Canterbury Farm
1986 Fred Snow Road off Route 8
Becket, MA 01223, USA
413-623-0100.

Canterbury Farm has been providing a wonderful XC experience for 14 years and features over 18 km of tracked trails. Last year, according to owner David Bacon, they were open for 16 weekends, a remarkably long time in the XC season; "while some areas were making snow by machine, our stuff from the sky was still here!" Part of the reason for this long season is the altitude, among the highest of all the area XC area, averaging 1,700 feet. Another reason is that this facility, from the start, has been designed and managed as a strictly XC operation which, says Mr. Bacon, leads to a different type of focus. No golf course or downhill, Canterbury is mostly wooded terrain and hilly (even includes some lake and pond sites), but is quite suitable for both beginners and intermediates. Yet another secret of their season is in the grooming. Mr. Bacon reports a certain fanaticism about grooming, which also tends to keep the trails in better shape and they last longer.

Some of Canterbury's other important offerings are its ski races; there are at least four per year, including the Turkey Trot and the Pittsfield Winter Carnival race. There are also a number of high school events. They are open seven days a week 9-5 and offer equipment rental and lodging. Since 1930, the surrounding area has been under forest management, so it is largely pristine and unspoiled, with great stands of spruce and hardwood, branches sagging from the weight of the snow, all making for a vivid XC skiing experience.