Montage TR 12/16/17 - Terrain Expansion

[guitar73]

we hit up montage for the first time this season on Saturday, and it was a blast. mad props to their mtn ops crew b/c trail expansion was in full swing over the weekend. they dropped the ropes on three trails (high ball and whistler in the AM, and white lightning after lunch).

we arrived about 8 am to meet up with an out-of-town acquaintance who wanted to check out the mtn....so yours truly was tour guide for the day. the newly opened trails were a bit rough (death cookies) but the rest of the open terrain was very nice. best snow was to be found on cannon ball and boomer (on the edges for both trails).  just before lunch mtn ops began to push the whales on white lightning. it was fun watching their winch cat push out that very steep carpet!

après was had per usual at slocum hollow. side bar topic: college buddy of mine skis at tussey mtn and he sent me photos of the ski lift accident that happened there on Saturday, their opening day. the clamp of one of the chairs failed and it slid backwards, pilling up 4 or 5 chairs. all chairs involved had ski school personnel. several injuries, but none life-threatening. that shut the mtn down b/c tussey only has one lift. derp. my buddy said he was stuck on the lift for about a hour...got to be evacuated by repelling down from his chair. fun times.

[JFskiDan]

Nice.  so how much of Montage is open?

[Johnny Law]

48 minutes ago, guitar73 said:

we hit up montage for the first time this season on Saturday, and it was a blast. mad props to their mtn ops crew b/c trail expansion was in full swing over the weekend. they dropped the ropes on three trails (high ball and whistler in the AM, and white lightning after lunch).

we arrived about 8 am to meet up with an out-of-town acquaintance who wanted to check out the mtn....so yours truly was tour guide for the day. the newly opened trails were a bit rough (death cookies) but the rest of the open terrain was very nice. best snow was to be found on cannon ball and boomer (on the edges for both trails).  just before lunch mtn ops began to push the whales on white lightning. it was fun watching their winch cat push out that very steep carpet!

après was had per usual at slocum hollow. side bar topic: college buddy of mine skis at tussey mtn and he sent me photos of the ski lift accident that happened there on Saturday, their opening day. the clamp of one of the chairs failed and it slid backwards, pilling up 4 or 5 chairs. all chairs involved had ski school personnel. several injuries, but none life-threatening. that shut the mtn down b/c tussey only has one lift. derp. my buddy said he was stuck on the lift for about a hour...got to be evacuated by repelling down from his chair. fun times.

Tussey is like Spring.....dangerous lifts

[guitar73]

19 minutes ago, JFskiDan said:

Nice.  so how much of Montage is open?

um....close to 50% I'd say. on the north face only smoke, lower fast track, and snake pit are the only trails not open. they were blowing mad snow on smoke on Saturday. 

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Hitting Montage tomorrow and Jack Frost Saturday with my girls. Spending the night between at the Hampton Inn by Montage.

[saltyant]

1 hour ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Hitting Montage tomorrow and Jack Frost Saturday with my girls. Spending the night between at the Hampton Inn by Montage.

Have fun. I would like to go back there if they fully open either Fasttrack and Runaway, both upper and lower slopes. They seem like really fun top to bottom runs, and I've never done them before. It just seems to take forever to get to the top of the Mountain from the Phoebe lift, but at least the place is always a ghost town every time I've gone.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

They should not have slopes open at the same time to skiers and folks on those "air board" sleds. The boarders have no control as they speed down the slopes. One took me out below the knees like a bowling ball does to a pin. Glad it happened to me and not my kids, but it is a ridiculous hazard to have, especially on green slopes. Complained to guest services that they need to segregate the airboarders to keep skiers safe, especially young beginners.

[toast21602]

Wow a complaint? I’m surprised.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[theprogram4]

wait, they let these guys on the slopes with the skiers?  lol thats insane.  now i kinda want to go to check out the carnage

 

[Schif]

I was under the impression that they only let them on one trail and then closed that one to skiers. Guess I haven't paid too much attention to the airboard world lately. 

 

Glad to see that Montage is making some serious progress with terrain expansion. I was up that way for Christmas but didn't get a chance to get on the snow. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Schif

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

30 minutes ago, Schif said:

I was under the impression that they only let them on one trail and then closed that one to skiers. Guess I haven't paid too much attention to the airboard world lately. 

 

Glad to see that Montage is making some serious progress with terrain expansion. I was up that way for Christmas but didn't get a chance to get on the snow. 

Schif when are you coming up to Blue mountain??

[saltyant]

2 hours ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

They should not have slopes open at the same time to skiers and folks on those "air board" sleds. The boarders have no control as they speed down the slopes. One took me out below the knees like a bowling ball does to a pin. Glad it happened to me and not my kids, but it is a ridiculous hazard to have, especially on green slopes. Complained to guest services that they need to segregate the airboarders to keep skiers safe, especially young beginners.

Ski2Live I agree with you 100%. That's really dumb, and Montage only has 2 green runs, so your choices are very limited when with young children. On my first run every at Montage, the airboarders bombed down the hill all around me. At another session, someone took one on a blue hill and had to be tobogganed off. I would never airboard, it looks more dangerous than tubing.

Edited December 29, 2017 by saltyant

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Air boarding shows the sports progression..don't knock it till you try it..

 

i bet if you complained go guest services they'd give you a free cocoa for your daughters to share and a free tap water for you. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by GrilledSteezeSandwich

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

I complained to guest services but did not ask for anything, just wanted to help protect future customers. 

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Cannonball was a real sweet run for my girls. Once we discovered it we stayed there for our last 5 runs. Nice surface on it and decent steeps but the are a 4 step staircase so they could let it rip down a steep then have a flat to pause between them.

We are  on the fence between staying and doing Montage again tomorrow and following original plan of hitting JF tmrw. Leaving the decision to my daughters. 

This is the first time I have ever gotten a hotel in Poconos in ski season as I always have day tripped here. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

22 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Cannonball was a real sweet run for my girls. Once we discovered it we stayed there for our last 5 runs. Nice surface on it and decent steeps but the are a 4 step staircase so they could let it rip down a steep then have a flat to pause between them.

We are  on the fence between staying and doing Montage again tomorrow and following original plan of hitting JF tmrw. Leaving the decision to my daughters. 

This is the first time I have ever gotten a hotel in Poconos in ski season as I always have day tripped here. 

I don't think Scranton/montage is considered the Poconos..I saw the Hampton inn is only $109 a night. That's cheap for the holidays. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

24 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Cannonball was a real sweet run for my girls. Once we discovered it we stayed there for our last 5 runs. Nice surface on it and decent steeps but the are a 4 step staircase so they could let it rip down a steep then have a flat to pause between them.

We are  on the fence between staying and doing Montage again tomorrow and following original plan of hitting JF tmrw. Leaving the decision to my daughters. 

This is the first time I have ever gotten a hotel in Poconos in ski season as I always have day tripped here. 

I don't think Scranton/montage is considered the Poconos..I saw the Hampton inn is only $109 a night. That's cheap for the holidays. 

 

Hotels are awesome. I've been living in one for almost three months 

Edited December 29, 2017 by GrilledSteezeSandwich

[saltyant]

6 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Hotels are awesome. I've been living in one for almost three months 

Look Steeze I could see your house from Bear Creek the other night.

Edited December 29, 2017 by saltyant

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

2 minutes ago, saltyant said:

Look Steeze I could see your house from Bear Creek the other night.

I'm only about ten miles from BC. I'll never go unless they open before Blue mountain or stay open later 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

34 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

I complained to guest services but did not ask for anything, just wanted to help protect future customers. 

Any crowds at Montage and what were they charging for lift tickets??

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Ok NEPA not Poconos, I know. Have a Chase card deal that actually got me the hotel for $74 of "ultimate rewards points", awesome deal including Breakfast buffet for 3 10 min from Mtn. At that price well worth not doing another rt drive.

[saltyant]

3 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I'm only about ten miles from BC. I'll never go unless they open before Blue mountain or stay open later 

The lodge is nice and all, but the runs are too short for the long lift rides. I'll probably go one more time and get my money back for my other pass. I think it's well worth the extra 30 minutes of driving to Blue to get much, much more vert in during the same amount of time.

Edited December 29, 2017 by saltyant

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

No crowds. $50 lift ticket but I bought it with a $100 gift card they sold me for $80, so really cost $40. And kids ski free with PA ski passport. Super cheap vaca.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Just now, saltyant said:

The lodge is nice and all, but the runs are too short for the long lift rides. I'll probably go one more time and get my money back for my other pass. I think it's well worth the drive to Blue to get much, much more vert in during the same amount of time.

I ski 15,000 vert at Blue in two hours. Would take all day to do that at Jack Frost, Montage and Bear creek. 

[saltyant]

1 minute ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

No crowds. $50 lift ticket but I bought it with a $100 gift card they sold me for $80, so really cost $40. And kids ski free with PA ski passport. Super cheap vaca.

Wow very nice S2L!!! I need to get some money savings tips from you.