Snowboard Blog - 01/17/09

To Lake Harmony for Big Boulder Ski Resort in the Poconos; PA’s terrain park specialty.

 

Excellent:

n      Terrain Parks – Actually called Board Parks because they dedicate much of their time and energy to creating so many.

n      Conditions – Big Boulder touts being the first resort to open and the last to close for a reason; it opened prior to Thanksgiving and will probably have its last run in March thanks to Old Man Winter’s frequent snow breath.

n      Price – at $48 for their most expensive lift ticket and $30 for a night pass, not many resorts rival Big Boulder’s price

n      Two Mountains – though not many will travel to and fro, one can spend the day at Jack Frost and then maneuver to Big Boulder for the evening.

 

Satisfactory:

n      Food – The cuisine is below standards of other resorts, but at least it’s more reasonably priced.

n      Not Many Beginner Runs – The emphasis on Board Parks has pinched out many of the Green Circle trails for the beginners, oftentimes pushing them into more advanced trails.

n      The Lodge – There’s enough room to maneuver but not enough to enjoy a drink; but the most frequent patrons are young, high-school aged kids so this is adequate for Big Boulder.

 

Needs Improvement:

n      Short Runs – By the time you take the lift to the top and come back down, it feels as if you could easily time it on a stopwatch.

n      “Normal” trails – Again, the emphasis on board parks has limited the amount of Black Diamonds to three, so if you’re visiting the mountain just for an explosion of speed or for variety, you may walk away disappointed.

n      Busy Nights – The low price for a night ticket and the traversing of many of Jack Frost’s day skiers make for crowded trails at night.

 

Final Grade: B

If you love to do tricks and hit the Board Park, you’ll entirely disagree with my assessment and rank Big Boulder as an A. I’m quite fine with compromising with a B for Big Boulder, as the excellent conditions and great price make Big Boulder a wonderful stop for any mountain traveler.