With Old Man Winter hemorrhaging the life blood of this ski season into soppy puddles around the Berkshires, there would seem to be reason for despair.
Worry not, though, yee fellow worshipers of the shred, for there is plenty of fun to be had in the late-season period of winter.
The Powder Report is coming to you a few days late this week, thanks in large part to how good the local high school basketball teams were this season, but before I could make it out to Curry Hicks Cage for the five Western Massachusetts title games The Eagle covered on Saturday, I had to stop by Ski Butternut for the Gettin' Sendy park jam.
If you caught us last time in the gnar-lossary, you know Gettin' Sendy was a collaboration between The Garden and Shire Breu-Haus. They created an IPA with a release party two weeks ago, and then the jam at Butternut.
Saturday saw around 30 skiers and riders mixing it up in Great Barrington on the Cruiser trail, which was molded into a mini-park by Butternut's master builder Josh Morse.
"He had about two days to work on it, and he just went to work," said The Garden's Bill Whitaker. "Butternut is always a good time, and we love doing stuff with them. They've made their name with park riders and people travel there for that."
Whitaker was on the hill supervising and handing out swag prizes alongside Justin Maruco, who had the play-by-play on a megaphone. Maruco broadcasted the happenings down the Butternut's sun deck, where more than 100 spectators enjoyed some Gettin' Sendy — and kicked the keg long before the jam reached it's peak — while watching the skiers and riders get sendy of a multitude of features.
This column can be read in its entirety on The Berkshire Eagle website, or reach out to me directly for a complete copy.