Skiing at Blue Mountain ski resort is located on Blue Mountain (ridge on the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range) in the northern part of Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. The resort is one of the most popular in Proconos. Nearest city is Palmerton. Mountain Blue ski resort also has a ski team of more than 50 players.
History:
Ray Tuthill had started Blue Mountain ski resort in the late 1970s. In 2002-03, Blue Mountain received a facelift when it got two advanced runs and two beginner slopes. In 2006, the resort got eastern Pennsylvania’s first high-speed six-pack chairlift. A $3.1 million was invested for upgrading the resort further in 2008. Barbara Green, one of the current owners of the Tuthill Corporation, has recently has made applications to begin construction works on an outdoor water park that is scheduled to start operating by 2012.
Skiing at Blue Mountain:
Blue Mountain is 1,540 feet high and has a vertical drop of 1,082 feet, the biggest that any ski resort in Pennsylvania features. The mountain summit is accessible by a quad chairlift as well as the high-speed six-pack. While a beginners’ trail and a newly-built intermediate trail descend down the outer, three expert runs chase the chairlifts to the bottom. There are also two double chairlifts rising up to the western side of the resort. The main resort lodge, located atop the hill, is reachable by car. There is another lodge at the mountain bottom.
The resort has a total of 33 slopes, including 13 Green Rated Trails (for the beginners), six Blue Rated Trails (for the intermediates), 6 Black Diamond Trails and three Double Black Diamond tails (for the advanced skiers). There are also five freestyle trails.
The longest trail of the resort is 2,000 metres long while the Blue Mountain has 156 acres of skiing terrain. Blue Mountain gets 30 inches of natural snowfall on an average per year and there is also arrangement for snow-making. Lift ticket checkpoints at the lodges instead of in the lift lines and automated kiosks for procuring tickets bought online are some of the other notable features of Blue Mountain ski resort.
Terrain parks at Blue Mountain:
For experts:
- Sidewinder Park
- Central Park
- Snowcross Trail
For intermediates:
- Come Around Park
For beginners:
- Terrain Run Park
Blue Mountain Activities:
- Skiing & Boarding
- Tubing
- BigAirBag (A training tool for skiers and riders, wherein a huge air-filled pad cushions the landing for aerial maneuvers)
- Racing:
BMR (Blue Mountain Racing) program has trained alpine junior racers at every level of development for over 25 years - Photography
- On Mountain Dining
- Last Run Lounge
- Birthday Parties and banquets
Blue Mountain Ski School:
- Valley School, equipped with triple chairlift and conveyor lift, imparts initial skiing lessons as well as snowboarding lessons for any level.
- Summit School Hill teaches skiing lessons for all levels.
Eating and drinking:
- Summit Café
- Vista Bistro
- Last Run Lounge
- Slopeside Pub and Grill
- Valley Café
- Fresh Tracks Java Hut
- Trails End Bar
- Philly Grill
- Giuseppe Pizza
- Tubing Café
- Brew House
- Ray’s Grill on Skis
Blue Mountain Ski Accommodation:
- Inn At Jim Thorpe
- Springhill Suites by Marriot
- Scottish Inns and Suites
- Red Carpet
- Howard Johnson
- Ramada (Allentown)
- Mahoning Inn
- Hotel Bethlehem
- VictoriaAnn Bed & Breakfast
How to Get to Blue Mountain:
- By air:
Lehigh Valley International Airport is the entry point to reach the resort. - By road:
Blue Mountain ski resort can be reached from various points like Allentown (17 miles) via Routed 145 North, Bethlehem (20 miles) and Easton (22 miles) via Route 22 West to Route 145 North, Philadelphia (75 miles) via Route 476 North to Lehigh Valley Exit 56, Trenton (75 miles) via Route 31 North to Route 78 West to Route 33 North to Route 22 West to Route 145 North.
