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Seems like the Tomahawk must be the fastest lift in the state, I guess it is a bit younger than some. Looks cool too especially lit up. Also hard to get it properly on camera but I really like that "Blue Hour" when the sky gets so cool of an intense blue color right before dark

I think not quite 3 hours I left a bit after 6:30 stopped at Sheetz. Stopped to check tire pressures twice because the light came on but they were fine. Normally takes 2. Skied around this pond and up Mt. Minisi, the AT was too rocky but there is a logging road or something going up next to it that worked pretty well. Passed a big group of people they were like wtf you doing. I had to take off the skis a couple spots on the way down that were too steep and too rocky to snowplow. I'm not sure if it was better or worse that the group packed all the snow down, at least I could see where the rocks were better. Did like 6 laps at Shawnee or so, I got my alpine skis tuned up properly at the shop a few weeks ago and wanted to check them out. Yuge improvement cutting into the hardpack I definitely should avoid cheaping out and get them professional tuned more often.

Side quest complete. Gonna jawn back over for some fast laps

Getting a little icy on the blacks and thighs getting a bit tired. Gonna try to find somewhere to xc and then I'll come back here later and Alpine. They have some surprisingly large terrain features on Delaware. Woods are skiable but there is a lot of logs and low branches except off Delaware which is pretty good actually. Zero lines since they opened the 2nd quad including the Tomahawk express, they are doing a good job pairing up groups on there. Most people I have talked too are here from NJ or Long Island where they claim 2 ft of snow.

Nicely groomed with some fresh on top, still coming down, Shawnee is blowing too despite wind at top. Not crowded. Both quads and one of the double doubles running, 100% trails open. Successfully used Indy pass for the 1st time (lol). Renegade courderoy was untouched but a little slippery.

En route to Stroudsburg. Sadly will not be in time for 1st chair due to slick roads. Shawnee says 100% open 2-4"

Looking at the map - ever go up Mt. Minsi? I guess you definitely would not want to go too far south and fall off the cliff on the back side

Between going to Shawnee or Montage sometime this weekend, may as well go to Jawnee tomorrow morning to try and get some fresh snow. I'll probably bring my xc skis and see if anything around Stroudsburg is skiiable. Should've been in Delaware for this one. We barely had snow cover in Lancaster in the morning and the fog ate it by the afternoon despite it continuing to snow, not enough to ski. Hoping tomorrow we get a bit of coverage. I'm guessing it might be too crowded on a weekend to try out my tele skins on Shawnee Website says too crowded for uphill on weekends

Well Blue Knob is open full vert to the bottom, they have glades open now, and are blowing Deer Run which based on last year's pattern would seem to be about the last intermediate they might blow before starting Stembogan. Then maybe Jack Rabbit, then fill in the bowl, then with any luck they can help out Extrovert a bit before the spring meltdown... maybe this weekend's snow will help them out a bit. They are so gosh dang slow I want to go spend my $$$ there on food, cross country, merch, the works but can't justify the drive until they get a black or two open. Well at least I should be able to get there President's weekend when everything else is blacked out and packed crowded.

Shawnee's lifts are for the most part low-angle and sheltered well below the tree line, and the whole mountain is situated in a hollow with a northwest aspect out of which it doesn't really rise much higher than the previous ridge to the west. Thanks for the heads up, I may have to pull and audible and hit Montage too if the detach isn't running. I think they have the capacity to handle any crowds that may show up even without the Tomahawk but their other lifts the run SLOW to suit their clientele.

Shawnee is now 100% open. They actually have decent woods maybe I will hit this weekend with the fresh snow

I am not sure I will be able to make it all the way up there during a weekday but keep me updated, it would be cool to meet up sometime

This is re: XC (not touring): I use NNN-BC ("backcountry"). It is a slightly beefier version of the NNN ("New Nordic Norm" - the new click-in xc standard). I find the regular NNN too flimsy to do well not in groomed tracks, of which there are none within a few hours drive (Closest place is Crystal Lake up by Muncy). In an ideal groomed track NNN will allow a better kick and glide technique though. I usually use metal edged waxless Rossignol BC65 positracks. They do fit in set tracks but regular track skis are usually a bit narrower and dont have metal edges. The metal edge really helps climb and descend any sort of slope, and they also have a very slight side cut. These skis do very well for what I use them for, in our typically very marginal snow conditions on ungroomed rolling terrain. I sometimes use a pair of old long and skinny Fischer race skis, those need to be waxed and work best if you already have a track laid in but they are fast! You can do a more legit kick and glide on those. They had obsolete 1st gen SNS bindings or something which we replaced with NNN-BC when the boots fell apart and they have become much more stable. Another option is 3 pin or 75mm duckbill boots which is what old school XC and telemark setups also usually use. Depending on the boot and binding those can give good downhill control.

Holy cow didn't realise you said 100% open when I checked snow report. Way to go Montage, that definitely seems like improvement for them!

I returned to Vermont for the 2nd week in a row since some friends decided to meet up there. Rolled in at 9, one friend unfortunately waited for about an hour for rentals so definitely would reccomend renting off mountain for those that need to. Just as busy as last holiday week and staff in the lodge was a bit thinner. Word is Elk has not been unaffected by staff shortages but I think all things considered they have been managing pretty well. Still no north double. Similar ~5min lines, north quad line moved much slower than east doubles as expected. Snow quality was amazing, best I've skied since Plattekill powder day last year. Blue skies and fairly cold but Elk doesn't seem to get that windy those spruce and pine trees really do help Lehigh open on natural snow. Pretty fun run There are zero tracks in the woods lmao if you want to get your pass pulled seems like there would be enough snow. Tunkhannock and middle of Seneca left ungroomed and are beginning to bump up nicely. Tunkhannock was a bit icy though. Big whales on bottom of Seneca those will probably be pushed out. Kickapoo and several additional blacks are open nearing 100% terrain. Run of the day was the race course which opened when they were done. Amazing amazing snow Stopped at Denny's in Scranton to destroy our arteries and managed to avoid the monkeys on the loose on I80 best headline of the year so far lol https://abc7.com/monkey-truck-crash-danville-pa-monkeys-escape/11498297/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/us/monkeys-truck-crash-pennsylvania.html

Wow Elk was packed today surprised it was not busier at Montage

I am going to go this year once they open Stembogan, I mean, I really would like to ski Extrovert but the stars would really have to align for me to be able to get there on the approximately 1 day per year it is open Maybe I'll get there Presidents weekend since they are not blacked out on Indy pass then They slowly but surely opening terrain - will open to the bottom this weekend + terrain park. Stembogan might be soon up on the snowmaking list. I was following their snow report last year too, I don't think they are that far behind in comparison, we had a late start last year too very similar.

Wow I saw your report on NYski blog and checked Greek Conditions, so much more is open, snow everywhere, all lifts running

I had it coming when I compared Elk's RFID to Blue's

Lol like I said amateur hour Its 2hr40 to Elk, 2hr 10 to Montage, 1hr40 to Blue

On rare occasions myself or a friend doesn't pay attention and the blue gate scans your pass but it is not possible to get through because there are people in the way on the other side. Then you are blocked from trying again for several minutes because blue assumes you are trying to get your buddies in without each having a pass

This new wintry mix is turning sloppy in Lancaster. I had to ski it in da moonlight before the rain melts it away. Wet and gliding surprisingly well on new tracks. The previous snow had been skiiable until wednesday Full🌝Moon It would be cool if the ski areas around here continued the party a bit later until like midnight especially under the full moon. I know there are some xc operations that do that.

My only complaint is that it doesn't show the time when it runs out when you scan it like at Blue. I wasn't sure the exact minute I started and was unsure if I would get rejected on the last run. It starts when you first scan like at Blue. Also Elk charges you $5 for the card unless you reload which irks me a bit but whatever. All their other prices are very reasonable.

Elk's new RFID system works far better than Blue's btw. Very sensitive and doesn't lock you out if you don't get through in time. Somehow the crowd was managing to load the chairs to full capacity without aid of an attendant

At least 1 of those doubles lasted well into the Bear Creek era, I remember riding it