Laurel Mountain Ski Area reopens
A group of public and private officials celebrated the official reopening of Laurel Mountain Ski and Snowboard Area in Westmoreland County on Thursday, but not all the invited guests were in the renovated lodge.
As speakers praised the results of the $6.5 million multi-year overhaul of the area by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Seven Springs Mountain Resort, 91-year-old Henry Karbowski and two of his daughters rode the new four-passenger chairlift.
Mr. Karbowski, of Moon, who learned to ski at Laurel Mountain in the 1950s when lift tickets cost $2, delighted his chairlift companion, ski patroller Jim Wojciechowski, with stories about his days and nights at the area 10 miles east of Ligonier via Route 30.
The only lifts available in those days were snowcrusted rope tows that were hard to grip and a T-bar lift. The latter, which looked like an upside-down T, fit behind the posteriors of its passengers. Skiers held on to the “stem” of the T that was attached to an overhead wire cable.
“Henry sometimes was paired on the T-bar with a much shorter person and that made for an uncomfortable ride back to the top,” Mr. Wojciechowski said. “He said our chairlift ride was more comfortable and smoother.
“He also told me how much he enjoyed weekends skiing and partying with members of the Pittsburgh Ski Club at Midway Cabin,” an aging one-story log structure located about halfway down the mountain.
“My dad had a wonderful time, thanks to [Laurel’s general manager] Chris Plummer and his staff,” said Faith Vallese, also of Moon. “My sister Judy [Karbowski] and I rode on the chairlift behind dad.” The lift was stopped to make it easier for everyone to get on and off. Their mother, Marion, 88, waited in the lodge.
While father and daughters were on the chairlift, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Seven Springs and Hidden Valley Chairman Bob Nutting spoke to approximately 100 guests about the fond memories so many of Laurel’s skiers, such as Mr. Karbowski, have with the 70acre area in Laurel Mountain State Park. The ski area had been closed for more than a decade.
“The community response to Laurel Mountain has been incredible,” said Mr. Nutting, an accomplished skier who led the first group of skiers down the steep Wildcat slope when the area “unofficially” opened on Dec. 21.
In addition to the new chairlift, Laurel’s snowmaking system was upgraded, 52 new snowguns were installed and the water storage capacity nearly doubled to 26 million gallons. Slopes and trails, served by the quad chair and a handle tow for the beginners slope, were widened, re-graded or both. The area has a vertical drop of 761 feet.
The lodge underwent a complete transformation, including new furniture and carpeting. The Laurel House Café on the upper level offers a variety of food and drinks and an impressive view of the Ligonier Valley. The lower level of the lodge features the new Wildcat Lounge.
Ms. Dunn praised the “tireless advocacy” of state park Manager Doug Finger and the persistence and perseverance of Ligonier and Jennerstown officials, Chamber of Commerce representatives, tourism bureaus, local state officials and “knots of dedicated skiers” for leading the reopening effort.
“I commend and thank you all for your support,” Ms. Dunn said. She said the reopening will “pump new vitality into area snow sports. It will bring new visitors and customers. It also helps prove that our state parks are a tremendous boon to local economies.”
Anna Weltz, public relations director of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau in Ligonier, said tourism in the Laurel Highlands “is big business with more than $1.83 billion spent annually” in Westmoreland, Somerset and Fayette counties.
“We will see visitors extending their visit by one or two more days, spending additional time shopping, dining at local restaurants and visiting other nearby attractions,” Ms. Weltz said.