Blue Hills Ski Area
Blue Hills Ski Area is located on the western face of Great Blue Hill in Canton, Massachusetts. This land is part of the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
| Blue Hills | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Canton, MA |
| Nearest major city | Boston |
| Coordinates | 42°12′55″N 71°07′09″W |
| Vertical | 309 feet (94 m) |
| Skiable area | 60 acres (240,000 m2) |
| Runs | 8 |
| Longest run | Sonya |
| Website | Blue Hills Ski Area |
Blue Hills has eight trails covering a vertical drop of 309 feet (94 m). The summit is served by a double chairlift, while the beginner area has three magic carpet lifts.
The hill is popular with high school ski teams, and often hosts races on Big Blue.
Histoy
The ski area was founded in 1949 after the Metropolitan District Commission received US$65,000 to develope a ski area on Great Blue Hill.[1] The area officially opened in 1950.[1]
In the early 1960s the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC, now the DCR) operated the ski area. There were only two lifts, both rope tows, one on the main slope and one on the "bunny" slope. During that time the lift ticket cost $0.50 a day. In approximately 1965 the area was leased to an outside company called Larchmont Engineering who constructed a chair lift and installed snow-making on the main slope and the bunny slope. Larchmont was an early innovator in the snow-making business and experimented with various hose and gun/nozzle designs on the mountain.
In February 1969 the area was hit with three 2+ feet snow storms, each a week apart. The snow was so deep that skiing down the "face" of Big Blue (the side facing Massachusetts Route 128) was possible.
The 2006–07 season was the 6th year of a 6-year "lease" to the owners and operators of Ragged Mountain Resort in New Hampshire.
In 2007, the management of Campgaw Mountain, located in northern New Jersey, started a 5-year lease.
Operations
There are 8 trails 1 beginner, 2 intermediate and 5 expert.
While the lift line ("Beer's Bluff" named for two brothers, Stuart and Stanley Beers, who managed the ski area from the late '60s through the mid 80's) is listed on the trail map, it is currently not maintained for skiing. There has been talk that the trail would be cut for the 2008–09 season, but the trail remains untouched. This reduces the total skiable trails to seven.
References
- "Blue Hills Ski Area History - Massachusetts - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com". www.newenglandskihistory.com.
External links
- Blue Hills Ski Area Official site
- Blue Hills Reservation Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation