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Elk Mountain, PA - 3/15/2018

Rowsdower

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Just got in from riding Elk Mountain, PA all day. They must have received some more snowfall overnight. Looked to be 4-6 inches around the mountain when I pulled up this morning. Probably 6 or more up top. This is on top of what has been accumulating over the last 10 days. Unfortunately all but the two bump runs were groomed out. Conditions were still excellent: real packed powder and cord all day. There was hardly anyone there. Never had to wait for a chair.*

Bummed on Elk's no open mountain policy. There are some fun possibilities up there to bag turns through the trees. They certainly have the snow for it.*

Also love those rocks off the runout to Mohawk. Lots of fun just wish the landing wasn't so flat.*

Staying over locally and then driving up to Plattekill tomorrow morning.

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Not Sure

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Nice. I have a friend that lives 10 miles away he said a foot yesterday. I was going to go to elk for Storm Riley but went to Plattekill instead because of Elk's crappy no wood policy , which they strictly enforce! I have a new favorite mountain !!!!
 

Jersey Skier

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I was at Elk yesterday. It snowed all day and the mountain was totally empty. Skied right on the lift every ride and there was typically 5 or more empty chairs between skiers.
 

John9

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I really enjoy Elk. Conditions sound just like my day at Camelback today.
 

Rowsdower

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Nice. I have a friend that lives 10 miles away he said a foot yesterday. I was going to go to elk for Storm Riley but went to Plattekill instead because of Elk's crappy no wood policy , which they strictly enforce! I have a new favorite mountain !!!!

If Elk dropped that policy I'd make the trip at least once a year, if not more. If the conditions are on like they were today I'd keep going while the getting was good. I can do Elk in a day. Platty is almost a four hour drive for me now so I can't just drop everything and go every time there's a storm.

It's a shame. They have the snow right now. They have the terrain. It's not as steep as Platty but you can see tons of interesting stuff from the lifts: long woods runs, rock drops and cliffs. That long cruiser through the woods, Lehigh even has some unmarked woods roads crossing and rejoining it from other parts of the mountain, and the trails over that way are generally narrower as well so there's lots of space to explore in between.

Maybe they don't want to expend the effort for something they think will only be open a week or two each season, but that kind of effort makes the mountain unique, and it draws people in if you offer something other places nearby can't.

Heck, they can use volunteers to help clear space out.
 

danimals

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It should be a crime to not allow woods access there. They usually have the snow for it
 

Not Sure

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Agree with Rows,Dan! . GPS to Platty the night before I went said 4hrs ....ech ...It had been a while since I did a day trip that long.
Next morning GPS said 3.5 ..I made it in 3.25 . Elk is 2 for me but last year made 3 trips ,passed the sketchy Poconos looking crappy each time and hit 3 powder days at Elk one was 30" lake effect . Susquehanna was awesome when they dropped the rope . They left the rope on another trail and it was supposed to rain the next day :angry:!!! Really ?
Still a great place but Love/Hate relationship.
 

benski

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Good thing I saw this before going to elk in 30 minuets. Would defiantly have gone into the woods and not thought twice about it.
 

BenedictGomez

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Maybe they don't want to expend the effort for something they think will only be open a week or two each season, but that kind of effort makes the mountain unique, and it draws people in if you offer something other places nearby can't.

Heck, they can use volunteers to help clear space out.

It's the owner. He is a famous cheapskate, so my guess is he's saving on insurance premiums with that policy.

Just watch, they'll wind up closing in this fantastic snow year earlier than they need to.
 

benski

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I was there today. Like the trail designed, and nice bumps, but true, so many glades they seem OCD about keeping people out of. The no tree skiing signs every 10 feet along some trails is really over the top. Also were those evergreen trees on the side of trails planted to make trails narrower?
 

St. Bear

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I was there today. Like the trail designed, and nice bumps, but true, so many glades they seem OCD about keeping people out of. The no tree skiing signs every 10 feet along some trails is really over the top. Also were those evergreen trees on the side of trails planted to make trails narrower?
From what I understand (from this forum I believe), is that a lot of the top of the mountain was cut to make it like "open bowl skiing", but obviously that was a bad idea, so they replant trees every year.

Sent from my Pixel XL using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Not Sure

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I was there today. Like the trail designed, and nice bumps, but true, so many glades they seem OCD about keeping people out of. The no tree skiing signs every 10 feet along some trails is really over the top. Also were those evergreen trees on the side of trails planted to make trails narrower?

I skied there when those trees were 5' tall along Seneca trail . The wind ripped trough there and the chairs would swing quite a bit. It's certainly made a difference up top. Also they cast a shadow on the slopes and trails ,so ? an unintended benefit maybe help preserve the snow. They have been planting trees every year I believe? They are a bit softer than deciduous trees when smaller but now that there quite tall the boughs are thinning near the bottom so there actually more potential danger of someone skiing into by accident.
 

skimagic

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From what I understand (from this forum I believe), is that a lot of the top of the mountain was cut to make it like "open bowl skiing", but obviously that was a bad idea, so they replant trees every year.

Sent from my Pixel XL using AlpineZone mobile app

Elk has been planting evergreens forever to reduce the wind from blowing the snow off. They actually cut down a whole strip of deciduos trees between some trails last year and planted evergreens.

Evergreens were also planted as windbreaks along the trails at the old Bobcat ski area, near Plattekill.
 

180

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Izzy planted evergreens all over Hunter too.

Elk has been planting evergreens forever to reduce the wind from blowing the snow off. They actually cut down a whole strip of deciduos trees between some trails last year and planted evergreens.

Evergreens were also planted as windbreaks along the trails at the old Bobcat ski area, near Plattekill.
 
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