Phoenix Mountain offers 800' vertical, but it sure feels like more. This is a little less vertical than at Anthony Lakes, but the pitch is more consistent. There is no long flat runout at the bottom. And Phoenix has more black trails than Anthony Lakes.
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| Phoenix Mountain ski area. There is much more out of the picture to the left. The T-bar is behind me (in the distance). The forest where the little kid took me is partially visible near the upper right edge of this picture. |
There is plenty of powder skiing and tree skiing too. I am now tired after more than a week of skiing, but I couldn't resist exploring the trees a bit.
On my very first run there, a little tyke of a kid, maybe just 8 or 9 years old, said something to me, but I didn’t quite understand him. His voice was muffled by a neck-warmer he wore over his whole face. Also, he was actually quite far from me. But he was obviously talking to me and pointing at something ahead of us but to the left. Even as he skied away in that direction, he kept saying something. I was pretty sure he wanted me to follow him so he could show me something. You know, he was at that age when they want to tell you things and explain things, because suddenly they are full of knowledge that they want to share.
So, I followed him, at a respectable distance. He looked back a couple of times. Once or twice he stopped, like he was waiting for me. But before I could ski down to him, he skied on. Eventually, he took a narrow path through some trees. It was just a shortcut that connected with another trail. My initial plan was to explore the ski area systematically by starting from the left-most trail and working my way to the right. This kid was definitely leading me along the edge of the ski area on the left side. But, after that narrow passage through the forest, I started suspecting that he is actually taking me a little out of bounds, to show me his secret stash of powder or his favorite place to ski.
To some extent, that was true. This forest is a bit remote and hidden. But I later found out that this was not really out of bounds, only a bit hidden from view. Still, I would never have gone there if the kid hadn’t encouraged me to follow him. So, he showed me a part of this mountain that I would not have discovered on my own. It helps to “make friends”. The kid eventually just disappeared somewhere. Still, it was a memorable experience.
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| These trees are just a small part of where the kid took me to. It really feels out of bounds, though it's not really.. The main part of the ski area is that white hill in the middle of the picture. |
Later, at lunchtime in the lodge, a man of approximately my age, with a gray beard, befriended me in a similar way. He ordered the same thing as I did, smoked sausage with sauerkraut, and eventually we sat down together in a crowded cafeteria and chatted. He told me he was born in 1951. He had several children, and now he came here with two of his grandsons who were participating in a kids’ ski race. He himself doesn’t ski. He tried it a long time ago, got hurt, and decided not to try it again. But his little grandkids were about the same age as the kid that took me into the forest earlier in the day.
Friendly folks, both kids and adults! I love these smaller, less well known ski areas. Nobody is in a big hurry. Everybody is relaxed and having fun. People are willing to lend a hand it you need some help. There was plenty of fresh powder here today, but none of that attitude of "No friends on powder days."
Phoenix Mountain is served by just one T-bar, but it offers some excellent terrain. And the prices are reasonable. Adults can ski here all day for $39. Seniors pay only $30. So, why would anyone want to go to places that charge $150 per day. Is the experience really 5 times better? Not for me.
Oh, by the way, those popular expensive places are also quite crowded. Meanwhile, here at Phoenix Mountain, I was here on one of the busiest Saturdays ever. Their parking lot was completely full. No room for even one additional car. Every spot was filled. And yet, I had to wait for 10 minutes or more just to catch a glimpse of someone skiing near me in order to try to get a picture of them. Most of the kids were on the race course. The rest of the mountain was as uncrowded as it gets! It really felt like I had the mountain to myself.
Here's a couple of shots of the inside of the day lodge cafeteria. Cozy and warm.
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| Notice the "Ticket Sales" sign in the upper left corner of the picture. They sell tickets at the same counter where they sell food and drinks |
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| This is pretty much the whole cafeteria.. About 4 or 5 long tables. |
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