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Firsthand Report: Ski Roundtop
By Ed Fowler, Guest Contributor
January 8, 2008 — The day started out sunny and mild as I traveled to Pennsylvania’s Ski Roundtop. What brought me out to Ski Roundtop was the NASTAR racing course was running from 12 to 3 p.m. Nothing is more fun than being outside enjoying racing. Today was rated high on the thrill range.
The resort opened at 8 a.m. with 78% of the terrain open. The base was 12 inches plus. Two parks were open with multiple features. Conditions rated a B-. There were a few thin areas evident at 4 p.m.
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Nastar racing at Ski Roundtop. Photo provided by Ed Fowler.
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First course of business was racing. The course was already set. Due to the temperatures and a thin base, ruts and bumps were evident after the third turn. Competition Services does a great job managing the racing and they tried their best at course maintenance. The ruts add to the challenge. The team did well; 1 Gold, 2 Silvers. If you want to try racing, and you can ski or board a blue medium run, come on out and give it a try. Fee is $5 for 2 runs, or $10 for unlimited runs. Nastar runs on weekends and Friday night at Ski Roundtop, weather and conditions permitting.
Racing was completed at 3 p.m. A few of us sampled the rest of the trails. The snow was soft but fun. The surface consisted of a combination of wet packed and packed powder. After the sun went down, the temps followed and the surface became faster with no indication of any ice. No lines, no crowds. Upper and Lower Lafayette was a real nice run. If you want smaller crowds, a great place to learn skiing or snowboarding, it is worth the extra 30 minutes or less of drive time.
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About the Author
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Ed Fowler runs a night club pass program through www.skidome.org. He is captain of Zardoz Renegades Ski & Board Race Team. Contact edfowler@skidome.org for information joining the race team.
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