Trail Mix: Where People go to Play in the Snow

By Evelyn Battaglia

Berkshires reveals its true nature—all craggy hills and rocky outcroppings and snow-covered (fingers crossed) ground that beckons us outdoors. Treadmills and Pelotons don’t hold a candle to gravity’s natural elevations, and you’ll be breathing in the crisp, clean, invigorating air.

Four-season hikers (counting me and sprightly German Shorthaired Pointer) relish the newfound solitude amidst the sculptural beauty of towering bare-limbed trees—and open views they now provide. The lowsitting sun is brighter, casting everything in sharper focus. Once winter sets in, we (humans) pull ice cleats onto our boots and use walking sticks for added stability. Snowshoeing has its own aficionados—this ancient means of transportation has gone completely modern, with sleek equipment that will have you dashing through the snow in style. Or strap on a pair of crosscountry skis and traipse along miles of groomed (and ungroomed!) trails. Avid Nordic-ers pounce at the first sign of powder. If Alpine skiing is more your speed, the Berkshires boasts five resorts within its county lines and a handful more can be reached north of the Vermont border. All welcome first-timers—especially little ones—to practice their snowplows on bunny and pony slopes and gentle beginner runs. Eager to shred the gnar (jargon for gnarly turf)? Black diamonds and moguls await, as do terrain parks for freestyle jumps and jibs. For all the above winter pleasures, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Others may grumble but we say: Bring it on!

Skiers and riders of all levels have been coming to the greater Berkshire region for decades, and for good reason. Even climatechange deniers will appreciate how these industrious attractions have upped their snowmaking skills when freshies are not in the forecast. They’ve also invested in new lodges and lifts to elevate (ahem) the whole experience. Established in 1932, Bousquet (now owned by Mill Town Capital) is the oldest operating resort in the Berkshires—and the first to introduce night skiing (in 1936!), a tradition that continues to this day, six evenings a week. “Being able to give locals the opportunity to come after school and work is core to our mission,” says general manager Kevin McMillan. The 200-acre ski area has 23 trails and one terrain park.

Updates include a new snowmaking system and triple-chair lift (for a total of five lifts). There’s also a spiffy new lodge with two restaurants where parents can see their kids anywhere on the mountain. And Bousquet is building up its junior racing program by recruiting two national-level skiers to train with the team. As a self-described beginner resort (per McMillan), Bousquet is focusing as well on improvements that will resonate with its key demographic. “Studies show that 80 percent of first-time skiers never do it more than once, so we are looking head-on at how to smooth the rough edges of the pain points,” Hence the designated parking area for first-timers and families with young children mere steps away from the lodge; instructors show how to put rental boots on and carry skis. Situated a five-minute drive from downtown Great Barrington, Butternut has also been teaching generations of locals and weekenders to ski for generations. Today it offers 22 trails (60 percent intermediate), two terrain parks, and an adjacent tubing area. Plus, the Snowsports School offers one-off or multi-week lessons for all ages and levels and types as well as a tiered youth racing program for ages 10 to 18. According to marketing director Dillon Mahon, Butternut has increased its snowmaking capacity for “more snow faster,” brought back its popular $35 midweek (non-holiday) lift ticket, and introduced two-day lift tickets and midweek season passes due to customer demand. Time-saving tip: add these to your existing Reload Cards via the online store so you can skip the ticket window and head directly to the lifts.

Butternut recently acquired Otis Ridge, an affordable, family-oriented New England area that opened in 1946 with two rope pulls and one run but has since expanded to 10 trails of all difficulties, including curvy paths through the woods, plus a robust ski school. It too offers discounted midweek tickets, a bargain at $25. Seniors over 70 always ski free.

Berkshire East, off Route 2 in Charlemont, has been run by the same family for over 45 years and was the world’s first ski area to produce 100 percent of its electricity from on-site renewable energy. The old-school vibe remains despite modern facilities and a multi-million-dollar upgrade of its snowmaking operations in 2021, for 100 percent coverage of 45 trails serviced by five lifts.

Catamount, straddling Hillsdale, N.Y., and Egremont, Mass., bills itself as an all-around, mid-size resort that offers “some of the most varied terrain in southern New England with a great selection of intermediate and expert trails for a ‘next-level’ experience,” says marketing manager Ian Tomasch. It also offers night skiing Wednesday through Saturday. Since being bought by the folks who run Berkshire East in 2018, the area undergone a costly makeover, getting a stylish lodge, new quad and triple lifts, additional black-diamond runs, and an overhauled snowmaking infrastructure. A tubing park is to open this season, too. Both Catamount and Berkshire East are part of the IndySkiPass program (indyskipass.com), which entitles holders to two days of skiing or riding at each of 100-plus independent resorts.

Now in its 77th season, Mohawk Mountain—in Cornwall, Conn.—is another night-skiing (and snow-tubing) destination, with 16 of its 26 trails open six evenings a week. Modern snowmaking techniques were invented here and continue apace, with state-of-the-art systems delivering 100 percent coverage. Nordic skiing and snowshoeing are on deck in the adjoining state forest. Offering 45 trails, nine lifts, and a 1,150-foot vertical drop, Jiminy Peak has been drawing locals and out-of-towners to its Hancock resort since 1948. This year it is adding four trails to its daily Twilight program, for a total of 25 trails and (depending on conditions) up to three terrain parks. It lives up to its

Opposite page: Mount Snow. Above: Bousquet.

From left: Adaptive skiing at Jiminy Peak, Catamount.

sustainability mission by being fully powered by wind turbines, visible from the slopes. Lodging, complete with heated outdoor pool, is mere steps away at The Country Inn or one of the vacation homes on the property. Southern Vermont boasts another handful of resorts that are close enough for a day trip but worth a weekend jaunt as well, quaint villages included. (See Day Trip on page 53 for one such itinerary.) These places tend to open earlier (thanks to higher elevations), letting you jump-start your season as early as mid-November. Locals who want to test their skills head to Mount Snow in West Dover. The bustling area features 80 trails and 1,700 feet of vertical drop serviced by 20 lifts—including the Bluebird Express, a six-person bubble lift that takes riders to the 3,600-foot-high summit—on four mountain faces, all of which offer tree skiing. One face (Corinthia) counts 10 terrain parks and the superpipe. Despite having an average annual snowfall of 156 inches, Mount Snow is known for top-notch snowmaking and grooming operations, plus modern facilities and a comfortable lodge. Nonskiers will appreciate one of the largest tubing hills in the state, plus other activities like dog sledding and snowmobiling. With 99 trails fanning from Vermont’s highest peak (at 3,785 feet), Stratton Mountain Resort is one of Vermont’s largest ski areas—and the birthplace of snowboarding. The 2,003-foot vertical drop is almost twice that at Massachusetts’ ski mountains and reason enough to make the two-hour drive from Great Barrington; 670 acres of skiable terrain and an average annual snowfall of 180 inches are others. Though large, it’s not daunting: 40 percent of the trails are designated novice and 35 percent intermediate. The 11 lifts carry close to 34,000 people per hour but expect lines on weekends and holidays. Wait, there’s more: Stratton’s Nordic Center features over seven miles of groomed classic and skate trails plus snowshoeing. You can also view the mountain via snowmobile, rent a fat bike for peddling through the snow, or go ice skating on the pond in the Village Commons, part of a slope-side area for shopping, dining, and lodging. If crowd-free skiing and riding sounds about right, Magic Mountain is an authentic New England area in Londonderry that’s best known for its boundary-to-boundary tree-skiing and narrow, twisting trails that descend 1,500 vertical feet to two summit lifts. Its history is telling: When the founder was searching Vermont to start a ski area in the late 1950s, he discovered Glebe Mountain, whose ridge lines and steep topography reminded him of his native Swiss Alps. That distinctive, demanding terrain remains virtually unchanged today—and sets Magic apart from others in the region. Located in Peru, Bromley Mountain has been teaching families how to ski going on 86 years. Its 46 trails are evenly split across difficulty levels and run past three freestyle-terrain parks—all with sunny south-facing slopes. A shuttle takes visitors to and from lodging in Bromley Village. Off-mountain activities abound—ice skating, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, and of course shopping at the Manchester Designer Outlets, a mere six miles away.

Okemo Mountain Resort offers southern Vermont’s highest vertical drop of 2,200 feet and an extensive trail network (120 trails!) that spans five distinct alpine areas, each with at least one high-speed quad lift. A total of eight terrain parks and the east’s longest superpipe means there’s something for everyone here—including a slopeside tubing park in Jackson Gore, ice skating on the regulation-size hockey arena, guided tours on kidsized snowmobiles, and well-marked cross-country terrain and snowshoeing trails at the Okemo Valley Nordic Center. Plus, lots of on-mountain dining options and accommodations. You’re more than welcome!

Besides the above properties, check out the following full-service XC ski centers. Each rents equipment (arrive early as items go fast, especially on holidays), lessons (usually on weekends only), and seasonal passes that are a bargain compared to Alpine rates. Check the calendar too for special events, including full-moon ski or snowshoe tours.

Notchview has more than 25 miles of groomed trails on 3,000 acres in Windsor. Almost half are groomed and track-set for classic cross-country skiing and five miles are groomed for the new style of skate skiing—so named for the side-to-side motion that resembles ice skating. A separate trail system is for “skijoring,” or skiing with dogs. You can also snowshoe alongside the ski trails or go off track and explore the backcountry. A special section called the Kinderloop is for teaching youngsters. The Berkshire foothills, which get snow when the valley doesn’t, is home to two privately owned recreational depots. At Canterbury Farm, a hidden gem in Becket, you’ll be greeted by a restored 1780 historic home (in summer a B&B) and 13 miles of groomed and tracked XC ski trails that offer views of Mount Greylock at the summit. There are also wider trails for ski skating and packed trails just for snowshoeing. You can also hike here (for free) all year. A working family farm since 1812, Maple Corner Farm (Granville) is another little-known secret with over 12 miles of machine-groomed ski trails marked beginner to expert plus another six miles for snowshoeing.

Stump Sprouts lies just east of the Berkshire County line and south of the Mohawk Trail, in the tiny mountain town of Hawley (population 337). It has 15 miles of groomed trails for XC skiing, snowshoeing, and winter biking when conditions allow. Heading into Southern Vermont, Timber Creek XC Ski Center—located across the road from Mount Snow and far from the madding crowds—has over eight miles of thoughtfully groomed trails for classic and skate skiing plus a separate “intimate” network for snowshoeing.

Prospect Mountain, some 15 minutes east of Bennington in Woodford, maintains over 18 miles of trails, most of which have classic tracks set on either side with a wide skating lane in the center along with special snowshoeing and single-track trails. Experts flock to The Mountain Trail for a 400-foot climb to the top and then a bit of downhill fun after taking in the views. Located in the Green Mountain National Forest (15 minutes from Manchester in the town of Peru), Wild Wings Ski Touring Center is reliably snowy, with 15 miles of loop trails (no getting lost!), about one-third of which have skate lanes. All levels are welcome here, as are snowshoers.

Skiing has a special heritage in Salisbury dating back to 1927, when John Satre (say-tree) and other Norwegian ski-jumping and Nordic champions hosted a major ski- jumping competition on a makeshift ski-jump off the roof of a hillside shed—and continued to do so until war ensued. Intrepid fans rekindled the flame by forming the Salisbury Winter Sports Association, building a new jump in Satre’s honor, and hosting the U.S. Eastern Ski Jumping Championship in 1950, a tradition that continues today as a three-day event in mid-February. Visit jumpfest.org for details on the 97th Annual Jumpfest in 2023 (date yet to be announced).

Cross-country skiing at Stump Sprouts.

Snowshoeing BNRC’s Clam River trail.

Looking for a weekend adventure? The hills are alive at The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. Opened by the family of The Sound of Music fame, it’s America’s oldest commercial cross-country ski center. Explore 40 miles of machine-tracked trails and another 25 miles of backcountry trails on over 2,500 acres. Stay in the ski-in, ski-out chalets and sample the inn’s own Austrian-style lagers at the Bierhall.

Stowe Mountain Resort—best known as a downhill ski destination—also offers 28 miles of groomed tracks and wide skating trails, plus just shy of 20 miles of untracked backcountry trails, covering more than 3,000 acres of conserved land. Trails in the Mount Mansfield State Forest connect to the Stowe Recreation Path, leading down into the village center of Stowe. The resort includes luxury lodging at The Lodge at Spruce Peak, multiple dining options, a large ice-skating rink, and scenic rides to the summit.

No snow is required to embark on scenic treks, including stretches of the Appalachian Trail that crisscross the region. But when the snow does come, and it always does, these trails all welcome snowshoeing and XC skiing too. Start by downloading the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BRNC) Trails App to explore 12,000 acres across 58 properties up and down the county. (Safety first: Be sure to don bright clothing before heading into properties that allow hunting; same for any four-legged friends. Look for posted signs at trailheads.)

Popular trails include Alford Springs (Alford), Basin Pond (Lee), Bob’s Way (Monterey/Sandisfield). Brother’s Trail and Olivia’s Overlook Trail at Yokun Ridge South (Lenox/ Stockbridge), Clam River (Sandisfield), Hollow Fields (Richmond), Hoosac Range (North Adams/Florida), Housatonic Flats (Great Barrington), Jackson Pond (Stockbridge), Mahanna Cobble (Lenox/Pittsfield), Steepletop (New Marlborough/Sandisfield), and Threemile Hill Trail & CHP Loop (Great Barrington).

The Trustees of Reservations also maintains year-round properties (check thetrustees.org for details and directions). Highlights include Bartholomew’s Cobble, a 329-acre nature sanctuary in Sheffield with five miles of trails, and Tyringham Cobble, a 206-acre open-space reservation with a 2.1-mile loop trail that connects to the AT. (FYI: cobble is a quaint word for big rock.) The three-mile loop trail at Monument Mountain in Great Barrington is of course a favorite for hiking amidst history. A new connector trail links the Mohican Trail to Flag Rock, or you can access this short out-and-back trail from Route 183 in Housatonic. Otherwise, plug the following into your GPS: At 3,491 feet, the peak of Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts, with 70 miles of hiking trails that vary in difficulty. Nearby, Greylock Glen has well-maintained trails and a 2.5-mile route to the summit. The recently refurbished (and

Hiking BNRC’s Alford Springs trail.

flat) 12.7-mile Ashuwillticook Rail Trail originates in Adams and passes through some surprisingly wild country on the way to its southern terminus at the Berkshire Mall. The woodland trails at 100-year-old Hilltop Orchards— a 187-acre working apple farm, orchard-to-can cidery, and winery in Richmond—offer tri-state views (and photo ops) at the top and a tasting room with roaring fire as your end-of-trek reward. Rugged adventures can be had at 500-acre Kennedy Park, which has 15 miles of groomed trails and can be accessed by two parking lots—one near downtown Lenox and another at the Arcadian Shop on Route 7. Stockbridge is home to two trails, accessed at the end of Park Street. Take the picturesque footbridge over the Housatonic River, cross the railroad tracks, and look for a giant boulder bearing trail signs. Turn left to take Laura’s Tower one and a half miles to the summit where a historic fire tower offers 360-degree views; on a clear day, you can see the Catskills to the west and the Green Mountains in southern Vermont to the north. (Continue past the tower to connect to trails leading to Beartown State Forest, described below.) Turn right to take a one-mile journey through Ice Glen, a glacial ravine that harbors ice and snow into summer—and was just inducted into the national Old Growth Forest Network. At the south end of the glen is reputedly the tallest Eastern Hemlock in the state (if not all of New England), towering some 132 feet tall and over 10 feet in girth. No fewer than seven state forests and reservations span the county, all bona fide woodland playgrounds (visit mass.gov/orgs/ department-of-conservation-recreation). The Mohawk Trail State Forest—named for an historic Native American footpath that connected the Connecticut and Hudson River Valleys—is only 10 miles from North Adams. There you can take the 30-mile Mohican-Mohawk Recreation Trail along the original route on former rail corridor, woodland path, and rural roads. The 11,000-acre Pittsfield State Forest offers 30 miles of trails that follow the crest of the Taconic Mountain Range separating Massachusetts and New York. October Mountain State Forest, the largest in Massachusetts (with parking in Lee), has an extensive trail network that winds through 16,500 acres. The 1.5-mile Benedict Pond Loop Trail, which links to the AT, is a popular draw in the 12,000-acre Beartown State Forest, headquartered in Monterey (and named for the black bears that share the land). Former cross-country ski trails have also been restored, leading past the ruins of a lodge. Bonus: These three properties all allow snowmobiling.

At Mount Washington State Forest, you can take in panoramic views from (among others) the signature 6.1-mile Alander Mountain Trail up to the summit and back, or take the easier (0.7-mile) walk across state lines to Bash-Bish Falls— Massachusetts’s highest. Ah, waterfalls: The Race Brook trail, with parking on Route 41 in Sheffield, climbs along three-tier Race Brook Falls. The wood-and-meadow trail loops at Jug End State Reservation, in South Egremont, and cuts across streams. Both lie within Mount Everett State Forest. The peaks in and around Salisbury are the tallest in Connecticut. The challenging Undermountain Trail, a few miles over the border on Route 41, can be used as a day hike or jumping off point for greater excursions. Southern Vermont, our neighbor to the north, is also brimming with outdoor opportunities. A great way to get your mind around all the possibilities is to visit bennington.com/ soar by the Southern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, with descriptions and links for hiking in the area.

Most of the resorts and ski centers listed here have rentals and retail shops, but you can also find equipment and other essentials at the following locations. Inhabiting a weathered red brick building along Route 23 in South Egremont, Kenver (kenver.com) has been serving generations of skiers since 1959. The new owners have updated the interior but kept the same level of service and the popular trade-in program, which is great for growing kids—or for trying out different types of skis.

The Arcadian Shop (arcadian.com) is another favorite outdoor recreational haven that’s conveniently located on Pittsfield Road in Lenox—the parking lot is also a trailhead for Kennedy Park. Cross-country skis and snowshoes round out the Alpine and telemark (combo Alpine and Nordic) offerings. Tucked behind Main Street in GB, Black Diamond Tuning Center (facebook.com/BlackDiamondTuning/) is the place for binding service or a pre-season tuning. Trust Mike to get your skis and boards in tip-top shape for serious carving or dialing in (um, nailing tricks for the uninitiated). Then head to nearby Fluff Alpaca (fluffalpaca.com) for apres-ski apparel and Barrington Outfitters (barringtonoutfitters.net) for ice cleats, snow boots, and other cold-weather apparel. All three locations of Berkshire Bike and Board (berkshirebikeandboard.com)—Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and Hudson, N.Y.—sell snowshoes along with helmets and apparel. Pittsfield has it in spades: Plaine’s (plaines.com) is a onestop shop for new and used boards, skis, boots, poles, helmets, goggles, and clothing—plus it offers tuning and custom boot fitting. Locals swear by The Garden (gardenma.com) for its selection of boards and boots and friendly, knowledgeable staff. Second-hand equipment can be found at Instant Replay (facebook.com/BerkshireInstatReplay/), where the inventory runs the gamut but is especially good for kids’ gear. Ready to trade in your own equipment? They’ll take it on consignment.

The aptly named Ski Fanatics (skifanatics.com) in Lanesborough is run by people with over 100 combined years of experience. In addition to stocking the usual stuff, this is where to take your boots to get stretched or fit with custom orthotics. (If your boots don’t fit, odds are you will quit!) You can also deduct the price of demos if you end up purchasing them.

In Adams, Berkshire Outfitters (berkshireoutfitters.com) rents and sells new and used cross-country and downhill skis and boots as well as snowshoes. It even sells roller skis to help you stay in shape for XC skiing during the off season—and it’s located across the road from the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, where roller skiing is apparently a thing. With four locations in Southern Vermont, Equipe Sport (equipesport.com) is where outdoor enthusiasts go for skiing, riding, snowshoeing, and telemarking equipment and tune-ups. The flagship store is minutes from Stratton’s base in Rawsonville; the West Dover shop is located on the Mount Snow access road. Both have a separate shop, Mtn Riders, that caters to the snowboarding community.

The multi-level First Run Ski Shop (stratton.com/firstrun) in Stratton’s Mountain Village has the newest gear and apparel along with a ski and snowboard tuning shop with fast turnarounds. Bondville-based Starting Gate (startingate.net), located a quarter mile from the Stratton Mountain access road, is the area’s exclusive dealer for Atomic, Fisher, and Head skis as well as Kjus, Mountain Force, and Phenix (among other brands) apparel.