Ski Column

There are many of us who find that we cannot take as much time off for skiing as we might like to and so aren't able to get where the really good skiing is. However, there are many golf courses and short trails within an hour's drive of Cambridge that offer a good chance for an afternoon's sport and are open to the public.

Big Jump at Brae Burn

Probably the best known of the local ski rendevous is the Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton. This is but a fifteen or twenty minute drive from Harvard Square and offers two large open slopes, one with a fairly steep descent. There is a jump which gives leaps of sixty and seventy feet under normal conditions for those who prefer this type of skiing. There is also a toboggan chute.

Then there are, as there are on every golf course, long rolly fairways which give the cross-country addict plenty of opportunity for developing his legs and wind on average terrain.

Bost Slopes on Commonwealth

While the Commonwealth Golf Course has not done much to encourage Winter Sports, it has the best natural hills for those who prefer the open slope type of skiing. Located in Newton, within ten minutes drive or a half an hour on the trolley, this location is also the nearest to Cambridge and the most accessible. One steep slope of a quarter mile in width has enough trees to delight the skier who likes to run a slalom course at high speed. The only drawback to the Commonwealth slope is that it is apt to have a crowd of tobogganists flying down the hill out of control and obviously out of their minds. It is the Mecca for the orange and green panted young ladies of the suburban districts out of high school for the afternoon. For this reason it is a good place to keep away from on Saturdays and Sundays.

The best trail skiing to be found close to Boston is at the trail built by the Massachusetts District Commission on the Blue Hills Reservation. The trail is necessarily short but is much more of a test for the skier than one would expect. The half mile run drops steeply and sharp turns make the trail compare favorably with those in New Hampshire. The trail is apt to be crowded and often becomes too icy for good running. With new snow the trail is inviting to the skier who lacks time to trek north and who appreciates skiing within 20 minutes drive from Cambridge. The trail comes out near the M.D.C. house on the Canton road leading from Mattapan.