Bretton Woods Canopy Tour

When someone asks if you're ready to "zip your face off" I suggest you answer with an emphatic YES!!

Just the other day, my coworker, Angie, and myself were invited to go down to Bretton Woods and try out the Canopy Tour Zip Line. Now how could we pass up an opportunity like that?? (Above, our guides showing us the skills we'd need)

The day we picked to go was cold and drizzly. I was concerned we shouldnt necessarily be zipping in the rain but Bretton Woods was confident we would have a blast anyway, and they zip rain or shine so we headed down. We met up with our guides Zack and Mike and the rest of our little tour group. A sweet couple from Massachusetts and a self-proclaimed adventurer who was also scoping out the experience like ourselves. After a brief introductory session we all got fitted for harnesses and gear, we took a van to the top of the midway chairlift that goes to the Lattitude 44 Restuarant. From there we took a short walk along the 'mountain road traverse' to the site of what they call "Ground School".

Here they go over the basic principles of how to Zip safely. Its really very easy and comprehensive, and they love to describe zipping as extreme sitting. They taught us how to launch, brake, and reel ourselves in should we by some chance not zip fast enough to the next platform. We got to try out all the skills we learned and when we were ready, we headed to our first zip! (below, Angie testing her skills)

 Next we headed to our first platform and got ready for the ride of our lives!

Understandably the first 3 zips are to test our basic listening abilities. It also helps those that may be trying ziplining for the first time become more comfortable with height and speed and trusting the guides before getting to the longer zips. Heres just some photos we were snapping to give you a better idea of what we encountered.

Now Bretton Woods is a fantastic ziplining course and one of the best in New England. Its unique because it decends over 1000 feet in elevation as well as having mixed elements to include "Skybridges" and repelling aspects. The Skybridges are used to link between some of the platforms and look a bit like this:

 Heres Angie braving her fear of heights and walking across the Skybridge cool as a cucumber

The repelling elements were also fun. At the beginning of the course they had us go down a short repel to get the hang of it, and later on we had 2 other much higher repelling elements to tackle, but with the encouragement of our guides everyone faced their fears and did an amazing job repelling out of the trees!

 Heres a shot that Angie took of me getting ready to repel down off one of the platforms.

The longest zip covers about 830 ft and flies you 60ft above the heads of skiers and recreaters below. It was really foggy on the day the we went but that's not to say that it wasn't amazing. Our guides Mike and Zack said it was sometimes more of an experience to go in inclement weather to get a whole different perspective of the surroundings, and they couldn't have been more right. Going across the longest zipline was the closest I could imagine to flying right through a cloud. About 40 feet off the platform we launched from, I was completely enveloped in the mist and didn't reemerge until maybe 40-45 feet off the landing. It made for a few seconds of a totally ethereal experience!

The experience overall was beyond amazing. The knowledge and experience of the guides kept us entertained and calm (for those that were fighting fears of uncertainty about the experience) and even with the weather less than ideal the day was incredible and we had a great time!

Comprised of a total of 9 ziplines, 2 skybridges and 2 repels, this course is a great adventure for all nature-lovers and thrill-seekers alike. By the start of this summer's season they will be adding 4 brand new ziplines to replace 4 of their shorter ziplines, and give a new conclusion to the tour itself so for all of those who have already zipped here, come back and do it again! If you're uncertain if the whole course is for you they also have the Williwaw racing zip that is located just off the base. Its was described to us as the "appetizer" for the course. If you love the Williwaw then you'll be hooked on the full tour.

For more information about Bretton Woods and the Canopy Tour please visit Brettonwoods.com


At the Hampton Inn we offer year-round packages that include tickets for the Canopy Tour and seasonally for Bretton Woods Ski Area. Information on rates, dates, and info can be found at Littletonhotel.com
or call the hotel directly at (603)444-0025

We hope to see you soon!

Jay Peak Indoor Water Park

They call it the Pumphouse

A few weekends ago the management of the Hampton Inn decided to treat the staff to a visit to Jay Peak's Indoor water park. We were all very excited to shake off the last dregs of winter and have some fun. I had no idea what to expect of an indoor water park, and the view from the entryway (seen above) nearly took my breath away. It was HUGE!

We decided to start with a slow float down the Lazy River. In either tandem or single tubes you float along the perimeter of the attractions and feel transported to a whole different world. What a great way to get our feet (and everything else) wet!

After our float and soak we decided to amp up the adventure and try the slides. There are four total. The blue and green slides are for the inner tubes so grab one and/or a partner and head up the stairs for a fun ride that will end at the mouth of the Lazy River. The orange slide is a solo trip that plunges you into darkness halfway down and drops you into a pool in the bottom. The last tube is La Chute.

Launching from one full story above the roof of the park, this red futurama-like tube encapsulates the rider as a computerized voice comes over the speaker. "Launching in 3..2..1.." and the floor drops from beneath your feet and you are literally dropped at a speed of 45 miles per hour into a full 360 degree rotation before you come back into the light of day in the landing zone. The ride lasts only about 6 seconds and is terrifying as all get out, but its an adrenaline rush thats hard to top.

After surviving La Chute I decided to take it easy and watch the rest of our party have a good ol' time. Some of our party wanted to try their luck in the wave pool.

 Watching them was alot of fun. Some of our staff brought their younger kids and enjoyed playing in the kids area playfully called the Mill Pond Kids Area. (photo courtesy of jaypeakresort.com)

After some lunch at the Warming Shelter Snack Bar right off the main room of the water park, we hung out at the lounge area on the second level and watched the other park guests on one side and the last few skiers getting a spring fix on the other side. It was a little bizarre to see some skiers come in to the waterpark area still in their snow gear on such a hot day when we were all comfortable in our swim suits! (photo courtesy of jaypeakresort.com)

Overall it was a fantastic day and we all enjoyed some time away from work, recreating and getting ready for summer. Heres a picture of almost our whole crew together near the outdoor hottubs

Just over an hour's drive from the Hampton Inn in Littleton, NH it is definitely worth the extra drive for a day of weatherproof fun. We all look forward to being able to head back there soon and we hope to see you there too!