Wachusett Mountain (ski area)

Wachusett Mountain is an alpine ski area in the northeastern United States, located on Mount Wachusett, in the towns of Princeton and Westminster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. The mountain has 27 trails served by eight lifts, including two high-speed quads, one high speed six, four magic-carpet lifts, and a triple chairlift.

There is a bus shuttle service to and from nearby Wachusett station.

Wachusett Mountain has 100% snow-making capacity, and also has night skiing on most of its trails. The mountain is located in the central part of Massachusetts, with the closest major city being Worcester.

History

The first ski trails were cut into Mount Wachusett by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934 and 1937. Those trails were called Pine Hill Trail and Balance Rock. Today, skiers can still ski down the upper and lower half of Balance rock. The middle section closed in the 1980s. During World War II, the 10th Mountain Division trained at Wachusett. There is now a plaque at the summit commemorating this. The first lifts installed were a T-bar in 1960 (the Oxbow T-Bar) and in 1962 (the West T-Bar). .

The Massachusetts State Downhill ski championships were run on the Pine Hill Trail until 1966. The race was called off that year after 3 racers were injured and moved in the years following to the Balance Rock Trail until ski area expansion cut that trail in 1983.

In 1969, Ralph Crowley Sr. was granted a lease for a parcel of land on Mount Wachusett by the state to operate the ski area. In 1982, a major expansion was completed, which included the construction of the base lodge.

Stands of old growth hardwood forest on Mount Wachusett became the object of a court ruling in favor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in a joint contract with the ski area regarding plans for a ski slope expansion into an environmental buffer zone around the old growth stand. The old-growth forest contains trees over 350 years old; the buffer zone contained mature trees about half that age. The Sierra Club and other conservation organizations criticized the ruling, and two members of Earth First! staged a sit-in protest by climbing into the crowns of several of the trees in the area slated to be clear cut.DeMarco, Peter. "2 Tree-Sitters Staving Off Ax at Wachusett, Massachusetts" Boston Globe 10 September 2003.Sierra Club, et al. v. Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Management. 439 Mass 738 (2003). As of 2007 wording on the website of the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area included strong language prohibiting skiers and snowboarders from entering the old growth area: "Anyone found entering old growth areas will have their lift ticket revoked. Subsequent offenses will be subject to fines.""Protect the Old Growth Forest" Mount Wachusett Ski Area. Retrieved October 30, 2007.

Mountain information

The resort features 27 trails, ranging in difficulty from easiest (green circle) to most difficult (black diamond). Amidst these trails is a terrain park and a racing venue. Two high-speed chairlifts (Minuteman and Monadnock) service the intermediate and beginner peaks respectively, as well as a new high-speed lift for the summit (Polar Express). One additional 3-person chairlift (Vickery Bowl) services the mid-mountain area. Three magic carpets service the mountain's training slopes, with a third open only during weekends and holiday periods for ski school lessons for young children.

In 2006, the National Ski Patrol named Wachusett Mountain Ski Patrol as the best Large Alpine Patrol in the country.

The base lodge was expanded in 2000, being completed in 2001, and is now nearly . It contains public areas, a cafeteria, The Black Diamond restaurant, and private suites, that are available for daily rental.

The resort used to include the nearby Wachusett Village Inn, which provided overnight accommodations. The Inn was sold in 2016 and is now a rehabilitation center owned and operated by Recovery Centers Of America.

Trails

EasierMore DifficultMost Difficult5175 +Trail NameOriginSundownerIt is the last trail that the sun sets on due to its exposure to the west.Indian SummerThis trail is named after the weather phenomenon sometimes called an "Indian Summer". This is when there is an unusually warm patch of weather during the late fall.Ralph's RunNamed after Ralph Crowley Sr, who led Wachusett Mountain to what it is today before passing away in 1996.Frannie's FollyNamed after Ralph Crowley Sr.'s wife, Frannie Crowley.Look MomA joke referring to how a kid might tell their mom, "Look mom, no hands!" or in this case, "Look mom, no poles!"HitchcockNamed after John Hitchcock, an environmentalist and member of the Wachusett Mountain Advisory council from 1969-1983.Upper/Lower 10th MountainNamed after the 10th Mountain Corp who used Wachusett as an arctic training ground during WWII. Some of the mountain's trails were cut by them. Upper/Lower Smith WaltonNamed after Stephen Smith and David Walton, frequent skiers of Wachusett, after they tragically passed away in separate instances helping people climb in Grand Teton National Park.Upper Conifer/Conifer ConnectionBoth trails travel through a part of the mountain with many conifer trees.

Lifts

Wachusett has 4 chairlifts and 4 surface lifts.

Name Type Manufacturer Built Vertical Length Capacity (pph) Notes Polar Express High Speed Six Doppelmayr 2025 945 4316 2600 Main lift to the summit of Wachusett. Replaced the original summit high speed quad. Open in the summer for events and specific dates. Minuteman Express High Speed Quad 1999 600 3516 2600 Open during the summer on limited dates. Monadnock Express 2011 299 2205 2400 Lift serving the beginner area Vickery Bowl Triple 2004 209 1500 - Main lift for the terrain park, was relocated from where the Minuteman Express was after being in storage for a few years. Shorty Surface Lifts Sunkid 2024 5 50 - Shortened part of the former "Whittier’s Teaching Meadow" carpet. Ollie's Carpet 2003 18 300 -Carpet serving the ski school area Polar Kids 2024 15 150 - Carpet serving the Polar Kids area of the mountain. Easy Rider 2003 - 350 - Carpet serving the Easy Rider trail

Wachusett Mountain (ski area)

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