“You ready?” I yelled over to my friend, who is getting his tracking app ready so we can see who goes faster as I just set up mine (spoiler alert: I topped out at 52 and he topped at 54. I lost this time). It’s 10 pm, we’ve been here since about 12, and even though we keep telling each other on the lift that this one is it, it’s about our 4th “last run.” Why do we keep going down? Because you can’t resist not going again. The sheer adrenaline rush knowing that you’re so in control but your body can fly in 20 different directions and land in 20 different ways adds just enough risk to make it worth it. And it adds more than enough thrill to make you want to keep going.
“It’s just exhilarating, you know?” said freshman Carson Hill. “The pure rush of going 40, 50, even 60 miles per hour on ice that could break all your bones in a second….it sounds scary but it’s so fun.”
Hill credited the park managers for doing a good job with no snow. “We had one big storm in [like] January, and barely any more snow. They kept blowing snow and we were still able to go until the last day in late March.”
Winter sports at Blue Mountain aren’t just appreciated due to the adrenaline rush, but also the social aspect has a big effect as well.
“It’s also the people” said sophomore Sam Sterner. “Being at the top of the mountain with nobody except you and your close friends is such a cool feeling. Even when you have bad times, your friends are there to help you.” Sterner recalled a time when he was skiing late one night, he made one wrong plant with his ski and fell back in an awkward way. “My friend noticed and told me to not fall back one way or else it will tear so I didn’t and it saved me from hurting my knee really badly.”
A lot of prep goes into the mountain when the season starts. Blue Mountain has more than 50 people on the clock working in order to get the machines, parks and lifts open just in time for skiers and snowboarders a lot to slide by. Blue Mountain recently got new snow guns, which are a necessity to East coast resorts due to less snow.
Nick, who is a maintenance worker at Blue, in a video posted by the mountain, explained the snow guns used and how they work. “The guns mix air and water to create snow particles with nozzles that flow in gallons per minute.” He also explained that, “An air compressor presses on water and the fan gun compress’ air which blows the snow out.” Blue Mountain is known for their state of the art snow guns, which provide an amazing experience for those in Pennsylvania who, again, aren’t prone to seeing major snowfall consistently.
Overall, Blue Mountain has a reputation for powering through bad conditions, having an amazing atmosphere for friends, family and just winter lovers, and most importantly of all, a perfect spot for everyone to enjoy life and have fun. Blue Mountain is projected to open on Friday, November 24th with cold but sunny weather, and plenty of people to be there. Make sure to get your pass, and with that being said, catch you on the mountain!
