Ski Areas Get Jump on Winter

By Larry Kratka
Berkshire News Network
01:55PM / Wednesday, November 19, 2008

HANCOCK, Mass. — Local ski areas are not waiting for Mother Nature to bring snow to the Berkshires.

Bousquet Ski area in Pittsfield, Jiminy Peak in Hancock and Ski Butternut in Great Barrington are taking advantage of a blast of cold air to create a manmade base of snow on their slopes.

Snowmaking has been going on at Jiminy since Monday and piles of snow 7 and 8 feet high are ready to pack some of the nine trails that should be open this Saturday, said spokeswoman Katie Fogel. She added that the opening day has depended on the season but the ski resort expects this weekend to be a goodn one.

Jiminy will be open from 9 to 4 with 54 acres of trails ready for skiiers and snowboarders.

Ski Butternut officials said they're hoping to open with 10 to 15 trails during Thanksgiving weekend.  Over at Bousquet, they've been lighting up the night ski over Pittsfield while cranking out a good manmade base of snow and, according to their Web page, plan to open on Friday.


Photo courtesy Jiminy Peak: Snowmaking on the mountain this week.