
Jon Schaefer’s father purchased Berkshire East Ski Area in the mid-1970s for one dollar. “It was the worst dollar he ever spent,” Schaefer said with a laugh.
Today, Berkshire East, located in Charlemont, Mass., Catamount Mountain Resort (Egremont), and Bousquet Mountain Ski Area in Pittsfield are a trio of ski areas that define the sport in Western Mass. Despite flying under the radar in the Bay State, each ski area provides healthy elements of challenge for a selection of skiers who might not realize the wealth of terrain that exists at the other end of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Schaefer, whose family still owns Berkshire East in addition to Catamount, was a recent guest on New England Ski Journal’s Basecamp podcast along with Dave Kulis, assistant general manager at Catamount.