Snowboard Blog - Blue Mountain 01/11/09

A fresh four inches of snow were a siren to visit Blue Mountain located in Palmerton, PA. After driving back roads to reach this small haven, my day was underway. The report card:

 

Excellent:

n      Majestic views – after the snow and ice storm fell a few trees and clung to those both living and dead, Burma Road housed one of the most glorious landscapes for a skier / snowboarder. Much of the remainder of the mountain was similarly remarkable.

n      Long runs – any rider can lift to the top and have a lengthy ride down, three of which eclipsed a mile. Lazy Mile with the Terrain Run Park / Halfpipe at the bottom are one of my favorite runs in the state.

n      Ski & Board Check – cautious riders will rest easy with the free board / ski check located at each lodge and rest area.

 

Satisfactory:

n      Food – while fare was overpriced as it is at most resorts, the amount of choices and the quality were better than most. I particularly enjoyed the roasted almonds to the rear of the bottom cabin.

n      Conditions – in the beginning of the day, the fresh powder was great, especially once the groomers pulled through. However, many of the lift loading and unloading areas were ice-filled, as were large portions of the black diamonds.

n      Price - $52 allowed me to ride all day and night on the weekend.

n      New Trail – Dreamweaver – the new trail is very representative of the park and places another lengthy trail on the east side of the park that every one can enjoy.

n      Board Parks – what was once a neglected part of the mountain is now very reasonable. With five board parks, Blue is moving in the right direction.

 

Needs Improvement:

n      Ticket kiosks – I arrived at 11:45a and the ticket kiosk would only allow us to purchase a ticket for 12:30p. Needless to say, when we tried to enter the mountain, we were stopped by the attendants.

n      Trail off-shoots – friends and I love to go venture off the path through the woods. I can count on one hand the amount of places one can do this at Blue.

n      Lodge comfort – the lodges could use a facelift and better setting, especially to serve adult beverages from a bar rather than a cooler adjacent to the bathroom.

 

Final Grade: B

Blue Mountain has always housed some of the longest runs in the state and is now complementing that with a variance of board parks. In addition, they possess friendly customer service and excellent crossovers between trails.