Catamount Conditions

Catamount looks nice. The beer looks awful!  I haven't been there in years. We used to have passes there when my girls were very young.  Vacation week crowds don't look too bad.

Marcski wrote

Catamount looks nice. The beer looks awful!  I haven't been there in years. We used to have passes there when my girls were very young.  Vacation week crowds don't look too bad.

Ha! You are right I drink crap beer. No denying that! But seriously, did you see the size of that freakin' pickle?

i hate that sign, i say we give the mountain to Massachusetts.

Heading up this Sunday 3/1 do you guys think the crowds will be manageable? Also any discounts besides ski shops to far from Long Island?

Second hand report from Saturday; apparently skiing pretty good.

These guys are not 100% open but I can say they're fully recovered from the thaw; nice surface almost everywhere on the mountain

Just saw that the new owners (Berkshire East)  are installing another lift that came originally from Magic. Probably not a big game changer for Catamount but nice to see.

Brownski wrote

Just saw that the new owners (Berkshire East)  are installing another lift that came originally from Magic. Probably not a big game changer for Catamount but nice to see.

What I find most promising is that neighbors are supportive of the plans.  That was not the case when Catamount tried work with a real estate developer.  While a new lift for beginners is nice from a snowsports perspective, creating new lodge space is more important for the bottom line.  When I stopped by in early June and walked around the base, it was clear the lodge was suffering from deferred maintenance.  It was also clear that the owners cared a great deal about their customers.  There were framed collections of ski-related license plates and lift tickets from other regions.  I found my home mountain of Massanutten in Virginia.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/major-renovations-planned-for-catamount-ski-area,548252

". . .
With the new construction, Catamount is planning to host large events such as weddings and concerts — which is new for the ski area.

For the July public hearing, neighboring residents sent letters and emails of support for the plans to town officials, according to Egremont records. "The facility improvements requested will provide a facelift of existing structures and the new ski lift will be an easier transition for first time skiers," wrote Mark Roggen, of Second Street.

The new lodge planned for Catamount will be about 7,600 square feet and be used for ticket sales, ski rentals, lockers, restrooms, retail shops and seating.

The renovations for the existing lodge include a new roof and siding as well as interior updates.
. . ."

Yes. I’m not sure I can correctly recollect all the details but, even though  Catamount may or may not be a good fit for a big real estate thing, the people that objected were being pretty shortsighted and territorial about it. Hopefully the place will do well under the new ownership. It’s a great family place.