete were to have an accident at high speeds. Elite competitive skiers participate in the FIS World Cup ,

1152-406: The bindings to be more closely matched to the fit of the boot, and offer improved performance. The new plastic model contained two parts of the boots: an inner boot and an outer shell. The inner part of the boot (also called the liner) is the cushioning part of the boot and contains a footbed along with a cushion to keep a skier's foot warm and comfortable. The outer shell is the part of the boot that

1200-431: The fall line without gaining speed. The snowplough turn is the simplest form of turning and is usually learned by beginners. To perform the snowplough turn one must be in the snowplough position while going down the ski slope. While doing this they apply more pressure to the inside of the opposite foot of which the direction they would like to turn. This type of turn allows the skier to keep a controlled speed and introduces

1248-417: The fall line, across the hill instead of down it, will accelerate more slowly. The speed of descent down any given hill can be controlled by changing the angle of motion in relation to the fall line, skiing across the hill rather than down it. Downhill skiing technique focuses on the use of turns to smoothly turn the skis from one direction to another. Additionally, the skier can use the same techniques to turn

1296-548: The feat: In most ski resorts, the runs are graded according to comparative difficulty so that skiers can select appropriate routes. The grading schemes around the world are related, although with significant regional variations. A beginner-rated trail at a large mountain may be more of an intermediate-rated trail on a smaller mountain. In the United States and Canada, there are four rating symbols: Easy (green circle), Intermediate (blue square), and Difficult (black diamond), and Experts Only (double black diamond) Ski trail difficulty

1344-415: The idea of turning across the fall line.  Modern alpine skis are shaped to enable carve turning, and have evolved significantly since the 1980s, with variants including powder skis, freestyle skis, all-mountain skis, and children's skis. Powder skis are usually used when there is a large amount of fresh snow; the shape of a powder ski is wide, allowing the ski to float on top of the snow, compared to

1392-464: The knee, head, neck and shoulder area, hands and back. Ski helmets are highly recommended by professionals as well as doctors. Head injuries caused in skiing can lead to death or permanent brain damage.   In alpine skiing, for every 1000 people skiing in a day, on average between two and four will require medical attention. Most accidents are the result of user error leading to an isolated fall. Learning how to fall correctly and safely can reduce

1440-424: The lift line was dismantled and the summit terminal was torn down in the following years after. The gondola cabins were saved and sold off, with many scattered across the state and throughout the east coast. The lift has since been replaced with a Doppelmayr high-speed chairlift known as the "Wildcat Express". Separate 4-person gondola cabins are used for summer scenic operations, however since Vail's acquisition of

1488-415: The most common type of ski, and tend to be used as a typical alpine ski. All-mountain skis are built to do a little bit of everything; they can be used in fresh snow ( powder ) or used when skiing groomed runs. Slalom race skis, usually referred to as race skis, are short, narrow skis, which tend to be stiffer because they are meant for those who want to go fast as well as make quick sharp turns. The binding

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1536-675: The mountain in 2019 the cabins have not been used. Alpine skiing Alpine skiing , or downhill skiing , is the pastime of sliding down snow -covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings , unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country , Telemark , or ski jumping ), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for recreation or for sport , it is typically practiced at ski resorts , which provide such services as ski lifts , artificial snow making , snow grooming , restaurants, and ski patrol . " Off-piste " skiers—those skiing outside ski area boundaries—may employ snowmobiles , helicopters or snowcats to deliver them to

1584-486: The natural and typical terrain in Telemark. Some races were on "bumpy courses" ( kneikelåm ) and sometimes included "steep jumps" ( sprøytehopp ) for difficulty. The first known slalom competitions were presumably held in Telemark around 1870 in conjunction with ski jumping competitions, involving the same athletes and on slopes next to the ski jump. Husebyrennet from 1886 included svingrenn (turning competition on hills),

1632-428: The other inside edge (the left ski). Then repeat if necessary. Each increased pressure slows the speed. Alternating right and left allows the skis to remain parallel and point ahead without turning. The increase and release sequence results in the up and down motions of the upper body. Some skiers go down the top of moguls and control the speed by checking at the tops. This is how they can practically go straight down

1680-455: The rest of the trail is easy. Ski resorts assign ratings to their own trails, rating a trail compared only with other trails at that resort. Also considered are width of the trail, sharpest turns, terrain roughness, and whether the resort regularly grooms the trail. In 2014, there were more than 114,000 alpine skiing-related injuries treated in hospitals, doctor's offices, and emergency rooms. The most common types of ski injuries are those of

1728-634: The rights to make LMC models. Russia as one of the snowiest countries in the world has a wide range of snowcat producers, from the 30-ton load capacity two linked-track Vityaz vehicles to 0.4-2 ton load capacity ZZGT vehicles. Bombardier has been in the snowcat business from 1961 but has radically altered its business model and product selection. Bombardier sold over 3,000 of its popular snow bus models which are still in use today and in popular demand by dedicated collectors. Bombardier sold its snow groomer business to Camoplast in 2004 who in turn sold to it to Leitner Group/ Prinoth in 2005. By 1964, Prinoth

1776-467: The risk of injury. According to a 2004 Harvard Medical School study, alpine skiing burns between 360 and 532 calories per hour. Winter season lengths are projected to decline at ski areas across North America and Europe due to the effects of global warming . In the United States, winter season lengths are projected to decline by more than 50 percent by 2050 and by 80 percent by 2090 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates. About half of

1824-430: The ski away from the direction of movement, generating skidding forces between the skis and snow which further slow the descent. Good technique results in a fluid flowing motion from one descent angle to another one, adjusting the angle as needed to match changes in the steepness of the run. This looks more like a single series of S's than turns followed by straight sections. The oldest and still common type of turn on skis

1872-399: The skier to the skis, allowing them full control over the ski. When ski boots first came about they were made of leather and laces were used. The leather ski boots started off as low-cut, but gradually became taller, allowing for more ankle support, as injuries became more common . Eventually the tied laces were replaced with buckles and the leather boots were replaced with plastic. This allowed

1920-638: The summit down to the town of Jackson, New Hampshire as part of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation trail network, dropping 3,240 feet (990 m) in 11.1 miles (17.9 km). 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's 1,950-foot (590 m) base elevation and proximity to Mount Washington produces an annual natural snowfall of over 200 inches (5,100 mm). As

1968-564: The term slalåm had not been introduced at that time. Slalom was first used at a skiing competition in Sonnenberg in 1906. Two to three decades later, the sport spread to the rest of Europe and the US. The first slalom ski competition occurred in Mürren , Switzerland in 1922. A skier following the fall line will reach the maximum possible speed for that slope. A skier with skis pointed perpendicular to

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2016-1072: The top of a slope. Back-country skiers may use specialized equipment with a free-heel mode, including 'sticky' skins on the bottoms of the skis to stop them sliding backwards during an ascent, then locking the heel and removing the skins for their descent. Alpine ski racing has been held at the Winter Olympics since 1936 . A competition corresponding to modern slalom was introduced in Norway at Oslo in 1886. As of 2023, there were estimated to be 55 million people worldwide who engaged in alpine skiing. The estimated number of skiers, who practiced alpine, cross-country skiing , and related snow sports, amounted to 30 million in Europe, 20 million in North America, and 14 million in Japan. As of 1996, there were reportedly 4,500 ski areas, operating 26,000 ski lifts and enjoying skier visits. The predominant region for downhill skiing

2064-514: The wilderness. Most snowcats, such as the ones produced by Bombardier or Aktiv in the past, have two sets of tracks, fitted with a Christie suspension or a Horstmann suspension . Others, like the Tucker Sno-Cat and Hägglunds Bandvagn 206 vehicles, have a complex arrangement of four or more tracks. The tracks are usually made of rubber , aluminum or steel and driven by a single sprocket on each side, and ride over rubber wheels with

2112-413: The winter when they froze over. Skiing was an integral part of transportation in colder countries for thousands of years. In the 1760s, skiing was recorded as being used in military training. The Norwegian army held skill competitions involving skiing down slopes, around trees and obstacles while shooting. The birth of modern alpine skiing is often dated to the 1850s, and during the late 19th century, skiing

2160-505: Was Europe, followed by Japan and the US. The ancient origins of skiing can be traced back to prehistoric times in Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway where varying sizes and shapes of wooden planks were found preserved in peat bogs . The word ski is related to the Old Norse word skíð , which means "split piece of wood or firewood." Skis were first invented to cross wetlands and marshes in

2208-554: Was adapted from a method of transportation to a competitive and recreational sport. Norwegian legend Sondre Norheim first began the trend of skis with curved sides, and bindings with stiff heel bands made of willow . Norheim also trended the slalom turn style. The wooden skis designed by Norheim closely resemble the shape of modern slalom skis. Norheim was the champion of the first downhill skiing competition, reportedly held in Oslo, Norway in 1868. Norheim impressed spectators when he used

2256-550: Was mass-producing the P15 snow groomer. Finland companies Formatic (from 1970 to 2008) and Keiteleen Latukone Oy were purchased by Kässbohrer in 2008. In 1972 Japanese Ohara snow groomers worked the Sapporo Winter Olympic Games. Kässbohrer began producing the widely-used PistenBully starting in the early 1970s, with 10,000 sold by the mid 1990s. They launched the first 100% electric snow groomer in 2019. Starting in

2304-515: Was the first ski area in North America to have a gondola lift , which opened on January 25, 1958. It was the first of many aerial lifts installed by Carlevaro-Savio in New England , and was the first lift constructed by the company in the United States . The gondola was known for its unique and colorful "cocoon" design, with each cabin holding two passengers each. Upon its decommission in 1998,

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