My ski pal Judy "Black Diamond" George wanted to try a new mountain in New Hampshire yesterday, and topnotch weather naturally suggested one of the Granite State's most alluring destinations: Loon Mountain in Lincoln.

A four-person gondola is one of the most alluring features of Loon Mountain, in Lincoln, NH
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

The Governor Adams lodge is one of two at Loon Mountain
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

It's an alluring ski mountain. With a four-person gondola, two high-speed quads, two fine base lodges and two excellent high-mountain eateries, Loon certainly sets a lofty standard for facilities. I've skied there for 20 years, but it was Judy's first visit.

She was impressed by the quality of the grooming, the interesting trails and the outstanding views. Her favorite runs were a trio of long, winding cruisers that run off the gondola summit: Flying Fox, Picked Rock and Bear Claw.

We were joined for a few runs by communications director Phil Matthews, a snowboarder. Like many resort employees, Phil welcomes a chance to duck out of the office and slide for awhile.

I thanked Phil for donating two lift tickets as prizes for the annual ski trivia contest which I run each December for the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club.

Phil Matthews and Judy "B.D." George at the summit of Loon Mountain yesterday
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Judy and Phil pose along the Bear Claw trail with Mt. Washington in the background
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For lunch Judy and I stopped at the summit restaurant, which has a Jamaican theme. And we're not talking about Jamaica, Vermont! Its most popular item is the colorful Reggae Roll.

The Reggae Roll is the most popular grill item at Loon Mountain's summit restaurant
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Judy had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Hailing from Memphis, this skiing Scarlett O'Hara noted that the BBQ sauce fell short of hometown standards. But Judy happily conceded that Loon has it all over Memphis in terms of the skiing.

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