CHARLEMONT — Berkshire East Mountain Resort CEO Jon Schaefer anticipates it’s going to be “a great season for skiing.”
The resort opened for the winter season this past weekend, and with cold temperatures and snow left over from a storm earlier in the week, Schaefer said the conditions have made for a good start to what he hopes will be a strong season for skiing and snowboarding.
“We had cold weather and early snow — that’s a perfect recipe to start the season,” he said.
Schaefer said weather forecasts have indicated this winter may be colder than last year. The cold weather will keep the snow on the mountain longer, providing a long season to ski, snowboard and enjoy the mountain.
According to AccuWeather’s forecasts for Charlemont, the average high temperature for the rest of December will be 28 degrees, with an average low of 14 degrees.
“Hopefully that continues,” Schaefer said.
The mountain will next be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m, according to Berkshire East’s Facebook page. All passholders are welcome and lift tickets can be purchased ahead of time online.
Schaefer said Monday that the resort is almost fully staffed for the season but has a few more part-time and seasonal jobs to fill. Additionally, Berkshire East employees are working to fill the mountain’s schedule with more ski races and post-skiing events, particularly musical performances, and members of the resort’s ski team have been practicing and honing their skills for the season.
“We’re mostly filled out. There’s a lot of optimism on the team for a good winter ski season,” he said. “We’ve been bringing in higher-profile races, but also the normal runs.”
The Berkshire East calendar is already beginning to fill up for the season with races, such as the Starry Vertical Challenge on Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., musical acts such as Emily Margaret and Nate Potter on Dec. 26 from 3 to 5:30 p.m., and special events such as the Dec. 26 Ugly Sweater and Mug Club season kickoff party from 3 to 9 p.m.
Schaefer said what he is looking forward to most this season is, of course, skiing and spending time with his family. He encourages people to go skiing and enjoy the winter.
“Go ski,” he said. “Ski here.”
