Snow Business: Good Season Already At Wachusett

PRINCETON, MA — The last weather system was exactly what Wachusett Mountain needed to add a little extra dash to what has already been a good season.

In all, the mountain picked up 7 inches from the storm into Sunday night. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't the best quality of snow, but Wachusett's state-of-the-art grooming fleet was out there overnight stretching, spreading, chopping, smoothing and doing what it does. That will translate into a good surface not only for MLK Day but into February.

That's the great thing about Wachusett. Capital investment over the past few yerars in what matters most — the mountain — gives it a big-time feel in about 90 minutes or less from Greater Hartford.

That was Ralph Crowley's idea when he founded Wachusett more than five decades ago. It's something the family takes to heart. Current Wachusett president Jeff Crowley like to call his tours through the lodge family visits.

Crowley said the key to the 2018-19 season was an early start to snowmaking efforts when a Arctic cold snap ripped through the region just before Thanksgiving. The base is now between 23 and 53 inches. Wachusett marketing director Tom Meyers likes to say trust the technology. Early in the season, we did and the product was good.

The amenities are stellar as well. Here are a few worth noting:

• High-speed lifts keep the traffic flowing
• The learning area features a covered magic carpet
• The ski school keeps it fun and instructive
• The spacious lodge features plenty of seating and food from a sit-down restaurant to the traditional cafeteria
• Mountain suites are available for gatherings
• The Bullock Lodge, an old Civilian Conservation Corps stone hut in the middle of the mountain, serves tasty apple cider doughnuts.

Oh, on a side note, the Crowleys also own Polar Beverages so there is an endless supply of orange dry soda in the lodge.

Here's a mid-storm snow report from Sunday:

So the bottom line is Wachusett was in good shape before the snowstorm and it definitely will be into the latter part of the season. It's definitely a smart option for thise who just don't feel like driving far.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel; Video Credit: Wachusett

To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities, click here.

Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor and a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association. His Snow Business column runs during the season.