Nearest city Greenfield Longest run 2.5 mi Phone +1 413-339-6618 | Runs 45 Snowmaking 100% | |
 | ||
Location Charlemont / Hawley, Massachusetts, USA Lift system 4 chairs: 2 Quads, 1 Triple, 1 Double, 2 Surface Lifts Address 66 Thunder Mountain Rd, Charlemont, MA 01339, USA Similar Zoar Outdoor Adventur, Jiminy Peak, Bousquet Ski Area, Blandford Ski Area, Stratton Mountain Resort | ||
Berkshire East Ski Resort is a medium-sized alpine ski area located on Mount Institute in Charlemont and Hawley, Massachusetts.
Contents
Thunder Mountain Ski Area
Organized skiing started on Mt. Institute in the mid-1950s when Arthur Parker opened a small rope tow operation. Due to weather and other difficulties, it closed after one short season.
Parker spent the balance of the decade gathering investors for a much larger operation on the same mountain. The first double chairlift, a Mueller, was installed for the grand re-opening 1961-62 season. A second double chairlift, another Mueller, was installed in 1962.
Notable skiers during this time included former Massachusetts Governor Endicott Peabody and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
New ownership took over in late 1965, changing the name to Berkshire East at the end of the decade.
Berkshire East Ski Resort
The ownership group struggled, trying a variety of ill-fated expansion plans. By 1975, Berkshire East was bankrupt and outdated with two partially installed chairlifts and two antiquated Mueller chairlifts. Current management soon took over and began a steady series of investments.
A Hall double chairlift was installed in 1978. A fourth chairlift, an SLI, was also installed in the late 1970s.
In 1995, the first Mueller double chairlift was replaced with a Poma triple chairlift. A Hall double chairlift was added in 2001. In 2003, the second Mueller double chairlift was replaced with a Borvig-Leitner quad chairlift.
In 2008, Berkshire East replaced a novice handle tow with a magic carpet lift.
As of 2008, the ski area has 45 trails and five lifts, in addition to the tubing slope and lift. Berkshire East is currently the only alpine ski area in Franklin County open to the public.
In 2010 the Diamond Express Hall double chairlift (1978) was replaced with a Poma triple chairlift.
In 2011, the ski area added a PowerWind 56 900 kWh wind turbine. This addition, makes Berkshire East the first ski area in the world to be 100% powered by onsite renewable energy.
In 2014, the Summit Triple lift (1995) was replaced by a brand new SkyTrac quad chairlift with a moving carpet loading area. The new lift will run at a faster speed than typical fixed grip lifts with a moving carpet that moves skiers into the loading area and assists with loading onto the faster moving chairs. The old Poma Summit Triple lift is being saved for a future install elsewhere on the mountain.
Terrain and Lifts
Berkshire East has the steepest and most varied terrain in Massachusetts. What differentiates it from other MA ski areas are a number of challenging runs, several mogul trails with a steep pitch, and numerous on- and off-map tree skiing areas. It offers truly technical skiing including rock drop-offs if you know where to find them.
Snowmaking
Berkshire East can make snow on all of its trails. The snowmaking system is composed almost exclusively of fan guns. The snowmaking fleet is dominated by SMI Polecats and Wizzards, as well as Areco fan guns.
Racing
Berkshire East and Thunder Mountain have both been known for strong racing programs. Numerous successful racers, ranging from Massachusetts high school state champions to United States Ski Team members have trained and raced at Berkshire East. Berkshire East frequently hosts USSA and MIAA slalom and giant slalom championship races.
Other activities
In 2007, Berkshire East expanded operations beyond skiing and snowboarding by opening a snow tubing slope, serviced by a magic carpet surface lift.
In 2009, Berkshire East announced the construction of multiple zip lines, creating a canopy tour business called Berkshire East Canopy Tours.
Berkshire East Canopy Tours is one of the largest zip lines companies in North America. It boasts nearly 4.5 miles of zip lines, and features two of the longest zip lines in the United States with X1, and X2. These zips are about a half mile in length and are nearly 200' above the ground.
In 2013, Berkshire East was given approval to build the longest Alpine Coaster in North America, which would feature a mile of steel track.
In the summer of 2014, the new mountain coaster was constructed and in the fall construction began on a new downhill mountain bike park.