Snow Business: Wachusett Mountain Has Been Well Ahead Of The Curve

PRINCETON, MA — Wachusett Mountain is cruising into the height of the 2022-23 snow sports season as one of the most prepared resorts in terms of taking on the typical wacky weather here in the Northeast.

But does that really surprise anyone?

Let's backtrack to early December. The weather was driving the snowmaking crews insane with either warm days and nights, torrential rain or short spurts of cold that was teasing and frustrating. But on one Saturday morning, just before the lifts started running on the day after one of those rainstorms, founding family member Jeff Crowley just smiled.

"We've done our best, and we're doing OK," he said.

That was an understatement. Wachusett had at least one run open for all abilities. And the snow was not only passable, but enjoyable. The popular Ralph's Run and Conifer Connection trails were both open then, as was the easier Indian Summer trail.

Trust the technology, Crowley and his crews would always say ... and Wachusett always seems to come through. Another advantage is that the mountains location just north of Worcester seems to be in a pocket of typically colder nights.

Now, heading into the New Year, there are 19 trails and seven lifts open. Of the mountains measuring 1,000 vertical feet and less, those statistics easily rise to the top of the list. While others have been struggling to even open for the holiday week, Wachusett was prepared to get a good chunk of the layout open in time for the rush and offer a good product well into 2023.

The session system at Wachusett, imposed during the coronavirus pandemic and kept on in an effort to spread out traffic flow, seems to be working. Those who want to get there by 7:30 a.m. will certainly get the freshly groomed snow and by 11:30, it's time to enjoy one of the many on-site food options anyway. Afternoon and evening sessions are available for those on a group bus or who want to sleep in.

The lodge is fully open, as is the Mountainside ski and snowboard shop, including a full demo and boot-fitting setup. Lessons are going full-bore at the school.

See www.wachusett.com for pricing and times.

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor who has been covering snow sports since 1999. He is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and former board member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. He has contributed to several books on skiing and snowboarding. The Snow Business column runs periodically during the season.