Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! {Liberty Mountain Resort, Carroll Valley PA}

How many inches of snow did you have at your house this morning? We've got almost a foot of natural snow here at Liberty and it's still coming down! Here's a picture to prove it:

That's over 7 inches of snow just lying on our outside tables! Add 7 inches to the already 16-24 inch base on the mountain and that equals TONS of snow, and lots of good, fresh powder!

So how much more snow are we going to get? Accuweather is predicting accummulation throughout the day until about 1am tomorrow morning. NOAA predicts totals to reach 9 to 13 inches of snow just for today. It's hard to decide which forecast predictions to follow, especially when they all say something a little different. That's when we bring in Andy Beck - Liberty's unofficial in-house meteorologist!

Andy studied Meteorology and Weather Risk Management at Penn State University and just recently joined our Liberty Hotel staff. As a ski resort, we depend very heavily on the weather so when our "trusty" forecasts are hard to believe, we pick Andy's brain to see what he thinks Mother Nature is going to bring.

This picture of Andy was taken at 4:30pm last night (Friday evening). He was patiently waiting for the first flakes to fall...

We talked with Andy last night about our first winter storm and he said "It's going to be pretty good." And by "pretty good" Andy means we're getting lots of snow. Andy believes we'll receive at least 7 to 10 inches of snow from the storm, and based on the ruler picture above, I'd say he's right so far. Andy says that tracking the storm route is key to predicting how much snow we'll receive - the closer the storm is to the coast, the more snow we'll get. Andy added that "even a 20 mile difference could mean 4 more inches of snow."

Andy is predicting the heaviest of the storm to come tonight. "We could see 1 inch per hour rates of snow fall and that's heavy", Andy shared. Can you imagine 1 inch of snow per hour on top of everything that we've already received and will receive as the day progresses? It'll be interesting to see what the rest of the storm brings us...

Thanks for taking the time to share your predictions, Andy! Stay tuned for more winter storm updates. TAKE A SNOW DAY!

The New and Improved Bakery {Liberty Mountain Resort, Carroll Valley PA}

One Liberty project that we are particularly excited about is the redesign of the Bakery. Over the summer, our Base Area Operations Team worked hard to get the Bakery tore down, rebuilt and ready for the new season.

The goal was to get the Bakery to look more like a Starbucks or a Panera. It's probably safe to say "mission accomplished." The Bakery looks totally different - the warm colors and wood accents give the area a relaxing, welcoming feel and definitely harmonize better with the Alpine Market and newly redesigned Alpine Room. We hope our guests get the feel of Starbucks or Panera as they enjoy Bakery goodies and Starbucks coffee. What do you think?

Here's a look at some before and after:

Lots of red and white!

No more red and no more white! Warm, rich colors!

Check out the new Bakery mural and display case!

Happy workers in their new Bakery.

Check out the new seating area in the Bakery! High tables have been placed along the windows so you can enjoy baked goodies, coffee and the mountainside view! This guy's got it right!

The next time you visit Liberty, make sure you pay the new Bakery a visit. It looks totally different and we like it! We hope you like it, too! ENJOY!

'Twas The Night Before Opening Day {Liberty Mountain Resort, Carroll Valley PA}

Well, folks, it's finally here. Opening Day for the 2009-2010 Winter Season officially starts TOMORROW, Saturday, December 12th. From 9am to 10pm, half the trails will be open, half the lifts will be running and snow sport enthusiasts will be jumping for joy.

We've been working very hard the past two days preparing for our big start and things are finally starting to wind down a bit. Before we close for the day and go home to rest for the new season, we'd like to share a little poem, both in honor of the winter season ahead and the Christmas holiday that is present. Enjoy!

'Twas the night before Opening Day, when all through the house

Not a Snowmonster was stirring, not even a mouse.
The skis and boards were hung by the ceiling with care
In hopes that snow sport enthusiasts would soon be there.

The (Liberty) workers were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of snow days danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ski jacket, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a short winter's nap.

When out on Liberty Mountain there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But eight tired snowmakers and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old snowmobile, so lovely and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his Mountain Team they came
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Ron! Now Rusty! Now Jason and Corey!
On Tom! On Scott! On Brad, on John!
To the top of the Alpine Patio! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

Santa sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he frove out of sight,
"Happy Opening Day to all, and to all a goodnight!"

THE SNOW IS HERE!

You asked, you waited patiently and you asked again: "Liberty Mountain, when's the snow coming?"

Well, y'all, the SNOW IS HERE! Snowmaking began on Saturday night and has been in progress since. The trails are taking shape, the mountain looks beautiful dressed in white and the season is almost here! We went outside this morning to capture a few shots of the winter beauty and new snow....

And just so it feels and looks a little more like winter, here's some more shots of the resort...

Signs are being hung...Who's hungry for Sneaky's Pizza, the Alpine Market and McKee's Tavern?

The new bathrooms are looking stellar! Some claim they are some of the most automated, touch-free bathrooms around.

You'll definitely want to check these out - touch-free hand dryers! Just stick your wet hands down the middle of the dryer and be amazed as the overwhelming power of air blows the water right off! Pretty darn cool!

The Basket Check and Locker Room areas are shaping up and getting ready for the season...

And the Admin Office is dressed for Christmas. Check out our gingerbread house made by Tracy, our Administrative Assistant. Thanks Tracy!

We'll keep you updated on snowmaking and opening day plans as things progress. The resort is definitely gearing up and almost ready for a new season, so don't worry, we'll be open as soon as possible. It's almost time to TAKE A SNOW DAY!

"Liberty Mountain, when's the snow coming?"

It's a question that's on the minds of many. The anxiousness and excitement for the start of the snow guns and a new winter season are continuing to fill our emails, phoneroom and Facebook wall. We talked about these feelings for snow and opening day in our last blog post, and the wonderment remains. Naturally, the anxiousness and excitement are still here. So again we, along with many others, ask, when is opening day?

Before we can try to answer "When is opening day?", we first need to answer "When can we make snow?" There's no opening day or winter season without snow, so we need that fluffy white stuff, and we need a lot of it!

As you all probably know, making snow depends heavily on the cold temperatures (wet bulb temperature to be exact) and the length of time such temps stick around. Cold temps could sweep the area two nights in a row, but if that's followed by a couple warm days with 50 degree temps, especially in the beginng of snowmaking stages, snowmaking opportunities are unfortunately lost. Sometimes the cold temps don't appear on the thermometer until 4 or 5 in the morning, leaving no time to produce snow before the warmer temps arrive for that day. Of course natural snow is always welcomed when trying to blanket the mountain, but is that predicted to arrive anytime soon? And more importantly, is it predicted to stick around?

"Meteorologist Madness", as they like to call it over at Accuweather, is building excitement on Accuweather.com. The meteorologists are gearing up for the snow and rain storms around the U.S. that are marking the beginning of the winter season. Meteorologist Henry Margusity posted a snow potential map for the U.S. yesterday. Here's what he's seeing for this weekend:

So is Carroll Valley and Liberty Mountain included in that little piece of blue that is brushing the southeastern corner of PA? It looks pretty darn close.

Henry Margusity also posted a video this week discussing his predictions for snow for this weekend. Towards the four minute mark of the video, he does say that the Philadelphia area could get 3 inches of snow this weekend. About 20 seconds later he says that the "snow lovers" of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. could see 1-3 inches as well. He finished his video with a few quotes - "I got a feeling the big ones are coming!", referring to the larger amounts of snow that will hit us sometime this winter season, and "Winter is here and winter is here to stay." Both are comforting remarks as we descend upon another ski season. Check out Henry's video by clicking on the picture below.

While Accuweather gives us hope that some natural snow may fall on our mountain this weekend, what are they saying about cold temperatures? Cold temps = snowmaking. Here's what Accuweather predicts for the next ten days (just click on the images to visit the website)...

That may be a lot of weather talk to digest, but it's what's on all our computer screens here at Liberty. We are just as anxious and excited about the approaching season as you are so we want to get the snow guns going soon, but when it's most beneficial to the mountain. As forecasts change, we'll be better able to predict snowmaking and an opening day sometime in the near future. Keep watching for updates and announcements at skiliberty.com.

Anxious For Snow

Christmas songs are on the radio, stores have stocked the shelves with Christmas candy and some folks have already decorated their homes with lights. The only thing that seems to be missing from our early Christmas season cheer is the fluffly white stuff. So where is the snow and when is it coming?

While Joe Bastardi predicted that the snow would be coming early and there'd be lots of it, we aren't seeing it in the forecast for our area just yet. With our snowmaking system at Liberty, however, we can make the snow appear sooner than Mother Nature. Favorable snowmaking temps are not in the forecast for this week. What about next week?

Looking ahead, Mountain Manager Ron Crozier likes what he sees in next week's forecast. Favorable snowmaking temps are predicted to hit the area which may be enough to get the snowmaking equipment ready. After that, we'll need 2-3 nights of good snowmaking and then we'll be able to get the groomers out. However, in the early stages of snowmaking, one turn of cold-to-warm temperatures could bring all snowmaking efforts to a standstill, and the snow that was already made could quickly disappear.

Since the weather forecast for next week could change drastically between now and then, it's hard to say when exactly snowmaking will begin at Liberty. With the Christmas season near full swing, it's definitely time for some snow, and we hope to get some on the mountain soon!

Read all about snowmaking - how it works and what it takes - by visiting our Snowmaking 101 page on the website.

And because posts are much better with pictures, here are some pictures of last year's snowmaking at Liberty.

Everyone wants to know...

When Liberty will be open for the 2009-2010 winter season! It's the hot question right now - "When is opening day?" Our most recent sampling of cold temperatures and early winter-like weather conditions combined with Joe Bastardi's prediction of an early, cold, snowy winter, caused quite a stir amongst the snow sport enthusiasts. It was only natural for people to begin asking the ever-popular opening day question. So when will opening day be for Liberty Mountain?

Our goal is to be open by the first weekend in December. If cold temperatures return and we're able to make snow sooner than later, the season could begin in late November. However, it's not just cold temperatures that allow snowmaking to occur. With the right combination of certain weather elements (low humidity, compressed air and others), including cold temperatures, our snow guns can get to work and start covering the mountain for the season.

Our snowmaking system can actually make 1,175 tons of snow per hour! Pretty cool, huh? There's lots of cool stuff involved in snowmaking and you can learn more about it by reading our "Snowmaking 101" page on the website. Or you can read the Baltimore Sun's most recent article about skiing and the upcoming winter season. In the article, our mountain manager Ron Crozier discusses the different elements of snowmaking and how it all works. If you need your winter/snow sport excitement fix for the day, you should definitely check it out!



Don't forget to check out our website often for more updates on the start of snowmaking and opening day for the new season. Before you know it, we'll be seeing you on the slopes!