KCSKI

Get your story straight. I never said they had an issue with checks bouncing other than the fact that there was an issue with bank transfers and a monumental screw up on said banks side, not the mountain's. I never had a bad check in all my years there. Love the comments here about the Doom and Gloom Forecast once again for this place. Although I am not a part of it anymore I do keep up on what is going on up there. You all do know between Disco and the Peach Festival pretty much covers the operating expenses of the mountain for the entire year?. All through the years I was there some jackass always stated it is closing, will close, last year, rain, no snow...slow lifts...bad management....and...it's in better financial shape than it ever was currently. Live Nation signed a 5 year contract with them for continuation of the Peach Festival, and Disco is re-signing after this show. It still needs help as the infrastructure needs upgrading in areas, but that is coming... but..it's not going anywhere anytime soon. With that said...I was at Blue a few weeks ago to shoot for the AMA Hare Scramble that was held there...first time there...nice place, Montage can take some lessons from them. Also was at Tussey Mountain..small resort but all kinds of good things down there for Summer activities and a well kept place.

I stand corrected...I'm on a chat page with the lift department and it does seem that they are aiming to re-open Friday...in this case I'm glad I was wrong but then again I should know better than to believe anything the paper prints about the mountain from past experiences. Here's hoping they pull it off.

Was in the area this morning early... the mountain got torn up pretty good.. a confirmed tornado hit, if not them, pretty dammned close. Seems as though they ended the season as of last night as the damage is too severe to repair quickly as there are power lines down all over the region and damage to infrastructure.

Ummm..haven't worked there last season and will not be returning this season as well....someone else would have to handle your request. As far as the LN fee's and venues during the warm months, hey..if they can get it, why not? If it helps to keep the place functioning more power to them. I do know they just inked a 5 year deal with LN to keep things hopping in the future.

http://www.pahomepage.com/news/alpine-mtn-ski-resort-not-re-opening-new-plans-in-store

You're on your own there..chances are it was me who blocked you if you were rambling on about the lifts with no apparent evidence to back up your claim. Like most who liked to bash the mountain, can I assume that you weren't even there to witness LH running or not? LH runs, and did run 90% of the times last season, and the season before that...and also 3 seasons ago. I know as I had to staff it, especially on weekends. They don't run it much during the week, never did as the crowds didn't warrant it, but again...weekends it was running for the most part, as it will be operating again this season I'm sure.

Doubt it....have to admit I was personally dissapointed last year in things, considering I was away for the previous year, the first one under new ownership, I expected things to run much better, allbeit taking growing/learning pains into consideration. I won't bash them at all, they have been good to me over the years and I really enjoyed the time I spent there, but I will say that they need, the new owners, not the staff, to come to the realization that there is more to the mountain then the lodge/bar/base area. Once they overcome that, and in time I think they will, Montage will be a serious contender in resorts in the Northeast. Last year I was hired again as the mountain photographer, and only managed to get in 40 or so pics the entire season as I was relegated most of the time handling the forever short staffed Lift Department. Again, not bashing, I just really don't have the time for that..ok to help out by all means, but not spend the entire weekend doing it. Who knows though, for some reason I have a passion for that rock and I woudn't mind just doing a Saturday shift if for anything the excersise.

Possible but I don't think so....meh, regardless hope the season works out well for everyone this year.

As of 1am last night....guns were on at Montage...wonder if they are still shooting for that first weekend in December opening?

Someone had asked about this on the Jan/2 trail report topic, about Montage honoring Full Season Passes from other participating mountains for a half price ticket for the day....yes, we are doing that THRU THE ENTIRE SEASON, excluding holidays...on Mondays. Check out the website/facebook for the mountain for the details.

Noted. Definitly the cheerleader for Blue and for that I respect him and anyone else that supports their home mountain as even I would and do support ALL the mountains that have the audacity to try to salvage a season in what has become a crap shoot of a business, but never EVER put down any other operating resort. Unprofessional. Alpine Zone.....just joined.

Since you don't know the layout that well...the bottom of the mountain where Phoebe picks up is a lot lower than the LH lift, so people continue downhill all the way and bypass LH anyway for the most part. It's 5 minutes to the top/parking lot, turn Left, ski down, across the crossovers, down hill to IH....5 minutes to the top. I can't change the fact that the mountain is 30 years old or the way the mountain was formed by nature. LH is used when we are at 100% coverage, (could be this weekend if the snow/cold stays with us this week) when it is needed, and trust me I've seen it completely loaded many times. Like Schif said, it's used by those who wish to use it. Also, if you are riding White Lighting, Smoke...the only way out is Phoebe..unless you want to hike UPhill to LH.

I rest my case. 7 years is a long time ago to base your assumptions on today. Keep in mind as well no other resort has a lift as long as Montage, with LH just under a mile. That's a big ride and was there 6 years before the North Face lift. It was the only way out from the bottom back then if you went Top to bottom. With the new crossovers Phoebe/Iron Horse is super quick now and not an issue at all.

Try Montage and stop referring to it like you are 6 years old throwing a hissy fit because there is a lot of support for the mountain. It's earned it. Try skiing there once instead of armchair lift riding the place from behind your keyboard...in fact you can spend the day on the mountain with me if you wish to see the operation. The park had 25 features on it Saturday AFTER the crappy weather last week, reduced to 19 after the downpour on Saturday night, which will begin a rebuild tonight once again.

Over the weekend , Saturday they had an impromtu rail jam in the park that was kind of unannounced but quickly drew a good sized crowd with a lot of prizes given out. If it wasn't snowing as hard I would have had the camera out but with no heaters and I forgot my camera cover they stayed in the bag. Nice that the mountain, other than asking "what's up?" to the organizers didn't bust it up. Yes....I'm back...... as Photographer and "Mr. Know it All" while walking the slopes, ( Sold the skatepark Pro shop to someone closer to the venue)...not the social media guy that I was the past few seasons, but I will try to answer toast's question above and for everyone.

Just going by what the web site said....don't shoot the messenger.

They pulled it off...3 lifts and 7 trails running...snowmaking I would assume can happen tonight.

Considering Montage with the exception of the '08/09 season always seems to open around the middle of December I see this as normal for them and nothing to be embarrassed over.

Optimistic considering the weather conditions and the warm up early next week, but they have stated on their FB that the 18th they are going to open. If they pull it off!

Lol...you know how many times I get that?

Well..guns are going and will be on every opportunity. I was at the mountain for the 30th Anniversary Party the other night, very little on the ground and after the rain over the weekend I'm sure they lost even that, however I was on the mountain yesterday morning and snapped a pic of the guns in the base area by the Lazy river section....they turned the guns on around midnight after the temps dropped and kept them on until around 10 or so...they put A LOT down in just a few short hours and I'm sure last night as well. https://www.facebook.com/MontageMtn/photos/pcb.10152866131446138/10152866131011138/?type=1&theater My pic on their page. So..as always, there will be a Montage Mountain & another Ski season in their books I'm sure.

Nope...just walk up and down the slopes for about 12 miles a day lugging camera gear.

Lol...doubt it..haven't actually had a pair of skis on since '89.

Thank you. I've been following this topic as well, first with amusement as I was thinking "Here we go again" another bashfest from someone who likes to drop bombs but has no reliable sources to back up the claims being made, just the usual "someone said that someone said crap, and now feel compelled to write as I also am and always will be a supporter of the mountain as Santa is. First of all my first trip to the mountain since the take over, at least in the cold months was just a few weeks ago when I had to meet up with the Terrain Park Supervisor who in real life is a licenesed Plumber/HVAC guy and I knew I would catch him there as they were doing the jobfest. It was the first time I saw the completed base area and new lodge makeover, and..I was impressed. If any area needed a complete overhaul it was that area as that is the first place people set eyes on when they arrive. You have to admit, that had to be done and done quickly. Snowmaking? Santa nailed it and with precision. That equipment up there is what, 7 years old?? Granted a pipe may blow out or a gun get stupid but as far as infrastructure, everything that was on the surface has been re-worked to handle the pressure I'm sure. I remember the year without Snow, maybe 3 seasons ago or so, we had no snow at all from 1st Aid down to the Iron Horse lift for openeng day so everyone had to hike down. A lot of pissed off comments that I had to deal with but that night it got cold enough to blow, and the next morning the entire trail had at least a 3 foot base at first chair..so..umm, yeah, snowmaking up there is tops, it's the weather that sucks. I won't get into all that, again, with anyone as Santa covered the whole thing. Lifts. yeah, I'm partial to them as I worked in that department even when I was doing the photography/social media/this stuff...and of course they take a beating on the comments, but to say they are jury rigged or unsafe is a blatant lie. How do I know, even not being on the mountain for the past year? I personally know the team that does the inspections not only at Montage, but across the country as their son competes on one of my teams and they reside in Selinsgrove. Enough said. Yeah, they are old..maybe they need to be replaced, but even the much unloved Long Haul is ready to go..in fact all of them are ready, once again. So, the "Ghost of Sno Mountain" might still linger and will for a while yet, but using the past few weeks as a gauge to say if they failed or not is absurd to even discuss.