Blue Hills Season Pass... A good investment?

[Bostonian]

I just moved this past weekend to a house which is about 10 miles in change to Blue Hills in Canton. I am debating whether to spend the money for next year in a seasons pass. I figure getting some turns in so close to home has to be worth something. Or would I be better off using that money towards somewhere bigger but further away from home? Based on last years prices it is $199 for nights when I would hit it up. What do you guys think?

 

[drjeff]

Try a couple of nites and/or days there now and see if you think you'd find a pass there worthwhile or not. Some people will get enough of a fix from a local SMALL hill like Blue Hills, other people will find that the novelty of it wears off quick and in the greater Boston metro area might be better off with the drive out to Wachusett for some night turns.

 

[Bostonian]

DrJeff...

That is what I am afraid of, skiing blue hills only at 300 vertical may get boring. But if I do Wawa, it is like an hour+ from home. If I do that I might as well sink that money into Sunapee or something. But for night turns I am not sure. Maybe I will check them out tonight after work to see if will work.

 

[deadheadskier]

I've never skied there, so hard to give an opinion. If Blue Hills was like Sundown with their commitment to bumps, I'd be all over that if I were in your situation. If it's just groomed flat, it would hold no interest for me.

 

[TheBEast]

Disclaimer - I've never skiied Blue Hills.........but with 300 vert and groomed terrain (which is probably what be open at night) I'd pass. 300 vert gets old quick. I did a race league at Blandford this winter and while their vert is 490, anything outside doing the race really didn't hold my interest all that long. Spend the money elsewhere.

 

[snowmonster]

I spent the same amount on my midweek pass to Wachusset. I can't complain about accesibility for after work turns. But even the Mighty Wa can get boring after a few runs. Also, look how long the season runs at Blue. When the snow is gone from the streets of Boston, I can't imagine them sticking to that hill. You on the South Shore?

 

[hammer]

I spent the same amount on my midweek pass to Wachusett. I can't complain about accessibility for after work turns. But even the Mighty Wa can get boring after a few runs.

+1

I'm much closer to Nashoba (~20 minutes), but at this point I wouldn't consider a night pass there even if it was only $200 for the season. Not saying anything bad about the place, but <250 feet vertical would only keep me interested for about an hour.

 

[wa-loaf]

I spent the same amount on my midweek pass to Wachusset. I can't complain about accesibility for after work turns. But even the Mighty Wa can get boring after a few runs. Also, look how long the season runs at Blue. When the snow is gone from the streets of Boston, I can't imagine them sticking to that hill. You on the South Shore?

If I didn't have racing there I don't know if I would invest in the pass at WA either. Probably just because it's so close I'd keep it for taking the kids out. I'm good for about 2 hours at WA before I get bored and they have 1000k vert. Now if there were glades or more bumps . . .

 

[hammer]

If I didn't have racing there I don't know if I would invest in the pass at WA either. Probably just because it's so close I'd keep it for taking the kids out. I'm good for about 2 hours at WA before I get bored and they have 1000k vert. Now if there were glades or more bumps . . .

Wachusett worked out real well for me for one season, but it did get a bit old after a while...I'm still open to the possibility of going before it closes but I got about 8 or so trips in and I had my fill.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Blue like any small hill has its virtues BUT it'll will bore the hell of of you after a week of skiing it. Go elsewhere with more vert and terrain styles - my .02 cents use Blue as a filler when you want to

 

[snowmonster]

If I didn't have racing there I don't know if I would invest in the pass at WA either. Probably just because it's so close I'd keep it for taking the kids out. I'm good for about 2 hours at WA before I get bored and they have 1000k vert. Now if there were glades or more bumps . . .

You can actually try to go into the glades off the Victory (?) chair just to vary things a bit and I used to ski in the unlit areas at night. But, I'll have to cut that out and be a good citizen. I agree that Wa gets old quickly. But, you get what's advertised and making turns after work sure beats sitting at home watching reality TV.

 

[Bostonian]

Hmmm good discussion going here. I appreciate everyone's insight. I think the biggest lure for me is the fact that it is so close to where I live now. I now live in West Roxbury, close to the VFW parkway in Boston on the Brookline line. So for me to get to Blue hills, it is a quick trip down past the arboretum onto Morton Street. From Morton Street down Blue Hill Ave, until I get to Blue Hills. 15 minutes tops. But again the fact it is only 400' vert, and well.. leaves a little left to be desired. Also I know someone mentioned that that if boston has no snow, blue hills doesn't either. But I do know they have new guns, and under new management. As for Wa as an alternative, I've skied Wa at night and it does get boring after a while (last year was wawa wednesdays for my friends and I). But still getting turns is awesome at night. The only thing that sucks is it's an hour + drive home...

decisions decisions.

 

[snowmonster]

Snow in Boston -- because of the lack of elevation, the temps at Blue Hills will be the same as in the Back Bay. So, if it's melting in the city, it's only a matter of time regardless of snow guns. I can see the proximity argument. But, the point I was making at Wa was that, if that place gets boring, what more Blue? Since day tix to Blue are relatively cheap (I remember it being $30 or even less), you may just make a quick hit to it if you have a time crunch and just need to go skiing. If the drive to Wa is an issue, let me know if you want to share the ride. I'm in Brighton.

 

[playoutside]

I'm currently working about 15 mins from Blue Hills and have been there just once this season; thought I would go more often. It's entertaining enough, but I think even once/week all season long would get boring fast. I also have a Wachusett Bronze pass. Takes about 1.25 hrs to get there from work and I've found it tough to get there enough to make the $199 spent on the pass worth it -- I'd hoped it would motivate me to go more midweek. My midweek plan next season is pay each night at Blue Hills (just $18 this year) and get a threepeat card for Wachusett ($99 this year).

FYI -- BH is closed until Thurs this week.

 

[bigbog]

....up to Bethel..

Get a pass for NH area(s), but don't forget Sunday River(Bethel, ME)..midweek dumps are often left ungroomed on many trails for several days..where in NH it's all groomed out asap....seems like it was like ~3.5hrs max from VFW_Pkway(W.Roxbury) to the SR access road.

**..But having said all that, Big Wachusett ...there's something to be said for just getting one's feet on a mountain...(EDIT..per Geoff's) with any type of setup..

$.01

 

[jack97]

Have a bud who lives around bh, his response echos the rest here... gets old fast.

At WaWa, I had season passes for several years, only part of the mountain I skied was 10th and smith walton. The reason I declined on a season pass this year was that it got boring. The bump trail helps and if they form their bump trail different I would have renew. However they have always built it wrong at least for the years I have skied there.

 

[Geoff]

If I lived 10 minutes from Blue Hills, I'd probably go buy telemark gear. I'd spend a bunch of midweek nights learning how to do that. I might even take up snowboarding. I'd go out of my mind free skiing there on alpine gear unless I were doing something structured like teaching or running gates.

 

[Bumpsis]

If I lived 10 minutes from Blue Hills, I'd probably go buy telemark gear. I'd spend a bunch of midweek nights learning how to do that. I might even take up snowboarding. I'd go out of my mind free skiing there on alpine gear unless I were doing something structured like teaching or running gates.

Like Geoff, I also live about about 10 minutes (by car) away from Blue Hills. Unless you're rank beginner, the yo-yo skiing gets seriously boring really fast. I hit it only if there is a substantial dump. I caught some great untracked night turns there recently, so it's great for novelty like that. As a steady diet - naaah.
Blue Hills is absolutely great for running, MT biking, bouldering and general conditioning fun. I do feel lucky to live so close to this great place but for skiing, I'll do the drive up north.

 

[Bostonian]

Like Geoff, I also live about about 10 minutes (by car) away from Blue Hills. Unless you're rank beginner, the yo-yo skiing gets seriously boring really fast. I hit it only if there is a substantial dump. I caught some great untracked night turns there recently, so it's great for novelty like that. As a steady diet - naaah.
Blue Hills is absolutely great for running, MT biking, bouldering and general conditioning fun. I do feel lucky to live so close to this great place but for skiing, I'll do the drive up north.

Hmmm that sounds like a good idea doing MT biking there during the non snowy months. So what I think my game plan will be is to get back in the pool for swimming again (as the last couple of weeks with moving and being out in the rockies messed that up), MT biking at Blue Hills, and get a season pass most likely at Sunapee/Okemo.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Also I know someone mentioned that that if boston has no snow, blue hills doesn't either. But I do know they have new guns, and under new management. As for Wa as an alternative, I've skied Wa at night and it does get boring after a while (last year was wawa wednesdays for my friends and I). But still getting turns is awesome at night. The only thing that sucks is it's an hour + drive home...

decisions decisions.

I know that BH is run by Campgaw Mgmt. which runs Campgaw in NJ for the county of Bergen. Campgaw is an even smaller hill, 260 vert. but they make a ton of snow and get a really good base going, but they usually close mid-March.