tnt Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 Had a pretty good day - 2-1/2 hr drive up, no stops. Conditions were better than expected. The trails that they blew snow on friday night were down right nice. The rest were slick, but not terrible. Everything had been groomed flat, so no Tunk bumps. And no crowds. Longest line was maybe 5 minutes twice at the doubles. Easy to grab a seat at lunch, trails not crowded at all, so that was nice. I really like that mountain. Feel like there are a lot of good trails to choose from. But I have to say, for the drive from central jersey, on a non-holiday weekend when crowds aren't the issue, catskills give you a taller mountain and high speed lifts for only another 15-20 minutes in the car and blue gives you the same vert - though not as much variety - with HS lifts, in 45 minutes less drive time. Started snowing the minute we left the lot of course. Slow ride home with several bad accidents, including one that held us up on 78 for about 45 minutes. 4 hr ride. 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 Nice report!!! I didn't know that blue is only 45 minutes less drive than Elk. The slow lifts have kept me away from Elk. Quote
tnt Posted January 16, 2017 Author Report Posted January 16, 2017 Nice report!!! I didn't know that blue is only 45 minutes less drive than Elk. The slow lifts have kept me away from Elk. Maybe it's a little more? I don't know...I think we made exceptional time in the morning, and 2-1/2 is probably pretty rare - no stops for coffee or pee....80 the whole way....probably can't count on that. Blue usually takes me 1:45 i think. The lifts are in fact slow....no getting around that. But with no lines, we got plenty of skiing in. You've got the season pass and VIP line at the 6 pack, so that is a game changer. For day pass holders, I'd bet we got a lot more skiing in then we would have at blue. Waiting in the in line for 15 minutes, for a HS ride to the top, vs ski on to a 10 minute fixed grip lift ride. The only other time I skied there was after a nice snow fall, with Tunk bumped up and a few of the trails left natural....that was a real treat. And Tunk with bumps is a pretty ligit trail. Steep, natural bumps...and there are a lot of trails there....but hard to say it would be worth the drive for someone with a season pass and close proximity to blue. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 If you don't get to Blue by 745am on a busy day forget about getting a lot of vert. Yesterday and Sunday was 7 runs first hour and 6 second hour..if I would have stayed out a third hour would have been down to 4 runs tops and the VIP line can get long as well. Quote
RidgeRacer Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 (edited) minutes in the car and blue gives you the same vert - though not as much variety - with HS lifts, in 45 minutes less drive time. . Respectfully disagree with the the variety thing. Blue has everything that Elk has and then some. Blue even has marked glades whereas elk threatens to take your pass if you're caught in the woods (gasp). Elk definitely has less in the way of crowds and usually better snow. For trails though Elks cool but I gotta give it to Blue there. Edited January 16, 2017 by RidgeRacer Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 No runs like switchback and nightmare to Dreamweaver at elk. Quote
Kyle Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 Respectfully disagree with the the variety thing. Blue has everything that Elk has and then some. Blue even has marked glades whereas elk threatens to take your pass if you're caught in the woods (gasp). Elk definitely has less in the way of crowds and usually better snow. For trails though Elks cool but I gotta give it to Blue there. It's like skiing in Vermont! Quote
RidgeRacer Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 No runs like switchback and nightmare to Dreamweaver at elk. They have Kickapoo which is fun but Blue has a few of these. Mohawk and Iroquois are nice steep runs, but nothing crazier than the challenge and razors headwalls. edit...sorry TNT. didn't mean to threadjack with Blue stuff. haha 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 It's like skiing in Vermont! Heard that on a commercial lol they are out of their minds. Aren't you allowed to ski in the woods in Vermont and don't Vermont areas have faux tyrolean base villages??? 1 Quote
RidgeRacer Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 Heard that on a commercial lol they are out of their minds. Aren't you allowed to ski in the woods in Vermont and don't Vermont areas have faux tyrolean base villages??? I'm not opposed to a faux village. Once it's built doesn't it then become real? A faux village to me are the ceramic houses that I put under the tree at Christmas with the tiny little people and cars. The one's that my kids like to break. Quote
tnt Posted January 16, 2017 Author Report Posted January 16, 2017 They have Kickapoo which is fun but Blue has a few of these. Mohawk and Iroquois are nice steep runs, but nothing crazier than the challenge and razors headwalls. edit...sorry TNT. didn't mean to threadjack with Blue stuff. haha Yeah, I don't know...I think it's close. But since I've only skied their twice, and have skied blue a ton, might just be that Elk feels new. I think Tunk is a better steep trail than Challenger just because they let it bump up naturally rather than seeding it. Also, seems to hold the snow better. Challenger always seems flat, scratchy and boring to me. Razors...well, it's always closed by the time I get there. Think I've skied that trail 6 times in my life... Elk has a few steep pitches off the double chairs and a few more off the quad, so a little more variety - but in truth, they are all essentially the same. They also have Senaca under the double lift, which they left natural the first day I was there, and that was a great trail because of it....Blue has switchback which is a great trail with snow, and NM/DW, which is a long fun one...But main street, Window maker, those two little chutes....meh. But yeah....maybe in terms of top to bottom runs, Blue is superior. Elk is like a few different short top sections that all funnel down to the same spot. Throw in a side winder, paradise....you have longer uninterrupted trails till you get to the run out at the bottom.... But Blue doesn't have that awesome tractor ride from the parking lot to the lodge. All they have is tubing... 2 Quote
tnt Posted January 16, 2017 Author Report Posted January 16, 2017 And of course, Elk doesn't have Heady Topper in the parking lot... 1 Quote
jeff Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 And of course, Elk doesn't have Heady Topper in the parking lot... No but 12 beers on tap along with a nice selection of bottles! Prices are steep though. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 16, 2017 Report Posted January 16, 2017 (edited) No but 12 beers on tap along with a nice selection of bottles! Prices are steep though. How steep.does elk allow tailgating in the parking lot? Camelback does not. Edited January 16, 2017 by GrilledSteezeSandwich Quote
jeff Posted January 17, 2017 Report Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Elk does allow tailgating as long as it doesn't get too too carried away but everyone is usually just chilling. Most drafts at the bar are 5.50 or 6. Edited January 17, 2017 by jeff 1 Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted January 17, 2017 Report Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Yeah I enjoy Elk more than anywhere else in PA. But from Central NJ it is really no closer than Hunter, which has more challenge and vertical and faster lifts. So I almost never get to Elk. Down side of Hunter is the 6th Boro aspect of it. May well go there presidents day weekend, taking advantage of the Kids PA 4th grade ski passport that lets them ski free there - on a weekend when few other deals are available, and the Pocono Ski and Ride Card I use for CB, Blue, Shawnee and JFBB is blacked out. Edited January 17, 2017 by Ski2Live Live2Ski Quote
theprogram4 Posted January 17, 2017 Report Posted January 17, 2017 Down side of Hunter is the 6th Boro aspect of it. at this point in time blue is pretty much a 6th boro as well. its like all of staten island discovered the mountain in the past 3 years 1 Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 Scratch thoughts of Elk on president day weekend. They black out the 4th grade ski passport then. Won't be making it there this year. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 Scratch thoughts of Elk on president day weekend. They black out the 4th grade ski passport then. Won't be making it there this year. Wow just wow. Do you have any ski trip plans for later this season??? Any plans to meet up with some PASRs at blue?? Could be fun for you on a kid free weekend. Just try to get there by like 7:45am so you can get first chair with us and roll with the crew. Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) I will be at Blue at least 3 times this year with my PS&R cards. Will definitely try to make it for opening if they are on the weekend. To use my cards up I will be 3 days each at Blue, CB and Shawnee and 2 more at Frost. Also hope to go to CO in late March. I ski pretty much every weekend (may miss this one to go March on Washington with my little Women) and hope to top my lifetime best of 21 days and 200k vertical this year. 9 in so far. Edited January 18, 2017 by Ski2Live Live2Ski 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 Ski2Live I bet your kids are excited to see Donald Trumps Innaugeration speech..do you have lodging?? You can stay at my parents house in Arlington VA and can take the metro from there into DC Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 We are just going down for the day on Sat. The Donald should be back in NYC getting his golden showers by then. 2 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 18, 2017 Report Posted January 18, 2017 Have fun in Colorado the legal weed is amazing. I'll be back there in April. Quote
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