Jack Frost Ski Resort

The Jack Frost Ski Resort which opened in 1972, is located in Kidder Township, Carbon County, near White Haven, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pocono region. Jack Frost Ski Resort is affiliated with Big Boulder ski area about 5 miles away and you can ski both mountains on the same lift ticket. Previously Operated by Peak Resorts, it was purchased by Vail in 2019. It offers 20 trails and a terrain park for skiing and snowboarding.[1][2]

Jack Frost Big Boulder Ski Resort main lodge

Terrain Parks (Big Boulder)

Big Boulder opened in 1947 and employee John Guresh is credit with developing the first usable snow making equipment while working there in the 1950’s. While it does have ski trails, Big Boulder is more of a snowboarders mountain. Its partner, Jack Frost is what local snowboarders call the "Skiers Mountain." The slopes of Big Boulder are much older than Jack Frost. The owners of Big Boulder built Jack Frost with a longer runs and a higher vertical drop, going down to the level of the Lehigh River, rather than up to a ridge top. Big Boulder resort has three main parks, Big Boulder Park, LOVE Park (Inspired by Philadelphia's LOVE Park a popular destination for skateboarders), and Freedom Park, on certain weekends it can have more. Especially after a competition in which they create new terrain. Unfortunately, during the 2020/21 ski season Vail made the decision to considerably reduce the number of terrain parks at Big Boulder and market the mountain as a learning hill. The change dims Big Boulder star as one of the premier East coast “park” mountains. It remains to be seen if this is a temporary covid-related change or if Vail has decided to take away what made Boulder special when compared to today’s mega resorts.

Lodges (Big Boulder)

The resort has two lodges, the main lodge, which is located at the bottom of the mountain and can be seen from the parking lot. Inside there are cafes and other services for the snowboarders/skiers. The other lodge, located at the bottom of Big Boulder Park, is called the lower lodge. The lower lodge includes an outdoor grill, a bar a pro shop, and the entire lodge is sponsored by Red Bull Energy Drink.

Ecology

Jack Frost Ski Resort

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Jack Frost Ski Resort would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Hardwood's (106) with a dominant vegetation form of Northern hardwood forest (23).[3] The plant hardiness zone is 5b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of −14.6 °F (−25.9 °C).[4] The spring bloom typically begins around April 30 and fall color usually peaks before October 11.

Big Boulder Ski Resort

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Big Boulder Ski Resort would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Hardwood (106) with a dominant vegetation form of Northern hardwood forest (23).[3] The plant hardiness zone is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of −9.4 °F (−23.0 °C).[4] The spring bloom typically begins around April 30 and fall color usually peaks before October 13.

Recreation
Ski area top of mountain

In 2006, warm weather resulted in issues for local skiers, but was able to stay open with snow reserves made in December.[5]

The resort was able to open one week earlier due to an aggressive snow season.[6]

Jack Frost is a major tourist destination and attraction in the region and has caused an influx of new home buyers. Home buyers have cited the ski resort, golf courses, and distance from New York City and Philadelphia as factors for purchasing local properties.[7]

References
  1. "Ski Resort Profile: Jack Frost Mountain, Pa". The Washington Post. 2004. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  2. "Getaway Guide: Jack Frost Mountain". CBS News Local. 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  3. "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  4. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  5. Robert Smith (2006-01-16). "No Snow in the Poconos". NPR. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  6. Peggy Lee (2013-11-14). "Jack Frost Big Boulder Gets a Jump on Ski Season". WNEP. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  7. Joe Samuel Starnes (2009-02-12). "A Poconos Village With Nature Near at Hand". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-04-10.

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