Come visit the Best L'il Ski Area South of Vermont! Berkshire East

[Liam]

Hey Gang,

I realize many on this forum call little eastern, mountains their home mountain.  And while at least one trip to a big western hill like Alta or Big Sky should be on everyone's docket every season, I'd like to recommend a small day tripper destination for those of us south of the Green Mountain State.

My home hill is the venerable Berkshire East Ski area in Charlemont, MA.  It is a never crowded, pretty steep (for a little hill), north facing, economical,1000ft vertical ski mountain.  Skiing is first and foremost at B'East--there are no condos, two fairly decent lodges where you can stow your gear under a bench table. 

By mid season, when the whole mountain is open, we have the only legit tree skiing south of vermont (and quite a bit of it), some solid mogul runs, and a mix of fairly steep and mellower groomers. 

On powder days (we do get them believe it or not!) you can ski unbroken snow from open to close.  Especially mid week.

Here's a video from two years ago made by a fellow Patroller showcasing the diversity of B'East terrain.  It starts on some basic trails, then some of our really great 'beginner-level' glades and then on to some of the tighter steeper in bounds glades (tight enough that even Bushwacker will call them glades   @ 5:20 you'll see Tomahawk-my personal favorite glade/ run on the mountain.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LiftlineRedcoat#p/u/22/KG6C2E3rJQU

You'll also notice that, on what seems to be a powder day the only people o the mountain are the 4 patrollers (and the teenage son of a patroller) on the Mountain.  That is a common occurrence at berkshire East and another reason why we love it (Disclaimer-video not shot on a saturday).

Want more proof of Powde day Solitude-check out video from last year-2-2-11 POWDER DAY IN MA:

http://www.youtube.com/user/LiftlineRedcoat#p/u/8/8xG8H4Auaz8

B'east has a great racing program that dominates the ski culture of the mountain, consequently along with an ample amount of off-piste terrain (for Massachusetts) the area attracts a slightly above average level of skier.

There are a couple great windy trails that all level of skier can enjoy.

Honestly the whole yester-year vibe of the place is infectious (though the snow making updates, fewer boarders and people in general have made the surface conditions very much 'this year' in quality).

I work at the B'East on Tuesdays, Friday Nights, and on the weekends.  I'm a patroller-I'd love to get a chance to ski with anyone from this forum at my home hill.  If you come, just pop in the Patrol House and radio for me (my name is Liam), or approach any patroller-they'll radio me.  I'd like to set up a specific Realskiers Day at the Berkshire East if folks are interested.

Anyway-cool night time temps got me thinking skiing---hope to see some of you on the 'Little ski area that could' this season.

Liam

[jim-ratliff]

Liam:

You should get in touch with Dan over on PMTS.  He has coordinated an "East coast PMTS weekend" the past two years.  Killington first year, last year was MRG and SugarBush.  At the end of last year, there were votes for this year to be at New Hampshire or Maine (that was Meput's idea) but B'East could be a candidate as well.

How far from New York City?

[LivingProof]

Liam,

I have family (and a place to sleep) in Longmeadow Ma. , can be on I-91 in 2 minutes from the house. So a RS day(s), as it's too far for just one, would work great.

Somehow, I knew your name was Liam.

[Gary]

Hey Liam...thanks for posting that video....what a fantastic snow day you had...love the glade skiing...really beautiful and peaceful.....the bushwacking not so much for me but it looks like you've got some great eastern wandering trails.

Yup...I can see...a tough day on the job! Sure got me more pumped to get back on the snow.

Your harmonica playing rocks too! 
G

ps...what camera were you using and where mounted?

[Liam]

Jim,

I did hook up with Dan the day after the first Pico/ Killington PMTS trip two years ago-we skied Magic (we'd had about 8 inches o very wet snow fall the night before)-it was great day-A sunday with about 6 people on the Mountain.

I think as a destination for a large group over a weekend, B'East is a little too small (compared to a Maine Sugarloaf or Vermont Sugarbush Trip).  But it's a great place to hit on your way to those destinations-or for a shorter and closer trip.  It's about 3.5 hours from NYC btw.  LP it's only 50 minutes from Long Meadow (we have some patrollers from Longmeadow and Wilbraham...includi ng Beastie Boy).

Gary, yeah the true glades, when the conditions are right, are a real joy at this little hill...and the bushwacking, well, that's just part of the East coast bramble experience.  My buddy Al made these videos-I think it's a first generation Sony P.O.V helmet cam.  A couple of the guys just got the Go Pro cameras so we'll see how they stack up. 

[Gary]

Thanks Liam...I've been looking at the GoPro with the chest mount...I had the Contour but it was complicated turning on and off with the gloves on and the wind noise was pretty obnoxious.

We'll have to compare notes if we get them...

G

[midwif]

Hmmm, I guess your place gets the edge on my home mountain.

Elk Mtn in Pa is where I learned to ski at age 36. My son was going with friends on a regular basis
and encouraged me to come and try it.
Fell in love with skiing that day. They had to drag me off the mountain. All 1000 ft. of it.
Then I dragged the rest of the family into skiing.

Elk has nice variety for a small mountain.

Liam, your home base has tree skiing. Absolutely none at Elk. They won't even consider it.
Don't know what the issue is.


It would be really nice to stop by and meet up with you.

Damn! So many ski opportunities, but so little time!!

L.

[bushwacka]

Liam stuffs looks good there. maybe if you guys get a storm we do not get I could see myself driving down.

Elk gets 60 inches of natural snow on average a year, it really is not enough to support tree skiing. With that said I have heard they pull passes. I have gotten straight up beligent and gotten kicked out of both Holiday Valley and Snowshoe for skiing trees. Untill they change there policy I will keep doing anti advertising for them as well.

 the best was at holiday valley when the fat ass patroler came over and told me I just skied unskiable terrain. I look at him and was like "I just skied it, sorry that you cant" got on the chairlift skied it again he came over to me and I skated around till he couldnt skate anymore trying to chase me and I got on the chairlift. skied down again in the same amazing woods run this time he had back up. I got kicked out.

I would do it again, I hate LCD rules and fight every single one of them. If you want to ski trees at Elk start to clear stuff out and start to ski the runs you cleared.

[midwif]

Not motivated enough! Or have the time! or energy.

Hmmm, BW, are you Surprised your pass got pulled.
You were pulling the patrollers chain in a big way.
Glad the cops weren't waiting to escort you off the premises to spend the night in their fine accommodations!

Authority hates to be dissed.
L.

PS. Anything you want to invite us to besides clear illegal trees in Pennsylvania?

[Liam]

Hey 'Bush,

I suspect I'll come ski with you at Stowe before you come ski at B'East (but we'd be honored to have you down here--I might bring some of the gang up to your March Epic gathering-we're usually at Jay that weekend anyway)...

And, you might want to save your southern visit for a mountain biking weekend anyway--that may be the one arena in which my region actually can stand toe to toe with your region for quality and quantity...and yes, that is an informed comment. 

We have a pretty open policy on all terrain and many on the Patrol are involved in active 'glading' pre-season.  We're more apt to close off an in bounds, groomed run than a glade on any given day (those who are seeking the groomers are usually grateful and those who seek trees know what is a risk for them and what isn't).

As far as pulling passes-I've never pulled one (I'm in it more for the medical aid and general help aspects).  We have a couple of out of bounds areas I've had to make a rescue on (one popular section has legit cliffs that the youngsters just find so enticing)...but half the time it's one of the patroller's kids involved. 

Most of us have a "If they want to trash their skis, that's there business" attitude for those who chase glades in poor snow.

The only time going off piste is a problem is at night (we have night skiing) and every once in a while we have to pull some joker out of the woods in the dark...which is a hazard for all involved.  That might get you kicked out. 

Oh, and the one thing I do get my red coat dander up about is people skiing recklessly fast on beginner trails.  I have no problem with speed on advanced trails (we are the home training mountain of the UMASS ski team-plenty of places for high speed ripping), but little kids, ski-students, mellow adults get the priority of safety and comfort on trails marked with a green circle.

Berkshire East is owned by a family of Ripping skiers who get that part of the appeal of their hill are the unusual off-piste and challenging offerings (for a smaller southern New England ski area) real skiers crave.

Most small areas (and ever increasingly larger areas) just don't want glade skiing anymore.  I remember when Jiminy Peak bulldozed Willie's Gulch and a few other glades to make another uber wide groomed boulevard for the skid happy crowds from Albany.

I don't want to misrepresent B'East either-it has plenty of groomers cruisers-like most places, that is it's main terrain in fact.  But it is tilted up a little more than some other places, and we have moguls and glades when conditions allow (every season for the last 6 years, even the leanest seasons, we have had at least 3 weeks of good glades skiing---not always consecutively, mind you-but at least 3 weeks somewhere throughout the season you can ski trees and natural snow moguls.)


Gary-I look forward to your first GO PRO HERO films!  My friend on this forum Green Trails just bought the same set up.

Lynn-I've never skied in PA (is that where Elk is?)  I'm a relative newbie to skiing myself (this will be my 12th season-I started at age 30) and don't know much about the ski areas of the mid Atlantic.  You got a 1000ft of vertical, though and that's enough to make a run meaningful in my book!  If you ever pass through MA with a pair of skis, please drop in at the B'East.

[bushwacka]

Not motivated enough! Or have the time! or energy.

Hmmm, BW, are you Surprised your pass got pulled.
You were pulling the patrollers chain in a big way.
Glad the cops weren't waiting to escort you off the premises to spend the night in their fine accommodations!

Authority hates to be dissed.
L.

PS. Anything you want to invite us to besides clear illegal trees in Pennsylvania?

My point is that unless there is massed civil disobedience against resort like Holiday valley they will not change.  I am not surprised at all they pulled my pass. My goal after the patroller comment about "it was unskiable terrain" was to embarrass him untill I could not anymore. Its not his job to set policy but he shouldnt choose to enforce it either if has any bit of a brain. The groomers that day were icey mess, where as the woods had 12-14 inches of light powder in them. It was safer for me to ski the woods.

I did very similar things at Hidden Valley when I worked there, and because I got literally tons of people to do it the policy at Hidden Valley now allows Tree skiing the patrol just did not have the time and the energy to chase everyone down.

At Stowe we finally are allowed to take lessons in to woods because alot of instructors have been complaining about the absuridty if taking expert level kids on to dangerous groomers while there is perfectly soft and beign trees all around the place.

The point is for anyone who wants to ski trees and their resort doesnt yet allow it, you have to take a stance against the power to be and NEVER back down. 

Liam what if I bring high powered HID lights to ski woods at night

Liam Mountain biking is good everywhere, some of my favorite trails are in Ohio and Pittsburgh area. You going to be around in a couple weeks Ill be passing back though there on my way back up to stowe.

[jim-ratliff]

The point is for anyone who wants to ski trees and their resort doesnt yet allow it, you have to take a stance against the power to be and NEVER back down. 

I'm glad you've had luck standing up against "the man".  In other areas of business, I have found that the "powers that be" are often the insurance companies, and they have no concern for common sense.

[midwif]

The point is for anyone who wants to ski trees and their resort doesnt yet allow it, you have to take a stance against the power to be and NEVER back down. 

Liam what if I bring high powered HID lights to ski woods at night

I admire your  tenacityand conviction.
There's a group down in Wall St who would benefit from your energy.
L.

[bushwacka]

The point is for anyone who wants to ski trees and their resort doesnt yet allow it, you have to take a stance against the power to be and NEVER back down. 

Liam what if I bring high powered HID lights to ski woods at night

I admire your  tenacityand conviction.
There's a group down in Wall St who would benefit from your energy.
L.

I want nothing to do with the group down in wall street. They feel that the government should help them out, where I feel the government should leave me alone.  all though I applaud their use of Non Violent civil disobedience, what they want is the furthest thing from what I want.

I am Liberal in the classic sense of the word, the same type of person who formed the greatest country on earth.  those people are socialist who can take all the blame for what has happened to them IMO.

[Liam]

Bush, we're on the same page on quite a few points here;

1. Yep-mountain biking is good everywhere (provided there is a core group of locals who are committed to building and maintaining single track). PA has great mountain biking for sure, Heck, I started riding in NJ and beleieve it or not there is some fine mountain riding there (probably a lot more now than when I moved away 13 years ago).  I've even ridden in Ohio-way out in the western part of that state at Hueston Woods-fun stuff, actually.

2. Bike lights for night woods skiing...we've done it, but I must admit the results aren't as good as biking at night in the woods.  I don't recommend doing it except as a necessity (to find a lost friend or get back home when you've misjudged the day light!).

3.  Guerrilla Glading....Most of the glades folks ski anywhere did not originally come into existence as part of a sanctioned resort plan but were really stands of trees that locals quasi-clandestinely expanded through out the years until hey found there way into acceptance on resort maps.  And, I know guerrilla single track created and continues to sustain mountain biking everywhere regardless of the official position of IMBA (legit stuff is great, too).

4.  Fairly good summation of the Occupy Wall Street gang.

At any rate, sticking with the topic at hand, future get togethers at everyone's home hill are worthy goals I hope some of us swill pursue.  Anyone else got a smaller off the grid place we all ought to know more about?   That includes bigger out west mountains that are not on the typical destination checklist of even the savvy skier.