Unusually mild January makes it a very 'cool' time for that teachable moment

Sara Thorp exults as her daughter, Rylee, sets sail on her first solo schuss. (Rochester Voice photos)

NORTH CONWAY - With a dearth of natural snow folks down in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire might think it's a good winter to head south for the sun rather than north for the fun.
But if you're looking to hone your skiing skills or maybe teach the kids about this most exhilarating of winter sports, this could be the perfect year to do so at Cranmore Mountain Resort, especially during midweek when the slopes see fewer skiers and keep their corduroy cool and crisp the whole day.
With snowmaking in progress 24/7, the resort was able to have open more than a third of its ski acreage, including 22 of 57 trails and five of seven lifts over last weekend.

EASY STREET ALLURE - A lone snowboarder enjoys the quietude and corduroy Monday on Easy Street, a novice trail that begins at the mountain's peak

Another upside to taking the children north for lessons this year is the mild temps, which saw daytime temps no lower than the low- to mid-30s when we were there, a far cry from the single digit and below zero temps we've seen during past ski trips this time of year.
Cranmore Mountain Resort comprises a huge mountain with more than 200 acres of skiable terrain, but if you're looking for an easy way down from the

NO FEAR: Rylee Noel, 4, of Sanbornville, prepares to delift with her mom, Sara Thorp.

tippety top take Easy Street, a friendly cruiser that starts off a little steep, but moderates quickly thereafter with easy bends and turns all the way to the bottom.
If you're really looking to relax you can just stay on the north side and run Macaroni, a beautifully groomed and less-trafficked thoroughfare that'll have you back to your lift in about a minute.
The two days we were skiing we never encountered any lift lines on either the C-More double or the Skimobile quad, which takes you all the way to the top.
The north side is also the perfect place - at Beginner Basin - for youngsters to get their skis snowy for the first time. The Beginner Basin includes two bunny slopes, both of which have carpet lifts to take them to the top of the bunny slope with no worries. Just north of the first bunny slope is another with just a hint more slope, and after that you can jump on the C-More double to a run down Macaroni.
We had my granddaughter on the C-More double chair the second day of skiing, and with a tandem partner she was loving it and actually making a pizza slice - pointing her toes inward with the outside edge of her skis - what we used to call the snowplow in the olden days.
Another reason to go midweek is the relaxed atmosphere in the rental shop, where the attendants are super friendly and helpful, even stepping in to help my granddaughter get her ski boots on, a daunting first-time task for a four-year-old, or a septuagenarian.
If you head up there you'll notice a lot of building going on around the base camp, where they are constructing a four-story Fairfield Marriott at the site of the former Cranmore Family Fitness Center, another asset that is sure to attract skiers who want to be as close to the slope as they possible can.
To find out more about Cranmore Mountain Resort and their ski and snowboard lesson options click here.