Spring Mountain Review: Cheap, Local, and Not for People Who Need Their Knees 😂
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This is a small mom & pop mountain usually more so open on weekends. While it’s not Blue Mountain or Mountain Creek, it’s decent to come out and learn at or try winter sports because there’s a lot less people here than anywhere else. Now will the conditions or equipment be topnotch? No. Absolutely not. You will get what you pay for in this industry, but it is an inexpensive mountain close to King of Prussia and the Philadelphia area.
Parking
Parking was kind of confusing. If you get here early, on a weekend, you have plenty of parking to choose from. The later you come, the harder it is, and sometimes you will have to park at one of the further lots and shuttle over.
It is free to park.
Rentals
My friend and I got rentals here, early during my snowboarding journey. They were lace up boots, had no instruction, and helmets were an additional cost. I believe helmets were $10. Whereas anywhere else, helmets were free. I struggled to lace up my boots as at Big SNOW I had them laced up for me with a BOA system. I managed somehow.
Snow & Slopes
Since this mountain is closer to Philadelphia than most it is also warmer. I wouldn’t say you need your warmest mountain jackets. A hoodie sufficed me. The snow wasn’t all that there, but it was decent, and the slopes were small too. If you want some local fun or a place to learn, this is great for that!
Unfortunately, the lessons I saw here were group related and I wouldn’t recommend that to any adult trying to learn. While group lessons maybe more cost effective they’re not going to give you the hands on learning and education you might need to actually pick this up. Snowboarding isn’t easy to learn, and my boyfriend who has been in the industry and has been riding for 10 years with over 20-40 days on-snow per season has said it best, “Many people don’t know how to actually ride. You can tell who’s just a casual rider. They have no skill. To really master it you have to practice not just hit features.”
Beyond this, it can be icy in some parts and the parents aren’t looking out for their kids. The kids are just having a free for all bombing the slopes, cutting everyone in their path. I blew out my knee because one kid cut my path, and as a beginner at the time, I didn’t have the skill to dodge him. The mother just stood there not doing anything nor caring about her child or myself. Therefore I had two options, either I fall on top of the child or I bail and blow out my knee. I clearly chose the latter and haven’t been back since. That is another pet peeve of mine, people not teaching their kids how to ski or ride properly. The mountain is to be shared. I see this a lot unfortunately, but on smaller mountains it’s more common.
Price
Relatively affordable if you have your own gear, but with rentals it’s not worth it. I would highly recommend going to Blue Mountain or Big SNOW instead if you’re trying to learn. Big SNOW is more giving and worth the price if you need rentals. If you have your own gear, it is inexpensive to go, but again, you have to look at it from the perspective of if you want cheap you get cheap. If you want a great time and high end experience, you’ll definitely want to go somewhere that’s like Blue Mountain, Big SNOW or Mountain Creek. They are expensive FOR A REASON because they are worth every penny.
Food
It’s edible, but think public school lunches, and not the good kind.
Gift Shop
I can’t really say anything about the gift shop as because of my experience I wasn’t too fond about getting anything to remember it by. I don’t see myself returning either.
Overall
My friend was recently telling me about a guy she’s been talking to and how he rides at this mountain frequently. I was just telling her, I would trust her going with him here because it is a small and easy enough mountain to get a start or practice on. It is then best to do all your further learning at Big SNOW, where you can progress or get better lessons or more time in. Learning to snowboard is all about repetition and practice and muscle memory. If you’re just starting out, a small mountain is enough for you.
That being said, because it’s close to KOP and Philadelphia, their season starts late and ends early.
