Canton, Massachusetts — Blue Hills, the closest ski area to Boston, is among the most pivotal mountains in the ski industry. It’s a place where people can learn to ski and ride for the first time, grow their skill set, or get out of the city after a long day of work and sitting through traffic (I am familiar with the Boston metropolitan area). In recent years, though, Blue Hills struggled to get open and stay operational during the ski season due to aging equipment and warm weather.
Because of its importance, the Boston skiing community was ecstatic to hear this summer that Blue Hills is under new management. Previously run by the owners of Campgaw Mountain in New Jersey, their contract ended with Massachusetts’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Geoff Homer acquired a new lease this summer to keep the ski area operating. Homer and his father previously ran Pleasant Mountain (formerly known as Shawnee Peak) in Maine before selling it to Boyne Resorts. This means he has extensive experience running a ski area in the New England market.Â
With only a few months before the start of the season, Geoff Homer and his team hit the ground running. This includes improvements to snowmaking, grooming, rental equipment, and the ski area’s infrastructure. In addition, Blue Hills added a new winter activity outside of skiing and riding.Â
Probably the most significant upgrade was to the ski area’s snowmaking infrastructure. Their snowmaking has been significantly increased thanks to the additional water supply. Blue Hills has added 35 HKD air/water snow guns across the mountain and eight new fan guns. This will allow for improved production and better energy efficiency. In addition, Blue Hills purchased two new PistenBully snow groomers (400 and 600) to improve snow surface conditions.
Other improvements for this upcoming winter include improved food and beverage offerings, the opening of a small retail outpost, acquiring new rental gear from Head, adding state-of-the-art Wintersteiger ski tuning equipment, a new logo, a new website, a new point of sale system, a revised trail map, and renovations to the exterior of the lodge. Snow tubing is also coming to Blue Hills this winter.Â
Blue Hills opened for the season on December 14th, its earliest opening in over 15 years. The Massachusetts ski area opened up the beginner area, with more terrain expected soon. They’re closed for the next several days but plan to reopen this upcoming weekend.
Ultimately, we’re excited to see Blue Hills thriving. Massachusetts skiers and riders should be excited about this new era at Blue Hills, as Geoff and his team have the experience and skills to continue to improve Blue Hills in the years ahead.Â
Image Credits: Blue Hills Ski Area
