The Mid to Late 70s - The Past - SkiBerkshireEast.com

Berkshire East Ski Resort, Charlemont, Massachusetts

Home Past Present Links Photo Galleries Feedback

The Past
The Mid to Late 70s

Roy Schaefer, a ski area general manager and PSIA Certified Examiner, heard about a bankrupt Massachusetts ski area from an industry associate. After checking out the area, he decided to move his family to Massachusetts and run the area for the bank.

Schaefer saw issues with the area's snowmaking and lift system. As a result, he secured funds to moderize the aging Mueller lifts and upgrade the lacking snowmaking system. Contrary to more recent claims from other ski areas, Schaefer was the first to bring midwest skiing to the northeast.

The Competition T-Bar

Installation of the "Black Chair" by helicopter

After a relatively successful season of operating the area for the bank (1976-77), Schaefer gathered investors and bought the ski area. His priorities included adding fan guns, removing poor trails, lining trails with wind-breaking-snow-saving trees, adding/improving trails, and adding lifts.

In 1977, Berkshire East built the Little Beaver complex, installing a 1000' SLI double chairlift purchased from a defunct ski area on Mackinac Island in Michigan.

In 1978, Berkshire East purchased a Hall double chairlift from Sierra Ski Ranch in California and installed it on the Flying Cloud trail. This was the first, and to date only, Berkshire East lift installed via helicopter. One interesting note was that, while excavating the base area for the lift terminal, remains from a crashed plane were discovered. The exact date of this crash is not currently known, however the small plane apparently fell apart while still in the air.

The 80s