A Return to the Blue Hills Ski Area

A skier descends Beers Bluff at the Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton.

I decided in my early forties to learn to ski. At first it was so I could accompany my son, who was into snowboarding at the time, but he eventually decided that basketball would be his winter sport instead. Thus two or three years went by with my skis gathering dust in a corner of the garage. But this winter I wanted to make a change. While my son had no interest in hitting the slopes, I could go on my own. Thanks to a friend’s invitation to ski at Wachusett, I felt compelled to return to Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton first, to remind myself that I could actually get down the mountain (or hill) in one piece.

I chose a Thursday morning in January. The Blue Hills Ski Area opens at 10am on Thursdays and Fridays, which would provide enough time for me to ski for a few hours and still get home to greet my son when he got off the school bus. It happened to be one of those sunny, warm days in January – with temperatures in the high 40s. I got lucky. It wasn’t even windy. Besides the Ski Patrol and the young children enrolled in the Snow Puppies lessons program, there were just a few adult skiers there -- alone and in pairs -- and me.

Heading first to the very-easy lessons slopes, I was surprised to see that the ski area had been renovated. There was an additional Magic Carpet lift, and the mountain had been reconfigured to provide more space for different levels of learners. Blue Hills can be busy in the late afternoons and evenings, as well as on the weekends, and these changes seemed like they would promote better flow and less congestion on the slopes.

After determining that I did, in fact, remember how to ski, I approached the chair lift on Big Blue, so I could access Patriots Path and some of the intermediate routes. Even on my ride up, I could see that things had changed for the better. In the past, there was always a suggestion of a trail under the ski lift; it was on the map, but I never actually saw it in use. This time, it was evident that a lot of work had gone into improving and widening the Beer’s Bluff trail, and lots of people were using it.

My trip to Blue Hills occurred shortly after that prolonged cold spell we had in January. There was plenty of snow on the trails already. However it was clear too, that Blue Hills had put some serious work into grooming. Their website indicates that they recently doubled their snowmaking capacity, replacing their pump house and snow guns. The intertwining routes of Patriots Path, The Chute, Sonya, Lovers Lane, Revolution, plus Big Blue and Beer’s Bluff provide diverse options and keep things interesting over the course of the day. I eventually worked my way up to Big Blue, but I saved some of the narrower, more difficult trails for “next time.”

Now that I’ve been out to Wachusett (which is an article for another time), I’ve had a taste of what a taller, larger mountain has to offer – more trails, longer trails, more space in general. But Wachusett is a 2-hour drive from here. As I continue to improve my skills on the slopes, I have every intention of returning to the Blue Hills Ski Area. It’s nearby, it’s affordable, and it offers enough (16 trails and a terrain park) to keep me entertained.

The Blue Hills Ski Area is very family-friendly. There are private, semi-private, and group lessons for all ages, offered both as single-use and in sessions. You can bring your own equipment or rent it there. The lodge offers restrooms, refreshments, storage, and a warm, welcoming fireplace. On weekdays, you can go as early as 1pm or 10am (depending on the day) and stay until 9pm. Weekends and most holidays the ski area is open from 8-8. Find it at 4001 Washington Street in Canton, just a half mile off Route 93. For more information, visit https://www.bluehillsboston.com


by Kezia Bacon
January 2018

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 20 years of nature columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Winter Sports Adventures

Readers may recall that last year, at age 40, I decided to try snowboarding for the first time. My son, who is six, enrolled in lessons through the Mountain Munchkin program at the Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton. When I witnessed how naturally he took to it, I thought, “He’ll need someone going to accompany him on the slopes!” My first lesson went well, and I was planning to return for more, but the mountain closed early, due to unseasonably warm weather.

Over the intervening months, I realized that joining my son on the slopes did not require a snowboard. I could just as easily keep him company on downhill skis. I was SO much more drawn to skiing, possibly because I’d tried it – twice – when I was a teenager. So when Blue Hills opened for the season this year, I decided that before I went any farther with the snowboarding, I’d try ski lessons.

I’m so glad I did. I’ve had two lessons now, and I’m planning to go back for more. It’s a better choice for me: I’m a lot happier with my feet moving independently, rather than having them bound together on a piece of fiberglass.

Blue Hills offers a tidy package. For $70 you can get a 1-hour small-group lesson, a lift ticket, and all the rental equipment you need (snowboard or skis/poles, boots, helmet). For a little bit more, you can make it a private class.

So far, I’ve been working with a very kind and patient instructor, who explains the basics of skiing to me, one step at a time. We ride the Magic Carpet up the bunny slope, and as we ski down the hill, I try to demonstrate that I understand what he’s teaching me. It seems to be working. He says that next time I’ll be ready for Patriot Path, the intermediate slope. His goal is to get me out of the wedge-shaped skis that are reserved for beginners, and up to the next level.

Blue Hills offers group and private lessons for all ages. My son is now in the Junior Program, which meets for 90 minutes on Thursday evenings. I’ve been scheduling my own lessons for Thursday or Friday mornings, when the mountain is not very crowded. Blue Hills is much busier in the after-school hours, and on nights and weekends. Visit their website for hours, prices, class info and lots more. http://ski-bluehills.com/

Another recent adventure was my first attempt at indoor rock climbing. I’ve seen climbing walls here and there, but fear always overpowered any intrigue. So I figured that a good first step would be a lesson.

At its various locations -- Hingham, Reading, Framingham, Boston -- REI offers all sorts of classes throughout the year: snowshoeing, road cycling, disaster prep, and so on. But Learn To Climb is only offered in Framingham, the one remaining local REI branch with a climbing structure. I noticed that there was a class on MLK weekend, so I signed up and paid online before I could chicken out.

Five of us took for the class – men and women ranging in ages from late 20s to early 40s. In the first hour, we got our harnesses fitted, learned knots and rope handling techniques, and then squeezed our feet into the narrow-toed climbing shoes REI provided for the course. Then we divided into pairs and took turns alternately climbing The Pinnacle (the climbing structure) and belaying (keeping our partner safe by taking up the slack on the climbing rope).

I had tried rock climbing in college, once, for about five minutes. The class was outdoors, on “real” rock. I had a panic attack about eight feet up, came straight down, and spent the rest of the class “just watching.” So I wanted to try again.

I did better this time. Rock climbing requires some strength – you use your arms and legs to ascend what is basically a vertical path. But it’s also very much a mental game. It’s easy to give up, so you need to challenge yourself to keep going, even if it’s scary. You also have to trust your partner to keep the rope tight, so that if you slip, you’ll be dangling in the air rather than plummeting to the ground. I’m not sure whether it was my fingers or my nerve that gave out first, but I managed to make it about two-thirds of the way to the top of the easiest climb. I’m planning to go back to try again. The cost of the class was $45 – well worth it for the experience. (http://www.rei.com/outdoorschool.html)

by Kezia Bacon, Correspondent

January 2013 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com

Snowboarding at Forty

It is the middle of unseasonably warm February day, and I am standing at the top of a large hill dubbed The Green Monster, wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a waterproof jacket, snow pants, gloves and clownishly large boots. Strapped to my feet is a four and a half foot long, mock-grafitti’d wood and fiberglass board, which is – in both presence and design -- a near-total anachronism for a suburban 40-year old mom. But I have decided that it is time for me to learn how to snowboard.

The Marshfield Recreation Department offers a variety of classes for adults and children alike, and paging through its brochure earlier this year, I noticed the Mountain Munchkins program for kindergarteners. The class fit perfectly into our schedule, so I asked my son Abel if he would like to try something new: a three-session course in either skiing or snowboarding. He said yes, and in late January, we began reporting to the Blue Hills Ski Area in Canton every Thursday for his 90-minute lesson.

My expectations were low. Abel has tried Music Together, Tumblefun, swim lessons, skateboard lessons, and ice skating, and while he has enjoyed all of these, I haven’t seen anything yet that approaches passion.

Until now. Of the 15 children enrolled in our timeslot, Abel was the only one who chose snowboarding, which meant that he got to have a private class! He was excited to try something new, and even more captivated as we entered the rental barn and saw the equipment. But that was nothing compared to what followed.

Abel was assigned an engaging young instructor named Alec. After explaining how to work the bindings, how to fall and get back up again, and how to “skate” with the board attached to one foot, Alec led Abel up the Magic Carpet to the top of The Green Monster, the larger of Blue Hills’ two beginner’s slopes. And before the end of the 90-minute session, my 5-year-old munchkin was gliding back and forth across the hill, practicing his “falling leaf” technique, wearing an expression of deep concentration. We knew after his second lesson that we’d be signing up for another session, and by the end of his third lesson, he was going down the hill all by himself. He loved it – and I loved watching him. (Parents are permitted to stand behind a fence at the bottom of the hill to observe.)

So if my five year old son wants to snowboard, he’s going to need someone to go with him, right? That someone will have to be me.

I’ve cross-country skied a little bit, but I’ve hit the downhill slopes a total of twice in my life, and the most recent occasion was 25 years ago. Let’s just say I was a little daunted by this snowboarding thing. But I’m in decent physical shape -- how bad could it be?

Friends offered all sorts of “encouraging” comments. “Try not to tear your ACL . . . or break your wrists.” “Your rear end is gonna be sore!” “Mind if I come and watch . . . and laugh?” But I was up for the challenge. So before I could chicken out, I signed up – and paid for – my own private lesson. I opted for a weekday class, when the traffic on the mountain would be light, and I‘d be less likely to cause a collision.

My instructor, James, showed me the same basic techniques that Abel had learned, and very encouragingly told me I was doing well, even when I felt like a total dork. So we too boarded the Magic Carpet and headed up to the top of the hill.

First James taught me how to get the board moving, and walked backwards in front of me, holding my hands, while I tentatively shuffled downhill. Halfway down, he let go and I managed to maintain my balance and get to the bottom.

Thus James concluded that I was ready for the next step, the falling leaf. He explained it to me, demonstrated what I was to do next, and then there I was, very cautiously working the board from side to side down the slope, trying to get a feel for “exactly how this darn thing works.” This involved some falling, plenty of grimacing, and some comical attempts of getting back onto my feet, but overall, I was surprised that I didn’t make a total buffoon of myself.

We went up and down the hill five or six times during my lesson, and each time I had a somewhat better sense of what to do. The casual observer would report seeing flashes of terror across my face every now and then, but I’m intrigued – and challenged – enough that I want to go back and try some more. Friends have assured me that it will take a few lessons before I actually get the hang of it.

Winter isn’t over yet, and even in this super-mild version of winter that we’re experiencing this year, Blue Hills makes it own snow, and remains open for business as far into the season as the weather permits. Individuals and groups of all ages can sign up for lessons for both skiing and snowboarding. I’ve found the staff to be skilled, engaging, and fun.

More experienced skiers and snowboarders can check out the property’s 60 acres of slopes, including 12 trails and a terrain park, plus a double chair lift, two conveyor belt-type lifts and a handle tow. Blue Hills is open most nights ‘til 9, and half of the ski area has night lighting. There is a lodge with a snack bar, and a well-stocked rental barn. It’s a great place to learn something new, polish your skills, or just satisfy an itch for snow sports, especially if you don’t have time to make the trip to the larger mountains up north. I wish I had discovered this place 30 years ago!

The Blue Hills Ski Area is located at 4001 Washington Street in Canton, MA, just minutes from Route 93. It is owned by the state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) and is currently managed by company that specializes in small ski resorts. Organized skiing on Great Blue Hill has been going on since at least the 1930s, when the Civilian Conservation Corps cut the first two trails there. In 1949 the Metropolitan District Commission added rope tows and some additional trails, and chair lifts were built in the 1960s. The area has been revitalized in the past decade and is an inviting place for individuals and families. Learn more at http://ski-bluehills.com.

by Kezia Bacon, Correspondent
February 2012

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, restoration, maintenance and conservation of the North and South Rivers and their watershed. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. To browse 15 years of Nature (Human and Otherwise) columns, visit http://keziabaconbernstein.blogspot.com