Date Skied: 1/26/08
Ski Area: Berkshire East in Charlemont, Massachusetts
Conditions: Hardpack, LSGR, FRGR, some PP.
Trip Report: Went to berkshire east with 2 friends yesterday. It took a little over 2 hrs to get there from Providence RI. Lot was maybe 1/4 full at 9:30 am. We skied almost exclusively off the summit triple all day, and apparently the quad was down. Snow report indicated 42/45 trails open, but it felt like maybe half of that were actually open. Liftlines were never longer than 1 minute and the triple was ski-on at points.
The upper halves of those blacks are impressively steep. After 3 runs, I had the rental shop sharpen my edges, because I was having a tough time and felt really out of sorts. Conditions were generally groomed hardpack with some PP (especially on the bottom half of the wide trail next to the triple, the one with the gates set up (sorry no trail map to remember names)) and a good amount of LSGR on trail edges.
Saw a kid fall off the double! He was only a few feet out of the loading area, but definitely fell to the ground before the 1st real tower. He got up after a minute and staggered away! WTF,
I was hoping for less scratchy surfaces, but I think the thaw/freeze really froze southern new england area bases solid. Spot snowmaking and grooming can only do so much til we get some snow. There is not much in the way of natural on the ground there, and what there is ain't recent.
Everyone says BEast skis bigger than Wa, but I think I disagree. Those frontside black diamonds are over pretty quickly. I feel like 10th and Smith ski longer. Is BEasts vert really 1180? Even so, I can also see how this would be a fantastic place after a big storm, or on a weekday for only $25.
Special thanks to the rental shop for really making my RX8s nice and sharp.
Ski Area: Berkshire East in Charlemont, Massachusetts
Conditions: Hardpack, LSGR, FRGR, some PP.
Trip Report: Went to berkshire east with 2 friends yesterday. It took a little over 2 hrs to get there from Providence RI. Lot was maybe 1/4 full at 9:30 am. We skied almost exclusively off the summit triple all day, and apparently the quad was down. Snow report indicated 42/45 trails open, but it felt like maybe half of that were actually open. Liftlines were never longer than 1 minute and the triple was ski-on at points.
The upper halves of those blacks are impressively steep. After 3 runs, I had the rental shop sharpen my edges, because I was having a tough time and felt really out of sorts. Conditions were generally groomed hardpack with some PP (especially on the bottom half of the wide trail next to the triple, the one with the gates set up (sorry no trail map to remember names)) and a good amount of LSGR on trail edges.
Saw a kid fall off the double! He was only a few feet out of the loading area, but definitely fell to the ground before the 1st real tower. He got up after a minute and staggered away! WTF,
I was hoping for less scratchy surfaces, but I think the thaw/freeze really froze southern new england area bases solid. Spot snowmaking and grooming can only do so much til we get some snow. There is not much in the way of natural on the ground there, and what there is ain't recent.
Everyone says BEast skis bigger than Wa, but I think I disagree. Those frontside black diamonds are over pretty quickly. I feel like 10th and Smith ski longer. Is BEasts vert really 1180? Even so, I can also see how this would be a fantastic place after a big storm, or on a weekday for only $25.
Special thanks to the rental shop for really making my RX8s nice and sharp.
