My Thoughts on Shawnee Mountain Ski Resort, Part I


As I mentioned before, our trip to the Poconos was ostensibly to go skiing at Shawnee Mountain.  Let me say first that I think Shawnee Mountain would be a great place to visit year-round, and I plan on heading back out there in warmer weather. Minutes from the Delaware, right near the Gap, Shawnee is surrounded by natural beauty, and the nearby town on Shawnee-on-Delaware is as rustic and quaint as you would expect.

Full disclosure time--I am by no means a good skier.  I am perfectly happy staying on the beginner and mild intermediate slopes, and will NEVER EVER ski on anything harder (unless I lose control and can't turn fast enough to avoid heading straight for the black diamond trail).  So my opinion of Shawnee or any ski mountain is based on its level of family-friendliness and amenities, not its difficulty level.

Having said that, I really liked Shawnee.  It advertises itself as being beginner-friendly, and it is.  If offers plenty of group and private lessons for young and old, and its lesson/rental packages are very reasonably priced, even on a holiday weekend.  In fact, its overall prices, especially combined with the coupons it offers, are very reasonable as well.

Shawnee has plenty of easy and moderate trails, as well as more difficult ones, but what I liked the best was the "bunny hill" or the easiest trail.  Right next to the area dedicated to ski school, the beginner slope is wide and easily accessibly by both a conveyor belt and a ski lift, so skiers can take their pick. So I could ski down the beginner slope while my kids were at their lesson, and I could watch them and warm up for skiing all at the same time.  Then, once their lesson was over, they only had to go a very short distance to hope on the conveyor belt and try out their new skills.  Nice planning and layout on Shawnee's part, and one strong reason why I would recommend Shawnee for families, especially for those with younger or beginner skiers.

Stay tuned for Part II!