Grand Opening 12/4

[guitar73]

I love the snow capped peaks in the background!

 

those are the rest of the 'pokes, don't ya know!

[Schif]

The trail map is now on the website. http://www.montagemountainresorts.com/Images/Inline/Originals/79_148.jpg

Has anyone had a chance to check out the new lighting?

The lighting looks great from the base area, and it's super bright from the highway, but I haven't gotten a chance to ride under it yet.

[rgrwilco]

Is that a new trail on the far left? or did they add that gladed sort of area to the map?

[toast21602]

Is that a new trail on the far left? or did they add that gladed sort of area to the map?

 

I think that was there. both times I've been up there it was never open so I'm not sure what the status of it really is. I've only been there while the place was Sno, though, so things were always a little odd.

[snoskier]

I was up last night and the lights are actually really good. They will need some tweaking to get properly positioned, but I was really impressed with how bright they lit up the trails. They look like some kind of LED light. I can't image how much they spent but it has to be a LOT.

 

The "glade" has been there. It isn't really cleaned out in there so it is very borderline to ski in there.

[trackbiker]

I was up last night and the lights are actually really good. They will need some tweaking to get properly positioned, but I was really impressed with how bright they lit up the trails. They look like some kind of LED light. I can't image how much they spent but it has to be a LOT.

 

 

News report on the new lights. http://wnep.com/2013/11/21/bright-white-lights-saving-money/#

[Schif]

Lights were great tonight, very bright, and really made the place shine. Much better than the old ones.

 

They are also blowing snow absolutely everywhere. The firepower is pretty impressive right now, we should have some new terrain open by the weekend. White Lightning was crazy deep with whales, and was being blasted the whole time I was there.

[rgrwilco]

 

I think that was there. both times I've been up there it was never open so I'm not sure what the status of it really is. I've only been there while the place was Sno, though, so things were always a little odd.

Just compared to the old maps. Montage did not have it on their maps, then when it was Sno they were marked as glades as they are now. pretty cool to have more on map glades in PA. I was able to ride it a year or so ago, I don't remember when but it was pretty fun and really wide spaced.

[Schif]

The theme of the morning here at Montage is "float, slash, lift, repeat" lots of deep ungroomed natural snow for the taking.

[guitar73]

you said "ungroomed natural snow"....in PA? woah...that's a miracle. enjoy!

[Schif]

It was pretty great out there this morning. The majority of the mountain was pushed out and groomed nonsense, but there were some fantastic pockets of actual snow if you knew where to go. The right hand side of both Smoke and Boomer off of the main part of the trail were probably just under a foot of fresh stuff this morning. As the day went on this area got bumped up with soft fluffy piles of snow, with no crud at all to be found. In some spots, namely on the actual trail, the good stuff was scraped down to ice between the bumps, but to the side next to the trees and where some tall grass was still poking through about an inch, it was all nice floatable stuff. There were a decent amount of people there this morning, about 1/4 full parking lot, and it seemed like everyone knew what they were doing considering the fact that all the good stuff was tracked out by 11.

 

From being up there last night, it seemed that the way the wind was blowing on the Northface, it was pushing all of the falling snow across the trail and piling it up against the woods, that is what led to the good snow. I only ventured up top once today, and it was windy, the snowguns were on all over the place, and thanks to low clouds, very foggy. There wasn't nearly as much natural snow piled up on the sides up there, probably thanks to heavy winds.

[Ride Delaware ?]

Elk?