Attention Seven Springs and Laurel Mountain State Park Skiers

Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Somerset Trust (LM leaseholder) and PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (State Parks Dept.) are set to resume talks this spring. Now is the time to lobby Seven Springs. The meetings will determine if Seven Spring will operate Laurel Mountain. As many of you may know, last season Seven Springs agreed to operate Laurel Mountain State Park but decided against doing so this season.

If you are at all interested in seeing Laurel opened again I'm urging you to contact Seven Springs and tell them that you would like to see them operate Laurel. They have a proven record as a successful ski resort operator and the financial ability to develop Laurel's full skiing potential. E-Mail Seven Springs: jjones@7springs.com.

Why bother with Laurel? If you're a skiing family: The terrain naturally segregates skiers by ability the beginners aren't mixing with experts. All lifts empty near the lodge. Laurel is a ski area as opposed to a destination resort and the ambience reflects this.

If you're an expert or advanced skier Laurel has Lower Wildcat, a 28 degree expert slope with good snowmaking. That's among the steepest in the State and steep by most standards. Wildcat would wear a black diamond at any resort, east or west. Laurel's 900 foot vertical is the tallest in the region. There are over 400 acres within the boundaries of the ski area. That includes a lot of terrain suitable for ski slope development.

I'm writing this on behalf of the newly formed Linn Run and Forbes State Forest Outdoor Commission a charter member of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forest Foundation, a 501©3 non-profit corporation. It is the view of our group that Laurel Mountain's best hope lies with a resort operator of the caliber of Seven Springs.

In addition to the ski area our mission includes sustaining, improving, and advancing outdoor recreational opportunities within the State Park complex as well as the surrounding Forbes State Forest. These activities include overnight stays at rustic cabins, day hiking and picnicking, backpacking, primitive camping, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, fishing, hunting, rock climbing and equestrian trails.

If you are interested in being placed on a mailing list or in becoming a member of Linn Run State Park and Forbes State Forest Outdoor Commission please contact the manager of the Linn Run State Park / Laurel Mountain State Park, complex Doug Finger at:dfinger@state.pa.us

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