Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield, one of the early pioneers of snowmaking, fired up its snow guns Monday night, resulting in this scene Tuesday. (Photo by Bill Sample)
Snow guns began firing throughout ski country this week, and mighty Killington was scheduled to be the first in the East to open Tuesday, Nov. 9. (This column was written Monday, but frigid nights were predicted for all week).
Bousquet Ski Area on Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield was also planning to make the white flakes Monday evening, as was Jiminy Peak in Hancock. [Editor’s note: Jiminy Peak announced yesterday that it would open for the season this weekend, with the Berkshire Express six-passenger high-speed lift to the summit and the Novice Triple Chair operating from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Eight interconnected trails will be open for operation on Saturday and Sunday: West Way, North Glade, Lower Glade, Upper Slingshot, Lower Slingshot, Grand Slam, 360 and 180. There will be 2.5 miles of skiing and riding on 25 acres of snow, according to the resort.
Bousquet’s George Jervas said Monday he planned to open this weekend if he had four nights of snowmaking. And it was at the Pittsfield ski center, which opened in 1932, that snowmaking was first introduced in Massachusetts and Vermont in December 1956.
Vermont operators scoffed at the “banana belt operation†and said Mother Nature was generous enough to cover the slopes, but Catamount and Jiminy Peak soon followed suit in the Berkshires.
A few years later, Mount Ascutney became the first Vermont area to install the pumps and compressors necessary to produce real snow, not “artificial†as written by most journalists.
After a few more years, most of Vermont’s ski areas were making snow, and before too long, the once haughty Western resorts joined the parade.
Now that global warming is a fact (to all expect our optimist President Bush), the winter sports industry contributes thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the economy, thanks to snowmaking.
Jiminy, for example, ran as few as 10 days a winter before SM and operated with a handful of employees. Now President Brian Fairbank heads a force of more than 500 and runs about 100 days a winter. Then he cuts back his staff but still is busy with summer resort activities.
Okemo is the only other Southern Vermont resort expecting to open sometime this week, while Stratton is making snow but holding to its scheduled Nov. 20 opening.
Mount Snow and Stratton were fairly late in joining the SM parade, but both rushed into operations in January, about 1968, after a virtually snowless Christmas holiday period.
Bromley was the second Vermont resort to put in a SM system and for a while advertised as “the largest snowmaking resort in the world,†a claim earlier made by Jim Kelly of the former Brodie Mountain ski area.
Jiminy’s Fairbank and partner Joseph O’Donnell of Boston Concessions bought Brodie for an undisclosed sum in late 1999 and recently sold the New Ashford property to Silverleaf Resorts for a reported $2.6 million. Silverleaf plans to build 322 timeshare units, but Jiminy will continue to operate a snow-tubing area again this winter.
Tubing is now offered at most ski and snowboard centers in another effort to pay for ever-increasing operations.
Some resorts raise lift ticket prices (with a weekend high of $72 at Stratton), while others lower the tab.
Catamount, located half in South Egremont and half in Hillsdale, N.Y., is advertising a combination of three new trails and amazingly low $15 lift tickets Monday through Thursday all non-holiday weeks all season.
“We’re doing our part to keep skiing affordable,†said Bill Gilbert, who has operated the venerable area with partner Don Edwards the past 30 years. Catamount’s weekend and holiday rates range from $10 for tots and “super seniors†to $46.
Stratton’s PR director Myra Foster pointed out, however, that many people ski and board for much less than $72, due to programs such as the Express Card, which costs about $100 but then cuts the daily lift ticket price.
And season tickets at any resort means skiing or boarding for only a few dollars a day, if used enough.
Jiminy, with a high of $52, sells the Value Card for $29 (before Nov. 24), which then means $10 off the regular rates.
Ski sales and swaps are another way to cut costs, but most have been held. Okemo’s annual sale will take place Nov. 19-21, with proceeds going to the Okemo Mountain School for Racers.
Okemo’s Nordic Center, located on the Okemo Valley Golf Course, relies on natural snow but requires a minimum of cover.
Okemo’s director of golf, Jim Remy, recently made golf history when he was elected secretary of the Professional Golf Association of America at its annual meeting in Port Lucie, Fla. Remy, who was also in charge of updating Okemo’s other course, Tater Hill in nearby Chester, will travel considerably in his new role but will retain his Okemo position.
Most Vermont courses are winding down, if not already closed, but many Berkshire courses will remain open as long as weather permits.
“This week looks bleak,†said Waubeeka’s general manager, Mark Mills, “and the pro shop is now closed. But we will work out of the clubhouse as long as possible, which is generally late November or early December.â€
Cross-country skiers and snowshoers will have to rely on hiking until enough natural flakes fall, and hunters will not have easy tracking without snow, but the loss of leaves makes for better views.
For group hikes, the Berkshire Knapsackers offers leaders for jaunts every week through Dec. 18, at Hopkins Forest in Williamstown. This Saturday will see a tour of Beartown Mountain in Lee, led by Jan Chague, 637-1818 or jgchague@!hotmail.com For details, contact Jean Marra at 117 North Holden St., North Adams, MA 01247.
Saddleback Trading Post at 73 Main St., North Adams, 664-2772, offers information and a complete line of hiking and snowshoeing gear, as well as guided hikes. The next is on Reading Day, Dec. 16 from noon to 2, with snowshoes if the weather cooperates.
The Massachusetts shotgun deer-hunting season is the first two weeks of December, so use care!
John Hitchcock of Williamstown writes frequently about the area sports scene.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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