Montage Mountain Ski Resort
| Montage Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Montage Mountain from the lodge area | |
| Location | Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°21′12″N 75°39′33″W / 41.3533°N 75.6592°W |
| Vertical | 1,000 ft (300 m) |
| Top elevation | 1,960 ft (600 m) |
| Base elevation | 960 ft (290 m) |
| Skiable area | 140 acres (0.57 km2) |
| Runs |
26 - 19% - beginner - 46% - intermediate  - 19% - advanced - 15% - expert |
| Longest run | 1.183 mi (1.904 km) |
| Lift system |
7 chairlifts 2 surface lifts |
| Lift capacity | 8,000/hr |
| Terrain parks | 2 |
| Snowfall | 60 in (1.5 m) |
| Snowmaking | 100% |
| Night skiing | 100% |
| Website | http://www.montagemountainresorts.com/ |
Montage Mountain is a ski area in Pennsylvania, located 8 miles from downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. It is located about 125 miles northwest of Philadelphia and New York City. There are 24 trails, 2 terrain parks, and Pennsylvania's longest snowtubing trails.[1] The mountain has a summit elevation of 1,960 feet (600 m) and a vertical drop of 1,000 feet (300 m).
History
Ownership
From 1984 to 1991, Montage Mountain was owned and run by Montage, Inc, a non-profit corporation.[2] The ski area was developed with a blend of public and private money. Public funding was provided by federal economic development funds and a county bond.[3] In 1979, the land was purchased from Pennsylvania Gas & Water Co. for $14 million. Construction began in January 1984 and was completed in time for the grand opening in December.[4]
Lackawanna County purchased the ski resort in 1991 for $14.7 million.[5]
In 2006, Lackawanna County sold the ski area to Sno Mountain, LP, a Philadelphia-based investment group, for $5.1 million.[5] The ski area was renamed Snö Mountain.[6] Sno Mountain, LP filed a Chapter 11 petition for bankruptcy in 2012, claiming upwards of $24 million in debt.[6] National Penn Bank purchased the property at auction for $4.6 million in March 2013. The original name, Montage Mountain, was restored in May 2013 when the area was sold to real estate company Jefferson-Werner for $5.1 million.[7]
Terrain
Montage opened to the public in 1984 with 7 trails and 3 fixed-grip triple chairlifts.[3] An experts-only North Face complex was opened in 1987.[8] North Face featured 1 black diamond trail (Cannonball) and 2 double-black diamond trails (Smoke and Boomer). A third double-black-diamond trail, White Lightning, was added in the late 90's. North Face is served by a fixed-grip quad chairlift.
Skiing at Montage Mountain
Montage Mountain has 24 ski and snowboard trails, including White Lightning, the 2nd steepest trail in the Eastern United States.[9] It has a mid-mountain lodge with a patio and grill. Above the lodge are beginner and intermediate slopes. Below the lodge are advanced and expert slopes. This advanced area is locally known as North Face; it features the steepest skiing in Pennsylvania.[10] Montage Mountain has two terrain parks with jumps, rails, and features ranging from beginner to expert. Montage also has a gladed ski trail.
Trails
Beginner trails (green) are the Learning Area, Limited (the bunny slope), Runaround, Easy Street, Highball, and Mainline. Intermediate trails (blue) are Spike, Switch, Whistler, Upper Runaway, Upper Fast Track, Snake, Nordic, Sidewinder, and the Glades. Advanced trails (black diamond) are Lower Fast Track, Lower Runaway, Rattler, and Cannonball. Expert trails (double-black diamond) are Smoke, Boomer and White Lightening. White Lightning is the signature slope of Montage Mountain.[10]
Mountain Statistics
Montage Mountain rises from a base elevation of 960 feet (290 m) to a peak elevation of 1,960 feet (600 m). The mountain has a vertical drop of 1,000 feet (300 m), tied for third-highest in Pennsylvania.
Lifts
- 5 fixed-grip chairlifts:
- Shuttle (triple)
- Short Haul (double)
- Iron Horse (triple)
- Long Haul (triple)
- Phoebe Snow (quad)
- One along the snow tubing tracks;
- One for beginning skiers.
Trails
The trail difficulty breakdown is:
- 35% beginner
- 30% intermediate
- 20% advanced
- 15% expert
There is also a snow tubing area.
Summer
Montage Mountain Waterpark is located on ski area grounds. It features six water attractions including a lazy river, wave pool, and water slides. Dry attractions include batting cages, beach volleyball, mini-golf, and the ZipRider (a 50 mph quad cable ride).
References
- ↑ "Montage Mountain Resorts | PA Ski Resort | Skiing Snowboarding | Pennsylvania". PA Ski Resort | Skiing Snowboarding | Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
- ↑ Devlin, Ron (September 29, 1991). "Lackawanna County May Buy Ski Resort". The Morning Call. Allentown: tronc, Inc. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
- 1 2 Walter, Claire (Nov 1985). "A Keystone State Secret". Skiing Magazine. Vol. 38 no. 3. New York, NY: Times Mirror Magazines. p. 313E. ISSN 0037-6264. OCLC 612061178.
- ↑ "Lackawanna County Convention Visitors Bureau". www.visitnepa.org. Retrieved 2016-12-22.
- 1 2 "Sno Mountain Timeline". The Times-Tribune. 19 Oct 2012. p. A8.
- 1 2 Haggerty, James (October 19, 2012), "Sno Mountain investors attempt to force company into bankruptcy", The Scranton Times-Tribune, archived from the original on February 21, 2013
- ↑ "Snö Mountain Renamed Montage Mountain Once Again". First Tracks!!. May 15, 2013.
- ↑ Rosenthal, Susan (Nov 1988). "Montage, Pennsylvania. Expert Skiing in the Poconos". SKI Magazine. Vol. 53 no. 3. New York, NY: Times Mirror Magazines, Inc. p. 42E. ISSN 0037-6159. OCLC 60652576.
- ↑ "Trail Map". Trail Map: Snö Mountain at Montage. Snö Mountain. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- 1 2 "Comparative Angle of Steep Ski Trails". Skiernet.
External links
Coordinates: 41°21′12″N 75°39′33″W / 41.3533°N 75.6592°W