Bousquet Mountain
| Bousquet Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Bousquet Ski Area in 2017. | |
| Location | 101 Dan Fox Dr Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 01201 |
| Coordinates | 42°25′02″N 73°16′44″W / 42.4171°N 73.2788°WCoordinates: 42°25′02″N 73°16′44″W / 42.4171°N 73.2788°W |
| Vertical | 750 ft (230 m) |
| Top elevation | 1,818 ft (554 m) |
| Base elevation | 1,068 ft (326 m) |
| Skiable area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Runs | 24 |
| Lift system | 4 lifts: 2 chairlifts (1 double,1 triple), 2 magic carpets |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowmaking | 85% |
| Night skiing | Yes |
| Website | bousquetmountain |
Bousquet Mountain is a local ski area serving skiing and snowboarding located on a northern summit of Yokun Ridge in Pittsfield, Massachusetts within the Taconic Mountain Range. It is now owned by Mill Town Capital and has a consulting contract with the Schaefer family which are owners of Berkshire East and Catamount.
The resort uses RFID gates from Axess to check lift tickets at the Yellow and Blue lifts.
Snowtubing is also offered with four lanes, 100 tubes, a magic carpet, and snowmaking on the tubing hill.[1]
Cabanas can be rented to have your own space as a base lodge, this is a wooden hut that includes many other amenities. These are cloth curtains, seating for four, propane heater, and chocolate fondue.
History[]
Opened in 1932, the resort is the oldest existing ski area in The Berkshires. Prior to its use as a ski area, the property was a mink farm belonging to Clarence J. "Clare" Bousquet. After his mink farming operation failed during the Great Depression, Bousquet, responding to the interest of the Mount Greylock Ski Club who had been using a steep pasture on his property as a practice run, allowed the club to cut a 750-foot (230 m) ski slope to the northern summit of Mahanna Cobble (part of Yokun Ridge) in 1933.[2][3]
In the 1935–36 season, the first rope tow was installed on the lower mountain.[4]
In the 1936–37 season, an upper mountain rope tow was constructed, as well as improvements to the overall trail experience. Bousquet invented night skiing and the mountain had mercury vapor floodlights installed on poles in 1936, with a local partnership with General Electric.
The third rope tow opened in 1937–38 to relieve the expanding crowds.
Another rope tow was added in 1938-39 which gave Bousquet a nickname of the "most mechanized ski center in the East" totaling at four rope tows. This rope tow was the longest rope tow in the world at the time and nicknamed "one of America’s finest ski developments." The rope tow gripper was invented by Bousquet and he filed for a patent this year. Bousquet marketed and subsequently sold 500,000 of his grippers.
The 1940–41 season gave the mountain a fifth rope tow for night skiing.
A new base lodge opened in 1941 and had a fireplace from the old farm.
The mountain was sold to Don Soviero in 1956 and installed a T-Bar.
In the 1957–58 season, Bousquet installed two Poma lifts and expanded into the snowmaking world.
They installed a Carlevaro & Savio double lift in the 1962–63 season entering the chairlift world.
Don Soviero then sold the mountain in 1967. But Paul Bousquet was able to buy it back the following year.
A second double chair serving the lower half of the mountain opened in the 1960–81 season, it was manufactured by Hall.
In 1981, Four Skiers Enterprises bought Bousquet and started summer operations.
The 2004–5 season came with a Hall double chair from Eastover, Massachusetts, and has been in installation since 2002.
In 2012, the mountain was transferred to Sherry Roberts to continue the mountain, but struggled to run it and was finding a buyer.[5] In May 2020, the ski area is sold to Mill Town Capital and went through many improvements including a used triple chair.
Lifts[]
There are four lifts total on the mountain, with many surface lifts and two chairlifts removed in the past.[6]
| Name | Type | Manufactuer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Triple | Poma | From Hermitage Club, VT |
| Blue | Double | Hall |
| Name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Area | Carpet | |
| Tube Town | Carpet | Tubing only |
Other Businesses[]
Mill Town Capital also purchased two other businesses in 2020 to operate under the Bousquet brand.
The Camp: a 130-acre campground overlooking Richmond Pond with many lodging options.
Bousquet Sport: A athletic club that was originally the Berkshire West Athletic Club and currently offers Tennis and Fitness options.
References[]
- ^ "Snow Tubing".
- ^ "Bousquet". January 22, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22.
- ^ "About us".
- ^ "Bousquet Mountain Ski Area History - Massachusetts - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com". www.newenglandskihistory.com.
- ^ Karlin, Rick (May 29, 2020). "Historic Bousquet ski area is sold". Times Union.
- ^ "Bousquet Mountain, MA". July 15, 2020.
External links[]
- Ski Mountain & Sports Resort Bousquet Ski Area
- Ski Mountain & Sports Resort
- Ski areas and resorts in Massachusetts
- Buildings and structures in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
- Sports in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
- Taconic Mountains