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Road Trips "R" Us

Road Trips “R” Us

DCSki Columnist Jim Kenney looks back on decades of ski road trips across North America, sharing stories of scenic drives, wrong turns, snowstorms, remote highways, memorable meals, unexpected discoveries, and the travel companion who helped make it all possible. From Utah and the Canadian Rockies to the Mid-Atlantic, these firsthand anecdotes reveal the rewards and risks of exploring ski country by car.
Mountain Weather

Mid-Atlantic Skiers' Forecast

Updated an hour ago

The Mid-Atlantic outlook is dry and exceptionally mild for late October, with abundant sunshine Sunday through Thursday and no natural snow or mixed precipitation expected. Lower-elevation areas near Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg reach the 60s and upper 60s, with some spots near 70. This is not a meaningful snowmaking pattern, despite a few overnight lows near or below freezing.

The higher mountains remain cooler but still warm overall. Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, and Snowshoe generally stay in the 50s during the day, while Canaan Valley Resort, Timberline, and Wisp reach the upper 50s to mid-60s. Overnight lows occasionally dip into the mid-30s, especially in the higher terrain and Poconos, but the persistent daytime warmth and dry weather provide no support for natural accumulation or sustained snowmaking. Expect mountain weather more suited to fall visits than winter operations.

Weather Fact of the Day
Snowmaking crews can sometimes improve production by cooling the water before it reaches the guns. Chilled water forms ice nuclei more readily as it atomizes, so a marginal-temperature system may produce more snow with the same air conditions -- one reason some resorts use refrigeration, cooling towers, or deep-reservoir water as part of their snowmaking strategy.
DCSki regional outlook based on National Weather Service forecasts for Mid-Atlantic ski areas.
Around the Ski World

Elsewhere on the Web

Fresh ski and snowboard stories from around the web, selected daily for DCSki readers.

Updated 19 hours ago
Links open external websites. Story summaries are generated from publicly available reporting and are refreshed once daily.
DCSki Spotlight

Explore DCSki's Lost Ski Areas

Discover ski areas that once operated across the Mid-Atlantic through DCSki's growing historical archive.

Explore Lost Ski Areas →
Martin Ski Tow
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Martin Ski Tow

Martin Ski Tow was a small mid-century ski area on Route 19 south of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, offering an open slope, a quarter-mile tow, and night skiing. A surviving business card, likely from before 1953, and a possible slope shown on a period topo map hint at its neighborhood setting in Upper St. Clair.
2 reader comments
Braddock Heights Ski Way
Braddock Heights, Maryland

Braddock Heights Ski Way

Located west of Frederick, Maryland, Braddock Heights Ski Way was a compact local hill with a T-bar, rope tow, and several short trails. Though small and snow-dependent, it introduced generations to skiing; later visitors found lift machinery, cables, and sheds still scattered through the overgrown site.
35 reader comments
Buckaloons Ski Area / Youngsville Skiways
Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Buckaloons Ski Area / Youngsville Skiways

Near Youngsville, Pennsylvania, this former ski area operated under several names, including Youngsville Skiways, Peak ’n’ Mountain, and Buckaloons. Its rope tows, chairlift, long T-bar, night skiing, and steep runs made it a beloved local gathering place before it closed in the early 1980s.
80 reader comments
Locust Lake Area
Locust Lake Village, Pennsylvania

Locust Lake Area

Aerial imagery suggests a former ski area near Locust Lake Village, Pennsylvania, with five or six trails, a lift, and a possible lodge visible in 1992. The slopes were mostly overgrown by 2018, while a separate private, volunteer-run hill nearby remains dependent on natural snow.
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