Tag Archives: Vail Resorts

by

Smorel Mountain

Andrea and Wendy.

I am lucky, as there is nothing more warming than coming in from skiing and getting a nice hot chocolate, with or without marshmallows, from these two friendly ladies. You can also get the makings for smores and also Nature Valley granola bars to help jump start you into the rest of your day. Nothing like a chocolate buzz to fuel you as you go out and pound Wildcat for the rest of the day. But that is not the real story here. The compelling reason for this post is to tell you all what a great group of people we have at Laurel Mountain or as the ladies call it- Smorel Mountain.

Janet and I just returned from the spectacular private ski club in New York state called Holimont. Like I spoke about in my last post, the people at Holimont are so welcoming and proud of the atmosphere they have created. Janet and I both say the same atmosphere is at our Laurel Mountain. Things like the complimentary hot chocolate and treats are just part of the atmosphere, and the ladies above always give credit to Vail . But it is hard to imagine that a corporate entity a half a country away is in touch with our local mountain enough to care about hot chocolate and marshmallows for their customers. I will give Vail credit as Andrea and Wendy would have me do. But the friendliness of the people who work at Laurel is, in my mind, very regional and not necessarily tied to a corporate philosophy. The courtesy of the employees and the camaraderie of the regulars at Laurel make it a place that we love. The Smorel Mountain cart is just one of the many pleasantries that make the customer at Laurel want to come back. We need more pleasantries in our lives. Nice to get away to the mountains. Away from the stress of everyday life, the internet, and the news. Nothing like pulling into the lot, seeing your pals, clicking in and ripping down the mountain, observing the beautiful Laurel Highlands on the way back up the chairlift. And then stopping, to get………………a hot chocolate.

So, there is a lot of talk these days about Vail and how they manage our three local areas. But I tend to give them some slack as they are just getting to know the local areas which they hope will be feeder areas to their larger bases out west. Like Steve Gurtner always says, we are lucky to have Seven Springs, Laurel Mountain and Hidden Valley. Vail does it differently than the Nuttings. And they both do it differently than the Dupres. But we all know that the investments made will have to someday pay off and whether one entity does it better than another is always up for discussion, and I won’t do that here. I am here to talk about hot chocolate- courtesy of Andrea and Wendy and, oh yes, Vail.

I think the cool thing about the complimentary hot chocolate is that we all love getting a free treat. It is always kind of rewarding to receive a gift especially if it is not expected. The Smorel Mountain cart is new this year and I, for one, love to come in and partake. As much as I like to relentlessly pound Wildcat, it is a treat to come in, get my hot chocolate, and have a chat with all the wonderful people at Laurel Mountain. Ski friends are cherished ,and we really look forward to seeing them and miss them in the off season.

The Laurel Outdoor Fireplace
The view into the Ligonier Valley never gets old.

The hot chocolate is really kind of a physical metaphor for the atmosphere, the people, and the attitude of Laurel Mountain. I will miss it when the ski season ends soon. We are headed west but after that, it is over. Then I will be riding down the steps at Laurel, on my mountain bike, to the outdoor fireplace, having a seat in the Adirondack chair. I will be looking around at the empty lodge, thinking about skiing Wildcat, and about all my ski friends, and counting the days until the snow flies again. I will also be thinking of that first sip of hot chocolate and the joy of that little ritual. Thanks Andrea and Wendy, and of course Vail…. and ….thanks for reading.

Please follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com Word Press. It helps me. Thank you

by

Popping the Cork- Again

Melissa Thompson, Jaime Thompson and George Skylling.

My friends Melissa and Jaime Thompson always have a festive way to describe the start of a new ski season. They say it is “popping the cork” versus my “breaking the seal”. I like theirs better because it really captures the festive start when you see all your pals, on the slopes again, for another season in the snow. Last Friday was festive indeed when Brett Cook, the GM of Seven Springs, addressed the crowd assembled at the Polar Bear six pack. He welcomed everyone, they had a banner break which ushered in the new season and the chair lift cranked up for the first time this year. Vail did a good job with preparing things for us and even though there was limited terrain. No one really cared because what was open was primo machine- made and natural snow. It was surely nice to be making turns again after 8 long months of waiting. You see- when you are a skier, it doesn’t really matter how much is open at the beginning of the season as long as you can make a few runs. You see all your pals with whom you have skied for years. Remember the saying, you don’t quit skiing because you get old, you get old because you quit skiing.

Brett Cook welcoming the crowd on opening day
Steve Gurtner- telling us the absolute truth.

The interesting thing about Seven Springs is that most of us have skied there since we were kids and many of us now are celebrating,40 50, 60 years together on the slopes. Steve Gurtner made a poignant remark when he said, ” we are lucky to have Seven Springs.” We would not all be skiers if it were not for Seven Springs.” How true Steve, and another reminder that even though we all open up the season with laps of Wagner Bowl and some trails, it is all good. The camaraderie that we all share at the beginning of the season and the knowledge that more winter is coming. More slopes and trails open, more trips to the west and beyond for many of us, and hopefully a long nice ski season.

One of my last runs, last season at Mammoth- one of my annual stops. But the first run is always on Wagner Bowl at Seven Springs.
Porter Scott- skied with this guy for close to 55 years.
Jamie Edson- skis 78 days or so at Seven Springs and numerous trips out west. Another skiing pal for years.
John Casuccio on his new Stocklis lining up his posse for the season.
Bob Horrell – tele skier extraordinaire and Health and Safety Director for Vail at Seven Springs. Big smile on opening day.

If you are not a skier, you might not appreciate the enthusiasm for skiing in Western Pa. Or if you are only a ski trip person who scoffs at skiing locally, you might not realize that you are only skiing a week or two for the whole winter. You could be making turns locally on some pretty fine snow made by Vail at three local areas. And also- don’t think that just because it is raining, or lousy weather, or no snow on the ground locally in the city, that there is no snow in the Laurels at the ski resorts. Have faith. Oftentimes there is good skiing and people in the city and suburbs don’t even realize it.

Lower Wildcat at Laurel Mountain – managed by Vail and a wonderful challenge right here in your backyard.

Hey- most of us take our trips out west during the season or to New England, but we make use of the local slopes and areas and truly enjoy the winter. Skiing is not only the exhilaration of sliding down a snow covered slope, but it is also fun discussions on the chairlifts. “How was your summer?”, “what’s new with the family”, and other topics of conversation. You spend most of your time riding these things anyhow to get to the top. Skiing is social, with apres’ skiing being a great part of the day with a beverage or two. The discussion is the start of another season and what we all have to look forward to in the months ahead.

Steve said it right. We all would not be skiers if it were not for Seven Springs. We currently have a great opportunity right here in our own Laurel Highlands. Why not take advantage of it? I can tell you laps on Wildcat at Laurel Mountain will get you ready for any ski trip you plan, and it is great fun on a weekday or weekend morning when it is perfectly groomed.

So………..”popping the cork” last Friday meant a lot to me for many reasons. I came away glad that I made the effort and can’t wait to get out there this week as well. My 63rd season. Think snow and welcome to the season skiers!!!! Thanks for reading.

Facebook Peeps- please consider following the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains………..” Psalm 121