Report from Saturday, April 11
Camelback Mountain concluded its last full week of operations this weekend with bluebird days, soft conditions, and a great spring vibe. The ski resort is the only one still standing in Pennsylvania, and over the past few weeks, it has been drawing skiers and snowboarders from across the mid-Atlantic to check out what Camelback Mountain is doing this season. On April 9, the 2025-26 season officially became the longest the mountain has ever been open in its 62-year-old history. Skiing and snowboarding operations will now shift to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for as long as possible.
Jason Bays, Vice President and General Manager of Camelback Mountain Resort, made a bold declaration earlier this season when he told SnowBrains in an interview that the mountain would still be open for skiing and snowboarding until May. I ran into Bays, and he said that many critics thought this would be impossible to accomplish, that it would be too expensive, and that some even thought he was just joking around. He was not joking at all, and midway through April, Camelback Mountain was still operating with five slopes open: Nile Mile, Cliffhanger, Bactrian, Pharaoh, and Sunbowl.
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The conditions on Nile Mile and Cliffhanger are still in really good shape, with a base ranging from 24 to 80 inches. Temperatures on Saturday started in the upper 30s and hit the mid to upper 40s by afternoon. Nile Mile featured classic spring conditions with slush powder and easy turns on the intermediate trail. It’s a great run to cruise down, a mile long, and it easily drew the most crowds that day. Cliffhanger is still really bumped at the top and transitions to smaller ones in the middle of the run before mellowing out down low, where Nile Mile, Bactrain, and Cliffhanger merge. It is the most difficult trail still open at Camelback Mountain, and it wasn’t very crowded compared to the Nile Mile. The moguls are firm, but soft, and besides the top section, are not that overwhelming for an experienced bump skier or snowboarder.
Pharaoh and Bactrain might have seen their last weekend of the season. Pharaoh is at the top of Camelback Mountain that transitions into Bactrain. There were very thin, bare, slushy, and narrow spots scattered throughout both of them. However, there were sections of the runs that were still in great condition with a solid base. I personally find skiing in those conditions to be a lot of fun. Trying to find the line down the slope, dodging bare spots, and getting skinny in narrow sections of the trail is what spring skiing is all about.
Sunbowl, Camelback Mountain’s terrain park, was bumping as well. I am not a parkie, but the terrain park is visible from the two parking lots that access the Stevenson lift, which serves Nile Mile, Cliffhanger, Pharaoh, and Bactrian. That is the best place to park if you are going to ski or snowboard that part of the mountain, and it is located across the street from Alta Vida’s restaurant between Camelback Lodge and Mountain Village. The parking lot that people used to access Sunbowl was full, and I could see snowboarders and skiers pulling off tricks as they went down the park. As I said, I don’t hit terrain parks, but if I did, that’s where I would have been that day.
The best views of the day were sitting on the outside deck of Trails-End-Bar and Grille, relaxing in the warm sun, watching skiers and snowboarders come down the slopes, and listening to a live DJ. It had a great spring skiing vibe, and skiers and snowboarders carved a side hit on the skier’s right, directly in front of the outside deck, providing a lot of entertainment for everyone watching. Skiers and snowboarders were pulling off front and backflips, and all kinds of other tricks.
Spring skiing typically brings out the die-hards and the more advanced skiers and snowboarders. The GoPros and Insta360s were on full display, with many ski influencers from the Mid-Atlantic region checking out the only ski resort left open in the Mid-Atlantic region. I also met people who came as far away as Pittsburgh (5 hours) and Washington, D.C. (4 hours).
The news that Camelback Mountain is still open and planning to operate until May has also attracted many first-time and beginner skiers and snowboarders. Bays said that the mountain has taught hundreds of people to ski and snowboard this week alone. It was great to see all of them hitting the slopes and enjoying the spring skiing.
Logistically, it could be a little confusing for people who have never skied or snowboarded at Camelback Mountain. Ski passes are available both in the hotel and at the lodge at the bottom of the Sunbowl trail. There is a parking lot there. Breakfast locations for those on the mountain before 11:00 a.m. are Hemispheres, La Colombe café, and the Mountain Market, all in the main hotel. Trails-End-Pub and Grille opens for service at 11:00 a.m. For those who want a quick snack on the mountain, Camelback hands out chocolate chip cookies for skiers and snowboarders in front of the Stevenson lift.
Looking ahead to the rest of April, Camelback Mountain is going full tilt with plans to still be open on May 5 for a Cinco de Mayo party, Bays said. Next weekend, the mountain will feature its first beach party on the slopes. The “Ski Beach” will be located right out in front of the outside deck. It will feature lounge chairs, beach-themed drinks, a live DJ, cornhole, inflatable beach balls, and perhaps even palm trees, according to Bays. It’s all about creating an environment that is fun for everyone. While there are no guarantees that Camelback Mountain will make it until May 5, Bays will still try; it’s all up to Mother Nature at this point. With many ski resorts closing this past weekend, it will be interesting to see how many more skiers and snowboarders will choose to hit Camelback Mountain this upcoming weekend.
The 10-day forecast for Camelback Mountain features temperatures ranging from the low 30s to the low 80s, with a chance of rain. It will be the first time that the area has hit 80 degrees this season, but it is only forecasted for two days. This weekend’s forecast has sunny conditions on Saturday and Sunday, with a 50 percent chance of rain on Sunday. Temperatures will range from the low 40s to the low 70s.
