owenskier Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Woke up super early this morning to head up to elk. Got into parking by 8:!5 booted up and got my 20 dollar college lift ticket. Skied from 830-230 straight with taking just one short break. Overall the mountain was great. The grooming was nice and they had two trails that were ungroomed = Tunkhannock had nice big moguls and until about 12 they were nice- snow was swept off later and had many icy spots. Terrain parks were decent, and was nice that they had that rope tow in the one of them. Most of the diamond trails are very similar which can get boring, but the mountain/views are "vermont-like". Snow was nice most of the day- icy on a few spots later in the day. Will definitely go back again, just wish it wasnt an hour and a half from bethlehem. Also, i dont mind that they dont have high speed lifts because it adds to the character of the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owenskier Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 wow 1/5/11... gotta get used to the new year... Also, skied between 30-35 runs in a 6 hour period. With the slow lifts you can still do about 6 runs an hour nice report..how did you like Elk compared to Blue? I only went there once in 1995 but want to get back up there..maybe PASR day.. To me theres pluses and minuses to each of the mountains. I like blue because it is close, high speed lifts, and better terrain parks. I like elk because more character to the area, more difficult terrain (tunkhannock is very steep with moguls and there was another ungroomed trail), better skiers overall and they had this sweet college discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimeskier Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Owen agree with you about every mountain having pluses and minuses. My 21 yo son (college discount) just came through the door here in Doylestown after spending the day at elk. He has been there before, as have I. I could not get off from work today, or I would have been there with you guys. Elk is a great mountain with a great "feel". It does feel like a mini Vermont or NH. Definitely best in PA. Have you tried Sno Mt.? Certainly no way as near as pretty, but a good mountain just the same. Was at Jack Frost two weeks ago for the first time. Nice little Mt. also. I like them all, other than Blue Mt. Maybe because my younger son went out of there in an ambulance with a concussion. Death cookie victim. Not just that. Blue just has a low class feel to me from the trash on the lift paths to the stinky lodge. I won't go to Bear Creek any longer also, that place is a day care center! Oh well, glad you had a good day. I am hoping to get up to Elk a couple of times this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiggio Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 (edited) Owen agree with you about every mountain having pluses and minuses. Elk is a great mountain with a great "feel". It does feel like a mini Vermont or NH. Definitely best in PA. I like them all, other than Blue Mt. Maybe because my younger son went out of there in an ambulance with a concussion. Death cookie victim. Not just that. Blue just has a low class feel to me from the trash on the lift paths to the stinky lodge. I won't go to Bear Creek any longer also, that place is a day care center! What? The trash on the lift lines, the Bra Tree? Low Class? Come on! All that and death cookies is what give Blue its class! Edited January 6, 2011 by indiggio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride Delaware ? Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 It puts Blue in a different class... I don't know if that means that it gives it class... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiggio Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 It puts Blue in a different class... I don't know if that means that it gives it class... How true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Law Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Elk is a great mountain with a great "feel". It does feel like a mini Vermont or NH. Definitely best in PA. No...just no, Elk is like VT or NH if it stopped snowing and all the mtns got way shitier. Blue Knob is light years ahead of Elk, 7 Springs probably is too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride Delaware ? Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I haven't been to Springs or Knob (although it is on my list this year), but I would have to agree with you J Law... I am a huge Elk groupie, but I would never put it in the same category as VT or NH... I hate it when people even try to mention that... It doesn't feel like NEPA, but it definitely doesn't feel like NE... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride Delaware ? Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I would agree with that... Except the only southern New York mountain I have been to is GP, and I honestly wasn't that impressed... That could be for a litany of reasons starting with: I was a noob, it was nearly 7 years ago, and it was spring skiing... But I also didn't like the terrain... Found a bunch of it to be very flat... Its definitely a stretch to compare it to the skills... I have been to Windham, Belleayre, and Hunter, and while I do believe it is better than Windham (I have never been so bored on a 1,600' vert mountain), it definitely doesn't compare straight up with Hunter or Bell. And while I haven't been there, I would imagine from all the good rep it gets, it pales in comparison to Plattekill... That being said, I dont know what to categorize it as... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride Delaware ? Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I am sorry they lie in their stats... I didn't like it enough to take any extra equipment with me to prove it right or wrong... Either way, I can understand not driving the extra time to Elk just to relieve some jonesing. However, it arguably has better terrain than Blue, is definitely less crowded, and hands down has better conditions... If I were you, I would definitely have the pass to Blue and frequent there as much as you... But I would definitely take a trip to Elk once or twice a season... Its worth an extra hour from the Toe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimeskier Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I said in my post "mini" VT or NH. Like on a "smaller" scale. It is a pictureque small mountain near home. It is not a shit show like CB or Blue. That was all i was saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ride Delaware ? Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 I understand what your saying old time skier... And it definitely has a different feel... I've just learned that its easier to not use that terminology on PASR than to deal with the aftermath that ensues when you do use it... No matter how many times its been said, somebody will inevitably bring it up again and again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimeskier Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Ride DE, thanks for the advice. Tomorrow is Elk's Winterfest $25 lift tickets through Buckmans. Just checked the Forcast and NE PA is supposed to get 3-6". Are you heading up? Not me unfortunately, that four letter word W-O-R-K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfingOwl Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 I said in my post "mini" VT or NH. Like on a "smaller" scale. It is a pictureque small mountain near home. It is not a shit show like CB or Blue. That was all i was saying. Most people's experience with New England mountains are big resorts. Elk is more like a local NE mountain that most travelers don't frequent. Most of these local hills have 1000' or less of vertical, similar acreage and a similar feel to Elk. You won't find high speed lifts at those mountains either. Add the increased natural snow Elk gets over the rest of the Poconos, it's more remote location (no shopping malls, outlets, golf courses or conference centers nearby), it's smaller crowds and better conditions (including several ungroomed trails) and it has that small NE mountain feel. Also, add in the high number of Telemarkers that frequent the mountain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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