Berkshire East, Mass., invested in a robust and
diverse trail network right from the start (below); a hardworking trail crew diligently maintains that investment all season long (right).
Credit: Katie Lozancich
die decision is whether a resort is willing to invest enough time and capital to build a diverse network of trails out of the gate. “If a ski area wants to stick their big toe in the water to see if it’s warm enough, they’re going to fail,” says Kelly. “They have to believe in the product and jump all-in with that capital and be committed to it.” Capital plan failures, he says, are one of the major reasons MTB parks collapse. After factoring in increased lift depre- ciation from operating year-round, oper- ating costs, and potential costs associated and potential costs associated
with risk and liability, says Kelly, there’s no point in starting small. Even smaller resorts likely have to invest upwards of a million dollars to succeed, he says. RISK AND REWARD Investing that kind of capital is a con- siderable risk for smaller resorts, but the reward has been worth it at Massachu- setts’ Berkshire East, which rebrands as Thunder Mountain Bike Park in summer. “There wasn’t really a downhill mountain biking scene in our area,” says Berkshire East owner Jon Schaefer. Over
the years, he watched many ski areas start small and fail. “We went all-in and built [the park] really big and fast,” he says. “Our goal was to build brand awareness that would carry for a decade or more, and make it difficult for other mountains to catch up to us.” So far, the decision to invest just over a million dollars in the bike park, which has now operated for more than a decade, has paid off—and not just in revenue. “Mountain biking truly convert- ed us to a year-round operation, and that allowed us to retain key staff,” says
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