Berkshire East & Catamount: 3 New Lifts, Terrain Expansions

[Newpylong]

How many other single stage low-e guns are there? I have never run any...

 

[ss20]

What works for snow gun tech is known and what doesn't work is also known. All the snowgun manufacturers I'm sure are using the best technology and the best engineers before they make a new snowgun. Jiminy Peak thought they could do better? It's not 1970 or 1980 anymore...I'm not really sure the point of making something in-house.

Maybe I'm missing something. I was aware of Jiminy's snowmaking program....I did not know they were trying to export it out. Maybe the quality of the snow is good, maybe it's bad....who knows as they close a trail down for snowmaking whenever they light up 3 or 4 guns on it

 

[machski]

Was out at Berkshire East today, totally blown away by their Mountain Bike scene. Did not expect that, tons of riders, parking lot had to be 75% full at least, two lifts in use to the summit both with dedicated bike carriers between regular chairs. Have to give it to them, they are drawing strongly for that. Their mountain coaster is why we stopped by. One of the longest I have ridden, well placed on the hill away from the ski trails. That wasn't busy at all but darn was it fun. Nice operation there.

 

[ss20]

Was out at Berkshire East today, totally blown away by their Mountain Bike scene. Did not expect that, tons of riders, parking lot had to be 75% full at least, two lifts in use to the summit both with dedicated bike carriers between regular chairs. Have to give it to them, they are drawing strongly for that. Their mountain coaster is why we stopped by. One of the longest I have ridden, well placed on the hill away from the ski trails. That wasn't busy at all but darn was it fun. Nice operation there.

My understanding is it's arguably the premier lift served mountain biking destination in the East.

I could be totally wrong tho.

 

[skiur]

My understanding is it's arguably the premier lift served mountain biking destination in the East.

I could be totally wrong tho.

I thought Killington had that honor...the beast vs the beast! Never been to Berkshire east so can't really say.

 

[JimG.]

I thought Killington had that honor...the beast vs the beast! Never been to Berkshire east so can't really say.

I've heard the same said about MTB at Plattekill.

 

[Newpylong]

Killington or Highlands likely would get that nod.

So they use both the summit Quad and triple for biking at once? That's great to see it so busy.

 

[cdskier]

I've heard the same said about MTB at Plattekill.

Does Platty even offer lift served MTB anymore? For some reason I thought they stopped it (or only offer it a few select days/weekends)

 

[machski]

Killington or Highlands likely would get that nod.

So they use both the summit Quad and triple for biking at once? That's great to see it so busy.

Yup, pretty sure the Triple is only run when they have a need. While I was there, the Quad had a consistent line but the Triple was basically ride on.

 

[NYSnowflake]

We could go back and fourth all night on this...I don't want to put words in your mouth, but you sound like you're trying to make the argument Berkshire East isn't seeing adequate investment or is "due" for something new?? That's just not true...they're wayyyy ahead of their local competition in improvements.

Jiminy Peak- no improvements the past decade, except for adding snowmaking on a single trail and a few new snowmaking ponds/pumps
Butternut- nothing added the past decade
Bousquet- was literally falling apart before new owners
Sundown- one new trail (Satan's Stairway AZ debacle....oh boy that was a good one)
Mohawk- taken good care of by the family...lodge was blown out and all but one lift was replaced in the late 00s and early 10s...I'd say its seen as much investment as Berkshire East save for zero summer stuff at Mohawk while BEast has put tons of $$$ into making a premier bike park.

Catamount before it was taken over had seen a couple new trails cut but no other improvements since the quad went in in '07ish.

I believe Catamount has a nice new lodge… though I don’t know what year it was completed.

 

[Killingtime]

I believe Catamount has a nice new lodge… though I don’t know what year it was completed.

Yes, the new lodge at Catamount is very nice. Somebody did a great job on it. I think it's only about 3 years old.

 

[ss20]

Yes, the new lodge at Catamount is very nice. Somebody did a great job on it. I think it's only about 3 years old.

Yes...done by the BEast group of people. Old owners were broke and the mountain was falling into neglect after the recession.

 

[urungus]

New lodge at Bousquet is also looking nice, the old one was getting quite run down …

Bousquet Mountains' New Base Lodge Looks Stunning

Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, Massachusetts has been transformed since Mill Town Investment Group bought the property in May 2020. First came a triple

unofficialnetworks.com

 

[rebel1916]

I've heard the same said about MTB at Plattekill.

I love Platty, but their MTB days are over a decade in the past. Last I heard they are running 3 weekends a year, and I know they haven't done any trail building (or even real maintenance, in years.

 

[RH29]

Looks like Catamount completely got rid of any trail separation on the front face...and I have to say it looks terrible. The replacement for the Cata double doesn't look like it's in, and the trees are completely gone all the way from Race Slope to Off Stage.

 

[PAabe]

They must be trying to win the widest trail competition that is all the rage

 

[Newpylong]

Looks like Catamount completely got rid of any trail separation on the front face...and I have to say it looks terrible. The replacement for the Cata double doesn't look like it's in, and the trees are completely gone all the way from Race Slope to Off Stage.

Wow are you kidding? Worse than Bousquet now?

 

[ss20]

Wow are you kidding? Worse than Bousquet now?

Holy crap he's not kidding...I just went on their instagram....

Catamount Mountain Resort on Instagram: "Look at this gorgeous Sunday afternoon!"

catamountmtnresort on October 24, 2021: "Look at this gorgeous Sunday afternoon!".

www.instagram.com

Good God it's literally a quarter of the mountain.

 

[RH29]

Thanksgiving 2021 Mountain Update

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Catamount Mountain Resort! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Catamount Mountain Resort. As we move towards the start of the 2021/22 ski season, we want to give you an update on the status of many of our improvement projects and tentative completion dates...

catamountski.com

 

[Newpylong]

The Schaeffer way, widen the sh*t out of everything so you can use fan guns when the trails were fine to begin with.