How To Get a Lift in Winter
By Lloyd Garrison

With several forecasters predicting colder temperatures and above average
precipitation for New England, the four ski areas closest to Norfolk are
already busy preparing for what they hope will be a long snowy winter.
Mohawk, Sundown, Catamount and Butternut all have modest trail systems.
None offer a vertical drop of more than 1000 feet. The closest, Mohawk, is
12 miles away in Cornwall, and the most distant is Catamount, which is 24
miles, just over the border in New York.
But a few differences distinguish several from the rest. Catamount is the
only one of the four to offer a free pass to skiers over 80, who number more
than you might think. In fact, seniors over 70 make up most of the midweek
skiers at Butternut, who pay only $99 for an all-season pass or $20 a day
Monday through Thursday.
Butternut is also ahead of the competition in offering the most reasonable
season tickets for adults ($279), juniors ($209) and kids six and under ($79).
But Sundown and Mohawk, whose season tickets are over $500, charge a
low of only $50 for an all-day adult lift ticket, weekends and holidays
included. Lift tickets for night skiing, which all areas offer except Butternut,
cost extra.
The price of lessons also differs widely, from a low of $28 for an adult
group lesson at Mohawk, to a high of $99 at Sundown.
But good skiing is not all about price. Mohawk, whose trails are the least
taxing of the four, has added a new chairlift to move more skiers uphill.
Butternut has added a fourth Bombardier grooming machine, two new carpet
lifts for kids and has introduced a number of new water and air lines to boost
snowmaking capacity.
Catamount has the region’s only double diamond trail. The steepest and
widest open slope belongs to Sundown’s Gunbarrel run. Butternut, at 1800
feet, has the highest elevation of the four with the longest runs and a tubing
slope for all ages. It can also claim a highly regarded ski school that
provides instruction for beginners four to six years of age. Also on site is a
children’s center, for kids six months to two years of age.
As for those long range forecasts, AccuWeather’s Joe Bastardi, is predicting
one of the coldest winters in years for the eastern third of the nation, with a
frigid December. The Old Farmer's Almanac foresees a "numbingly cold and
snowy" winter for New England, with especially cold temperatures in

December. The National Weather Service is unwilling to go out on a limb,
stating that it is fifty-fifty whether it will be warmer or colder, wetter or
drier. Which is as good a reason as any why all four local ski areas have
100% snow making, and are ready for whatever comes.
The question remains, how many skiers will actually come? Matt Sawyer,
Butternut’s marketing director, predicts that the recession could cause an
eight to 10 percent drop in attendance. “Of course,” he adds, “if those
forecasts hold up, everything could change.”

Children as young as four can learn to ski at Butternut.