One of our (very) local ski destinations (it's not really a mountain, just a big hill) re-opened last winter to the shittiest season ever. That was tough, but all the same, they're going to be around for the year ahead, which is great news for those of us with kids who want to be able to go somewhere close by, reasonably priced, where the kids won't get run over by out-of-town and out-of-control hot shots showing off their mad snowboarding skilz, yo.

Whaleback just off I-89 north of Grantham, NH, is a great little mountain, and to spice things up (and earn a few bucks in the off-season, and because a couple of the new owner-operators are ex-riders), they've put in a very nice pro-grade BMX track -- or NBL (National Bike League) as it's now called.

It's open to the public, and for a fee you get to rip around the tight little 30 second course and negotiate banked turns and serious jumps. An absolute riot. Lucas loves this, even if he took a major spill the first time we were there and got spooked a bit, he's back at it. Along with a bunch of friends we recently had a beautiful late summer/early fall day of riding after school.

All the best to Whaleback for the winter season ahead; and many thanks to them for providing some spice to the world of bike riding for the jr. crowd.