Snowshoeing the Thunderbolt Ski Run, Massachusetts

17 February 2013 – My trip up the Thunderbolt

Last Saturday I made a snowshoe trip up and back down the Thunderbolt Trail, a Depression-era ski piste located on Mount Greylock near my residence in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Thiel Road was closed for the winter, so I embarked on the trip with my snowshoes initially strapped to my back rather than to my feet. It was a windy and cold day, so I was happy to arrive at the DCR signage signaling the turn into the woods and onto the Thunderbolt. I soon learned of what stuff sports-men and -women of the 1930s were made.

Please note that the signage at the Thunderbolt Trail can be somewhat unclear. The downhill portion of the Thunderbolt Trail is used by downhill skiers. Snowshoers should use the alternate trail found at the Bellows Pipe intersection, only a few hundred feet up the Thunderbolt Trail. To avoid creating post-holes and dangerous conditions for the skiers, if you do find yourself accidentally snowshoeing on the Thunderbolt Trail past the intersection, keep to the side of the trail and follow the tracks of other ascenders.

Read More:  Trail Etiquette for Snowshoeing & Winter Hiking

The features of the Thunderbolt

The Big Schuss is the first imposing named feature one encounters on the Thunderbolt when traveling from the bottom up. During my trip, I encountered the rather odd sight of a man descending with the aid of an ice ax but without MICROspikes or snowshoes. (Greylock is the kind of place which I would never recommend attacking without traction aid during meteorological winter, but one at which an ice ax is always going to be a bit of overkill.) The top of the Big Schuss provides a great view of the town of Adams nestled in the Hoosic Valley below, but the trip down is not one my beginner ski legs are quite ready for.

Mount Greylock

Adams, Mass., viewed from the Big Schuss.

Next up for me was the narrow hairpin turn known as The Needle’s Eye. I shuddered to think of the task of squeezing through there in the days of straight, all-wooden skis. Further up and nearing the starting line, the feature known as The Big Bend turns right but slopes left.

Mount Greylock backcountry skiing

The author in The Needle’s Eye.

The scenery changes noticeably at the crest of The Big Bend as the trail enters a portion of the boreal forest found atop Greylock. Chilly summit winds are a four-season fact of life on the mountain, and Saturday was seeing gusts of 40 mph across Berkshire County. As I made quick tracks for the Thunderbolt warming hut to thaw out my fingers and have lunch the drifting on the northern side of the shelter told the tale. After my lunch, I made a quick excursion to the Veterans War Memorial Tower just to the south to find the ground largely swept clean.

Mount Greylock

Drifting at the Thunderbolt warming hut.

Mount Greylock

The windswept ground around the Veterans War Memorial Tower.

Read More: Snowshoeing The Equinox With Faber’s Winter Guide Hybrid Snowshoe

The genesis and life course of the Thunderbolt

The whos and hows of skiing in the 1930s differed drastically from those of today. Norwegian immigrants skiing with unbound heels—to this day, freeheel cross-country and Telemark skiing is referred to as “Nordic,” as is ski jumping—had introduced the activity to the New World in the second half of the 19th century as a utilitarian activity in rural areas and as a rough-and-tumble club activity among the proletariat. During the first quarter of the 20th century skiing found an entrée into the world of sport as well as increased prestige with the formation of college and university ski teams. The 1930s saw the introduction of mechanical lifts (though never at Mount Greylock) as well as an influx of Central European skiers downhilling in fixed heel (“Alpine”) bindings. And vitally to the Thunderbolt story, the 1930s saw the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The collaboration among various ski clubs and government agencies resulted in a 1933 project to create a first-rate ski piste on Mount Greylock. Charlie Parker, the caretaker of Bascom Lodge, laid out a course along the eastern side of the mountain running from the summit to Thiel Farm. The 107th Company of the CCC constructed the Thunderbolt Ski Run over the course of three months in the autumn of 1934, and in February of 1935, the first Massachusetts State Downhill Championship race was contested there. The trail remained a highly regarded race venue through the pre-War years, hosting events that attracted top-flight national talent as well as spectators by the thousands.

But in the post-War years, the lack of lift service combined with erratic snow conditions conspired to rob the Thunderbolt of its prominence during a period that saw the explosion of downhill skiing as a social activity. With the passage of time, lack of caretaking left the Thunderbolt all but unskiable even by experts. Revitalization efforts began with the clearing of brush in the ‘90s, and in 2010 the premier Thunderbolt Ski Race was held to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the trail’s completion.

While the race is modern backcountry snowsport rather than historical recreation, the backcountry experience preserves an unmistakable flavor of Thunderbolt races in days gone by. Particularly notable is the lack of grooming and lift service. Racers find the snow surface as the weather and previous skiers have left it, and they are required to make their way to the starting line under their own power while either toting their skis/board or skinning up by attaching mohair “skins” to their skis in order to provide traction for uphill travel. The latter requirement means one to two hours of exertion before a harrowing two to three-minute descent. As masochistic as that may sound to modern-day skiers, once upon a time it was the only way to go!

Reading up to read the landscape

Mount Greylock is about as close as you will come to the wilderness in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I think it fair to say that a first-time hiker or snowshoer there would be surprised to learn that top-flight athletes and spectators by the thousands flocked there every winter for over a decade. It is certainly something I would never have suspected had I not made a point of reading up on the landscape history prior to my weekend trip there. When I was in elementary school I used to be described as someone who would rather spend time reading than outside playing. I’m happy to have grown up to be someone who spends a lot of his reading time in the service of his time spent outside playing.

Matthew Timothy Bradley

This article was updated on Sept 24, 2020, with a correction regarding the appropriate ascent trail for snowshoers on the Thunderbolt Trail.

Read Next:
Snowshoeing Beartown State Forest & Hancock Shaker Village, MA
Snowshoeing Greater Boston
Slide Into Backcountry Snowboarding This Season On Snowshoes

Sources

Articles

Allen, E. John B. “The modernization of the skisport: Ishpeming’s contribution to American skiing.” Michigan Historical Review 16, no. 1 (April 1990): 1–20. doi:10.2307/20173208.

Benson, Jack A. “Before skiing was fun.” The Western Historical Quarterly 8, no. 4 (October 1977): 431–41. doi:10.2307/967340.

Dresbeck, LeRoy J. “The ski: its history and historiography.” Technology and Culture 8, no. 4 (October 1967): 467–79. doi:10.2307/3102114.

Pfister, G. “Sport, technology and society: from snow shoes to racing skis.” Culture, Sport, Society 4, no. 1 (2001): 73–98. doi:10.1080/713999811.

Book

Conniff, Cal, and E. John B. Allen. Skiing in Massachusetts. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub., 2006.

Film

Purple mountain majesty: a history of the Thunderbolt ski run. vhs. Written, produced, and edited by Blair Mahar. Hurricane Productions, 1999.

Maps

Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Inc., and Patrick Dunlavey. Mount Greylock [map]. 1:30,000. Pittsfield, Mass., 2001.

Williams Outing Club, and Patrick Dunlavey. North Berkshire trails[:] hiking trails of the Williamstown region including the northern Taconic Range, southern Green Mountains, and Mt Greylock massif [map]. 1:50,000. Williamstown, Mass.: Williams College, 2011.

Museum

Thunderbolt Ski Museum. Adams, Mass.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  • My man, with all respect, it is a total dirtbag move to climb %hunderbolt. Climb on Bellows Pipe and descend Thunderbolt only if you have skis on your feet.

    • Hi Bobby, I’m so sorry for the error. Thank you for pointing it out to us. I’ve modified the article to include instructions detailing the route snowshoers should use in this area. We definitely don’t want to cause any issues or dangers for the downhill skiers. The run has such a unique history, and we want to spread the word with the correct info. Hopefully, there’s a great winter this year for all of us! – Susan, Snowshoe Mag Editor

Verified by MonsterInsights