Otis Ridge has a vertical drop of four hundred feet. Its top elevation is at one thousand seven hundred feet above sea level. Its base elevation where the lodge is located is at one thousand three hundred feet above sea level. It has a rather old-fashioned chair lift, a t-bar lift and a couple of rope tows; one is located on the back side to bring you up to the trails. The terrain is 30% man-made snow; on top of that there is about 40% nature-made snow then 30% man-made snow on top of that. There are eleven trails. The longest trail is five thousand two hundred and eighty feet long. There are about 60 acres of terrain to ski or snow board on. There is also a snowboard park with a half pipe, table top, quarter pipes and jumps. There is also a slalom course for the experts. It is located on the black diamond trail. The annual snowfall for Otis Ridge is about seventy inches. Snow making is eighty to ninety percent, depending on the amount of snowfall for the year.
The best part is the ski camp located on the backside of the mountain. My former scout unit rented it every season for a three-day weekend. It is set back in the woods in a small valley between hills. It has many hiking trails and a rope tow to take you up to the top of the expert ski trails. The expert slope is usually filled with moguls. Two narrow, about 10 ft. wide, twisting trails, are to the right, of the chair lift both of which are the funniest trails I ever skied or snowboarded. Otis also has wide intermediate and beginner slopes to the right. Otis is a great little area packed with variety and jumps galore. It is located 25 miles from Hartford, Connecticut, by way of Route 8 north to Route 23 west. The resort is just past this intersection. It is a small resort, very family oriented. Otis Ridge also offers summer youth camps featuring its large karate camp.
Just about three miles down the road from Otis Ridge, off Route 23 is the pristine, sparkling clean water of Otis Reservoir. This resort area offers much by way of boating, water skiing, fishing and ice fishing, not to mention snow mobiling, hiking and cross country skiing. Hiking during the fall foliage season is exhilarating, filled with the crisp, cool and clean air of the mountains. Of course I can’t forget Katie’s. This is a small general store located on Route 23 just on the Otis Blandford line. It has a walk up window style restaurant/snack shop. It features ice cream, great big greasy, hardening-of-the-arteries burgers made to perfection. They have a large menu to suit just about any taste buds.
During the drive into the Berkshires, you will notice that it has some of the most beautiful countryside along, long winding roads up the mountain. The Berkshires in Massachusetts has some historic towns loaded with cultural activities. The Berkshires are known for their beauty and tranquility. Take a side trip to Lenox and Stockbridge to see the beauty of historic villages and enjoy fine dining, shopping and chose from plenty of cultural activities.
