CHARLEMONT — Four children happily swing and climb in Berkshire East’s playground, until Gabe Porter-Henry tells them it’s time to go up the new Tree House Trail. They get quiet; their faces grow long and serious. Holding hands, Anneke Whitsett of Shelburne Falls and Hazel Scully-Henry of Chesterfield, both 5, warily eye the rustic wooden steps winding along a tree trunk to a canopy-level, netted platform within a stand of pine trees. Another child, Lucia Pizzi, 3, of Charlemont, looks away and clings to her sister, Ryah, age 5.
But once through the nine treetop platforms — the wavy bridge, the wooden tunnel, a Burma bridge, and a net-enclosed zip line — the smiling children keep running back for more.
After one time through the tree house, William Merritt, 5, of Conway tugs his father’s arm toward the aerial haven once more. “What do you think of the tree house?” asked his father, Michael Merrit.
“Let’s go again,” the boy replies.
That’s just what Berkshire East wanted when it set up this latest attraction, working with a company called Tree-Mendous Adventure Parks. Tree-Mendous builds aerial parks throughout the United States and Europe.
And a new “Aerial Adventure Park” across the way is getting ready to open to the public next weekend, Sept. 10. This park will use a system of harnesses to get participants, ages 7 and older, from one platform to the next, with trapeze-style swings and rope ladders. It will have a general course and an advanced course for people at different skill levels.
These two structures are Berkshire East’s latest investments in what is now a year-round Charlemont destination. The park is no longer called “Berkshire East Ski Resort” but is now the “Berkshire East Mountain Resort” because of its year-round attractions.
“Between the biking, the Mountain Coaster and the zip lines, we’re growing pretty close to having as many visitors during our summer operations as we have in the winter,” says Porter-Henry.
Co-owner/manager Jon Schaefer says business has just about doubled over what it was in 2009 — before the zip lines, coaster and downhill mountain bike trails.
“Now we have food services, weddings, rafting …”
Weddings?
“We had 26 weddings this summer,” says Schaefer. Some are held at the nearby Warfield House, but others like to ride the lift up to the mountain for the ceremony, he explained.
On a recent hot Sunday, Berkshire East’s parking lot was just as full as it ever is on a snowy weekend during ski season. In good weather, Porter-Henry estimates about 400 people come each weekend to ride the Mountain Coaster, the zip lines, to go rafting or to use the Thunder Mountain downhill bike park.
The Thunderbolt Mountain Coaster provides 3,870 feet of downhill track that are designed with swooping turns, banked corners, rolling drops and 360-degree turns. Each cart has its own braking system, allowing riders to slow speeds to a comfortable pace or to accelerate. Berkshire East says that it is “North America’s longest mountain coaster.”
“The investments we’ve made in summer (attractions) have helped us to have more year-round jobs as well as more part-time work,” said Porter-Henry. “This new aerial park will end up employing 15 seasonal workers — about seven per day — by the time we’re done.”
Berkshire East’s Thunder Mountain Bike Park won the MountainBikesPark.com (at mtbparks.com) “Riders’ Choice Best Bike Park Award for the Northeast Region” in 2015 — the first year that the downhill mountain bike park was in operation. The bike park also made the cover of Bike Magazine this spring. And with jump-trails such as “Hawleywood,” it’s becoming a destination point for mountain bikers from all over eastern United States and Canada.
“We have people coming from all over the East Coast to ride here,” says Porter-Henry. “We’ve had a number of races, both at the collegiate level, and the Eastern State Cup.
Does the increase of Berkshire East visitors affect other businesses in town?
“Oh, definitely,” says Michael Sisum, one of three co-owners of the Cold River Package Store, Market and Cafe on nearby Mohawk Trail. “We have seen an influx (of customers) from the mountain bike park. It’s definitely made a huge impact on our business. If Berkshire East and Zoar Outdoor weren’t growing as much as they have been, we probably couldn’t keep the restaurant going,” he said.
Chris Carcio, owner/operator of The Great Outdoors, says “Charlemont is getting to be a place on the map,” thanks to Berkshire East’s developments.
The Great Outdoors provides river tubing rentals, parking and shuttle service to the river. “What Berkshire East is doing is absolutely great,” he says. “When we get kind of backed up, at certain times, I can send families over to Berkshire East, and they have a great time,” he said. “Over the last few years, they’ve been really coming through. We’re lucky to have them in town.”
The new Children’s Tree House Trail is mostly made of cedar and locust tree lumber, with square platforms bolted against the tree trunks without harming the trees. Porter-Henry said the platforms can be adjusted as the tree trunks widen. The Tree House Trail gets a daily inspection, and there are two Berkshire East staff members who will supervise the play activities whenever children are using it. No helmets or harnesses are required, but open-toed shoes are not permitted — to prevent little toes from getting caught in the heavy nets.
“This is set up like a playground, but up in the trees,” explains Porter-Henry, marketing director for Berkshire East. “That’s why we call it a Tree House Trail. What’s really exciting about this is it opens up possibilities for both kids and adults.”
The Children’s Tree House Trail, for people ages 3 and up, opened two weekends ago, and gives families who come to ride the Mountain Coaster something else to do with their young children. The children seem to love running through the tubes of net strung between the pines and swinging on a rubber ball that serves as a seat on a small zip line.
“This is a great way for grandparents to do something here with their grandchildren,” remarked Bill Farrell, who conducts environmental tours of Berkshire East’s wind turbine and solar farm, which provide the resort with green electricity. “This is kind of the finality of (Berkshire East) becoming a year-round park, which has been the dream of Jim Schaefer,” he added. “It completes the picture.”
For now, the Tree House Trail is open only on weekends and holidays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. But next summer, it will be available whenever the Mountain Coaster is open. Adults must accompany children under age 6, with the adults getting free admission. The maximum weight for tree house users is 275 pounds.
Admission for the Children’s Tree House is $15 for a half-hour. Also, the new attraction may be rented out for special events.
For more information, call Berkshire East at 339-6617 or go to: berkshireeast.com. Berkshire East also has a Facebook page for the Thunder Mountain Bike Park with several videos of the downhill biking.