• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Elk Mountain, 12/6/14

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
Date(s) Skied: 12/6/14

Resort or Ski Area: Elk Mountain, PA

Conditions: Soft, rain soaked, man made groomers

Trip Report:
I hemmed and hawed on whether to ski Elk in the rain, or wait and ski Greek on Sunday. With nothing to do today, besides Christmas shopping, I decided to head to Elk. I pulled into the lot a little after opening, 8:45. No cattle car today, parking in the upper lots was unrestricted. Much nicer booting up at the car and skiing down to the lodge.

I bought a morning ticket for $47 knowing that it would allow me to ski till close if I wanted. I didn't feel too guilty stretching my time, $61 for a full day pass seemed a lot for what trails were available, Susquehanna, Tunkhannock, Lower Tunkhannock, Tioga, and Tioga Spur. I honestly think I could've skied without a pass today. I get on the chair and my phone starts playing Led Zepplin's Fool In The Rain, how apropos.

The "snow" was quite good, usual Elk standards, nice soft, hero groomers. I've skied Elk a lot, never had poor conditions, ever. The staff, instructors?, and ski patrol, conducting rescue training, out numbered skiers on the hill probably 10-1. Kudos to Elk for opening at an obvious loss.

Everything was groomed, including Tunkhannock. It always seems weird skiing Tunk groomed, it almost never is. No VW bug sized bumps today. The only problem skiing today was poor visibilty. It was foggy most of the day. It was nice that you were usually the only one on the trail. All you had to do was trust in the "Force", and skiing by feel was pretty easy. It was fun letting my new RTM's rip, pristine bases and edges preformed flawlessly. I skied until 3, taking two breaks for coffee, and to dry out a little. My Frog Toggs did quite well at keeping me mostly dry, seems as long as the rain isn't very heavy, they're adequate protection.
uploadfromtaptalk1417920119303.jpg
Susquehanna
uploadfromtaptalk1417920146844.jpg
Looking up a foggy Tunk
uploadfromtaptalk1417920185905.jpg
Looking down
uploadfromtaptalk1417920211350.jpg
A break in the fog, actually saw the Sun once.


Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
Impressive, Cornhead. Way to get at it. The US Postal Service carriers have nothing on you!!

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Thanks Marc, no problem skiing in the rain, chairlift rides in the rain on the other hand, yuck. I want to ski Mt. Snow, or now Okemo, in the rain. It'd be fun riding the bubble chairs, safety first, bubble meetings.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 

marcski

Active member
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
4,576
Points
36
Location
Westchester County, NY and a Mountain near you!
Thanks Marc, no problem skiing in the rain, chairlift rides in the rain on the other hand, yuck. I want to ski Mt. Snow, or now Okemo, in the rain. It'd be fun riding the bubble chairs, safety first, bubble meetings.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
Agreed. The snow surface is usually quite enjoyable while it is raining. Good goretex, a warm fire and your favorite apres ski beversge are necessities on rainy ski days! Looking forward to making some Platty turns with you again this year, Bob.
 

GolfingOwl

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2005
Messages
104
Points
16
Location
Jenkintown, PA
Thanks. Can't wait to hit PA's best mountain, bar none. I don't think I've ever been to Elk when it hasn't snowed. They seem to easily get double the snow the other eastern PA mountains do.
 

Ski2LiveLive2Ski

Active member
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Messages
648
Points
43
They open even on a losing money day cause they need to make good on their 100 open days guarantee to season pass holders. Pretty much a guarantee that they close the day after day 100 too, even if there is plenty of snow still on the mountian.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
They open even on a losing money day cause they need to make good on their 100 open days guarantee to season pass holders. Pretty much a guarantee that they close the day after day 100 too, even if there is plenty of snow still on the mountian.

Double edged sword. Appreciated the one edge Saturday, they definitely lost money.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 

Not Sure

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
2,858
Points
63
Location
Lehigh County Pa.
Website
www.youtube.com
Double edged sword. Appreciated the one edge Saturday, they definitely lost money.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

Early season openings are always a gamble.
With bad odds , especially in Pa.

I'm planning on using a free pass on Sat
They will be losing money on my pass but planning
On a few beers and some food
 
Top