Spring Skiing in Full Effect
Spring Skiing in Full Effect
Holiday Valley to host Pond Skimming party; prepares for the Green Season
ELLICOTTVILLE - The sun is getting higher, the days are getting warmer and the snow is just right for spring skiing and riding at Holiday Valley. Spring brings out the best with picnics on the deck, crazy retro outfits and goggle tans, not to mention big soft bumps and fun carving snow on the huge amount of base on the slopes. Après ski parties crop up everywhere from the decks to the parking lots - it’s just all around fun! Holiday Valley is the perfect place to spend time with your family, and plans are to stay open through April 10th.
If you’ve never been spring skiing, you’re in for a treat. There’s plenty of deck space at Holiday Valley’s base lodges to eat lunch and have a beverage while watching the fun. Holiday Valley’s groomers will leave plenty of mogul lines for skiing in the big soft bumps on favorites like the Chute, Yodeler, Morning Star, Champagne and Falcon.
The ultimate spring event, Pond Skimming is set for Saturday, March 26th (rain or shine!). Skiers and riders will attempt to skim across an ice water filled pond without getting wet (staying dry does not usually happen!). Prizes are awarded for the best costume, the best crash, the best skim and the best kid. Plus music, mini-snowbar with beer specials, and barbecue Registration begins at 11:00am on the Champagne sundeck (Yodeler Lodge), with the Pond Skimming to kick off at 1:00pm. There is a maximum of 50 pond skimmers, so get there early to claim your spot! To expedite sign-ups, you can download the registration form ahead of time at holidayvalley.com/events. (Kids under 18 must have a parent's signature.)
HEADING INTO THE GREEN SEASON
Holiday Valley is gearing up for an exciting summer season at Sky High Adventure Park, the Double Black Diamond Golf Course and the Holiday Valley pools. At least a few holes of the golf course will open on April 9th, weather permitting. Sky High’s Aerial Park and Climbing Forest open on May 6th, weather permitting, and the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster opens on May 20th. The 3-pool complex opens for weekends on May 28th and daily starting June 13th. The always fun Mudslide Obstacle Trail Run is scheduled for June 18th.
GOLF: Come summer, Holiday Valley is robed in lush green and magnificent gardens. The 18-hole par-70 "Double Black Diamond" golf course is challenging and well maintained with breathtaking scenery from every hole. The course is a pleasing blend of a mountain and flat terrain. The relatively level front nine plays longer and is built around a series of ponds and bunkers. The back nine winds its way through the base of the mountains and provides spectacular views. The course measures 6500 yards, but plays the equivalent of a much longer course. The combination of well-watered fairways and variations in terrain extends the 18 holes and makes play more challenging.
SKY HIGH ADVENTURE PARK: Located near the Tannenbaum Lodge at the western end of Holiday Valley, Sky High offers an Aerial Park, a Climbing Forest, a Mountain Coaster and Gem Mining plus chairlift rides and mouNtain biking. Navigate a series of platforms, obstacles, bridges and ziplines built in a 5-acre section of the woods. There are 13 courses total with varying levels of difficulty. Reserve your pass online at holidayvalley.com/summer/sky-high-adventure-park/.
MUDSLIDE RUN: Yes, you’ll get muddy, yes there is running, yes there are lots of obstacles but NO fire, NO barbed wire and NO electric shocks! There are 3.5-mile and 5.4-mile options and 15 obstacles with the start at Spruce Lake on top of the mountain. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Jim Kelly’s Hunter’s Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to giving hope through education and awareness, research, and family care for Krabbe, Leukodystrophies, and Newborn Screening. Watch Holiday Valley’s social media pages; registration for this year’s Mudslide will open soon!