Joshua B
Member
Berkshire East
Charlemont, MA
Saturday March 20, 2004
After a great midweek snowfall, my dad and I were finally able to take advantage and ski Berkshire East. We skied from 10 AM-3:15 PM. At the ticket window, they were offering nice discounts. My all day ticket was $30 instead of $40 and my dad's senior ticket was $15 instead of $20. I also observed someone buying rental packages for 4 and the woman at the window said they wouldn't have to buy lift tickets--just pay for rentals. That 4 person package cost $90 total which was a better deal than what I paid. All the lifts were open except for the gray double chair which wasn't needed. By mid-day, I noticed it was more crowded that I'd seen it all year. I think people came because of the recent snowfall and because it might have been Berkshire East's last weekend this season. Most of the tables in the lodge were occupied at lunch time, but I noticed many of them were brown-bagging it so the cafeteria food wasn't being bought.
The skiing was phenomenal. Even the hard-to-maintain Upper Competition never got scratchy. The trail of the day was Big Chief. Although it was groomed, I'd never skied it with so much beautiful loose powder. It never warmed up enough to hold me back; it was just a pleasure to race down with carving turns. Flying Cloud, under the gray double chair, turned out beautiful too. The upper section was just a tiny bit scratchy in the morning, but by afternoon there was no hard stuff to be found anywhere on the mountain--perfect ski conditions. I messed around in the terrain park--a small one at that--on Exhibition. I got my courage up and landed about 4 jumps, trying a couple daffies. There were skiers and snowboarders doing 360s--some of them in reverse. I think the terrain parks add a lot of excitement to ski areas. It's so fun to watch. The liftline on the triple stretched out to a 12 chair wait at one point today! It was funny to see peoples' reactions to it. Nobody expects a line at Berkshire East!
In the lodge at about 3:20 PM, someone announced over the PA system that Berkshire East would be open next week (March 21-27)! They have a great base and an extra week will be easy for them to pull off. If you have't been up there yet, take this opportunity to ski the Beast!
Since I forgot my winter jacket and had to ski in my wool, Fall-style coat, I felt like kind of a dweeb so I didn't end up skiing with my giant camera bag like I usually do...so no pictures today.
The weather was mild and sometimes the sun was out. At the end of our day when we where walking out to the car, freezing rain started, but I bet it soon changed to snow.
One last comment, and it's something my dad said:
If good skiers knew about Berkshire East, they'd be coming there more often. And it's really true. With a true 1,000+ vertical, uncrowded lift lines, lodge, and trails, and fair ticket prices, why don't more people ski Berkshire East? We just don't get it. Perhaps it still has that '70s and '80s stigma of being an icy throwback. But as long as the mountain continues to manage itself properly, make money, expand conservatively, provide excellent conditions, and they stay open, who are we to complain?
Charlemont, MA
Saturday March 20, 2004
After a great midweek snowfall, my dad and I were finally able to take advantage and ski Berkshire East. We skied from 10 AM-3:15 PM. At the ticket window, they were offering nice discounts. My all day ticket was $30 instead of $40 and my dad's senior ticket was $15 instead of $20. I also observed someone buying rental packages for 4 and the woman at the window said they wouldn't have to buy lift tickets--just pay for rentals. That 4 person package cost $90 total which was a better deal than what I paid. All the lifts were open except for the gray double chair which wasn't needed. By mid-day, I noticed it was more crowded that I'd seen it all year. I think people came because of the recent snowfall and because it might have been Berkshire East's last weekend this season. Most of the tables in the lodge were occupied at lunch time, but I noticed many of them were brown-bagging it so the cafeteria food wasn't being bought.
The skiing was phenomenal. Even the hard-to-maintain Upper Competition never got scratchy. The trail of the day was Big Chief. Although it was groomed, I'd never skied it with so much beautiful loose powder. It never warmed up enough to hold me back; it was just a pleasure to race down with carving turns. Flying Cloud, under the gray double chair, turned out beautiful too. The upper section was just a tiny bit scratchy in the morning, but by afternoon there was no hard stuff to be found anywhere on the mountain--perfect ski conditions. I messed around in the terrain park--a small one at that--on Exhibition. I got my courage up and landed about 4 jumps, trying a couple daffies. There were skiers and snowboarders doing 360s--some of them in reverse. I think the terrain parks add a lot of excitement to ski areas. It's so fun to watch. The liftline on the triple stretched out to a 12 chair wait at one point today! It was funny to see peoples' reactions to it. Nobody expects a line at Berkshire East!
In the lodge at about 3:20 PM, someone announced over the PA system that Berkshire East would be open next week (March 21-27)! They have a great base and an extra week will be easy for them to pull off. If you have't been up there yet, take this opportunity to ski the Beast! Since I forgot my winter jacket and had to ski in my wool, Fall-style coat, I felt like kind of a dweeb so I didn't end up skiing with my giant camera bag like I usually do...so no pictures today.
The weather was mild and sometimes the sun was out. At the end of our day when we where walking out to the car, freezing rain started, but I bet it soon changed to snow.
One last comment, and it's something my dad said:
If good skiers knew about Berkshire East, they'd be coming there more often. And it's really true. With a true 1,000+ vertical, uncrowded lift lines, lodge, and trails, and fair ticket prices, why don't more people ski Berkshire East? We just don't get it. Perhaps it still has that '70s and '80s stigma of being an icy throwback. But as long as the mountain continues to manage itself properly, make money, expand conservatively, provide excellent conditions, and they stay open, who are we to complain?
