Wachusett Mtn, MA: 1/14-15

Ski day 6 and 7

So no one really expects much from what most people refer to as a "feeder mountain", particularly one only an hour from a major metropolitan area with barely 1000' of vert to speak of. My hopes for a great skiing weekend were not particularly high heading up to central Massachusetts on Friday night, with the heavy snow that had turned to sleet and freezing rain the night before, but I knew we would have fun anyway with the company. It was a short drive from my BF's place in Providence and the same distance for my friends in Boston, so the location really was the reason for picking Wachusett.

Friday night saw temperatures in the low 20s and a forecast for Saturday in the upper 20s, so I knew at least the trails they were blasting with snow would be decent. So the next morning essentially consisted of waking up at around 6am, checking the weather and snow reporter and seeing what trails they were hitting with the snow guns.


Sunrise from the hotel.


On Saturday, the trails off the Minuteman lift were my favorite, and with the guns blaring on the newly opened Frannie's Folly, I knew where I would be for much of the day. With that trail being somewhat out of the way, it remained somewhat empty through the day and I had a lot of fun in the new snow. The trails from the top were somewhat windblown and icy in patches.


Challenger off the Minuteman Lift was firm, but carveable.


Hitchcock Trail off the Minuteman lift had some decent LG. I have to admit, I was impressed with Wachusett's grooming after the ice storm they had.


Conifer Connection from the summit.


Lower Conifer. The steeper the section, the worse the conditions.

One thing I do have to admit that I was very surprised about was the lack of crowds on the slopes. The lodge always seemed PACKED and the beginner hill where I left Bill (sorry! guilty as charged!) was pretty crowded as well, but the intermediate and advanced terrain remained for the most part void of heavy traffic.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera in the car the second day, and having to take the shuttle back to the car to get it was NOT in my plans. I was able to snap a few pictures of their awesome snowmaking at work with my phone before it died however. On Saturday Conifer Connection to Lower Conifer was my run of the day. It was clear they had been blowing snow all night with the whales that were forming and with a high of 17 degrees, the snow was the best I've seen all season!



Not to mention the food in the Black Diamond Restaurant on the upper level of the lounge was really good! Classic ski pub food and the prices weren't horrible, coming from someone who skis NJ/NY/PA most often.


Grilled Cheese and a Beef & Ale soup was the special of the day...mmm...

Overall I have to say I was impressed with what Wachusett had to deliver. I had heard horror stories about the crowds, but wasn't overwhelmed by them even on the busiest weekend of the ski season. In the single lane the longest wait was maybe 2 people deep. The pricing wasn't horrible and my BF's military discount made it almost cheap. And finally the part we're all concerned about: the skiing. Their grooming was surprisingly good and their snowmaking was impressive. No, they didn't have the challenging terrain many are looking for, but for me, the cruisers and the soft bumps were all I needed for a good ski day. And Wachusett surprised me with both.

You drove all that way just to ski Wachusett?

Like driving 3+ hrs to hit Mountain Creek...

Haha it was only because it was close for my friends in Boston and Providence...they're all beginners so i didn't want to drag them to VT..I'm not sure how I got them to go on a ski trip in the first place!

Now the trip makes sense..

Thanks for the report. This is another one of those places I would like to ski, but never will get to try. It is just not worth the drive from NJ.

Agreed..it's a "well since I'm in the area" kinda place. I was still impressed though and the lack of a holiday crowd this past weekend was a pleasent surprise..i read horror stories of their crowds, but on the busiest weekend of the ski season it wasn't that bad..