Wish I could make it but I'm in Connecticut presently. Its very rare these days when BK has everything open. This includes the best terrain in the mid atlantic on the lower mountain including my favorite lower shortway (700 vertical, and maybe 10 feet wide). True enthusiast cant miss this rare opportunity.

tommo posted something to this extent but I heard yesterday from some guys that skied there on Friday. The word is STAY AWAY right now. The snowmaking runs are sheer ice and the glades are "open" in the sense that they took down the closed sign. I've been a victim of these BK snow reports before and having heard from these two guys, am not giving much credence to this latest one.

While I have never been to Blue Knob I have a couple comp tickets burning a hole in my parka. I keep reading that its best during certain periods. I was wondering if some of the Blue Knob veterans would speak up when the time is right and help a BK rookie out? I have read many many interesting threads on this place and my curiosity is becoming hard to contain. Many Thanks.

-Pig

If they haven't gotten/won't get any freezing rain from this past storm, early this week should be pretty good. I'd go as soon as posssible. If they did get any freezing rain, it will probably be very icy on the slopes since Blue Knob's snowmaking/grooming is inadequate.

As I've stated in numerous previous threads, just because Blue Knob opens up a trail doesn't mean it won't be pretty rocky. I have severe doubts about their current claim of a 45"-60" inch base. No matter what the snowfall amount, the black/double black glades are rock-ski only. I'd stay away from them right now. The blue glades have much better cover and you can normally tell from the top of the glade whether you want to ski it or not.

Lower Shortway, Lower Route 66 and Edgeset may be pretty good right now. They generally don't need too much cover to be skiable.

You're right on John. The lower glades are a hazard, but the lower terrain should be pretty nice. Shortway, 66, Edgeset is very unique to the mid atlantic. All narrow, and I mean very narrow, and fairly steep. Shortway is as narrow a trail as any I've skied in Vermont or New england.

I skiied with a friend from Colorado all day last Sunday 1/25. The temps stayed in the single digits all day...Brrrrr. It wasn't too bad at the bottom of the mountain, but as you started to near the top it got very very cold on the lift chairs. We saw limited grooming of existing trails with the whole mountain open. By lunch time, it was one solid sheet of ice from top to bottom. Very fast and very fun. We hit every run on the mountain and some not even marked. I broke rule # 1 - never mess with gear on a lift. My partner warned me on the lift and sure enough, I dropped a glove. There was a ski patroller on the lift behind us and he gave us permission to come back down and ski the lift chair (which was closed) back down to my glove. By the time we got to my glove we were both laughing hysterically at the spectacle of the two of us trying to negotiate a mess of powder, rocks and ice directly under the red lift chair. Everyone was screaming at us that this run was closed from their lift chairs and the louder they yelled the more we fell apart laughing. By the time we got back to my glove my hand was completely frozen. That glove sure felt good! Anyway, BK was a blast and I highly recommend it to all you adrenaline junkies. Check out Stembogen Bowl. This was really a fun run.....very Colorado. DO NOT GO TO BK UNLESS THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT GOOD SNOW. It really helps to have some snow so that you can stop your run once and a while before you reach the lift <grin>.

First time to Blue Knob today. Coverage was pretty good and was able to ski lower route 66 early on but then the snow was getting pushed off exposing grass and other bare spots. The glades off of jack rabbit had lots of snow and a decent amount of powder. Lower extrovert also had a fair amount of powder off to the left.

It was quite cold there though. Stayed between 4 and 10 in the morning and early afternoon with sustained winds of somewhere around 20mph.

I have to agree with those who have talked about the challenge of the mountain. Its definitely unlike anything else I've skied around this area and its nice to have found something with a little challenge to it. My friend called it the Mad River Glen of PA.