I have such fond memories of winter mornings waking up before dawn and getting on the road to Catamount Mountain Resort in Upstate New York. The night before each trip, it was hard for me to sleep. I imagined the runs that awaited me, twisting and turning along the ridge lines. It wasn’t just spending time with my dad. It was the freedom I felt, soaring down the mountain. Any worries I had melted away under sunny skies and snowy banks. .
Catamount Mountain holds a special place in my heart because this is where my passion and love for skiing began. Catamount is a small mountain hugging the border between New York and Massachusetts. Just over two hours by car from New York City, Catamount is a great place for a day trip, which is what we did most Sundays during the ski season. With 119 skiable acres and 5 fixed-grip chairlifts climbing 1,000 feet up the southern Berkshires, it was the perfect place for a newbie like me to rip down the mountain. It boasts a peak elevation of 3,170 feet (966 meters), which is significant for an East Coast mountain.
Catamount has given me the opportunity to develop my own skiing style and appreciation for each and every mountain, no matter the size. Catamount is a single peak mountain, which means all forty four trails are on one face. Accessible by the Promenade Triple, mellow greens like Echo’s Run cruise down skiers right. Once you have graduated from basic greens, pop onto the Glade Triple and tackle intermediate runs like Sidewinder, the signature run of the mountain. On this trail, you can wind and weave down, taking in the views of the Berkshire mountains. When you are feeling bold, head over to Ridge Quad to tackle Ripper, Catapult, and Lynx, the daunting double black runs that line up next to one another in the center of the mountain. The first chairlift I was ever on is called Meadows Triple Lift. It has a mid-station where the lift operator shouts out words of encouragement. No amount of cold, wind, or stormy weather would keep her away. Even on the darkest days of December, when the sun would set shortly after the lifts closed, I would count on her to cheer me on. She was the embodiment of Catamount, a small family-owned and operated mountain, where everyone comes for the simple love of skiing.
Catamount Mountain Resort provides just the right mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced terrain to quench any East Coaster’s desire for an exciting ski day. Recent investment from mountain owners the Schaefer Family offers a revitalized base lodge, new lifts to improve skier traffic, a snow tubing park and night skiing options. After the snow melts, Catamount also offers the longest zipline in North America and one of the largest aerial adventure parks on the East Coast. All of these upgrades are enhancing the experience at one of New England’s longest running ski areas, making this classic resort have a more modern and accessible feel.
