Pennsylvania’s Elk Mountain Ski Resort has continued a long-standing tradition by planting nearly 1,300 new spruce trees on the mountain. The ski area has also made snowmaking improvements and widened the Susquehanna trail.

Since the 1980s, Elk has maintained an ambitious tree planting program, planting more than 13,000 trees -; most of them Norway Spruce trees. In addition to adding beauty and a New England quality to Elk Mountain, as DCSki Columnist Matthew Graham discovered during a 2006 trip to Elk, the trees help block out cold winds.

Newly-planted spruce trees line the Upper Tunkhannock trail. Over the summer of 2009, Elk Mountain planted close to 1,300 new spruce trees. Photo provided by Elk Mountain Resort.

In addition to planting trees, Elk Mountain has widened portions of the Susquehanna trail. The resort also installed additional snowmaking equipment.

Final grading occurs after a widening of the Susquehanna trail. Photo provided by Elk Mountain Resort.