Dominating New Hampshire’s towering Franconia range, Cannon Mountain looms large. A great boulder of a beast, its visage is steep and intimidating and challenges the intermediate and advanced skier to ride its back.

Cannon shares the Franconia region with nearby Loon Mountain to the South. Hosting two peaks, the main mountain rises to a height of just over 4,000 ft with a vertical drop of 2,180 ft. The lesser mountain, Mittersill, peaks at 3,650 ft and services only expert terrain.

At Mittersill, the trails are ungroomed natural snow where you are advised not to ski alone. Trail and glade areas flow in and out of each other without clear definition. A good yardstick to determine whether or not to attempt the challenge of Mittersill is how you manage the Avalanche trail on the main mountain. If you can ride Avalanche with energy to spare, you can test your legs on Mittersill. Eighty-six acres of Mittersill will keep the quads burning.

My personal favorites on the main mountain are the serpentine blues and blacks at the top of the big hill. Well designed and well groomed, these trails are a pleasure to schuss as you glide through their smooth tree -lined roller coaster curves.

Cannon has its share of serviceable lifts, but as this was my first trip to the mountain, I was looking forward to riding their very unique tram--a trolley to the sky climbing over 5,000 ft. It was the first tram built in North America and a 1938 engineering miracle. The current tram (1980) ferries 80 skiers at a time up the hill in a few short minutes of air travel. Unfortunately, I failed to note that the tram runs only four days a week --Friday through Monday and on all holidays. Trams, like gondolas, offer great wind protection on blustery days, but the disappointing factor is when it’s really windy and you really need them, they don’t run. So be advised -- if you’re a fan of the tram, avoid Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Cannon.

The novice trails at Cannon are confined to the lower foothills squeezed between the two peaks called the Tuckerbrook family area. There are thirteen trails for learning and relaxed skiing or for skiers with a touch of vertigo and those plagued with acrophobia. Saturday nights are family fun nights when the adults can enjoy the comforts of the Cannonball Pub and a bowl of Banchee Chili while the kids play in the mini-park under the lights and enjoy a movie in their own lodge.