The Mid-Atlantic Gathering will be held at Laurel Mountain / Seven Springs Feb. 7 to 9, 2020.
The plan is to ski Seven Springs on Friday the 7th, and Laurel Mountain on the 8th, and the 9th is TBD for those that ski Sunday. This will avoid some of the Seven Springs crowding, which can be substantial on a Saturday. And this is weather and snow dependent of course and things may change as we get closer.
Lift Tickets and Morning Meet-ups
@LaurelHillCraze is working on possible deals for the group. So tickets and morning meet-up details are TBD.
Lodging Options
If small-town amenities and charm are your focus and for those looking for a more rounded après ski or family experience then make Ligonier your lodging choice. For those familiar with Stowe before the Spruce Peak development, the relationship between Laurel and Ligioner is likened to Stowe, the village and Mt. Mansfield, the ski area. Laurel Mountain is about 15 minutes away. Seven Springs about 40 min. drive. There is no on-slope lodging at Laurel. There are a few Airbnb and VRBO rentals available very close by in Laurel Mountain Village less than a mile from the lift with more lodging options within 20 minutes. Ligonier is a real town with several dining/watering hole options, a bowling alley/bar & grill, movie theater, a recreated fort with a year-round museum interpreting the French and Indian War.
You could also stay at Seven Springs. Seven Springs is a full-on 4 season resort with many accomodation options, inclduing a 7 story hotel at the base, and a condo/cabin village surrounding the ski slopes. The Springs (as we yinzers say) has several on-site bars including the infamous Foggy Goggle at the base, most with live music at some point in the day. There are health spas, indoor pools, hot tub rentals, kids and teen game room, boutique shops, a full-service ski shop, and dining options from very casual to fine dining. Add an extensive shuttle bus system to tie it all together. Oh, and a tubing hill. All of this right at the base - it very much feels like a resort. It dos tend to be expensive though - you pay for all that infrastructure and convenience.
Somerset, PA is another option. It's a medium sized town right off the PA turnpike, and capital seat of Somerset county. It's approximately a half hour drive from both Seven Springs and Laurel Mountain. So not all that close to either place, but it has a variety of hotels and restaurants that makes things easy.
Resort Details
Laurel has 1 new Skytrac (2016) fixed-grip quad and a rope tow. No park, no pipe. One lodge with a snack bar on the main floor and bar/ light menu restaurant downstairs. If natural snow is bountiful then Laurel offers the best expert terrain for the region short of Blue Knob. Total skiing acreage for Laurel with a thick natural coat would be less than 100 acres which include the unmarked glades that I know of. Snowmaking coverage is about 50%. It is a small, pretty well run area with good but limited snowmaking. The locals that are very friendly and happy to share the mountain with you. The featured slope is Lower Wildcat, 500 vertical feet at almost 30 degrees, and often a mix of groom and bumps... providing the steepest run in the area.
View of Lower Wildcat
The contrast between Seven Springs and Laurel is drastic. Seven Springs sprawls along a ridgeline, and has 2 hi-speed 6 packs, 3 fixed-grip quads, 5 triples, 3 magic carpets, and a rope tow. The snow making at Seven Springs is impressive, with over 1000 snow guns, guaranteeing almost everything is open as long as the weather is cold. They have 40 trails totaling about 250 acres of varying difficultly, with the "North Face" side being a bit taller and steeper. There are some trees but not much, and if there's good natural snow, Laurel is the better bet for some nice mid-A glade skiing.
View of Seven Springs Base Area
Hope to see everyone out on the slopes for the Gathering!
@LaurelHillCraze, @Coach13, @johnnyvw, @cantunamunch, @MarkP, @Philpug, @Jim Kenney, @JohnL, @kitchener, @crgildart, @Dean, @theNitza, @Johnfmh, @James, @jimmy
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