The facility, grounds, and surrounding area.
Nine Mountain offers a ideal setting for retreats and workshops. Its a place that is removed from the everyday challenges of life and is conducive to meditation, exercise, healing, and learning. This gracious house was built as a healthy space with natural materials and every attempt to minimize toxins. Each room has ample views of the great outdoors to enhance the natural atmosphere. Nine Mountain is permitted to have 26 guests sleeping overnight. There are 6 bedrooms available for our guests' use, of which 5 may be officially used at any time. The rooms allocated to each group will be determined by the groups size and privacy needs. Three bedrooms are dorm style and contain beautiful bunk & single beds and the other 3 private bedrooms contain queen/double beds and are tastefully decorated and very comfortable.
The House
The house is a large 3-story structure built using post and beam construction. The first floor contains the kitchen, dining area, and the Great Room with ample room for relaxing, dance, lectures, or yoga.
Also on the first floor is a private room used for meditation, instruction, and music. This room is also available for lodging for people in wheelchairs. Our ramp, while not to ADA standards, provides access to the first floor.
The second floor consists of 4-bedrooms, a sitting area, and large central bath. The third floor has 2-bedrooms, another large bath, and the home office for the business. The rough-cut beams, natural wood floors and trim, and white walls create a beautiful, rustic, and serene space. Each room is tastefully decorated, with original art decorating the walls, and plants are found everywhere. Outside one finds a 6 person hot tub/spa, walking trails, and fire pits for singing, story-telling, and ceremony. (There is also a fire circle deep in the woods for drumming.) The house is situated on 42 acres of woodlands surrounded by stone walls and an apple orchard, and is abutted by State forest and Audubon conservation land.
Surrounding Area
Walking, biking, and running on the miles of dirt roads and in nearby parks and state forests is a great pastime. The area is scenic at all times of year. The fall foliage is outstanding (book early!) and winter brings a lot of snow. Numerous cross-country skiing areas --Stumpsprouts and Notchview Reservation the best known-- are just a few minutes away. Berkshire East is 20 minutes away for great downhill skiing and snow boarding. It's only 40 miles from Plainfield to Mount Snow. Adventurous souls can try snow shoeing and cross-country skiing from our deck into miles of woods where we've tracked moose, turkey, deer, fox, black bear, owls, coyote, and bobcat.
In spring and summer Windsor Jambs Park, Savoy State Park, and Hawley State Forest are all just a few minutes away. Zoar Outdoors guides rafting trips on the Deerfield River, which also offers some of the best fly fishing anywhere. Nearby Plainfield Pond is a serene mountain lake with a sandy public beach for swimming.
Summer time in the Berkshires also brings many art and cultural events, all about a half-hour away. Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony, is a 30-minute drive and nearby Jacob's Pillow presents world-class dance performances. MassMOCA, the museum of contemporary art, in North Adams has amazing exhibits and an ever-changing event schedule. Smith College and Williams College have excellent small art museums, lectures and other attractions. The dance and music at Earthdance, a Frisbee's throw away, is also a great reason to stay with us at Nine Mountain.
One guest said, "Your place is really centrally-located for being in the middle of nowhere."