Mid-Atlantic 2022-2023 Poconos and Greater Area Ski Resorts/Conditions/Meetups

[mikes781]

@Wendy it really wasn’t too bad considering the weather a few days ago. I just got a little spoiled at Killington last weekend.

 

[mikes781]

Back at Blue this morning with one of my daughters and our neighbors. Paradise was very nice first thing. We did chute/midway/lower main a few times. Lower Main had a lot of marbles. Lower part of Widowmaker was just opened and not in great shape. Lazy Mile was decent and we did that a number of times as my daughter wanted to keep doing Falls. Maybe it’s me but Falls seems a little steeper right now or maybe it’s just because it’s narrower at the moment. My neighbor and his kid skied Burma once and said it was a mess. We skied coming soon a few times and the bottom was pretty slick in spots. Lower Sidewinder was open.

Seems like Dreamweaver and Razors just need some more grooming and they should be next. More crowds than Monday and by 12 we had enough. Overall it was a nice day and glad we got out for a few hours. Might try to sneak another trip in Friday morning. Unfortunately it looks like the weatherman were right a few days ago and we have a few days of warm temps and some rain coming up.

 

[Shawn]

Holiday ski season at Blue.

-That was a tough 25k vert. I skied from 3 to 9 with a beer and bathroom break. Without the crowds that's a 30k day or more. But it's what you expect for the holidays. Good to see money being made.

-Conditions were actual ice on Free Fall and Lazy Mile.

 

[ihocky2]

Skied Blue Mt. last night from 5 to 9. For a holiday week the lifts were running well, under 10 minutes in line when we got there was the worst of the night. Really hoping they get Main St Express open soon, but not many trails open over there yet.

Lazy Mile was ice under some thin cover. Chute and Midway were ice in the middle but some fun snow on the sides. Paradise was mostly covered pretty well and as the evening went on it even built a few nice little bump runs, was tough to ski bumps though as the teens mostly used them as jumps and were falling all over the place. Free Fall was in nice shape on the top half, most of the cover was pushed off the bottom half.

Razor's Edge and Dreamweaver are close to ready. Not much at all on Sidewinder and Switchback, really waiting for them to open. The forecast for the next week is not helping, probably going to remain a lot of ice under thin cover that gets pushed off during the day until the middle of January.

 

[mikes781]

Razor’s showing open on the report today. If it’s anything like the other recently open trails, I’d give it a day or two unless skiing ice cookies is your thing, I think nightmare/dreamweaver should be close unless they need extra time for the park features or they could just forget about them as far as I’m concerned. I’m hopping for the rest of Main to get opened also. Chute/midway/lower main has been fun though and not crowded. I agree we are going to be waiting a little while longer for sidewinder, switchback and challenge unfortunately.

 

[4aprice]

So it looks like things are going to become pretty static from now till about mid January. The January thaw appears to coming somewhat early this year but it's not a surprise. So it is what we got. Minus the rain we will get I will get in my days and enjoy the comfort of warmer temperatures. Just find it interesting that during the cold snap Camelback did not go for getting down the Nile Mile. Used to know the head of Mountain Ops (pre KSL) and he told me it takes 3 days of solid blowing to get the trail open. They certainly had that yet didn't go for it. I wonder why. I would think with the Hotel right there they would want to have that going but they went for Pharoah and Bactrain instead. Understand they want it for the terrain features but can't see them putting those up there till more terrain off Stevenson is open.

Anyways they were blowing on Lower Cleo yesterday before the temp rise. Whether they got enough down to open is the question. It looked like it was in piles this morning from the web cam but they could just be draining for a day. If they do (directed at KSL), throw us a bone and put up a small line of bumps please. Warm weather without bumps is just not as fun.
Line of bumps on Lower Cleo

That's all it has to be.

 

[Willyum215]

What a gorgeous, warm, and sunny day yesterday. Elk now lists 19 trails as open.
I had a nice long day with friends, getting 23 runs in from the opening bell until about 4 PM, with an hour lunch and a quick beer break around 2 PM.
Considering going back this afternoon, depending on how crowded and slushy it gets...

Upper Lackawanna finally opened at the headwall - you could (legally) gain access via Tunkhannock earlier in the week, but not from the trailhead until yesterday:


We were lucky to catch the rope drop of Wissahickon as well - didn't grab a photo, just went for it.

End of the day smiles on the quad with some friends:

 

[BC.]

What a gorgeous, warm, and sunny day yesterday. Elk now lists 19 trails as open.
I had a nice long day with friends, getting 23 runs in from the opening bell until about 4 PM, with an hour lunch and a quick beer break around 2 PM.
Considering going back this afternoon, depending on how crowded and slushy it gets...

Upper Lackawanna finally opened at the headwall - you could (legally) gain access via Tunkhannock earlier in the week, but not from the trailhead until yesterday:
View attachment 187292

We were lucky to catch the rope drop of Wissahickon as well - didn't grab a photo, just went for it.

End of the day smiles on the quad with some friends:

View attachment 187293

Greg/“Chewbacca” was running solo there yesterday am…..had to send my kids back off to college so I missed out….I’ll see you soon!

 

[Willyum215]

Greg/“Chewbacca” was running solo there yesterday am…..had to send my kids back off to college so I missed out….I’ll see you soon!

Shoot- sorry to have missed him, look forward to skiing with you guys soon!

 

[4aprice]

Got up early and hit first tracks this morning. Fog fest. Soft snow, no lines. 20 Runs, toasted the legs. Sitting in Thirsty Camel watching the rain.

 

[Shawn]

Soft turns on New Years Day at Blue

-It was pretty empty. No lift lines. As close to ski-on/ ski-off as you can get on a weekend.

-My knees actually started aching in the heavy, wet snow. Hadn't felt that before in my 86 GT's. I'll have to try the M-Pro 90's when I get bindings mounted.

-Razor's Edge was the slope to ski after the racers were done with it. Thrilling.



Finally bought a ski key after seeing those racks for all these years. Gives me a little peace-of-mind.

 

[mikes781]

@Shawn did they have those locking racks out at the base lodge? I looked the other week and didn’t see them?

 

[Shawn]

@Shawn did they have those locking racks out at the base lodge? I looked the other week and didn’t see them?

I haven’t found one down there yet. This was at the summit lodge.

 

[kitchener]

This will be my crowd's first Sunday at CBK this season. We usually drive up early Saturday evening, stay there at the Chateau "hotel" (which hasn't maintained its liquor license... but with Tannersville lodging, it's a "least worst" choice), and up and out first thing in the AM. That'll be every weekend other than holidaze and maybe some special away mission (not counting Mt Bachelor in March).

 

[4aprice]

This will be my crowd's first Sunday at CBK this season. We usually drive up early Saturday evening, stay there at the Chateau "hotel" (which hasn't maintained its liquor license... but with Tannersville lodging, it's a "least worst" choice), and up and out first thing in the AM. That'll be every weekend other than holidaze and maybe some special away mission (not counting Mt Bachelor in March).

Keep your expectations low for now. They have several routes down but a lot to cover as well and the weather? Well the word brutal could be applied. While its hard to be critical of the mountain with the hand they've been dealt I do wonder if some other factors are playing into operations. Don't know if I said it here or another thread but I was surprised at the roll out of Pharaoh/Bactrain for the Stevenson opening instead of Nile Mile. The former Operations Manager told me it takes 3 days of solid blowing to open Nile and they had that and they chose a different route. Maybe they see it differently, it just surprised me. When you ride the new Black Bear 6 take a gander up Sullivan Trail and at the bottom of the pitch on Marjies is an old lift tower from Sullivan Quad complete with cross arm and sheves laying on the ground. I can't imagine them trying to make snow on Marjies with that there yet I've seen no interest in moving it. Finally got to the Thirsty Camel Saturday when it started to rain. Nice bar keep, told me when quizzed about entertainment that she didn't know of any bands for scheduled for après as of yet.

These are just observations and like I said they have been dealt a very bad hand so far but I know in my own household life has become more expensive and I just have to wonder if its effecting the ski areas operation decisions as well.

 

[Willyum215]

Elk has decided to close tomorrow due to the extended call for rain. It's miserable up here right now.

 

[kitchener]

... I was surprised at the roll out of Pharaoh/Bactrain for the Stevenson opening instead of Nile Mile.

That's interesting. I kind of get it. I thought about this at the start of last season, when they did (like usual, and to your point) the opposite, with Pharoah opening late. However, Pharoah is their top-of-the-mountain to the bottom-of-the-mountain signature, freestyle run, with all their halfpipes, tabletops, jumps, and rails, etc. -- the teens in my crowd were in WTH (what-the-heck) mode until it finally did open. That said, I do none of those, and would prefer Nile myself! But...

Hopefully they'll be clearing the bottom of Marjies -- that makes no sense to me, either!

I guess I'll hold out til Friday before calling it a boy or a girl on the hotel room at the Chateau (free cancellation -- it would greatly pain me to do so...).

 

[4aprice]

That's interesting. I kind of get it. I thought about this at the start of last season, when they did (like usual, and to your point) the opposite, with Pharoah opening late. However, Pharoah is their top-of-the-mountain to the bottom-of-the-mountain signature, freestyle run, with all their halfpipes, tabletops, jumps, and rails, etc. -- the teens in my crowd were in WTH (what-the-heck) mode until it finally did open. That said, I do none of those, and would prefer Nile myself! But...

I get the Terrain Park aspect, however, I doubt you see any features on Pharoah until they get another major way down open and that IMO would be Nile Mile (Doubt it would be Cliffhanger). They do have a mini park on Upper Moore's Ramble but like the trail it is small. Like I said the weathers been brutal which is out of their control so I can't be too upset with them.

 

[4aprice]

I guess I'll hold out til Friday before calling it a boy or a girl on the hotel room at the Chateau (free cancellation -- it would greatly pain me to do so...).

Don't let me stop you. There will be skiing and the same trails that were open before the rain, will be open after it . It will get better each day. The weathers going to change, even calling for a "Little" snow (dust) on Friday. But more importantly it looks like a good window to get the guns out. There are a couple of trails (Big Pocono and Lower Cleo) with mounds on them. Early bird gets the worm.

 

[mikes781]

Tough week weather wise. Was just looking at the trail cams at Blue and Main Street is looking rough in spots. Good news is it looks like there might be better snow making conditions coming next week and the new lift is spinning.