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Located near Interstate 90 in Western Massachusetts, Ski Blandford was one of the longest running ski areas in the country.
Springfield Ski Club's Rope Tow
Blandford circa the 1950s |
The origins of the Springfield Ski Club date back to 1933, when Ken Cuddeback and Charlie Parker sought folks with similar recreational interests via a newspaper ad. That winter, the group started looking for a place to develop a ski area. While they initially looked into Mt. Toby to the north, their sights eventually were set to the west of the city.
On November 17, 1936, Springfield Ski Club was established as a Massachusetts corporation with Arthur Irving Macdonald as President, Benjamin Prescott Hazeltine III as Vice President, and Heinz John Sherbow as Treasurer. That fall, the club was able to obtain permission to develop a ski slope on Pere Persson's farm. A 1,000 foot long electric rope tow served the slope, while a nearby schoolhouse was used as a warming hut. Non-members were allowed to use the facility for a fee. By this point, the club had reportedly grown to 375 members.
Circa 1941, the club purchased the land from the Persson family, firmly establishing Blandford's future. While additional slopes were added after the initial season, the 1,000 rope tow remained the main lift for quite some time.
Blandford remained open for at least part of the World War II period, operating on weekends during the 1942-43 season. During times when fuel rationing prevented the operation of the tows, members reportedly still took the train to Blandford and earned their turns.
Blandford grew in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, eventually expanding to 7 rope tows. A new racing trail may have been cut for the 1952-53 season, hosting college races. By the middle of the decade, some 5,000 folks were members of the club, making it more than triple its 1941 size.
Modernizing
Blandford circa the 1980s |
While Blandford was a popular area near a city, things were changing all around it. In the 1950s, the Massachusetts Turnpike was developed west of Springfield, passing just above the top of Blandford ski area. Later that decade, and into the 1960s, Interstate 91 was built, providing easy access to ski areas up north. Meanwhile, sizable chairlift served ski areas such as Berkshire East, Brodie, Butternut, Catamount, Jiminy Peak, and Mt. Tom were popping up across Western Massachusetts.
A second base lodge was constructed in the mid-1960s for a reported $85,000.
The Springfield Ski Club's days as one of the top Bousquet rope-tow-gripper customers was about to end, as Blandford installed its first double chairlift for the 1969-70 season. Debuting in late January, the Glade chair provided easy access to 450 vertical feet and Blandford's 13 trails. With a 40% increase in the membership fee resulting from the new lift, the club offered rope-tow-only memberships at the prior year's price.
The building phase continued at Blandford throughout the 1970s. The early 1970s saw the installation of two lifts adjacent to the base area, the Broadway double chairlift and the Broadway T-Bar. To handle the increased traffic, a sun deck was constructed for the 1972-73 season. Around this time, Theodore Hellstein Jr. served as club president, while Bob Savard ran the ski school. The area remained a weekend day skiing area, with limited operations also offered on Wednesdays.
Near the end of the decade, the North double chairlift was added, helping to distribute skier traffic while also catering to experts.
As the 1990s arrived, Blandford had grown to 26 trails with a Friday-Sunday operating schedule. While ski areas across the state started to disappear, Blandford stayed in operation, thanks in large part to the countless hours of volunteer work its members contributed. Though its primary focus was skiing, the Springfield Ski Club also organized off season events at Blandford for its membership.
The Broadway double chairlift (2006) |
After Mt. Tom closed in 1998, Blandford put lights on the Broadway and Schoolhouse slopes for the 1998-99 season to gauge support in after school programs. The demand was indeed there, resulting in the expansion of night skiing operations thereafter.
Night skiing was expanded for the 2001-02 season, with lights installed on Liftline and the half pipe and new snowguns obtained. Unfortunately, the brook ran dry, forcing the club to hire tanker trucks to provide enough water for snowmaking.
Springfield Ski Club Sells Blandford
The Glades double chairlift (2019) |
As the years passed, infrastructure aged, debt mounted, and membership declined, resulting in financial insolvency in 2017. That spring, the Springfield Ski Club announced Ski Blandford would either close or be sold. The ownership of Ski Butternut came to the rescue, purchasing the ski area in September of 2017.
Though preparations were made to operate during the 2017-18 season, including snowmaking, lift repairs were more cumbersome than expected. As a result, the 2017-18 season was cancelled. Work continued throughout the winter and following off season, allowing for Ski Blandford to reopen on December 15, 2018.
Closure
Sunrise under dark skies on Blandford's last day of operation (March 8, 2020) |
Operations continued until March 8, 2020. Later that month, the ownership announced that the area was continuing to lose money and that, with the economic uncertainties from the onset of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the area was closing. With the closure, Hampden County lost its last ski area.
There are no known plans to reopen Ski Blandford.
NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News
| Recent Articles |
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| Ski Blandford Closing - Mar. 26, 2020 | | STUDY: Probability of Lost New England Ski Areas Reopening - Nov. 7, 2018 | | Ski Blandford Cancels Ski Season - Jan. 26, 2018 | | Ski Blandford Will Not Operate in January - Jan. 16, 2018 | | Ski Blandford Opening Day Postponed - Dec. 31, 2017 | | Ski Butternut Ownership Completes Purchase of Ski Blandford - Oct. 25, 2017 | | Springfield Ski Club Approves Proposed Sale of Ski Blandford - Jul. 19, 2017 | | Ski Blandford May Be Sold to Ski Butternut - Jul. 1, 2017 | | Ski Blandford Financially Insolvent; Could Be Sold or Closed - May. 28, 2017 | | Financial Concerns Mounting at Ski Blandford - Mar. 28, 2017 | | Ski Blandford NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News Page |
Lifts
Click on lift name for information and photos
Maps
Year by Year History
Adult Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket; Adult Full Price Unlimited Season Pass
| 2020s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2019-20 | $45.00 |  | $289.00 | | 6.4 days | December 20 | March 8 | | | |
| 2010s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2018-19 | $45.00 | | $249.00 | | 5.5 days | December 15 | March 24 | | | | | 2016-17 | $44.00 | | $369.00 | | 8.4 days | December 26 | March 12 | | | | | 2015-16 | $44.00 | | $359.00 | | 8.2 days | January 9 | March 9 | | | | | 2014-15 | $44.00 | | $349.00 | | 7.9 days | January 2 | March 21 | | | | | 2013-14 | $47.00 | | $349.00 | | 7.4 days | December 26 | March 23 | | | | | 2012-13 | $47.00 | | | | | December 26 | | | | | | 2011-12 | $47.00 | | $458.00 | | 9.7 days | December 26 | March 11 | | | | | 2010-11 | $45.00 | | $448.00 | | 10.0 days | December 11 | March 19 | | | | | 2009-10 | $45.00 | | $448.00 | | 10.0 days | December 13 | March 13 | | | |
| 2000s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 2008-09 | $41.00 | | $398.00 | | 9.7 days | | | | | | | 2007-08 | $39.00 | | $398.00 | | 10.2 days | | | | | | | 2006-07 | $37.00 | | $338.00 | | 9.1 days | | | | | | | 2005-06 | $37.00 | | $338.00 | | 9.1 days | | | | | | | 2004-05 | $35.00 | | $324.00 | | 9.3 days | December 26 | | | | | | 2003-04 | $33.00 | | $324.00 | | 9.8 days | | | | | | | 2002-03 | $28.00 | | $299.00 | | 10.7 days | December 26 | | | | | | 2001-02 | $28.00 | | | | | December 29 | | | | | | 2000-01 | $26.00 | | | | | December 23 | | | | | | 1999-00 | $24.00 | | | | | December 26 | | | | |
| 1990s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1998-99 | $24.00 | | $199.00 | | 8.3 days | December 26 | March 14 | | | | | 1997-98 | | | | | | | March 8 | | | | | 1996-97 | $20.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1995-96 | $19.00 | | | | | December 26 | March 17 | | | | | 1994-95 | | | | | | December 31 | | | | | | 1992-93 | $19.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1991-92 | $25.00 | | $230.00 | | 9.2 days | December 26 | | | | | | 1990-91 | $25.00 | | | | | December 28 | | | | | | 1989-90 | $25.00 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1980s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1988-89 | $24.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1987-88 | $22.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1982-83 | | | $110.00 | | | | | | | |
| 1970s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1974-75 | $6.00 | | $44.00 | | 7.3 days | | | | | | | 1972-73 | | | $35.00 | | | | | | | | | 1971-72 | | | $35.00 | | | | | | | | | 1970-71 | | | $35.00 | | | | | | | | | 1969-70 | | | $35.00 | | | | | | | |
| 1960s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1968-69 | | | $25.00 | | | | | | | |
Visitor Memories
| "I started sking in 1955. I also worked the first aid and the rope toes.many great memories" | | Edwin Howe, Aug. 22, 2020 | | " I started as a member at 2.5 years old in 1967/68 when the name was Springfield Ski Club. For many years I had to have someone in back of me to hold the rope tow on Fanny Hill and Schoolhouse. Those ropes were too heavy for a little kid! Many younger folks will not know what a rope tow is! There was the old lodge and the new lodge, and we always packed a picnic basket for lunch and apres ski. I feel like our group of families was always the last to leave at the end of the day. The adults always had a bottle or two of wine. A treat on the way to the club was stopping at Mrs. Murphy for donuts. I did take lessons, some with Charlotte Tilley and then with Butch and Guy, the dreamboats of the 1970s. I remember skiing down Puts Peril with Butch and Guy and feeling so accomplished. Who remembers Mr. Hart who always wore the red and black wool plaid hat with the ear flaps? So cute. And Hubert? Jubilee weekend was the highlight of the season with obstacle courses for the kids built from hay bales, boxes and poles; pots of warmed glogg wine; and the ski patrol skiing down Broadway at night with lit torches. For many years we would run into Eileen Krol at the Big E - she was a either ski patrol or an instructor and we would reminisce with her. What great times I had there and am thankful for having been a part of the club back then. If I lived closer, I would still be a member. What memories!
Forgive the grammar, as I had to remove single quotes and apostrophes in order for the submission to be accepted." | | Nancy McHugh, Mar. 9, 2020 | | "Learned to ski there when I was 11 years old in 1968.Lesson price was $1 for kids,$2 for adults,and most of the instuctors at that time were from Austria. I think a season pass back then was only $20." | | Steve Olsen, May. 19, 2019 | | "My parents were skiing there in the 40’s and were part of the Springfield Ski Club when it was run by the members . There were many families from Holyoke who were members around the same years. I started skiing when I was 3 years old and my brother and I raced there for many years. I love Blandford and loved the rope tows. Many found memories of Blandford. " | | Jeanne Lippman, Oct. 26, 2017 | | "1947 in backpack with Mother. Many great winters here." | | Jonathan Payne, Oct. 11, 2017 | | "This was my first 'Big' ski area after learning in Southwick and Pawatuck in the late 60's. I remember seeing the very first of the snow boarders here which was called 'Snurfing' back then. This was the single board with a rope at the tip the rider would hold onto. They were not allowed except for very late in the day on Sunday when most ski traffic was done. Glad to hear it still thrives!" | | Al Sandy, May. 12, 2016 | | "began skiing here as a kid around 1966 or' '67. Many scary belly flops trying to learn to ride a rope tow there and thought all the high school kids with those metal tow clips on their belts were so cool. Never could get close to the big fireplace in original lodge, too crowded. Everyone would take off their boots and line them up by the fire to warm up and dry out - back in the days of lace ups!" | | Judy (Lafler) Converse, Feb. 25, 2015 | | "My family started skiing Blandford in the mid 60's and we would ski with other families in the neighborhood for the next 15 years. I have such fond memories of riding all the rope tows (using row 'grippers') all day long. It was during these years that I became hooked on the skiing lifestyle. I have worked as the director of engineering for Jackson Hole for over 25 years now and have contributed in creating one of the best ski resorts in the world. Thanks Blandford! " | | Bill Schreiber, Mar. 9, 2014 | | "I spent many winter days skiing Blandford from the time I was twelve years old. I learned to ski there, as well as my son and my grandson. It is really a family oriented area. I have many fond memories of the work parties in the fall back in the 60s. We all had fun and we got alot of work done. " | | Neil MacKinnon, Nov. 8, 2013 | | "This was my great grandfather's farm. My Dad learned to ski here and became a member of the National Ski patrol. He's stil alive at 88." | | Jean Grant, Mar. 26, 2013 | | "Love the memories!!!!" | | Robert Carey, Jan. 24, 2013 |
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External Links
Ski Blandford official site
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Last updated: August 20, 2020
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