My buddy and I took his nephew out for his very first day on the slopes.  We put him in a group lesson for an hour.  Group turned out to him alone so we tipped the instructor generously.

Per ususal, we practially had the place to ourselves.  Here's a shot at 9 AM

Slopes groomed to perfection with nary a soul around

We had sunny skies to start the the day but that quickly changed to snow.

The gladed area had decent coverage.  I dipped in once or twice to prove my skill set does not include tree skiing.

The lift lines reminded me of Ballhooter on a Saturday around noon.  NOT!!!

I've been hearing about this beer on Pittsburgh sports talk radio so I gave it a try.  Not bad at all if you like berries.

The fish and chips special was popular for the Friday Lenten lunch folks

A quick video of my buddies nephew.  Pretty damn good for his first time on skis.  I wasn't expecting him to pull away at the end.  He says he had a blast and can't wait to go again.  Mission accomplished! We have another skier!
Max's first time skiing

Nice post! Now hungry and, I don't care for fish. 

Hidden Valley: best snowmaking and grooming in the mid-Atlantic, bar none!

We didn't ski HV this winter, did Laurel instead.  Quick question:  did they add more snow making to the north summit?  I keep seeing 100% open which is odd for a few of the trails such as barracuda, outback, charger, viper..  just curious!  They had a great season and looking pristine now.

You're correct, Timothy, there was a real concerted effort on the part of HV's mountain crew this year to provide some of the finest surface conditions in the mid-Atlantic the entire season. Sadly, their efforts get little air play due to the influence of its big brother 7S, HV's modest vertical, and the bigger resorts in the South. That said, I've always thought HV skis bigger than it is, and has always benefitted from the cold temps and Northern micro-climate of the Laurel Highlands.

To answer your specific question, I've noticed over the last two seasons HV has invested in a number of new portable TechnoAlpin fan guns which they move effortlessly around the mountain, and this was certainly part of the reason much of the the North Summit has been 100% open for such a significant part of the season. Of course, the permanent TechnoAlpin installion is a key driver to HV's excellent condiditons, but they've clearly not rested on the "laurels" of that system alone (pardon the pun). Bottom line: in marginal weather conditions, the TechnoAlpin technology produces better snow volume and texture when compared to HKD and others.  HIdden Valley has taken advantage of that.  As a HV homeonwer, I can tell you that we are very grateful for the quality and consistency.

HVdad wrote:

You're correct, Timothy, there was a real concerted effort on the part of HV's mountain crew this year to provide some of the finest surface conditions in the mid-Atlantic the entire season. Sadly, their efforts get little air play due to the influence of its big brother 7S, HV's modest vertical, and the bigger resorts in the South. That said, I've always thought HV skis bigger than it is, and has always benefitted from the cold temps and Northern micro-climate of the Laurel Highlands.

To answer your specific question, I've noticed over the last two seasons HV has invested in a number of new portable TechnoAlpin fan guns which they move effortlessly around the mountain, and this was certainly part of the reason much of the the North Summit has been 100% open for such a significant part of the season. Of course, the permanent TechnoAlpin installion is a key driver to HV's excellent condiditons, but they've clearly not rested on the "laurels" of that system alone (pardon the pun). Bottom line: in marginal weather conditions, the TechnoAlpin technology produces better snow volume and texture when compared to HKD and others.  HIdden Valley has taken advantage of that.  As a HV homeonwer, I can tell you that we are very grateful for the quality and consistency.

I like the fact HV doesn't get the press 7S does.  Keeps crowds down and makes it a nice little hidden gem that many don't think about.  It's a great place to learn to ski, and great for families and a more relaxing day. I had a lot of fun days out there growing up.  It's definitely a place that is what you make it.  And we made it fun. :)