At Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield, sales of season passes are up 20 to 25 percent over this time last year, according to marketing director Sherry Roberts.
"We're very excited," Roberts said. "We opened 10 days earlier than most years. We realize we're weather-dependent, but you've got to work with Mother Nature in the snow-making department."
Roberts said skiers and snowboarders are being smart shoppers as they rev up for winter in the sluggish economy. Bousquet opened Nov. 21.
"They're definitely watching their money," Roberts said. "If they're going to go eight or more times this season, they're buying a season pass."
With no natural snow on the ground, Berkshires ski areas — Bousquet, Jiminy Peak, Catamount, Ski Butternut and Otis Ridge — must rely on the machine-made version. But the real stuff always determines the fate of each ski season.
Except for Otis Ridge, each of those areas is open this weekend.
"If we have good weather, we think we'll do fine," said Betsy Strickler, marketing director at Hancock's Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, which opened two weeks ago.
Strickler said season-pass sales are up 1 percent over this time last year. She said Jiminy Peak had 255,000 skier visits last year, the most ever at the resort, which opened in 1948.
Strickler said Jiminy Peak "tends
"It appears the local community is sticking with us," Strickler said.
Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association, a trade group, said he expects a banner season for skiing in the Northeast.
"They could have as good a year as they've ever had if there's good natural snow," Berry said. "With gas as cheap as it's been in four years, there aren't a lot of barriers to keep people from going."
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