Canaan is a nice state run mountain, great for beginner - intermediate skiiers. It's not too busy and the lift lines are very short. The resort is rustic, so if you want luxury this is not the place to go - go to Timberline. The lodge rooms are small simple hotel rooms, but they are pretty clean, nice and warm and all the employees aim to please. Everyone is so nice and helpful. The lodge rooms are configured like a motor hotel, each room opens to the outdoors. There are several lodge buildings with rooms. The main lodge has no rooms, it houses some conference space, restaurants, the pool and daycare center, a small game room and a very small billiard room. The pool was nice, but small and they have a decent locker room with semi-working showers. The attendant was a lovely young lady who was very helpful and friendly. The pool is small and it gets a little crowded with kids, as does the hot tub. The day care center is at the main lodge which is not at the mountain. We were a little disturbed by the fact that the mountain is on the other side of Route 32 and you have to drive there from the hotel, but we felt comfortable with the arrangement for a couple of hours once we talked to the woman who watched the kids. Our son was very happy there and they took good care of him - he's 4. You have to make reservations ahead of time.

Our son took two private lessons - they only give private lessons to 4 year olds. The second day his instructor was Sanford. Sanford was so fabulous I can't say enough good things about him - I loved him. He is clearly experienced at teaching children, after an hour, our son was riding the chairlift and going all the way down the slope. Beware - there were two older (50's) short chubby female instructors who were complaining about teaching small kids - we overheard them really griping when their lesson assignments were made. Had we drawn one of them, I would have cancelled the lesson - they were so unpleasant - one parent had a lot of complaints about them. Also, reserve in advance.

Lift ticket and rentals are FREE for children 5 and under.

We didn't eat at the hotel because we felt the prices were high, but the restaurants we ate at on Route 32 were close in price and not so hot - Tuckers and Big John's Family Fixins - terrible food. We went into Davis two nights for dinner and found two great restaurants - Siriani's - make a reservation for dinner and the Blackwater Tavern (?). Blackwater has good german food, bar food and italian food - what a combo! But the quality is very good and the prices are reasonable. Siriani's has great pizza. The pasta dish I had was bland, but it was OK and I was hungry after the long wait. Our son had a tasty Quesedia (OK how do you spell that?) The food at the mountain is mediocre - we brought our own breakfast, which was good because all they had at 8:30 was eggs and sausage or packaged danishes, instant oatmeal or cold cereal - no fruit, no bagels or english muffins or toast.

The most amazing part was the deer everywhere - they came right up to my husband and sniffed his coat. Another couple was feeding them carrot sticks from their room. Be careful driving, they are easy to miss at night and they are everywhere all the time.

I went to Canaan on Feb. 24. The resort was good and the trails weren't bad. All the trails were open except one, though I never found it. The lay out of the park is complicated, you're better off just riding around to find something you like. There was 12 inches that fell last weekend so some of that was still around and made the conditions pretty good. This is the time to get up their but the roads to Canaan are mountainous so be careful.

Great family resort, food in the lodge is excellent, don't miss the breakfast bar in the Hickory Room Restuarant. Kids can swim, ice skate, snow tube and the resort is small and homey, with lots of stuff to do.

Here are some pictures. One is taken about halfway up the main lift and the other is at the top portion of GRAVITY.