Thread Starter
TS
Sounds good- I'll look out for you for sure. I'll be in a green Patagonia coat with matching mustard yellow pants while on the mountain this weekend.
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Mid-Atlantic 2020/2021 Poconos (and Greater Area) -- Conditions, Resorts, Etc.
- Thread starter Willyum215
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Sounds good- I'll look out for you for sure. I'll be in a green Patagonia coat with matching mustard yellow pants while on the mountain this weekend.
Hi. Has anyone heard about a possible closing date for Elk? I realize there's a warm up coming next week, but after that it looks to return to winter-like temps. With the snowpack they've built up this season I'm hoping they'll hang on until at least the 3rd weekend of March, but I realize there are no guarantees. If anyone has any insight into this it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Fresh back from a Colorado trip and preparing for a 2nd western jaunt later this month, I'm looking forward to rockin the home bump this weekend. No matter the temps, the sun angle is getting up into that nice range and bumps on Rodo are calling. Looking for 2 bluebird days.
Stock picture from a couple of years ago but they got them up on the trail this year.
Stock picture from a couple of years ago but they got them up on the trail this year.
Thread Starter
TS
Hi @kgreener - the calendar on their website shows their last day as being Sunday, March 28th. Fingers crossed!
Hey @Willyum215 , thanks so much for the response. I didn't even know they had a calendar on their website, but happy to hear they have March 28th down as their closing date. Fingers (and toes) crossed indeed...thanks again! 
Busy one at the home bump today. Lasted 7:30 till noon. Icy bumps, but worked them anyways. Back at it tomorrow, hoping for a little more bluebird. Think I may try to get one afternoon with the warm up this week. Base is deep,, bumps are up and a taste of spring will be awesome. No pictures today but renewed the pass for another season.
Today was the better half of the weekend. Bluebird, busy but not overly crowded. While I would have loved to see them "dust" the existing moguls , they went a different route and re-seeded on Rodo and Lower Cleo last night. Temp climbed nicely (a little better then forecast) but not denting a deep base yet and there was still some skiing in places not on the map. Glad to see them setting up for what looks like a pretty nice spring week coming up and I plan on taking advantage and spending Wed afternoon beating the crap out of all the mogul trails they have going (and hopefully my legs too)
A re-seeded Rodo
A re-seeded Rodo
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Poconos ski resorts see their best season in years amid COVID-19 escapes, lots of snow
The snow and accompanying cold have translated to big relief for the state’s tourism industry, which has been battered by COVID-19 restrictions on dining and lodging.
www.inquirer.com
^ Just confirmation of what many of us thought was going on. Good for the ski resorts and hopefully good for the sport overall. Hopefully many of those new to or back in the fold will stay on. As much as I hate standing in lift lines the health of the sport and resorts are much more important. Hopefully we can get back the much missed (by me at least) après ski scene next season. Time to bring back #savethethirstycamel.
Blue says they will probably continue with advance ticket sales and reservations if you don't have a season pass. Probably just a way to increase season pass sales. I fell for that this year with an Epic Pass. Not falling for that again.
Spring fever. Took off work an hour early today and went to the "playground"
May have been my last day in the Pocono's this season. If so what a run? From the last weekend in January through the end of February the conditions were just awesome. A little ice last weekend to remind us of where we are but there is to this day a ton of snow on the mountain and I appreciate what the area did in this tough year. If it was the last day for me at the home bump I will leave with this image in my head and what can be even in the mighty Pocono;s
The home bump
May have been my last day in the Pocono's this season. If so what a run? From the last weekend in January through the end of February the conditions were just awesome. A little ice last weekend to remind us of where we are but there is to this day a ton of snow on the mountain and I appreciate what the area did in this tough year. If it was the last day for me at the home bump I will leave with this image in my head and what can be even in the mighty Pocono;s
The home bump
^^^^
Interesting placement of the warning sign, well into what it's warning you about. I guess the person on the ground may have missed it!
Interesting placement of the warning sign, well into what it's warning you about. I guess the person on the ground may have missed it!
Foggy start at Blue today but at least the snow is nice. Was expecting warm and sticky but it’s plenty fast.
Thread Starter
TS
I got an hour in at Elk before starting work today- the conditions were surprisingly good as well. I think the rain tomorrow is going to weak havoc on the snow, unfortunately. Hope I am wrong...
I'm thinking of getting out Monday for a last day of the season..do you think things will hold up until then? And is there any word on a closing date? It seems Camelback is blowing snow again when the temps allow.
Hope you are too.
Monday was nice there.
Planning again for Friday.
Thursday nite is supposed to be cold, so should not be sloppy, at least.
smt
Thread Starter
TS
Elk was blowing snow at the base of the quad and around the lodge area earlier this week. I wouldn't be surprised if they pick that up again once this rain moves through and if the temps allow. The trails themselves were in fine condition.
My guess is that Monday won't be too bad and worth the trip, but we'll see what this weekend brings. I'll do my best to report back Sunday afternoon.
I had a great winter at Blue. Conditions were mostly awesome with only 2 mornings that were super icy. They are still skiing strong, but I may have called it on Saturday, when I had a super day at Montage with @tinymoose and @Large Squirrel . Conditions were hardpack softening to nice edgable snow that wasn’t sticky. Blue did a good job for Covid; I was hesitant early season but I got more comfortable as they enforced their lift line mask policy and had ample outdoor space. Montage, though, wins the day in my book for their North Face outdoor area. They used shipping crates as food trucks and offered a wide variety of food from their restaurant, as well as an excellent beer list. They also had outdoor live music, many firepits with seating, and a large amount of tents that can be rented. They put in nice outdoor bathrooms and a ticket kiosk up there, too. They plan on keeping all that there permanently, I hear, as it’s so easily accessible from the parking lot.
@tinymoose and @Large Squirrel :
@tinymoose and me at the entrance to White Lightning. It is a legitimately steep run, for the East Coast. Usually it’s bumped up but they had groomed it out, probably due to the rain and hard freeze we had.
I’m sorry I didn’t take any skiing pictures. I think about it when I’m skiing then I figure I don’t feel like stopping and pulling out the phone.
Blue Mountain has a new run (“Coming Soon”) that they opened up this year, despite no snowmaking capabilities on it yet, due to the amount of natural snow we got. That was always ungroomed, and it was a big hit. SO fun! There were some rocks here and there to watch out for but the bumps were fantastic. I preferred them to they tight seeded bumps on Main Street (Barney’s). I just never could get it together on Barney’s. Technique, I know!
I think the only pic I have of “Coming Soon” was taken one morning when things were frozen over:
Blue added a bunch of gas firepits and Adirondack chairs to its Valley Lodge patio area. A few food trucks (nothing fancy) were always there, too.
I did have one day (a Saturday) at Jack Frost. I met up with @Olesya C and @newboots . I enjoyed their company very much, but it was a cold day and I was not impressed with VR’s lack of investment in any outdoor facilities, unlike Montage or Blue. Their lodge is at the top, so it’s north-facing and a higher elevation which makes it extra cold. No firepits, very limited seating, no food trucks. Either bring your own food, eat at the car (which worked great for me at Blue, but not so fun a walk at JF), or get your food in the crowded cafeteria line and eat outside in the freezing cold. Which we did. The food was a wonderful roasted pork with sweet potatoes from their old-fashioned lunch special, but it got cold very quickly outdoors. After lunch, I was so cold and just could not warm up properly after that, despite boot heaters and hand warmers. VR could’ve done so much better with that.
I didn’t get anywhere else this winter! Amazing. But I still had fun, and I met some great people and made some new ski buddies. I think I am ready to transition to cycling and running. If I were out west or further north, I’d still be skiing, but not this year. I’ve got a ton of greenhouse work to do these next few months so I’ll be busy, and that takes the sting out of the end of ski season for me.
I’ll most likely get another season pass at Blue for next year; the thing that made it really worthwhile was their “season pass holders only” line for the lifts that make things go so much faster on crowded days. And this season, weekdays sometimes felt like weekends. Crazy!
@tinymoose and @Large Squirrel :
@tinymoose and me at the entrance to White Lightning. It is a legitimately steep run, for the East Coast. Usually it’s bumped up but they had groomed it out, probably due to the rain and hard freeze we had.
I’m sorry I didn’t take any skiing pictures. I think about it when I’m skiing then I figure I don’t feel like stopping and pulling out the phone.
Blue Mountain has a new run (“Coming Soon”) that they opened up this year, despite no snowmaking capabilities on it yet, due to the amount of natural snow we got. That was always ungroomed, and it was a big hit. SO fun! There were some rocks here and there to watch out for but the bumps were fantastic. I preferred them to they tight seeded bumps on Main Street (Barney’s). I just never could get it together on Barney’s. Technique, I know!
I think the only pic I have of “Coming Soon” was taken one morning when things were frozen over:
Blue added a bunch of gas firepits and Adirondack chairs to its Valley Lodge patio area. A few food trucks (nothing fancy) were always there, too.
I did have one day (a Saturday) at Jack Frost. I met up with @Olesya C and @newboots . I enjoyed their company very much, but it was a cold day and I was not impressed with VR’s lack of investment in any outdoor facilities, unlike Montage or Blue. Their lodge is at the top, so it’s north-facing and a higher elevation which makes it extra cold. No firepits, very limited seating, no food trucks. Either bring your own food, eat at the car (which worked great for me at Blue, but not so fun a walk at JF), or get your food in the crowded cafeteria line and eat outside in the freezing cold. Which we did. The food was a wonderful roasted pork with sweet potatoes from their old-fashioned lunch special, but it got cold very quickly outdoors. After lunch, I was so cold and just could not warm up properly after that, despite boot heaters and hand warmers. VR could’ve done so much better with that.
I didn’t get anywhere else this winter! Amazing. But I still had fun, and I met some great people and made some new ski buddies. I think I am ready to transition to cycling and running. If I were out west or further north, I’d still be skiing, but not this year. I’ve got a ton of greenhouse work to do these next few months so I’ll be busy, and that takes the sting out of the end of ski season for me.
I’ll most likely get another season pass at Blue for next year; the thing that made it really worthwhile was their “season pass holders only” line for the lifts that make things go so much faster on crowded days. And this season, weekdays sometimes felt like weekends. Crazy!
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Thread Starter
TS
It looks like the Elk season came to an abrupt end yesterday. They are closed all this week and eyeing Saturday as a tentative last day.
What an amazing season! Definitely the best one that I can recall. Yesterday marked 46 sessions on snow for me, with 44 at Elk, 1 at Montage, and 1 at Greek Peak.
While it would be nice to get one more day next weekend, if it doesn't happen I will still feel very satisfied.
My wife and I are returning to Philly life next week after basically a year of living full time in Union Dale - that's going to be quite a change of pace! It's going to be tough to leave this beautiful area, that's for sure.
What an amazing season! Definitely the best one that I can recall. Yesterday marked 46 sessions on snow for me, with 44 at Elk, 1 at Montage, and 1 at Greek Peak.
While it would be nice to get one more day next weekend, if it doesn't happen I will still feel very satisfied.
My wife and I are returning to Philly life next week after basically a year of living full time in Union Dale - that's going to be quite a change of pace! It's going to be tough to leave this beautiful area, that's for sure.
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