Halley's Rapid Play: Who's Watching?

Old Wives' Tales for Winter

What is an Old Wives’ Tale? According to the brilliant minds at Wikipedia, an Old Wives' Tale is a type of urban legend, similar to a proverb, which is generally passed down by old wives to a younger generation.

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll be playing the role of Old Wife. Now, listen up whippersnapper – these winter predictions are important.

Consider the acorn. It’s a nut overlooked by most… unlike almonds and pistachios, because they’re the tastiest of them all. However, this autumn season, there are thousands of beefy acorns falling all over the sidewalks and denting cars. Assuming you have a banger car insurance policy, tons of acorns with sizable girth is a good thing, as they indicate a harsh winter ahead.

Storytelling continues as we take a look at the woolly bear caterpillar. Our weather-savvy friends at the Farmer’s Almanac say, “a narrow orange band in the middle of the woolly bear caterpillar warns of heavy snow. If the stripe is fat and fuzzy, expect bitter cold.” So we’re in for cold and snowy, or bitter cold (and man-made snowy). Either way… I think it’s a win/win.

Well, that was fun. I’m going to rejoin the 21st century and check Accuweather’s long-term forecast. It shouldn't be too long before places up north like Killington and Waterville Valley start snowmaking... and if you have a Mountain Creek Season Pass, you'll get wicked good discounts. Just sayin'.

-Halley

How to 5-Pak: Use Facebook!

Fellow skiers and snowboarders can be hard to spot, so finding 4 other people to get a High Five 5-Pak might seem a little daunting.

Well, I’ve got good news for you. Our Facebook page has close to 13,800 people just dying for winter to arrive. I think you know where I’m going with this…

Head over to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MountainCreekNJ. Don’t be shy. Post a little message asking if there are 4 other lonely little souls out there in dire need of a Season Pass.

Once you find your 4 new friends, you can talk on the phone for hours and hours about when you think we’ll start snowmaking, what trails we’ll open first, what board or skis you ride… even coordinate your opening day getups.

Eh, that probably won’t happen, but you’ll be forever indebted to each other. Without those other 4 people, you wouldn’t have gotten the lowest possible price on your All-Access Season Pass. High... Five…? (Sorry, I had to.)

Just remember - If you buy your pass early, you save $100. If you buy with 4 friends, you save $40 on top of that. Yep, early birds with friends save $140.

So go out there and make some friends like it’s your first day of school. We believe in you.

-Halley

Resort Improvements: What's the deal?!

As all of you probably already know, Mountain Creek has two independent base areas located about 2 miles apart, and connected by a lift-trail network that’s known to locals for being long and slow in both directions, which can be good or bad, depending on your point of view. This summer, we decided to trade-in some 40-year-old hanging inventory in favor of more snow-time in connecting Mountain Creek South and Granite Peak with a new trail and retiring the Sojourn Double Chairlift.

The new (and as yet un-named) intermediate trail is 1 ¼ miles long, adding nearly 12 more skiable acres to the resort total. Initial clearing and cutting for the trail has begun and while we are pushing hard for completion in time for the current season, it will certainly be skiable with 100% snowmaking and lights for winter 2011-2012. In the meantime, we'll be popping out a unique fleet of shuttle buses to get you around. Once complete, this trail addition will allow you to truly ride peak-to-peak all season long. This is the first new trail expansion at Mountain Creek in more than a decade!

So what else is going on? We finished grade work on Horizon, our primary and most popular trail at Vernon Peak. The extensive cut-and-fill work will provide for more efficient snow coverage on that first-to-open top-to-bottom trail, and allow for more terrain to open faster in the critical pre-holiday period. Hi-yo.

At Mountain Creek South, park rats can expect revised park layouts, an arsenal of new features and *drum roll please*... the return of a half pipe!

The 13-foot halfpipe will be located on Bear Peak, where the core of our snowmaking firepower lives. Plus, a bit of the video-friendly lighting from the Grand Prix Superpipe will be relocated for better capture of night runs.

Our popular event venue in the Bear Base area has been rebranded as ‘The Arena.’ In keeping with this theme, we’re installing stadium quality lighting and sound system. We’re also widening the area by removing the old Magic Carpet and re-grading the land allowing for optimum snow coverage as well as more creative setups.

Well, that about covers it! Hope you’re as excited about the upcoming season as we are. The Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a “colder-than-normal” winter in the Mid-Atlantic, so we’re ready to flip the snowmaking switch as soon as possible!

-Halley

The High Five 5-Pak Explained.

Hi kids! Do you want to save big on your Mountain Creek All-Access Season Pass? Of COURSE you do. Buy your season pass in a group of 5 to save $40 a person - that's a group savings of $200! Or, you could join a boy band and ruin your life. The choice is yours.

Get your 5-Pak started at mountaincreek.com

Forever The Sickest Kids Concert at Mountain Creek

Tree City Mini Golf is hosting a fundraiser for Zachary Decker, a 4-year-old Hamburg resident battling Leukemia, on Saturday, September 11th starting at noon.

Zachary Decker

The public is encouraged to play a round on the 18-hole mini golf course for just $5 – all proceeds from the outing go to the Decker family. In conjunction with the mini golf tournament, a pop-punk concert will also take place on the grassy knoll behind the Stewart House, just a few steps away from Tree City Mini Golf.

Pop-punk band, Forever The Sickest Kids is headlining the 5 act bill - doors open at 12pm. Music starts at 12:30pm and lasts throughout the afternoon wrapping up around 6pm. Members of FTSK will be teeing off at 1pm in support of the Decker family.

Advanced concert tickets can be purchased at NY’s Finest Ice Cream and Italian Ice at 116 Route 23 North in Franklin, New Jersey. Call 973.209.9600 for directions and additional information.

Forever The Sickest Kids

About The Band:

Forever The Sickest Kids, a Dallas-based six-man group (Austin Bello, bass; Kyle Burns, drums; Jonathan Cook, vocals; Kent Garrison, keyboards; Marc Stewart, guitar and Caleb Turman, guitar) was formed in 2006. Since releasing their first full length album over a year ago, the six man band has been touring the U.S. successfully and building a fan base from the grass roots up. The past year has been a thrilling whirlwind for the band. They could be seen on the cover of Alternative Press and performing on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show. They have toured Europe and performed in Japan and even re-recorded their hit single “Whoa-Oh (Me VS. Everyone) with Disney star, Selena Gomez.

For bios, pics and other info on the band, check out: http://www.foreverthesickestkids.com/

The Countdown Has Begun. Season Passes Now On Sale.

Summer days are dwindling, kids are returning to school and leaves are starting to change – the countdown to winter has begun. With that, Mountain Creek’s annual Season Pass sale is back, featuring two new pass options and the lowest prices for the 2010-2011 winter season. Buy your season passes before the December 5th, 2010 deadline and save big!

A Mountain Creek Season Pass is the best way to make the most of the winter season, and we’ve even lowered our Youth Pass pricing for this upcoming season! Starting at just $259.99, you can ride first chair to last, seven days a week, all season long. It’s the best All-Access Season Pass value in the region. All-Access Passholders will also benefit from Freedom on the Hill perks, with Saturday and Sunday mornings reserved just for you from 8am-9am.

New this season, Mountain Creek is also introducing two new season pass products; the “High Five” 5-Pak Deal and Midweek Season Pass.

New and most exciting is the “High Five” 5-Pak Deal. Groups of 5 can score a High Five of a deal with Mountain Creek’s new 5-Pak pricing. The process is simple; gather 4 of your friends and buy your passes together in a group of 5 to save $200 per group. This deal isn’t going to last forever – the “High Five” 5-Pak goes away after December 5th, 2010. Buy now and save big.
Or choose the new Midweek Season Pass, made especially for those who prefer to avoid the busier weekend days. With the Midweek Season Pass guests can ski or ride anytime Monday through Friday, including holidays (no blackout dates!) for just $249.99.

All Season Pass holders will continue to enjoy discounts and benefits including a 15% discount on food and fountain drinks, 20% off of lodging, free ski and board check as well as steep discounts to other winter destinations like Killington Resort in Vermont and Waterville Valley in New Hampshire.

For a limited time, adult All-Access Season Passes are available at the pre-season price of just $339, or $299.99 for youth. “High Five” 5-Pak group members will obtain an All-Access Season Pass for just $299.99 for adults, $259.99 youth. Midweek Season Passes are just $249.99 for adults and $229.99 for youth.

Remember, these prices will go up after December 5th, 2010. Make sure to snag these early bird savings and choose the pass that is right for you. The countdown to winter has begun! See you on the hill.

Beer Fest at Crystal Springs

Crystal Springs hosted the 2nd annual Beer and Food Festival this past weekend. I could tell you about it, but the video speaks for itself. Enjoy.