Assuming Boston gets the usual southern storms that it has the last couple of years, I was hoping to find a few spots that I go to after work with a head lamp, hike up and get a few turns, Is there anything worth the effort within 45min of Boston?
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Boston Hill in Nirth andover.
I forgot about that. Oops!They recently put an assisted living place in there so I am not ssure how accessible the old trails are or even if they stilll exist. It may have grown over....
Prospect Hill in Waltham.
Horn Pond Mtn. In Woburn
Boston Hill in Nirth andover.
The Blue Hills ski area is not friendly to earning your turns but when the cover is good, you can find a few good lines quite easily. The place is big and there are areas where the undergrowth is not that bad and the tree spacing is what you find in many "glades" in resorts up north.
But it all boils down to cover.
They are lovely glades on the Rt. 128-side of the chair. Only found them skiable a couple of times.When I originally stated blue hills I didn't realize he only wanted BC. But I'll still echo this. In really good snow years, you can ski the rt 128 side!!
I forgot about that. Oops!
They recently put an assisted living place in there so I am not ssure how accessible the old trails are or even if they stilll exist. It may have grown over....
Assuming Boston gets the usual southern storms that it has the last couple of years, I was hoping to find a few spots that I go to after work with a head lamp, hike up and get a few turns, Is there anything worth the effort within 45min of Boston?
Anyone ski the Pine Hill Trail off the back of WaWa in a few years? It's been 10 years ago for me and it was getting grown in. It's narrow and rocky but can be fun. It needs a lot of base and would be enjoyable in March. There are some interesting slides off of rt2 when you get towards the Berks but that's more than 45 min!
I've heard that Wachusett's Pine Hill Trail was originally cut as a ski trail, but I've never seen hard evidence to confirm that (i.e., old trail maps or whatever). Does any one know what its original purpose was? Was it ever lift-serviced or was it always a "earn your turns" type of trail?
It's nowhere near the current ski-area trails and as mentioned above, it needs a lot of cover... just doesn't seem like it would ever have been skiable all that often.
As for the original question in the thread -- Marlboro (where I live) has Jericho Hill. It's now a small park / recreation area. I have yet to hike up / ski-down... one of these years.
I've heard that Wachusett's Pine Hill Trail was originally cut as a ski trail, but I've never seen hard evidence to confirm that (i.e., old trail maps or whatever). Does any one know what its original purpose was? Was it ever lift-serviced or was it always a "earn your turns" type of trail?
It's nowhere near the current ski-area trails and as mentioned above, it needs a lot of cover... just doesn't seem like it would ever have been skiable all that often.
As for the original question in the thread -- Marlboro (where I live) has Jericho Hill. It's now a small park / recreation area. I have yet to hike up / ski-down... one of these years.
Pine Hill Trail was a CCC-cut ski trail (with some others on the hill) from the 1930's. Looks skiable with just a little walk from the summit lift. At the bottom of the trail you'd have to walk the road a bit back to the Wa-Wa side, but, doesn't look bad. Unfortunately, the trailwork to create steps in the trailfor hiking put a bunch of rocks at 90-degrees to the steps and they stick out around 12-18". Looks skiable with less cover if you can avoid those.