EdBacon Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 Left my bank cards at home. Had to find a bank for emergency cash to get gas. Lucky I didn't start looking around the middle of nowhere that this place is in. Big Bear still had tickets available going into the weekend and since I'm checking out Shawnee tomorrow I figured I'd get another day in somewhere. It was the only place with space available. Parking lot is paved, so I wouldn't go back anyway. Place feels more like a country club than a ski area. It used to be private, I believe. It was designed by the same guy who built Shawnee and also private vacation community ski areas like Pocono Ranchlands and Winona Lakes. Anyway, advertises 650 vert. Can't be more than 500. Snow was scratchy but not too bad. Not good though. Doesn't feel like they're aggressive with snowmaking. Not all their trails were open, including their two steepest. Terrain park was very sad. Honestly just felt like things aren't kept up so well. But then they have RFID. So the basics are not great but then they spend money on things like that. Lifts are old but so what. They have a couple cool vintage 70s Borvig doubles, one with the original towers if you're into that. The one looks like it never runs anymore. Got yelled at twice by a 16 year old ski patroller. Started singing on the lift ride for entertainment. Feels like their business is mostly people who still own in the community, and they're content with that. There just doesn't seem to be a ton of effort compared to other hills in the area. The lodge is very nice though, and looks like they dropped a bunch of money on it. Wouldn't recommend even if you wanted a mountain to learn at as there's just nothing else going on, and the snow quality is inferior to other Poconos hills which have the added benefit of more terrain variety. And look, size isn't everything but what you do with it. They just don't do anything with what they do have. Also paved parking lot which sucked. That 16 year old would probably yell at you for tailgating too. 9 Quote
toast21602 Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 Nice report. Never knew anybody that skied there. I ran a marathon two years ago that went down Masthope Plank road at the base and could still see snow there and it made me curious what the place actually looked like. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 Nice report and why were you yelled at by patroller. Quote
EdBacon Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Posted January 31, 2021 Just now, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: Nice report and why were you yelled at by patroller. Looking at the closed trail. Not poaching just looking. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 I think @Ski2Live Live2Ski Was there a few years ago. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 1 minute ago, EdBacon said: Looking at the closed trail. Not poaching just looking. Wow you’re a badass 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 And how early are banks open? Quote
EdBacon Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Posted January 31, 2021 1 minute ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: And how early are banks open? 9AM I got up late. Quote
EdBacon Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Posted January 31, 2021 (edited) 12 minutes ago, toast21602 said: Nice report. Never knew anybody that skied there. I ran a marathon two years ago that went down Masthope Plank road at the base and could still see snow there and it made me curious what the place actually looked like. Its a bit like JF. Upside down. Lodge on the top. Similar amount of vert on the river bluff. Same kind of short stepped headwalls where it did get steep. Nothing sustained or difficult and there's only like three or four ways down from the top, and too many merges/crossovers but I guess they do that to boost trail count. Could still be a cool spot if they put the money and care into it. Edited January 31, 2021 by EdBacon Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted January 31, 2021 Report Posted January 31, 2021 Yeah I was there about 4-5 years ago when they had gotten 2 feet of fresh snow. Was pretty awesome that day with lots of trees in play. Quote
trackbiker Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 I've skied there a couple of times on the Pocono Card. Conditions were usually good and they didn't seem to skimp on snowmaking when I was there. Nothing really hard but not a bad place to learn or for intermediates. Crowds don't usually show up until around noon and there's rarely more than a few chair wait even after that. They added the second chair to the double-double a few years ago, so they're not averse to spending money. Lodge is nice and the food is good and reasonably priced. What don't you like about paved lots? Quote
EdBacon Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Posted February 1, 2021 Feels like I'm at the grocery store or something. 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 2 hours ago, EdBacon said: Feels like I'm at the grocery store or something. How so? Quote
rgrwilco Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 Feels like I'm at the grocery store or something. I agree. I guess it’s because all the mountains I went to growing up had dirt lots and it felt like being in the mountains to me.I was shocked during my southern pa tour last year to find that Liberty has paved lot with grass islands and light poles. Immediate buzzkill. Felt like going to the mall.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 I honestly don’t care if a parking lot is dirt, gravel or macadam. Now fake palm trees and water slides detract from a mountain environment. 1 Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 18 minutes ago, rgrwilco said: I agree. I guess it’s because all the mountains I went to growing up had dirt lots and it felt like being in the mountains to me. I was shocked during my southern pa tour last year to find that Liberty has paved lot with grass islands and light poles. Immediate buzzkill. Felt like going to the mall. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Wouldn't have known that about Liberty today. Only surface I saw on the lot was snow. Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said: Wouldn't have known that about Liberty today. Only surface I saw on the lot was snow. How much snow did they receive? Quote
Ski2Live Live2Ski Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 8 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: How much snow did they receive? They had about 5" at start of day and it was snowing hard til I left. Writing eport in other thread. 2 Quote
rgrwilco Posted February 1, 2021 Report Posted February 1, 2021 Wouldn't have known that about Liberty today. Only surface I saw on the lot was snow.Hospital parking vibes.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
EdBacon Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Posted February 1, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: How so? It's the mountains, it shouldn't feel too built up. I don't like going somewhere and feeling like im in a strip mall parking lot. I mean, I know that's an exaggeration to a certain extent. I'm kinda just joking around here. Jay Peak, for instance, has a paved lot and a whole indoor water park circus thing at the bottom too. But I have to say that you can definitely get a feel for a mountain by hanging out in the parking lot. If a place is loved you see that reflected in the community of skiers, and you can find that expressed when folks are out tailgating or otherwise having a fun time. If there's a party atmosphere in the parking lot, you know the mountain is a good time. If everyone shuffles in and out like they're on a schedule, then maybe not. Best lots, in my experience are at Smuggs and Plattekill. Belleayre used to have a good tailgating scene too. Not sure now though. Jack Frost has/had a good one as well. edit: I can't speak for Blue's lot I haven't been in a while like 6 years Edited February 2, 2021 by EdBacon 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted February 2, 2021 Report Posted February 2, 2021 21 minutes ago, EdBacon said: It's the mountains, it shouldn't feel too built up. I don't like going somewhere and feeling like im in a strip mall parking lot. I mean, I know that's an exaggeration to a certain extent. I'm kinda just joking around here. Jay Peak, for instance, has a paved lot and a whole indoor water park circus thing at the bottom too. But I have to say that you can definitely get a feel for a mountain by hanging out in the parking lot. If a place is loved you see that reflected in the community of skiers, and you can find that expressed when folks are out tailgating or otherwise having a fun time. If there's a party atmosphere in the parking lot, you know the mountain is a good time. If everyone shuffles in and out like they're on a schedule, then maybe not. Best lots, in my experience are at Smuggs and Plattekill. Belleayre used to have a good tailgating scene too. Not sure now though. Jack Frost has/had a good one as well. edit: I can't speak for Blue's lot I haven't been in a while like 6 years Well you should ride Blue soon. It’s the best place in eastern PA..I can’t speak for Blue knob some say that’s the best in PA when there’s ample snow. 2 Quote
indiggio Posted February 2, 2021 Report Posted February 2, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: Well you should ride Blue soon. It’s the best place in eastern PA.. QFT! Especially on an @enjoralas Sausage Sunday! Edited February 2, 2021 by indiggio 1 Quote
trackbiker Posted February 2, 2021 Report Posted February 2, 2021 14 hours ago, EdBacon said: It's the mountains, it shouldn't feel too built up. I don't like going somewhere and feeling like im in a strip mall parking lot. Best lots, in my experience are at Smuggs and Plattekill. Belleayre used to have a good tailgating scene too. Not sure now though. Jack Frost has/had a good one as well. Plattekill has a great all around vibe. The bar is great. But if you're ever there on a warm day you need hip waders to get through the parking lot. I really don't care whether the parking lot is paved or not. I care how the mountain and the skiing is. But then to each his/her own. Quote
mbike-ski Posted February 2, 2021 Report Posted February 2, 2021 worst parking lot in the world is stratton... you park in a parking garage then have to walk through a fake ski town. 1 1 Quote
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted February 2, 2021 Report Posted February 2, 2021 2 hours ago, mbike-ski said: worst parking lot in the world is stratton... you park in a parking garage then have to walk through a fake ski town. It’s like skiing in Switzerland without the jet lag. 2 Quote
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