Blue Mountain Resort

The resort was opened by Ray Tuthill{{cite web | url = http://www.pennlive.com/columns/patriotnews/heck/index.ssf?/base/columnists/1229820006193830.xml&coll=1 | title = Honoring our sport's heroes | publisher = PennLive | date = 2008-12-21 | accessdate = 2009-01-30 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120223114706/http://www.pennlive.com/columns/patriotnews/heck/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fcolumnists%2F1229820006193830.xml&coll=1 | archive-date = 2012-02-23 | url-status = dead }} in 1977 as Little Gap Ski Area; he re-established it as Blue Mountain in 1989.{{Cite web|url = https://www.skibluemt.com/about-us/|title = About Us|website = Blue Mountain|access-date = 2016-03-03}}

In 2002 and 2003, Blue Mountain added two advanced runs and a teaching hill with two beginner slopes, fed by a triple chairlift and a conveyor lift. In 2006, the resort added eastern Pennsylvania's first high-speed six-pack chairlift.{{cite web|url=http://www.dcski.com/resorts/viewprofile.php?resort=BlueMountain|title=DCSki Resort Profile: Blue Mountain Ski Area|publisher=www.dcski.com|accessdate=2009-03-19}}

In 2007, Tuthill's daughter, Barbara Green, became the President and CEO of Blue Mountain.{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Jon|title=Blue Mountain Resort to be managed by Camelback operator: 'They're going to infuse it with a lot of cash'|url=https://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-blue-mountain-resort-now-under-ksl-resorts-management-20210511-cbo4u6nb2vdulaz5garu2g67qi-story.html|access-date=2021-07-28|website=mcall.com|date=11 May 2021 }}

In summer 2008, the resort implemented a $3.1 million upgrade for the 2008-2009 ski season. It included improvements to the resort's snowmaking equipment, a newly built dining facility, and the addition of a new intermediate trail between Razor's Edge and Paradise named Dreamweaver.{{cite web|url=http://www.dcski.com/articles/view_article.php?article_id=1142&mode=headlines |title=What's New for 2008: Blue Mountain Ski Area |publisher=www.dcski.com |date=2008-11-15|accessdate=2009-03-18 |last=Smith|first=M. Scott}}

In 2018, Blue Mountain partnered with the United States Luge Association and created a natural luge, for the US Luge team to evaluate Olympic Candidates.{{Cite web|last=Cunningham|first=Caroline|date=2018-01-26|title=Get a Free Luge Lesson From Retired Olympians This Weekend|url=https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2018/01/26/luge-blue-mountain-resort/|url-status=live|website=Philadelphia Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126215634/http://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2018/01/26/luge-blue-mountain-resort/|archive-date=2018-01-26|access-date=2021-07-28}}

In 2019, Blue Mountain resort expanded its RFID access. As of December 2021, snowmaking was added.{{Cite web|date=2019-11-14|title=What's New At Pennsylvania's Ski Resorts For The 2019/2020 Season|url=https://patch.com/pennsylvania/across-pa/whats-new-pennsylvanias-ski-resorts-2019-2020-season|access-date=2021-07-28|website=Across Pennsylvania, PA Patch|language=en}}

A new six-pack chair known as Main Street Express replaced the Burma and Main St Chairs in 2022, making Blue Mountain the only East Coast resort with three high speed lifts.{{cite web | url=https://www.saminfo.com/news/sam-headline-news/10073-continued-surge-in-capital-improvements | title=Continued Surge in Capital Improvements }}

File:Blue Mountain Ski Area Feb 2014.JPG

Blue Mountain has a summit elevation of {{convert|1407|ft|m}} and a vertical drop of {{convert|1087|ft|m|abbr=on}}, the largest vertical drop of any ski resort in Pennsylvania.{{cite book | last = Phillips | first = John | title = Ski and Snowboard America - Mid-Atlantic: The Complete Guide to Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross Country Skiing, Snow Tubing, and More Throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region | publisher = Globe Pequot Press | year = 2001 | location = Guilford, Connecticut | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=VckrqufkcpMC&pg=PA201 | isbn = 0-7627-0845-X }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The summit is accessed by Comet high-speed quad, 2 six-person lifts(Challenge Express and Main St Express), or Vista double chair. A beginner trail and an intermediate trail run down the outer, eastern side of the north-facing slope. Four expert runs follow the chairlifts to the bottom, and an access trail connects the summit to the western half of the resort.

One double chairlift rises up the western side of the resort, accessing mixed novice, intermediate, and expert terrain. The main resort lodge, located at the top of the mountain, is accessible by road. A dedicated beginner section adjacent to the lodge is served by a double chair and one surface lift. A beginner trail, Burma Road, connects to the beginner section at the bottom of the hill. A second lodge and the resort's snow tubing facility are also located at the bottom of the mountain near the Valley Lodge.

The resort has a total of 40 slopes. Blue Mountain has glade trails, beginner through expert, various terrain park installations, and training slopes. Blue Mountain uses RFID ticket scanners at every lift. The mountain offers 46 snow tubing trails, each over {{convert|1000|ft|||}} long.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} It was the only ski resort in Pennsylvania to offer family-size tubes which have been replaced with figure 8 tubes as well as single tubes, with both day and night snow tubing.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

There are five terrain parks, which include Terrain Run, Lower Sidewinder, Come Around Park, and Central Park. The longest trail is {{convert|6400|ft|m}} in length; the mountain has {{convert|164|acre|sqmi km2|1}} of skiable terrain. Although it receives an average of only {{convert|33|in|mm}} of natural snowfall per year, natural snow is supplemented with 100% snowmaking coverage.

The resort hosts an alpine ski race team consisting of more than 125 USSA competitors and 75 developmental competitors.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} Its ski patrol is featured in the reality series Ski Patrol.{{cite web|url=http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=3882|title=Turner Newsroom: truTV Hits the Slopes with All-Access, High-Adrenaline Rescue Series SKI PATROL|publisher=news.turner.com|date=2008-09-17|accessdate=2009-03-19}} which aired on truTV in the 2008-2009 season.

File:Blue Mountain Resort 2020.jpg

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Blue Mountain Ski Resort has a warm summer humid continental climate (Dfb). Dfb climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ {{convert|32.0|°F|1}}, at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ {{convert|50.0|°F|1}}, all months with an average mean temperature ≤ {{convert|71.6|°F|1}} and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Most summer days are slightly humid at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, and episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > {{convert|98|°F|0}}. Since 1981, the highest air temperature was {{convert|100.5|°F|1}} on 07/22/2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was {{convert|73.8|°F|1}} on 08/01/2006. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was {{convert|5.25|in|mm|0}} on September 30, 2010.

During winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is {{convert|-7.0|°F|1}}.{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=December 20, 2019|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map|archive-date=June 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618111217/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|url-status=live}} Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was {{convert|-17.9|°F|1}} on 01/21/1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values <{{convert|-19|°F|0}}. Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ {{convert|12|in|cm|0}} of snow occur once every couple of years.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| single line = Y

| location = Blue Mountain Ski Resort Sky Top Trail, Elevation {{convert|1365|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-2018

| Jan record high F = 67.4

| Feb record high F = 75.9

| Mar record high F = 84.8

| Apr record high F = 90.6

| May record high F = 92.8

| Jun record high F = 93.7

| Jul record high F = 100.5

| Aug record high F = 96.8

| Sep record high F = 94.8

| Oct record high F = 87.5

| Nov record high F = 78.3

| Dec record high F = 70.6

| year record high F = 100.5

| Jan high F = 33.9

| Feb high F = 37.5

| Mar high F = 45.2

| Apr high F = 57.9

| May high F = 68.7

| Jun high F = 76.4

| Jul high F = 80.9

| Aug high F = 79.2

| Sep high F = 72.5

| Oct high F = 60.9

| Nov high F = 49.8

| Dec high F = 38.4

| year high F = 58.5

| Jan mean F = 25.3

| Feb mean F = 28.4

| Mar mean F = 35.5

| Apr mean F = 47.5

| May mean F = 58.0

| Jun mean F = 66.4

| Jul mean F = 71.0

| Aug mean F = 69.7

| Sep mean F = 62.7

| Oct mean F = 51.4

| Nov mean F = 41.3

| Dec mean F = 30.6

| year mean F = 49.1

| Jan low F = 16.7

| Feb low F = 19.4

| Mar low F = 25.7

| Apr low F = 37.0

| May low F = 47.3

| Jun low F = 56.3

| Jul low F = 61.1

| Aug low F = 60.1

| Sep low F = 52.9

| Oct low F = 41.9

| Nov low F = 32.8

| Dec low F = 22.8

| year low F = 39.6

| Jan record low F = -17.9

| Feb record low F = -8.2

| Mar record low F = -0.6

| Apr record low F = 13.6

| May record low F = 29.3

| Jun record low F = 37.5

| Jul record low F = 43.7

| Aug record low F = 37.4

| Sep record low F = 30.3

| Oct record low F = 19.4

| Nov record low F = 6.4

| Dec record low F = -7.6

| year record low F = -17.9

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 3.34

| Feb precipitation inch = 2.85

| Mar precipitation inch = 3.69

| Apr precipitation inch = 4.00

| May precipitation inch = 4.22

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.78

| Jul precipitation inch = 4.55

| Aug precipitation inch = 4.07

| Sep precipitation inch = 4.90

| Oct precipitation inch = 4.43

| Nov precipitation inch = 3.83

| Dec precipitation inch = 3.97

| year precipitation inch = 48.63

| Jan snow inch = 16.7

| Feb snow inch = 12.0

| Mar snow inch = 12.4

| Apr snow inch = 3.0

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.1

| Nov snow inch = 3.2

| Dec snow inch = 10.0

| year snow inch = 57.3

| humidity colour = green

| Jan humidity = 70.4

| Feb humidity = 66.6

| Mar humidity = 62.6

| Apr humidity = 60.7

| May humidity = 65.2

| Jun humidity = 72.5

| Jul humidity = 71.9

| Aug humidity = 74.9

| Sep humidity = 75.7

| Oct humidity = 74.0

| Nov humidity = 71.8

| Dec humidity = 72.8

| year humidity = 70.0

| Jan dew point F = 17.0

| Feb dew point F = 18.7

| Mar dew point F = 24.0

| Apr dew point F = 34.6

| May dew point F = 46.4

| Jun dew point F = 57.3

| Jul dew point F = 61.5

| Aug dew point F = 61.4

| Sep dew point F = 54.9

| Oct dew point F = 43.4

| Nov dew point F = 32.9

| Dec dew point F = 22.9

| year dew point F = 39.7

| source = PRISM{{cite web |url=http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/|title=PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University|access-date=December 20, 2019 }}}}

According to A. W. Kuchler potential natural vegetation types, Blue Mountain Ski Resort has a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of eastern hardwood forest (23).{{cite web|url=https://databasin.org/datasets/1c7a301c8e6843f2b4fe63fdb3a9fe39|accessdate= December 20, 2019|title=U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)}} The plant hardiness zone is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of {{convert|-7.0|°F|1}}. The spring bloom typically begins around April 22, and fall color usually peaks before October 20.

{{Reflist}}

{{Pocono Mountains}}

{{Pennsylvania ski areas and resorts}}

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• [https://www.skibluemt.com/ Blue Mountain Ski Resort Official Site]

Category:1977 establishments in Pennsylvania

Category:Buildings and structures in Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Category:Geography of Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Category:Pocono Mountains

Category:Ski areas and resorts in Pennsylvania

Category:Tourist attractions in Carbon County, Pennsylvania