This review will be hard for me to do, so bear with me. Our cabin is situated 10 minutes from Elk, so in my mind, for PA skiing, Elk is the gold standard, and it would be asinine for me to drive anywhere else, especially after driving upstate from Lancaster. However, as my beloved Elk has blackout dates where they do not honor the PA Ski Passport for 4th/5th graders (SHAME ON YOU), we looked to take our family elsewhere while staying over New Years, and Montage turned out to be an incredible value... as in, if we had done what we did at Montage, it would have cost an additional $230 to ski the day at Elk. And that, my friends, is nothing to sneeze at, and is worth the consideration of driving the 35 minutes from Elk to ski Montage more frequently. Talking points? Here we go!
The Good:
1. Parking: Actually close to the ticket window and lodge. No shuttles, no bridges. Unfortunately, 4 flights of stairs...but overall, nicely close.
2. Prices: We purchased our tickets online through Ski PA Association website for $38 for adults, $21 for one of our sons. Ticket was good from 9 AM-10 PM. That's some serious skiing at a great price...about $3.50 per hour! Son #2 was free, and son #3- first time skiing- $85 for rental, ticket, and a 2-hour lesson...Elk would have been $180. We added on another afternoon group lesson for $40. Not bad.
3. Ski School: Good facilities. Rentals for ski school kids are in the ski school building, which is nice. The beginner area has its own magic carpet conveyer belt, and has good security for checking kids in/out. Instructors were informative, funny, and patient. Unfortunately, 7 kids in a beginners group was a bit much, but no avoiding that one.
4. Lodge: Nice layout. 48 picnic tables in the dining area, bathrooms near entrances for those of us in ski boots, plenty of food offerings, and a nice-looking bar/restaurant with a commanding view of the mountain. A cool wrap-around deck with multiple fire-pits allow you to enjoy the view without completely freezing.
5. Trails: A wide variety of trails kept our sons entertained today. Boys liked the terrain park, older son tried the diamonds, and I enjoyed watching him completely humbled by the double-diamond run with moguls. Gotta keep those pre-teens in a state of humility every so often!
The Bad:
1. Snow. Mother nature hasn't been kind to PA skiing, and Montage is behind the curve this year. Lots of unopened trails meant that all the skiers were condensed and the snow-cats were trying to level out two more trails during the day.
2. Bathrooms: That faux-whitish wood vinyl flooring doesn't do well with wet ski on the three longer beginner/intermediate trails. Our day at Elk two days prior revealed the same percentage open, but square foot-for-foot of made snow, Elk is bigger and has produced much more snow. The cannons were firing, however, boots. Poor choice of flooring. My ego can accept falling on an unavoidable sheet of ice lurking below a massive jump...but on a bathroom floor? No way.
The UGLY:
1. WATER. There is no place to access drinking water in this establishment. Nothing, unless you want to stick your head under a faucet in the bathroom. We brought in our own lunches, and when I went into the food court to get a few glasses of water, none of the fountain sodas had the "water" tab, and when I asked the cashier, she wanted to sell me four paper cups at $.50 apiece...yes, to fill in the bathrooms. "PSSSHHHHHH", says I, and storm off. My wife, tired of hearing the kids moan for water, goes and buys two Aquafinas and a Brisk tea for $8. PSSHH. Thievery. Unheard of. What is this, Guantanamo? Give the people water, say I. Set my people free!
The Verdict:
Tough call. For nearly $230 less, I have to think long and hard, though the decision might be clearer and more logical than I want to admit. If my wallet can convince my loyalty- and it usually does- then Montage will be seen more frequently. With good snow and everything open, this would be a hard bargain to beat. However, one more visit with poor snow may cause the battle re-ignite..and there certainly won't be any free water provided to put it out!
3 Solid stars...on a return visit with better conditions, that will be bumped to a 4.
PS. These pictures of the water park in summer sure look intriguing! read more