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!

The Olympic Torch Has Been Lit!

On October 22nd, the Olympic Torch for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games was officially lit in Olympia, Greece. Since being lit in a traditional ceremony, the torch has been exchanged between representatives of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games while traveling throughout the country of Greece. Tomorrow, October 30, the torch will leave Greece and make its way to North America and land in Victoria, British Columbia. From there, it will begin the 106-day journey across Canada in preparation for Olympic opening day on Friday, February 12, 2010.

*Image courtesy the official website for the 2010 Winter Olympics, www.vancouver2010.com.

The Olympics are a time to celebrate excitement, enthusiasm and progression in sports. It's a time to celebrate the coming together of countries and the outstanding performances of the world's best athletes. It's a time and an event that the entire world can enjoy.

With the winter sports of skiing and snowboarding both represented at the Winter Olympic Games, it's only fitting that we celebrate the Olympics here at Liberty! We'd like to celebrate with the athletes and the world by creating our own Olympic excitement and awareness at the resort. From February 12-28, we plan on holding various activities and events in conjunction with and in celebration of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. So until then, we encourage you to get a jump start on the Olympic excitement by following the interactive map of the torch's relay on the 2010 Winter Olympics website.

Before you know it, the torch's journey will end and the biggest and best celebration of sports like skiing and snowboarding will be at an all-time high! Become a fan of the Winter Olympics now! The season is not that far away...

8 weeks, 56 days, 1344 hours, 80640 minutes

That's how much time we've got left until winter officially begins. For those of you who aren't quite ready for the cold and snowy weather of winter, such numbers may make the season seem too close. But for those snow-sneeking enthusiasts out there, the season may seem far away. Too far away. So which sounds shorter? 8 weeks, 56 days, 1344 hours or 80640 minutes?

Below are a few pictures recently taken at the resort. The trees are covered in fall colors and our mountain, as well as nearby mountains, are looking gorgeous. And just think, in a few short weeks (less than 8 because we'll be making snow before winter officially arrives) our mountain could be filling up with snow.

Beautiful Boulder Ridge Lodge.

The Boulder Ridge Gazebo ready for a fall wedding.

The roadway leading up to Boulder Ridge and the backside of the mountain is breath-taking. Wouldn't mind getting lost on this road for a while, huh?

If you'd like to see some of the fall colors of Liberty, hurry up and visit. Before we know it, November will be here and the leaves will be gone.

You should also hurry if you haven't bought your 2009-10 Season Pass. For only $399, you can ski and board all season long at three mountains - Liberty, Whitetail and Roundtop. This offer is only good through October 31st so treat yourself this Halloween and buy a Season Pass Today! Check out our website for all the details. And remember, there is only 8 weeks left until winter officially arrives, but the Liberty winter season will start earlier...

Thanks for joining us!

Yesterday was our Annual Fall Festival and Customer Appreciation Picnic. Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the fall foliage, bbq lunch, live music and activities! It was great to see guests excited and ready for a new winter season!

The rain and cold that was predicted for Sunday caused us to go to "plan B" - move everything inside and cancel some activities. Even though the sun came out and temperatures warmed up, we still had a nice, cozy, fun festival inside.

New and renewing Season Pass and Advantage Card holders began gearing up for the new season by purchasing their passes and cards at Fall Fest...

Don't forget! The $399 Season Pass is on sale until October 31st. After that, the Season Pass price goes up to $599 so hurry before this great deal ends!

The retail shop was jam packed with new stuff for the upcoming season. There sure are some colorful jackets and pants included in the line-up so if you're lookin' to "strut your stuff" with a new style on the slopes this season, you may want to visit the retail shop soon!

The Boro Boogie Pickers from Waynesboro entertained with live bluegrass music. The band was great and the guests really enjoyed them! They were perfect for the Fall Fest atmosphere. Thanks Boro Boogie Pickers!

While everyone listened to the live music and enjoyed their BBQ lunch, they also enjoyed the fresh new look of the Alpine Room. What a great way to get our guests excited for the upcoming season!

Something new to this year's Fall Fest was the 2nd Annual Cannonball Chili Cookoff. Local chili enthusiasts teamed up and cooked their best chili recipes in hopes of winning the prize for best chili. For a $5 donation, guests were able to taste the chili recipes and vote for their favorites. Thanks Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg for putting this together and becoming part of our event!

It was great to see the resort dressed for fall.

It was also great to see our mountain dressed for fall. A new winter season is upon us...


Thanks again to all the guests who visited us for this year's Fall Festival event. We enjoyed seeing everyone and cannot wait to see you on the slopes for the 2009-2010 winter season!