Hi Ladies,
Hope all is well! Has anyone visited Blue Mountian in PA recently? How are things over there? Is it easy to boot up in car and head to lifts? Is there a better parking lot to do this from? How are the food options? Are there any greens and easy blues that you would recommend? Any helpful tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi! I’ve been skiing Blue 2-3 times a week (weekday mornings) this winter. I boot up at my car at the Valley Lodge, and walk through the lodge to the snow. The lifts start spinning at 9:00, and I usually get there around 8:30-8:45. I’m able to park very close to the front lodge entrance. Many people boot up at their cars.
By 11:30, even on weekdays, it starts to get busy. Friends who go on Saturdays-Sundays say that if they get there and on the lifts by 8:00, they can get a few hours of skiing in before it gets crowded. Anyway, since Blue has a quad and six pack high speed lifts, skiing there is very doable and allows for many runs. Masking is required in the lift line, although some people seem to “forget” but mostly the lift operator issues a reminder.
The best green run is Paradise which runs from the summit to the Valley and is most accessible via the high speed lifts at the Valley. It’s been consistently in really good shape, too. It’s very wide with a nice, even pitch. Lazy Mile has been nice, too, and has been tended by snowmaking frequently. I stay away from Burma Road if I want to ski a green run; I find there’s simply too many skiers on it. Switchback, as
@tinymoose said, has some sharper turns as its name indicates, but it’s fun and it comes out at the bottom of Main Street, where there’s a double chair. From there you can ski down to the Valley on an easy run.
If you’re concerned about Covid protocol, Blue has done a pretty good job. I feel comfortable using the restrooms in the Valley Lodge; they are roomy so it’s easy to be spaced apart from others. The food court is open for grab and go, and there are a few food trucks outside - 2 offer typical junky food, the other two have been a wood fired pizza truck and a BBQ truck. At the upper lodge, there is also take out food. There is outdoor seating with fire pits at both lodges. There is a very good restaurant at the upper lodge which also offers takeout and has outdoor seating. The bar at the lower lodge was open today and I was very surprised to see that - that’s NOT somewhere I want to be in a pandemic.
So, I’d park at the Valley Lodge for ease of booting up there and getting onto the snow. Also, then, you‘re right by the high speed lifts and then can ride right up to Paradise. If you park at the upper lodge, you’d have to ski down Vista to the old double chair (slow).
Have fun! It’s been years since I’ve had a season pass at Blue; but I took a chance this year and have been very pleased. Today, the conditions were FANTASTIC.