Wildcat Inn and Tavern Blog Jackson NH

By Tom Eastman, Conway Daily Sun Feb. 2, 2010

JACKSON — It was a sellout dancing crowd at Black Mountain’s base lodge Saturday night for the venerable resort’s 75th birthday gala, as the Valley’s Swingtones Big Band played a smooth series of sets that got everyone “In the Mood,” Glenn Miller Orchestra style.
The day’s events included skiing at Black, a dinner, torchlight parade, birthday cake and address by ski historian Ian Scully, who presented a brief overview of Black’s history. Scully is creator of the ski documentary, “Austria’s Influence on American Skiing.” Also featured at Black was the annual N.H. Sanctioned Snow Sculpting.

This year’s 2010 “People’s Choice” was awarded to Greg Grady andStephen Torpazio. First Place was awarded to Jonathan Pullan, StephenPullan and Jay Tremblay, who will be representing New Hampshire at the Nationals in Lake Geneva Wisconsin in 2011. The Pullan brothers — who hail from East Conway — have also won in the past.

TheInvitational first-place winner was awarded to Bryny Urquhart andMolly Urquhart of Maine.

Sunny, affordable and historic, Black Mountain has been a New England tradition since 1935 and, as the marketing director puts it, “continues to walk the very fine line of today and yesterday.” Back when it started, Black was known as Moody’s, as farmer Edwin Moody had his farmhouse which took in some lodgers and a hill behind the house. In 1935, he and local inventor George Morton and Phil Robertson of the local electric company at Goodrich Falls hydro-electric dam put up a tow, and soon skiers were flocking to the place. “Phil [Robertson] needed a day time power customer because they were dealing with hyrdo-electric — that’s part of the story behind the lift at Moody’s. They could not turn off the river, obviously, and it made sense to try and develop a big customer during the day that would counteract the draw they needed for the nighttime when everyone would be turning on their electric lights,” notes Jeff Leich of the New England Ski Museum, who was among the ski luminaries who attended Saturday’s gala.

By Tom Eastman

Back when it started, Black was known as Moody’s, as farmer Edwin Moody had his farmhouse which took in some lodgers and a hill behind the house. In 1935, he and local inventor George Morton and Phil Robertson of the local electric company at Goodrich Falls hydro-electric dam put up a tow, and soon skiers were flocking to the place.

“Phil [Robertson] needed a day time power customer because they were dealing with hyrdo-electric — that’s part of the story behind the lift at Moody’s. They could not turn off the river, obviously, and it made sense to try and develop a big customer during the day that would counteract the draw they needed for the nighttime when everyone would be turning on their electric lights,” notes Jeff Leich of the New England Ski Museum. (He added that Robertson played a pivotal role in the valley’s ski history: after putting up the lift at Moody’s, he later worked at Cranmore Mountain as general manager for 25 years for Cranmore developer Harvey Dow Gibson (1882-1950), and then went on to become a founder at Attitash, where “his vision of the Cog Monorail never took fruition,” said Leich. Still, think of the link there: the Shovel Handle, the Skimobile, and the Cog Monorail — all part of valley ski history.)

In fall 1936, Bill and Betty Whitney bought the farm, and renamed it Whitneys’ (that’s a possessive plural, Betty always said, because it took two people to make a go of the ski and innkeeping business).
That 1936-37 season was the same first winter for Carroll Reed’s Eastern Slope Ski School, the American branch of skimeister Hannes Scchneider’s ski school in St. Anton, Austria. Although they skied on a combination of frozen sheep manure and smashed apples at the nearby golf course of the Eagle Mountain House for much of that first winter, the ski school was a resounding success, and the area then known as the Eastern Slope Region was on its way to becoming a ski resort.
The following winter, Bill Whitney retrofitted Black’s rope tow by turning the bullwheel horizontal so it would not slip off so easily. He also ordered 72 shovel handles from Sears Roebuck — he attached the handles to the slippery rope, making it easier for skiers to hang on. Henceforth, the lift acquired a nickname — the Shovel Handle. Today, the Shovel Handle Pub at Whitneys’ carries on the old tow’s name.

In 1948, Bill and Betty teamed up with Stanley and Halsey Davis to expand their ski area’s trails to Black.
Now owned by the Fichera family, Black harkens to its roots as a family-friendly, affordable area that offers classic New England skiing on sunny, meandering trails that all give beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
Sheltered from the prevailing northwestern winds, Black’s sunny slopes are a delight on days when other resorts can be windy and cold. Read the rest of this entry »

The only New Hampshire Snow Sculpting & Jackson Invitational Event promises to be one of the best sculpting events to have taken place in Jackson yet…

Sculptors will begin sculpting on Friday January 29th continuing through Sunday January 31st until Noon. Visitors will have a great opportunity to meet all the teams at the Welcome Reception being held at the Red Fox Bar & Grille starting at 5:30 PM (priced accordingly). Visitors and Artist can share ideas and snow stories as well as warm up by the fire, enjoy some great food and cheer. Then we\’ll head back over to the Sculpting area in Jackson Village Park for a torch lighting, bon fire and S\’mores (priced accordingly).

Carver\’s work until Sunday at Noon when everyone is invited to the Eagle Mountain House & Golf Club for a great Sunday Brunch and Awards ceremony (priced accordingly).

12 or more teams are expected including past winners. Bring your cameras the sculptures are always impressive.

Current photography provided by one of Jackson\’s own Dick Devellian as well as one of our favorite volunteers Robert Flammia\’s Tophat Photography.

Location: Jackson Village Park
Date: Friday, January 29, 2010
Time:

Hoot Night

NORTH CONWAY NH — As a result of a small kitchen fire Nov. 4 that has forced the Wildcat Inn and Tavern to close for repairs for the month, Hoot Night is being moved to the Windows on Main Street at Horsefeathers on Tuesdays for the month of November starting Nov. 10.
Co-owner Stu Dunlop said the inn will be closed until after Thanksgiving to make way for installation of a new sprinkler system as well. So, Dunlop said, Hoot Night for the month of November will go on, just in a different location: the Windows on Main Street at Horsefeathers in North Conway. “Jonathan Sarty and the White Mountain Boys will host, and the same tavern crew will be there — Rane Peterson and Kate Saunders behind the bar, Sitch Samia at the door. Just like at the tavern Hoots, there will be free pizza for all performers,” said Dunlop. He added that renovation work has already begun at the tavern kitchen areas.

For further information, call 356-6862.

Jackson NH would like to invite families to join in for a Safe Old Fashioned Community Trick or Treat Block Party for children 10 and under accompanied by their parents. This Trick or Treat Sweet Street fun event will take place on Thursday October 31, 2008 Halloween from 4:00 PM until 6:30 PM… this is our 2nd year of presenting this event and we look forward to seeing you there.

Children can stroll down the spooky pumpkin lined streets in the center of Jackson village and collect goodies from displays set up by local businesses and families!

Some of the businesses participating are Black Bear Realty, Story Land, the Christmas Farm Inn & Spa, Badger Realty, the Eagle Mountain House, the Inn at Jackson, the Lodge at Jackson Village, the Snowflake Inn, the Wentworth, an Elegant Country Inn and the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce.

If you or your business would like to host a display table and give out goodies to local and visiting kids call the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce office today at 383-9356!
Read the rest of this entry »

Rob Peterson (left), general manager of Horsefeathers in North Conway, awaits as Janice Crawford (right), executive director of the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, calls the first monthly winner Sept. 30 of a 50-inch Samsung flat panel plasma TV after Crawford drew the winning name from a list of guest checks. The first winner was Chris Joslyn of Holden, Mass

The next TV will be awarded at Horsefeathers’ sister restaurant, the Wildcat Inn and Tavern, Oct. 31, followed by another giveaway at fellow sister restaurant Decades Nov. 30 and the final giveaway at Horsefeathers on Dec. 31st (New Year’s Eve)

For futher information, call Horsefeathers at 356-2687. The televisions were supplied by the Sound Resort of North Conway.