Elk Mtn. PA - Tues. 3/20/12

[Rambo]

Seems as though Elk Mtn. (northern Pa) probably would have closed at the end of the day on Sunday 3/18/12. Not due thin trail coverage but because not that many skier/riders are showing up. However they have a 100 ski days open gurantee to their seasons passholders. To make 100 days they have to stay open thru this Thursday. They are open tomorrow Wed. 3/21 and probably Thurs. 3/22. (I heard if they had closed after last Sunday they would have to refund/credit each passholder something like maybe $70.) All this info, I heard from Elk skiers so who knows if it is hard cold facts or not.

Anyways I took advantage of their special, which is a $25.00 weekday all day ticket, if you have a seasons pass to any other ski area. (the woman at the ticket counter said there was an additional option which was a morning only ticket for $20.00) I went for the $25.00 all day ticket.



I got out on the mountain at 9:20 am sharp and was amazed to find almost everything groomed. I did not think they could groom at the overnight low temp of like 50 degrees. (they said they are going to try and groom again Tues. night).

The skiing was great. Got above 70 degrees and only a little heavy/mushy/slushy. At about 3:00 pm the sun was around back off the slopes and the surface was firming up and getting fast.

Skied mainly 4 trails: Susquehanna, Slalom, Iroquois, and Tioga (an intermediate cruising trail). The Tunkhannock mogul field was open, but I did not ski it and have pics of it. Skiing was great.

Some pics:





Iroquois trail:


Slalom trail:




Tunkhannock mogul field:

[Cornhead]

Guess those weren't your last turns at Camelback, where are you skiing tomorrow? I wish I were on vacation this week instead of next, almost everyone could be toast by then. How is it possible for Elk to have so much more left than Greek had? Do they just make that much more snow? They are at least fifty miles South of Greek. It's funny, people I meet at Elk are incredulous that I've traveled South to ski. Now I can tell them that I do it because there's more snow down here!

[Glenn]

[〽❄❅]

How is it possible for Elk to have so much more left than Greek had? Do they just make that much more snow? They are at least fifty miles South of Greek. It's funny, people I meet at Elk are incredulous that I've traveled South to ski. Now I can tell them that I do it because there's more snow down here!

In a normal year there shouldn't be with your lake effects storms but in the absence of 'em this year, perhaps ELK had the snowmaking advantage?
Anyway, my guess is, they've never been to Greek. Or for those who have the more likely scenario, it's not that you traveled south to ski, it's that you didn't travel EAST! ...ah lets see ~4hours to ski the Dacks or VT vs. a trip to the local home center for 1000' vert??? To put it another way i travel at least 2.5hours to Elk from Philly, if i had the option to spend another 1.5h in the car and be in the Dacks or VT i wouldn't give it a second thought

[Rambo]

Guess those weren't your last turns at Camelback, where are you skiing tomorrow? I wish I were on vacation this week instead of next, almost everyone could be toast by then. How is it possible for Elk to have so much more left than Greek had? Do they just make that much more snow? They are at least fifty miles South of Greek. It's funny, people I meet at Elk are incredulous that I've traveled South to ski. Now I can tell them that I do it because there's more snow down here!

Looking at skiing Elk on Thurs... their last day and they announced $10.00 lift tickets. Then maybe either Hunter, Windham or Belleayre for Sat... then thats IT!!!! Cornhead, if I were you I would think about Sugarbush North (Mount Ellen) if they are still open and decent - don't they have that $30. lift ticket till the end of the season?

Elk Snowmaking: several years ago their pump house building caught on fire and the building and the air compressors, water pumps were all destroyed... All was fully insured so Elk built a bigger and much more powerful facility upgrading their snowmaking firepower.

[Tooth]

It is amazing that there is coverage at all. You did the right thing and enjoyed it. It was above 80 at Sugarloaf today. I rode through streams, grass, dirt, rocks, ice, slush, deep slush, corn, etc. It was awesome.

[hrstrat57]

Wow that looks like it was fun!

Well done! Thanks for sharing!

Elk will get done by me next year!!!

[TropicTundR]

Go Light Brown Pow!

[ERJ-145CA]

I was planning to ski Elk Thursday but the plane I was flying last night had other plans and had a mechanical issue and got grounded so I got stuck in another city. Now the wife has to go to the office Thursday instead of Wednesday like she was planning. So it looks like my season ended at Belleayre last Thursday. Damn mechanical contraptions.