A couple years ago was the first time skiing at Jack Frost ski resort in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. The tickets were free thanks to the awesome folks at the Subaru who tend to give out a few such tokens of appreciation each year. That first time as Jack Frost was with an intermediate skier who could adequately handle the terrain available at the resort. It was spring, the snow surface was relatively soft and they had the “experts only” section of the mountain.
This was the perfect way to go ski Jack Frost in the Poconos! Be or ski with a beginner to intermediate skier, get free or discounted lift tickets and make sue the “experts only” section of the mountain is open.
On 12/13/08 I went back to ski Jack Frost for the first time in about 2 years. Lift tickets were full price @ $48.00 for a full day (You can ski Jack Frost in the moring and afternoon and then go ski Big Boulder in the evenig on the same ticket) and the “experts only” section of the mountain was not open.
Jack Frost had done a decent job of snomaking and the surface was better than it was at Blue Mountain Ski Resort when I skied there the weekend of 12/7/09. Thee may have been 10-15 slopes and trails open, none of which provided any challenge or varied terrain. There really just isn’t anything there for an advanced intermediate to expert skier to get excited about.
If you want a nice easy mountain to learn to ski or board in the Poconos then definitely pay a visit to Jack Frost. If you want any challenge at all in the terrain then head over to Blue Mountain, Elk Mountain, Seven Springs Mountain Resort or head out of the state and go west or North. Utah has the best powder and some of the best skiing in the world with Snowbird, Utah heing one of if not the best in the US!
Aside from the skiing, Jack Frost has a complimentary ski check, a cafeteria full of the usual over-priced resort food you will find at most places, a rental and ski shop and a good snowmaking system. For a beginner resort in PA, it is a 4 star place. If you want to ski challenging terrain, it’s a 2 star place at best.
