6 Ways to Have a Blast at the Slopes (When You’re Bad at Skiing)
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It’s a perfect winter day, and your friends or family wants to hit the slopes—but you don’t.
Maybe you wiped out years ago and can’t quite get over the trauma, or perhaps you’re about as coordinated as a dog in roller skates. But whatever your reason may be, just because you’re bad at skiing and snowboarding doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun. Turns out, most ski resorts offer other attractions to explore aside from snow sports—think tubing, spa services, and even a roller coaster.
Because everyone has various idea of fun, here are just a few different suggestions on how to spend your day.
Try lessons
First of all, if you’ve never skied or snowboarded before, why not try taking lessons? Every mountain resort offers ski and snowboarding lessons for beginners or those who just need a freshening up on their skills. The instructors are there to help and tend to be incredibly patient with students of every age group.
The beginner, or “bunny,” slopes students learn on are much less intimidating than the bigger routes, and remember that even after lessons are over, you can still use them. Go ahead and do that until you build enough confidence to move on. Give it a shot—you can’t say you didn’t try.
Snow tube
Maybe you find that skiing or snowboarding just isn’t for you. One activity almost every place offers is snow tubing. All you have to do is sit, hold on, and enjoy the ride. It’s like a bigger, more exciting sledding experience. Some resorts even have larger tubes for a group ride, so if the idea of flying down the hill alone makes you break out in a cold sweat, you can convince your comrades to join you.
Turns out, most ski resorts offer other attractions to explore aside from snow sports–think tubing, spa services, and even a roller coaster.
People watch
Everyone likes good people watching from time to time, and mountain resorts can have some of the best views. There are the little kids (and occasional adult) slowly going down the mountain with their skis “pizza style” (the tips of the skis point inward, creating a braking position). Those who aren’t quite experts with turning or slowing down yet, so they just throw caution to the wind and fly straight down the slopes (in the hopes that no one gets plowed down in their path), and lastly, the experienced riders who make the rest of us look bad.
Read something
There’s something incredibly calming about reading a nice book or magazine mountainside, as long as the lodge isn’t too busy. The late mornings and afternoons are usually quiet while everyone is out so you don’t have to worry about any distractions. In some resorts, there are usually plenty of different spots to settle into that are more pleasant and quiet to be. If you’re lucky, you can find a spot with a good view of the mountain.
Have a drink
Up your reading game by pairing your book with a nice glass of wine—or a Moscow Mule, depending on how much time you have to kill—since most lodges have at least one bar. Or, warm yourself up with a cup of hot chocolate, because there’s something especially magical about drinking hot chocolate mountainside.
Use your feet
Take a hike or walk somewhere!
If you don’t want to be cooped up in a lodge all day, a lot of the ski resorts in or near the Lehigh Valley are in close proximity to great hiking trails. Sure, it might be cold, but with some good hiking boots, warm clothes, and a backpack with the essentials like snacks, water, and a first aid kit, you’ll be good to go. Because some parks close in the winter, it can be hard to easily find trails to explore, so do some research beforehand.
So where can you do all of these activities? Here are just a few local mountains to check out before making the trip with your friends.
Bear Creek Mountain Resort
This charming, newly-renovated resort in Macungie is great if you’re looking for a day of pampering. Plan ahead to schedule anything from a deep tissue massage, calming facial, or a simple manicure. After that, treat yourself to a drink at The Grille and take in the great views of the mountain.
Even better, you can turn your trip into a long weekend and stay overnight to get the full resort experience. Just book early because it can be tough to get a room, especially on the weekends.
Blue Mountain Resort
With family-sized tubes (the only resort in the area that offers them) and 39 lanes over 1,000 feet long, Blue Mountain is by far one of the gnarliest places in the area to go tubing. Afterwards, duck into the Slopeside Pub and Grille for a drink and a snack. If you’re lucky, you might score a spot next to the fireplace.
Or, just fifteen minutes from Blue Mountain is Beltzville State Park, which is open during the winter months. Stop by the visitor center to see what trails are accessible.
Camelback Mountain
Aside from boasting the largest tubing park in the whole country, Camelback Mountain also has the Appalachian Express Coaster, a steel roller coaster that zips down the mountain at exciting speeds—the perfect choice if you’re the adventurous type looking for something to do that’s a little different. If that’s not enough for you, there are plenty of other indoor activities to experience at the Camelback lodge, like an indoor water park, rope course, and spa.
Jack Frost/Big Boulder
Whichever mountain your group decides to ride on, both of these neighboring destinations offer tubing, and have plenty of dining options to choose from. Because you can only eat so much, take the 10-minute trip to The Crossings Premium Outlets and catch up on some quality shopping time.