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.

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.