View Full Version : Bascom Lodge
Former Admin
10-19-2002, 13:09
Comments, experiences, opinions, related to Bascom Lodge.
Grayhair
01-19-2012, 17:10
Stayed at the Bascom Lodge July 2011. Nice, but very expensive. Restaurant focus is on high end menuselections. Stick to the basics: meat, potatoes,veggies, and beer. Good breakfast!
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We enjoyed our stay there in 2010--clean, staff were nice, pretty views. Breakfast was indeed good for us too!
Stayed there in 2011. Ditto what Grayhair said, food was way to fancy for me and too expensive. Also nice clean showers and bunk room.
Spent the night in October (2011) $7 a beer! Didnt find out until I got the bill, many beers later. Would stay there again but limit myself to just one beer.
Place has changed over the years. Sperry Road Campground is right down the AT and then down the Hopper. Ranger Bob is top dollar. Those were the days when Cory used to hook up the AYCE breakfasts at Bascom. They have changed hands several times over the years. Was even closed one year because of septic issues.
coheterojo
01-20-2012, 08:37
I stayed there in 2010. I had an expensive bunk but it was better than a sharp stick in the eye. In 2011, two of the people I was hiking with at the time did work for stay there. They got supper, bunks and breakfast all for a little weeding work out front of the Lodge. I wish that option had been available in 2010!
canoehead
01-20-2012, 10:32
A few years ago my buddy and I watched the areas surrounding fireworks on the 4th of July from that summit. Good times, come and see it for your self.
You all have to remember that Bascom Lodge is not a hiker hostel. It's a hotel at a beautiful location easily gotten to by road. If you are a long distance hiker and stay, suck it up and pay the price or move on.
I believe that it was run by the AMC several years ago but they gave it up because to continue running it they would have had to make some expensive emprovements.
brian039
01-20-2012, 18:32
Took a rest break there for a few minutes on a southbound slackpack from N. Adams to Tom's house in Dalton. I think I ate a Snickers and looked at their menu. We had already gotten word from people headed north that there was ice cream and good hot dogs at some gas station at the bottom of Greylock. Being hiker trash, we all decided not to eat at Bascom and proceeded on our journey and ate ice cream and hot dogs on the side walk in front of the aforementioned gas station. I miss thru-hiking.
I have been there 2x, once on a section hike and once with my son before he went off to college. Camped outside the 2nd time in a rain/wind-storm. Can't believe the tent did not collapse.
Yes, a bit pricey but my section hikes are really my personal vacations, I save up for luxuries like this, was great to grab a shower, bunk, hot meals for dinner and breakfast..........cool spot.
A couple other points. Bascom Lodge must be expensive to run, more so then the hiker market provides. This year I stopped by twice. The woman cooking breakfast threw down a nice feed. Not sure if the garage down below by the tower was being opened for sleeping. The water behind the lodge was open as was the hose down by the garage. There are two shelters with a few clicks on the trail on both sides.
My many experiences here have been nothing but positive. I think those with negitive either ran into the wrong staff or wrong big bucks paying customers.
Stayed there a couple weeks back (early July 2012). Hiker bunk room was about $38 total. There can be up to 10-12 hikers in the room. It filled up that night. You get clean sheets, a blanket, pillow, fresh towel, and a soap bar. The bunk is a real mattress. The showers are fine. If you want to eat, you have to make reservations for 1 of 3 possible dinners at the restaurant. The cost is over $30 for a meal. I ate out of my pack on the picnic table. Water is behind the building from a spigot. It is a bit pricey but a nice break if you can swing the cost. I was just going to buy the $5 shower, but they had a bunk available of the weekend of July 7, when I walked in the door at 4:30 PM, so I went for it. Note that they have a small snack bar but it closes about 4:00 - 4:30 PM.
Lady Grey
08-24-2012, 07:09
I also stayed there recently and found the place great... $35 for a real bunk (with sheets, pillow, etc.), great shower, tables on an enclosed porch where you can eat your own food, and a snack bar that closes at 4:30. They also threw in some breakfast in the morning. One of the thru-hikers who stayed there that night treated himself to the fixed price dinner ($28) and we heard it was an amazing meal. Nice ambiance and folks were friendly toward hikers. Also happened to hit it on a night when they had an African music group playing, which was rather surreal after being on the trail!
FYI, Bascom is closed for the season (this past Sunday). Summit Rd remains open, till road conditions warrant closure. Re opening likely mid to late May 2013.
Cosmo
swjohnsey
10-23-2012, 22:49
All the furniture except for the bunk beds is Stickley.
Great spot, heading NOBO, enjoy all the $7 beers you can afford, Vermont and MUCH tougher hiker is just a hill or two away!
Have been there 2x, 1st time on a section hike, got one of the last bunks, was happy to grab a shower, food, views...........2nd time with my son, tented outside in an strong wind & rain storm, breakfast was great.
stillatit
06-19-2013, 08:00
I grabbed the $5 shower 3 days ago. The wifi PW is posted on a sign at the desk where you pay, handy if you want to get online for free. You can just sit out front on a bench and look at the electronic world and walk over to the clearing & rocks and look at the beauty of E Mass.
:cool:
You all have to remember that Bascom Lodge is not a hiker hostel. It's a hotel at a beautiful location easily gotten to by road. If you are a long distance hiker and stay, suck it up and pay the price or move on.
I believe that it was run by the AMC several years ago but they gave it up because to continue running it they would have had to make some expensive emprovements.
Been there twice too. YES, pricey but good to excellent food, especially when you're used to many trail foods on a long distance hike.