Posted by Dan Rexon on Wed, Dec 08, 2010 @ 07:47 AM
It’s that time of the season again. The holidays are here, we’ve seen a few flurries, and it’s been flat out cold. That means stay inside and bundle up to some; but to others this weather is gold; to many, it is once again ski season.
In the spirit of the very cold months ahead, we have a special guest blog from one of our skiing/boarding enthusiasts here at Precision Automation®. Frank Jablonski has been nice enough to write up a special “my favorite places to ski/ride” blog this week. It’s time to get in the spirit of the great outdoors, pray for some snow and hit the slopes.
An avid snowboarder for many years, Frank takes every opportunity to snowboard as much as he can. He has lived in Park City, Utah and has skied some of the best terrain in the United States. We all may have our preferences of where to ski/board, but Frank knows what he is talking about, so let’s hear what he has to say. The following are his favorite places to enjoy the great outdoors during these frigid months.
FJ: I was fortunate to be able to spend time in Park City, Utah. Great riding in both Park City & Canyons (360” annual snowfall- over 100 trails- nice people- what’s not to love?). For après ski in Park City, head down to the No Name Saloon (a short walk from the Town Lift) for a Buffalo Burger. If you're really hungry, check out The Seafood Buffet at Deer Valley, just don’t bring your snowboard (Deer Valley & Alta don’t allow snowboarding).
As for the East, where I do most of my riding, Killington is still fun, but try to catch the first chair and go high early to avoid the crowds for as long as possible, especially on the weekends. For après at Killington, I still like the Wobbly Barn (but what happened to the Goombay Smash?), it’s still a blast. Just pulling into the parking lot makes me smile, recalling great times in years past at the Wobbly.
If Killington gets too crazy, take the short ride over to Okemo in Ludlow, Vt. It’s not nearly as big as Killington, but a lot less crowded and a more relaxed atmosphere.
If you have youngsters learning to ski/ride- Smuggler’s Notch is the place to go. A little more of a ride, as it’s in Northern Vermont. But its Family friendly, has a great Ski School (both of my sons learned to ski at Smuggs), as well as other activities for the children.
For day trips I usually go to Pennsylvania.
Elk Mountain offers many terrain choices and never seems to be too crowded. Claim your spot early in the old ski center & cook you own hamburgers in the open fireplace for lunch. For après, try The Candlelight Inn, just a few miles from the mountain.
Camelback is a little closer, gets more crowded, but is still a good time. Get there early and go to the Quad on the left hand side of the resort before it gets too crowded. For après, stop at the Barley Creek Brewing Company, just down the road. A great Brew Pub with good food. Toward the end of the season, make sure not to miss the annual Pond Skimming Extravaganza at Camelback.
If you have to ride and don’t want to drive too far, try Bear Creek in Macungie. Although on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, it can get crowded. The crowd, along with icy conditions, kamikaze kids and “yard sales” on the mountain, makes for an interesting experience. If you can ride Bear Creek on a weekend afternoon, you can ride anywhere. If you do manage to make it off of the mountain unscathed, reward yourself with a glass of red wine and warm brie and crackers by the fire. Bear Creek has a very nice restaurant/lounge area.
That’s it for now. See ya on the mountain!
- Frank Jablonski
To add my own two cents, I’d have to recommend Kirkwood and Squaw Valley in the Lake Tahoe vicinity. These places had some of the most amazing terrain I’ve ever skied. Squaw definitely had the most wild, rustic and toughest terrain that I’ve experienced.
I want to thank Frank for spending the time and contributing to this blog post. That being said, get your skis and board tuned up and let it snow, let it snow, let it snowwwwww!
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