Getaway Guide: Night Skiing
The guy who wrote, "The night was made for lovers," apparently wasn't a skier or snowboarder. But nighttime on the nearby slopes literally glows. Bathed in high-tech lighting, these spots attract everyone from beginners to the after-work and after-school crowd to racers and free-stylers. Many of us are within an hour of a night skiing smorgasbord, and some can measure the drive in minutes. It's a money-saving way to slide downhill and an invigorating end to a work or school day. So, where can we go, and what's on tap when we get there? – Jay Lloyd
Spring Mountain, located near Schwenksville in Central Montgomery County, is the quickest blast from office parking lot to mountain trails, and the entire mountain is lit for night skiing and riding. Tubing is also on the menu under the lights. After 4 p.m. prices glide in at $28 to ski and ride the night away. Nightly specials can take the price of a lift tag down to $20. On Sunday nights, two or more family members ski for $20 each and rent their gear for a ten spot. See all the specials and rates here.
All 18 trails and slopes and three terrain parks are flooded in light for nighttime action, the snow sports school is open and five tubing lanes echo the sound of downhill sliders. You can ski and ride till 10 p.m. on a $34 ticket. During Family Night on Sunday, $85 scores six lift tickets for immediate family members. Check the requirements and all the rates here. And if you don't feel like driving home after a night on the hill, there's a convenient slopeside hotel just steps away.
Blue Mountain comes alive at night with racing, free-style riding, aerial antics and a lively social scene set in a pub-like atmosphere. All 39 slopes and trails along with six terrain parks and 11 tubing chutes are brilliantly lit for nighttime fun. Cruise, race or challenge the bumps anywhere on the mountain. Whether your office has a race group or if you're just coming out with friends, adult races are held on Monday nights, adult race clinics on Tuesday evenings and timed runs under the lights are on Thursdays. Night lift tickets check in at $35 on Monday through Saturday and $30 on Sunday.
Other snow sport resorts in the nearby Pocono Mountains are within 1-1/2 to 2 hours of most Delaware Valley skiers and riders. It's a bit of a stretch for work and school days, but still hot for weekends. These spots include:
Big Boulder has practically dedicated its existence to snowboarders and there's a young and energetic crowd that rides these hills day and night. Seven distinct terrain parks stud the mountain and the entire complex is lit up for night snowboarding, skiing and tubing. Seven lifts keep the traffic moving. Night snow passes are priced at $28 midweek and $32 on weekends. College students score a $15 tag on Wednesday nights. Check all the rates here.
The temperatures may drop at night, but so does the wind on Camelback Mountain, making for some of the most comfortable skiing or riding to be found. The cruising trails by night are positively tranquil. You can ski or surf in the dark on 34 trails and slopes with most of the 16 lifts operating. Forty-two chutes of snow tubing are Broadway-bright. Twilight adult tickets are valid from 3 p.m. to closing and are priced at $37. Youth tags are $34. Buy online and catch a $2 discount. The action at Camelback goes till 9 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and till 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Shawnee is a family-friendly mountain where parents ski by day and youngsters ride by night. A pair of sound system-enhanced terrain parks rock the night away while non-snow surfers can thrill their way down seven lanes of tubing. The Shawnee ski school keeps teaching under the lights, and it's actually a good time to learn, as the contour of the slopes is visually more consistent. Night lift tags are $32. If you're a senior and still skiing at age 70, the tags are on the house. Check all the rates here.
