A Berkshire Gem - Catamount offers down home skiing
Written: Dec 18 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Varied Terrain, Great Customer Service, Good Snowmaking, Easy to Get to
Cons: Not really all that big
The Bottom Line: Catamount is a nice ski area tucked into the Berkshires and makes an excellent day trip destination
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| jps246's Full Review: Catamount |
Catamount Ski Area is a medium to small size ski area located along the New York – Massachusetts border, east of Hillsdale, NY and west of Great Barrington, MA. Catamount offers a 1,000-foot vertical drop, 28 trails and 8 lifts to serve those trails.
The 28 trails at Catamount are fairly evenly split between beginner, intermediate and expert trails, with the majority of beginner and intermediate trails lower on the mountain the majority of expert trails (including a few double diamond trails) starting from the summit of Catamount. None of the trails are incredibly challenging, but all of them will provide enjoyment for skiers of any ability.
With 8 different lifts serving various portions of the mountain, there are always options for your skiing. The 8 lifts include 4 double chairs, a snowboard tow, a J-bar and a pee-wee tow, along with an additional double chair that serves the upper half of the mountain with it’s station at the mid-point of Catamount.
A medium size lodge serves the mountain from its base and offers a cafeteria and eating area, après ski, locker facilities, restrooms, a ski shop, rental shop and changing areas. It’s nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose and is useful.
Snowmaking covers a majority of the trails and generally trails have more man-made snow than natural snow (though not last winter!). Grooming and trail maintenance are excellent.
Catamount also offers night skiing on select trails.
Rates for an adult all-day ticket go for $45 and a half-day ticket is $38. Night skiing tickets are $24 any night and a weekday adult ticket will cost you $30. Should you be interested in a season pass, an adult pass will be about $350.
Catamount also offers ski equipment rentals at its rental shop and lessons for people looking to learn how to ski or skiers looking to get better. Rates run anywhere from about $50 for ski and learn packages with rentals to well over $100 for multi-day packages.
For more information the mountain, check out their website at http://www.catamountski.com/ - they are currently offering $5 off lift tickets through the site.
Is it worth skiing?
Catamount is one of my all time favorite mountains. Back when I was in High School, I was a manager at McDonalds and Catamount was running a promotion with McDonalds and as a thank-you, managers were given season passes to the mountain. So my Senior year in high school, I was out on the slopes as much as I was in class. I’d plan out my days to have my Mom call me in sick and off to the slopes of Catamount I would be.
What I first realized was after going a few times, the mountain is small enough and the staff is friendly enough that they get to know you and you get to know them. The lift attendants would greet me by name and more than one of the other staff members throughout the area would say hello or greet me.
I loved it – call me a sucker for down home places, but I really like it when people take a personal interest in their customers and go out of their way to make it a pleasant experience for those people. While Catamount may not have the nicest base lodge, fancy restaurants or a 21st century snowmaking system, it does offer a warm and friendly place to ski and enjoy oneself doing what you are at a ski area to do, and that is ski.
My favorite run on Catamount is called Ridge Run and goes from the summit and slowly works its way down the mountain, providing a long and ever-changing run from the summit and making it a good trail to bomb down when you’ve got the chance.
The double diamonds from the summit while difficult, they are not in the league of double diamond trails at other areas. Generally anyone good at skiing will be able to make it down these trails, maybe with some effort and a possible fall here and there. Beginners would do best to stay away from them.
Do I want to go skiing there?
Less than an hour from Albany and Poughkeepsie and about an hour from Springfield (probably 2 hours from NYC and about 2 ½ hours from Boston), Catamount is a nice ski area tucked into the Berkshires and makes an excellent day trip destination for anyone looking for a skiing experience that is more about the skiing than anything else.
Conditions might not always be perfect and season might not be as long as other areas, but Catamount makes up for it in great customer service and mountain hospitality. I’m sure that once you’ve skied there, you’ll see what I mean and you’ll want to go back.
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Outdoor/Hiking/Camping Reviews
Magazines and Books
Backpacker Magazine / Outside Magazine / National Geographic Adventure / Hiker's Guide to the Mountains of Vermont / Hiking Guide to Mount Washington and Presidential Range / GPS Made Easy / AMC White Mountain Guide
Destinations
White Mountain National Forest (NH) / Catskill Mountains (NY) / Acadia National Park (ME) / Bellayre Mountain (NY) / Hunter Mountain (NY) / Ski Windham (NY) / Burke Mountain (VT)
Retailers and Products
REI.com - Outdoor Gear / Dermatone Lip Pomade / Carmex Lip Balm / Kestrel 100 Wind Meter / Magellan GPS 315 / MSR WhisperLite Backpacking Stove
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: All
Best Time to Visit: February
Best Suited For: Friends
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