Loon Mountain Closing Weekend - Ride Up & Ski Down (White Mountain Express Gondola & Bear Claw)

This video is of a ride up the White Mountain Express Gondola lift and skiing down Bear Claw a beginner trail, both located at Loon Mountain. The video was filmed on the closing weekend of Loon's 2020-2021 season. The ski area lucked out, receiving a foot of snow just a few days before closing for the season in mid/late April. The ski area was the last ski area to close in the State of New Hampshire for the season.

The White Mountain Express Gondola is a detachable four-person gondola lift located at Loon Mountain. The gondola runs from the Octagon Base Area to the summit of the Loon Mountain section of the ski area. The lift is the main and only detachable lift which runs out of the Octagon Base Area. The lift services most of the terrain on the main side of the resort. From the top, skiers and riders can access a wide variety of groomed trails of all ability levels, though the majority are rated as intermediate trails. The gondola was installed by Doppelmayr in 1988, replacing an old 1966 PHB Hall four-person gondola lift. For the 2018-2019 season, the lift got new upgraded gondola cabins.

Exodus to Bear Claw is a beginner ski run located at Loon Mountain. The trails run from the summit of Loon Peak down to the Octagon Lodge, located at the bottom of the ski resort. The run is the easiest run from the top of Loon Peak. The trail starts just to the skier's left of the top of the gondola lift as Exodus. The trail quickly takes a sharp turn to the left and runs pretty straight with some slight curves. The trail is pretty flat and continues until it reaches a large intersection near one end on the Tote Road Quad. At the intersection, Bear Claw begins as the trail to the skier's slight right downhill from the intersection. The trail is again pretty mellow and is a bit curvy. The trail eventually enters into Grand Junction, a large intersection in the middle of the ski area. Bear Claw continues pretty much straight through the entire intersection. The trail then continues pretty mellowly again but this time the trail runs more straight down the mountain. The trail eventually ends when it reaches the Octagon Base Area.

Loon Mountain is a ski resort located in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The ski area is one of the most popular in the state, being one of the largest ski areas in the state and being located just minutes off of Interstate 93 and outside downtown Lincoln, a popular town for tourists. The ski resort is comprised of three sections. Loon Peak is home to two separate base areas the Octagon Base Area and the Governor's Base Area. Loon Peak is home to many fun and winding groomers most of which are rated as intermediate. North Peak is home to the true summit of the ski resort and is home to more wide-open, mostly advanced groomers. Finally, South Peak, the newest portion of the resort which is located separate from Loon and North peaks and is connected by a two-way chairlift, is home to a mix of harder intermediate and advanced terrain including Loon's only double-black trail at Loon, Ripsaw. The ski area is also a popular destination in the summer and fall for mountain biking, scenic gondola rides, and mountain caves.

White Mountain Express Gondola Information
Manufacturer: Garaventa Doppelmayr
Year of Installation: 1988
Vertical: 1,738 ft
Length: 6,970 ft
Estimated Duration in Recording: 7:15
Estimated Speed in Recording: 961 ft/min
Design Speed: 1,000 ft/min
Design Capacity: 1,000 per hour

Exodus to Bear Claw Information
Vertical: 1,738 ft
Length: 1.89 mi

Filmed on April 17, 2021 - Closing Weekend
Filmed with the all NEW GoPro Hero 9 Black with the Max Lens Mod attached and horizon leveling on

0:00 Ride Up - White Mountain Express Gondola
7:48 Ski Down - Exodus (beginner)
8:46 Ski Down - Upper Bear Claw (beginner)
10:33 Ski Down - Grand Junction (beginner)
11:09 Ski Down - Lower Bear Claw (beginner)