Thursday, August 13, 2026, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
Legendary New England ski industry pioneer Channing Murdock has passed away. He was 91.
A native of New York, Murdock attended Middlebury College, where he met his wife Jane. After serving in the military, Murdock was hired by Walt Schoenknecht to manage Mohawk Mountain.
The Murdocks subsequently purchased the defunct G-Bar-S Ranch ski area in Great Barrington, expanding and reopening it as Butternut Basin in 1963. The area was a success, resulting in Murdock and his brother acquiring the defunct Satan's Ridge ski area in 1969 and reopening it as Ski Sundown. Murdock later briefly operated Paucatuck Ski Area in Massachusetts.
Ski Butternut continued to enjoy strong growth with Murdock's hands-on management, installing one of the earliest quad chairlifts in southern New England in 1993.
Tragedy soon followed. Murdock suffered a devastating bicycle accident in Maine during the 1994 off-season, resulting in permanent disability. The following year, Butternut Basin was crushed by a tornado.
Murdock's family oversaw Butternut Basin's recovery, keeping the area modern and popular in subsequent decades without Channing at the helm. Jane Murdock passed away in November 2023 at the age of 88.
A memorial will be held at noon on Sunday, October 18 at Ski Butternut.
