Blue Hills Ski Area
Encyclopedia
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 DCR
.
Blue Hills has eight trails covering a vertical drop of 309 feet (94.2 m). The summit is served by a double chairlift
, while the beginner area has two magic carpet
lifts. There is a lodge with food service, restrooms, ski patrol and a small equipment shop. A separate building serves as a rental outlet with locker storage.
The hill is popular with high school ski teams, and often hosts races on Big Blue.
While the land and many of the improvements are owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the management of the area has historically been leased out to a variety of operators. The 2006–2007 season is the 6th year of a 6-year "lease" to the people (Mr. Al Endriunas) who own and operate Ragged Mountain Resort in New Hampshire
. In 2007, the management of Campgaw Mountain
, located in Northern, New Jersey started a 5-year lease.
While the lift line ("Beer's Bluff" named for two brothers, Bob and Stuart Beers, who managed the ski area from the late '60s through the mid '80s) 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 2008-2009 season, but the trail remains untouched. This reduces the total skiable trails to 7.
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.
In February, 1969 the area was hit with three 2+ ft snow storms, each a week apart. The snow was so deep that skiing down the "face" of Big Blue (the side facing Route 128) was possible.
Trails:
Beginner: 1
Intermediate: 2
Expert: 5
Great Blue Hill
Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet located within the Blue Hills Reservation in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, 10 miles southwest of Boston. It is the highest point in Norfolk County...
in Canton, Massachusetts
Canton, Massachusetts
Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...
. This land is part of the Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills Reservation is a state park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it extends into Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham south of Boston.-Description:...
, a state park managed by the DCR
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
.
Blue Hills has eight trails covering a vertical drop of 309 feet (94.2 m). The summit is served by a double chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
, while the beginner area has two magic carpet
Magic carpet (ski lift)
A magic carpet is a type of surface lift installed at ski areas to transport skiers and snowboarders up the hill...
lifts. There is a lodge with food service, restrooms, ski patrol and a small equipment shop. A separate building serves as a rental outlet with locker storage.
The hill is popular with high school ski teams, and often hosts races on Big Blue.
While the land and many of the improvements are owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the management of the area has historically been leased out to a variety of operators. The 2006–2007 season is the 6th year of a 6-year "lease" to the people (Mr. Al Endriunas) who own and operate Ragged Mountain Resort in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. In 2007, the management of Campgaw Mountain
Campgaw Mountain
Campgaw Mountain is the northernmost ridge of the volcanically formed Watchung Mountains, straddling the border of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Mahwah in Bergen County, New Jersey. Located almost entirely within the bounds of Campgaw Mountain Reservation, the mountain offers numerous outdoor...
, located in Northern, New Jersey started a 5-year lease.
While the lift line ("Beer's Bluff" named for two brothers, Bob and Stuart Beers, who managed the ski area from the late '60s through the mid '80s) 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 2008-2009 season, but the trail remains untouched. This reduces the total skiable trails to 7.
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.
In February, 1969 the area was hit with three 2+ ft snow storms, each a week apart. The snow was so deep that skiing down the "face" of Big Blue (the side facing Route 128) was possible.
Trails:
Beginner: 1
Intermediate: 2
Expert: 5
External links
- Blue Hills Ski Area Official site
- DCR Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation