Snow Business: Mount Southington Ready To Light Up The Holidays

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Now these were arguably the best lights so far this season — showing Connecticut that Mount Southington is indeed more than ready for the holidays.

It began Thursday, with the oldest home from college and the high school freshmen with one more day before the Christmas vacation started.

The prevailing question was, "Are we skiing Friday?"

It prompted a quick call to Mount Southington President and General Manager Jay Dougherty.

"We're in really good shape," he said.

That was enough for us and off we went. The trip did not disappoint.

First of all, the stars seemed aligned because it began to snow shortly after lunch. That gave what was already on the trails a soft cover. And it wasn't a bad base — 18 to 24 inches, thanks to what Dougherty described as a strategic snowmaking plan that took advantage of the cold temperatures and survived the rainy days since late November.

With 11 trails open — and plenty of boxes and rails in a terrain park — the variety was there for skiers and snowboarders alike.

With six-plus decades in business, Mount Southington has always been a go-to for Connecticut residents wanting to make a quick trip to ski and ride, but it really began to distinguish itself over the past five seasons. It seemed to stay ahead of the curve during the pandemic with its on-the-slopes offerings and now, after a steady stream of infrastructure improvements, it truly stands out in the small mountain market.

There's even a new and improved Waffle Haus at the base.

"I think we're ready for a good season," Dougherty said. "We're in good shape and things will improve every day."

Click here for pricing, trail conditions and hours.

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Chris Dehnel's Snow Business column runs periodically throughout the snow sports season. He has been writing about skiing and snowboarding since 1999 and is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association.