Tony Dobrowolski is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle the Schaefer family has spent more than $15 million to upgrade the Catamount Mountain Resort since purchasing the ski area three years ago. The resort is adding two new chairlifts, has put in the resort's first snow tubing park, is upgrading the snow-making system, and has new food options available in a newly renovated lodge. The new chairlifts are expected to be in operation when Catamount opens for the upcoming season. "Mother Nature has the final say on that," said Dave Kulis, Catamount's new assistant general manager. "But, we're looking at early December. We're probably, give or take, a month away right now." Catamount is one of the region's oldest ski areas, having been founded in 1939. It straddles the New York-Massachusetts line with an official street address in Hillsdale. Kulis said the technology of snow-making has greatly improved. "It's much more energy efficient. ... A lot of the new snow guns we've purchased are using enhanced technology ... so we can use more water and less air. We have the ability to make more snow with less energy," he said. The new snow tubing park is located near the base of the mountain and has a separate entrance from the main ski area.  Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.