Snow Business: Touring Catamount's Posh New Lodge

HILLSDALE, NY — Heading into a traditionally busy snow sports weekend like Presidents Day, a genuine concern is lodge space. In those terms, what Catamount has done to its base area is truly a game-changer.

Oh, and it looks nice too.

Catamount has always maintained a friendly presence in the 1,000-vertical-foot market in general and in the Berkshire Mountains geographically. Sitting on the New York-Massachusetts line, it's generally less than two hours from most towns in Connecticut and qualifies as one of the few places one can ski or ride in two states. Facilities were comfortable and functional and arguably a no-frills but practical approach.

Now, when looking at the new landscape, the adjective posh comes to mind.

Construction on the new lodge began last season, after the merger of Catamount and Berkshire East. The Berkshire East founders made capital projects a priority and not only started the lodge project, but added advanced trails on the face and installed an extra lift to alleviate congestion on the uphill left side of the mountain.

A trip to the mountain late last month bore witness to what the new lodge adds to the Catamount landscape. It's better than coffee to wake one up and hint what the day will be like.

The new lodge measures 10,700 square feet. It features a vaulted ceiling, seating for 350 with comfortable chairs, two levels and, when completely finished, ticketing, retail, food and rest room service.

Those who get to Catamount first can commandeer the couch area, which features side tables (perfect for parents on laptops) and a fireplace and offers views of the mountains.

It really spreads out the crowds. There are even a couple of little nooks for privacy.

The 13,000-square-foot original Berkshire Lodge remains next door. It still features food service.

The yurt — the Taconic Lodge — is still on the New York side and is used for the racers.

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor who has been writing about snow sports for more than two decades. He is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and officer of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. The Snow Business column appears periodically during the season.