Berkshire East & Catamount: 3 New Lifts, Terrain Expansions

[Newpylong]

The top corners are rounded more like the old style Poma chairs vs the ones we're used to seeing that are sharper angles. I'm not a lift nut so not sure of the model names...I do think over the past few years I've taken more of a liking to Dopp design for some reason though. They make such a clean looking lift.

 

[Newpylong]

They definitely made snow on upper Minnie Dole last year. The trail itself didn't have snowmaking, but it was close enough to Riva Ridge and the Summit that they must have dragged hoses and guns over.

It absolutely does have snowmaking: pipe and plugs, you see them on the right in this video. I just don't remember them using it, but I'm no regular that's for sure. Once every few years.

 

[urungus]

I’m at Berkshire East parking lot, people are using the old summit quad, no sign of movement on the new chairlift, although lift maze is set up. No updates on their website or social media

 

[urungus]

Jon Schaefer just went up on the new lift, general public opening in 30 minutes, I am first in line

 

[Smellytele]

Jon Schaefer just went up on the new lift, general public opening in 30 minutes, I am first in lineView attachment 60074

You in the santa getup?

 

[chuckstah]

Berkshire East Mountain Resort on Instagram: "First ride up on Berkshire East’s new T-Bar Express Quad! An unscripted chat with Jon & friends. #BerkshireEast"

597 likes, 27 comments - berkshire.east on December 24, 2023: "First ride up on Berkshire East’s new T-Bar Express Quad! An unscripted chat with Jon & friends. #BerkshireEast".

www.instagram.com

 

[urungus]

You in the santa getup?

LOL, no, but I did get first chair for the general public. It feels fast. Thanks you Santa for the best Christmas present ever !!

 

[drjeff]

View attachment 60070

Liking the wood incorporated into the terminals

L-P has been doing that for a decade plus now, and I agree that it looks good!

 

[Newpylong]

That's a great video. For a ski area that was on life support when I used to race there in the early 90s they sure have come a long way. It's awesome to see.

 

[doublediamond]

With the terminal location I would’ve figured it was side unload

 

[urungus]

With the terminal location I would’ve figured it was side unload

Yeah it’s pretty tight between the loading area and the lodge patio if you want to ski around the new lift.

 

[urungus]

It absolutely does have snowmaking: pipe and plugs, you see them on the right in this video. I just don't remember them using it, but I'm no regular that's for sure. Once every few years.

I spotted 2 mobile guns from the top of closed upper Minnie Dole (now known as “Ralicki’s Run”) today

 

[urungus]

A few more thoughts after day 2 of the new express lift:

* It is so much faster than the old summit quad. I managed to clock a sub-4 minute ride today vs 8-10 minutes on the old lift.

* My average speed of 8.7 mph = 766 feet per minute. I heard Berkshire East owner Jon Schaefer say the new lift has the potential to run at up to 1000 fpm but they choose to run at 800 fpm to save on wear and tear

* You can skip what little line there is by entering the maze from the Big Chief side

* The RFID gates at the entrance to the new lift have been completely fucked the last two days, on the 24th none of the gates were working and they were hand scanning people before eventually giving up and waving everyone through. Then today only 2 of the 4 gates were working, and even the gates that were working only had functional scanners on one side of the gate, creating a choke point.

* The RFID gates are too close to the chair loading point, causing empty chairs to go up. The newly reconfigured maze for the old Skytrac Summit Quad also now has this problem.

* Getting onto the Outback trail from the new lift is a much nicer experience, vs the flat slog from the old summit quad.

* I can’t wait to try the new trail leading from the top of the new lift down to the top of Upper Competition, though the edge on skiers left looks a bit treacherous.

* When both summit quads are running, as was the case today, there is a sketchy 90 degree partially obscured intersection between skiers heading straight off the old lift towards Outback, and skiers exiting the new lift and turning left towards Mohawk / Big Chief / Flying Cloud

* I haven’t timed it, but for lapping the Exhibition trail, it might now be faster to use the new express summit lift and ski down to the top of Exhibition, vs taking the slow Wilderness Peak Quad that runs up the side of Exhibition.

* Still don’t like the name “T Bar Express” … in addition to being generic sounding, it’s also a little confusing, someone not familiar with the history of Berkshire East might think it’s a fast running T Bar.

 

[Newpylong]

It's one of those things that is so blatantly bad out of an otherwise awesome project which makes it most frustrating.

 

[The Sneak]

This chair is a game changer. I've always hated the fixed grip quad bc of the guaranteed multiple stoppages per ride. Can't wait to get out there this season.

 

[SkiNewEngland.net]

* Still don’t like the name “T Bar Express” … in addition to being generic sounding, it’s also a little confusing, someone not familiar with the history of Berkshire East might think it’s a fast running T Bar.

It is an odd name, but locals refer to the Competition slope as "T-Bar," just as they do Top Notch as "J-Bar" and Exhibition as "the three." Some even refer to Grizzly as "Jake's."

 

[RH29]

On the contrary - I hope Berkshire East continues to do minimal marketing for the new lift, and the name "T-Bar" confuses as many people as possible into thinking it's a T-bar and not a brand new express quad. I like things as they are, I don't want the Jiminy crowd or Wachusett crowding.

 

[machski]

Hearing the triple is still the most likely one to go, but unlikely in 2024.

Jon was just on the Storm Skiing Podcast and confirmed as much. They want to digest and take a breath from this year's work before they bite off on that next expansion. Expect all 3 lifts in the same alignment next season.

 

[machski]

You think they'll make snow on whatever Upper Minnie Dole is now? I remember it having equipment but never being used.

Is it me or those different LP chairs than we're used to seeing on their HSQs?

Newpy, those chairs look more like their bigger 6'ers now.

 

[Keelhauled]

They might be from the Leitner side of the company instead of coming out of Colorado.