Snow Business: Wachusett is a Sure Thing for The Kids

PRINCETON, MA — So you need a sure thing for the kids on the last day of school vacation week. You have one shot at this, so it has to be good.

Where do you go?

Wachusett Mountain ... that's where. It's a guaranteed hit from the parking lot to the slopes. Let's look at why.

Wachusett is an easy drive — an hour-and-a-half from Hartford to its location just north of Worcester. The trek is mostly highway on Interstate-84 to the Mass Pike to I-290 and I-190 and then a short jaunt on Massachusetts state 140.

The parking lot can be a little intimidating at first glance because it is, well, big. But it is has marked rows, a drop-off area and a no-nonsense but generally polite parking crew. Overflow skiers and riders are serviced by a shuttle bus.

Once the vehicle is parked, the fun starts with the rental or lugging of equipment. Since most young kids rent, the task can seem daunting. Founding family member Carolyn Crowley Stimpson said the key is to keep everyone moving in a straight line.

"That way you go from forms to measuring to the equipment quickly," she said. "I am being totally serious when I say this ... My brothers (other owners Jeff and David Crowley) and I will go to a funeral and see this line curving all over the funeral home and point out the casket is in the wrong place. We try to put everything in the right place to be efficient."

A totally unprompted endorsement of that system was delivered on a lift ride by a man who had recently moved to Massachusetts after spending some time in Asia.

"Over there, it was complicated getting to place and getting to the ski resorts," he said. "Its a short ride here and everything is close. I walked from the lodge to the rental area. I used a touch pad to enter my information and I had my equipment in minutes. I have never seen anything as good as this system."

At that point, family members usually break off between those taking lessons and those who just want to ski and ride. Wachusett's Polar Kids program is one of the best in the East because the kids have fun from beginning to end with a friendly attentive staff members that emphasizes the fundamentals of turning and stopping while letting the young skiers and riders push their ability limits. That gets them to the lifts with mom and dad a lot sooner.

Rental forms can be accessed online to cut down on the outfitting time.

Those not taking a lesson still get 1,000 vertical feet of mountain with all 26 trails serviced by high speed lifts. Wachusett is a popular day destination and it can draw a lot of people. But the lift system gets people up the mountain relatively quickly.

The facilities at Wachusett are the envy of the industry. The 38,000-square-foot lodge, cited for excellence in architectural design, boasts a warm, comfortable atmosphere with exposed beam construction, a huge fireplace and sun decks surrounding the building. A two-story addition opened in January 2001 featuring added seating, rest rooms, function space and deluxe Mountain Suites offering private rooms available for groups.

There are also several culinary options.

But back to the kids. Jeff Crowley said the key is to make it fun and his sister agreed.

"It has to be fun for the kids," Carolyn Crowley Stimpson said. That is reflected by the philosophy of their father, founder Ralph Crowley, who grew tired of driving way up north and wanted to local mountain with a big-time but still cozy feel.

Wachusett has three learning areas that feature magic carpets (including a covered one) and even a high-speed chairlift. The learners certainly keep moving while still getting individual attention.

Needless to say , it was a hit with the new skiers — in this case two 7-year-olds. It was their second time out and they abilities were expanding by the minute. They are already turning and stopping on their own.

Wachusett instructors invited the twins back and it seems a given that offer will be accepted.

Oh one other thing. There is this old Civilian Conservation Corps building in the middle of the mountain —the Bullock Lodge. Don't ask why, just stop there for an apple cider doughnut halfway between your first run and lunch. They are as sweet as the skiing and riding and provide a perfect cap to the whole Wachusett experience.

Check out more at www.wachusett.com.

Photo Credit: Wachusett; Chris Dehnel

Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor and past-president and current executive secretary of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association East Division. His Snow Business column appears regularly during the season.