Boalsburg, Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania is having a great ski season, but its long-term prospects haven’t looked great in recent years due to warmer temperatures. With snowmaking being a key tool for survival, one Pennsylvania ski area has made a notable adjustment.
The Centre Daily Times reports that one Pennsylvania ski area has eliminated one of its non-skiing winter activities entirely. The 2025-26 season at Tussey Mountain has been without snow tubing for the first time in many years.
What was once known as the Tube Park has now been converted into a beginner run. Now known as the Lone Pine slope, it provides an additional beginner slope for novice skiers and riders looking for another route down the mountain.
The reasoning comes down to the ski area having limited snowmaking capabilities. Snow tubing setups require a lot of snow, so it made more sense to devote more effort to other slopes. Also, with limited terrain, adding a new slope serves the mountain’s primary users: skiers and riders.
The snow quality of the tubing slope was also a factor. Operating days were limited, and some days featured wet snow and muddy slopes. This led to a subpar customer experience and refunds.
Here’s what Arron Weyman, the Marketing Director at Tussey, said about the change to the Centre Daily Times:
“Our community has really appreciated it. We’re a small ski area with limited terrain, so any chance we can open up more skiable terrain for people is really appreciated. We’ve been open since early December, and the response has been very positive out here.”
Currently, Tussey Mountain has 12 of its 16 trails open, which includes Lone Pine.
Image/Video Credits: Tussey Mountain, Happy Valley
