Latest multi-ski go a boon for Western Mass. slopes
Go more than, Epic and Ikon mega passes. Make room for the Berkshire Summit Pass.
This Massachusetts-centered independent multi-ski spot go – valid at Berkshire East, Bousquet Mountain and Catamount Mountain Resort with no limits – fueled an unanticipated journey all-around Western Mass. past weekend as I skied the 3 funky, unpretentious and demanding places in the Berkshires in one day.
That was not my initial intention on this frigid Sunday when I took off for Berkshire East, leaving Worcester at 8:30 a.m., and hitting the slopes about 10:15.
I bought in a couple of wonderful operates on sufficient snow on two of my favored steep trails at the typical Charlemont mountain – UMass and Grizzly – in advance of I decided that it was just too crowded at the “B’East.”
The backup summit triple chairlift was down in the early morning and the major lift line group I’ve found at Berkshire East in 10 several years or so snaked a very long way from the most important summit quad chair loading deck.
So I made the decision to push to Bousquet, the oldest constantly working ski area in the place (started by a Spencer native) and now managed by Berkshire East, 35 miles west on some significantly again streets that wind by the snowy mountains and farms of the northern Berkshires selection. Excellent matter my vehicle has all-wheel travel.
My two runs at this Pittsfield mainstay – a person of only three ski locations in New England situated in a metropolis, the others becoming McIntyre in Manchester, New Hampshire, and the solitary T-bar-served, nonprofit Brattleboro Ski Hill in Vermont – unfortunately were being only on three quarters of the mountain.
That is for the reason that the new summit elevate that Bousquet’s new operator, Milltown Money, a group-minded private investment group, is putting in is a couple months at the rear of plan due to development snafus.
Next up, and the previous of my Summit Move trifecta, was Catamount, which Berkshire East and its proprietors, the Schaefer spouse and children, purchased in May well 2018.
By the way, in accordance to Jon Schaefer, principal operator and normal manager of Berkshire East and Catamount, I was the 1st person to accomplish the admittedly considerably obscure feat of skiing individuals two regions as well as Bousquet in just one working day.
“The Berkshire Summit Pass represents mountains you can ski,” Schaefer told me, emphasizing the “you.”
“Not mountains you may possibly imagine about skiing,” he ongoing. “Berkshire East, Catamount and Bousquet have deep snowboarding roots, and they, like other unbiased mountains, are vital mountains to retain the soul of skiing alive.”
Schaefer, of class, was obliquely referring to the giant resorts owned or protected by the mega passes: destinations like Stratton, Vail, Aspen, Jackson Gap, Sunlight Valley and Stowe.
The Summit Go mountains could possibly be little by comparison. Berkshire East, at 1,180 vertical toes, provides the most important skiing in Massachusetts. Catamount checks in at 1,000 vertical feet, and Bousquet, at 750.
But whilst they are evidently lesser than the mega resorts, the Berkshires places all ski a ton larger than their bodily stature might counsel.
“That you reached the a few mountains in a day signifies that you committed to some driving,” Schaefer advised me, effectively. “Because Western Massachusetts is even larger than it looks, but it also implies they are obtainable.”
Technically, I drove about 250 miles in all – about the very same length and time I would have put in traveling from Worcester, to, say, Vermont’s Okemo and back again for a day of significant mountain snowboarding at a resort owned by the big Vail Resorts chain.
This is the initially time it has been feasible to ski the a few Western Massachusetts mountains below a single pass.
Bousquet joined the Summit Go team for the 2020-21 period just after Milltown Cash took on the Schaefers to control the ski spot. The Schaefers are also contracted this time to regulate the recently reopened non-public Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain in Wilmington, Vermont.
Perched on the New York condition border, much more than half of Catamount’s terrain – and its entrance – lies within just Egremont, and Catamount is viewed as a Massachusetts ski space.
I hadn’t skied there in about 25 many years. I was astounded at the transformation the venerable place has relished beneath Berkshire East ownership.
The Schaefers have minimize eight new trails – like the specialists only Christopher’s Leap and Ripper to accompany Catapult, the ski area’s famously prolonged and steep operate – and new glades, built a sprawling, stunning new foundation lodge and renovated the aged one particular and place up a new lift. Other noteworthy improvements contain substantial snowmaking and grooming upgrades.
Specially with the city outmigration spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic, Catamount has become a magnet for New York Town region ski families, while Berkshire East generally serves the Springfield region, Greenfield and northwest Connecticut marketplaces (and also draws in a number of Central Massachusetts refugees like me).
One particular of the improvements the Berkshire East mind rely on came up with for this COVID-19 period is client-pleasant pricing.
Yet another is a selection of some 50 re-goal able pine cabanas, harvested from Charlemont forest, that dot the previously spouse and children-welcoming areas and have grow to be well-liked with family members in the pandemic year.
Glance within the cabanas – some with curtains and makeshift doorway coverings – and you will see family members and other skiers and riders sitting around picnic tables and enjoying drinks and sandwiches from the cooler.
I’m not absolutely sure if grills are allowed inside the windowed mini-lodges, but you undoubtedly see lots of open-air grilling and tailgating in the parking plenty of ski areas across the state in the COVID-19 era.
In the meantime, in the summer months and fall pre-time, Summit Pass clients could pay out for their period passes in desire-cost-free regular installments, with a $10 down payment.
Right until May possibly 31, an limitless adult move with no constraints – fantastic at all a few spots – was $479, with prices going up by $100 Aug. 3 and once again in the late slide.
A senior go (and seniors remarkably are regarded as people 60 and above) was originally $379, then $449 and eventually $499 in late slide.
That’s a darn very good deal.
Central Massachusetts’ very own Wachusett Mountain in Princeton also gives economical year passes beneath its GPS (greatest doable financial savings) plan. But Wachusett cut off year go sales in mid-drop to comply with point out COVID-19 ability restrictions.
Berkshire East is even now marketing the Summit Move.
Both spots are providing loyal year passholders precedence this year around working day ticket customers, with working day tickets consistently capped and day skiers needed to get on the web beforehand.
I’m flexing my Summit Pass as difficult as I can.
—Contact Shaun Sutner at [email protected]
