Shawnee Mountain is investing $2 million in capital improvements for the upcoming winter season. The Pennsylvania ski area is shifting dirt around to increase the capacity of its snowmaking water supply and to add a new Beginners Area and Learning Center.

The ski area has removed over 40,000 cubic yards of earth from its 6-acre pond at the base of the mountain, while adding a new 260-foot concrete retention dam. This increases the capacity of the pond by over 500% to 12.5 million gallons, which should provide plenty of water for snowmaking operations. Much of the fill was hauled to, spread, aerated and compacted on the Little Chief and Little Brave Slopes, providing for a new Beginners Area that is larger, flatter, and wider. The ski area has also removed two older beginner chairlifts and replaced them with two new “magic carpet” lifts. To complete the new Beginners Area and Learning Center, Shawnee is installing a new lighting system and energy-efficient tower snow guns.

Additional earth dredged from the pond will be used to extend tubing park chuts by 50 feet. Shawnee has also purchased a new Piston Bully grooming machine with flex tiller and Terrain Park blade, and 600 new Elan Shaped Skis, 250 Rossignol Snowboards, and 800 pairs of Salomon Ski Boots to supplement its rental shop inventory.