JIM: Hey, folks, Jim Hamill here and I've got Lori Phillips, the GM of Ski Big Bear with us here. And we're back for a little chairlift chat here at Ski Big Bear. This is at Masthope Mountain. So in order to get on the chairlift behind us. Laurie, go. Go down the mountain.

Lori: That's right. Here at Ski Big Bear, what's called an upside down mountain. But what's great about that is everybody gets the view. No matter what level skier you are, you get to the top of the mountain and across the way we see the Catskills and New York State. So it's a beautiful view.

JIM: It is. And here we are getting into the season and we want to have a little chairlift chat with Lori and some other folks here on the mountain. So come along for chairlift chats on PTN.

LORI: Welcome to the Thundercloud Chair.

JIM: So you guys have the chairlifts. You also have the magic carpets here at Sea Big Bear. What's the importance of those, especially when it comes to beginners overall?

LORI: So Magic Carpet is like a moving sidewalk for the snow. And we've all been on moving sidewalks at airports. And basically what happens is with your skis, you scoot onto that magic carpet and it gets you to the top without you having to let your feet leave the ground, so to speak. You head up and when you get to the top, the magic carpet kind of gently pushes you off onto the snow. And it makes that first day of skiing that much easier. It takes out some of the intimidation of a of a chairlift ride.

JIM: This is Chairlift Chats. And so we're not only just talking about what Ski Big Bear has to offer here in Pike County, you know, very close to the Lackawaxen River, you know, all the different trails and the different amenities. But also, what is it that you love about skiing here in the Poconos? You've done it for how many years?

LORI: Oh, way too long. I of say that now, but it's a great activity for families. I just had a week last week where my nieces and nephews came up to visit. My great nieces got out on the snow this year and it's just a multigenerational activity. You get your family on a chair. We're not really on devices. We're talking to each other. We're talking about that run we just had. We're remembering past great snow days that we've had. And it's a it's a good opportunity to reconnect with friends and family no matter how well you ski or ride when you get out on the snow, you're playing. And playing is what brings you to life. We all need more play in our lives.

JIM: Lori Phillips of Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain, thanks for joining us here on Chairlift Chats is the first one that we're really going to put out on Pocono Mountains Magazine. So thanks for being the inaugural run.

LORI: Thanks for coming up to see us. We're always glad to have you.

JIM: I’m next to kind of a big deal, Mark Absalom. This guy is an award winner, a veteran ski instructor here in the Pocono Mountains. Mark, thanks for joining us here in Chairlift Chats. You've been here for a long while doing this. Does it ever get old for you?

MARK: Never gets old, Jim. I just love it. It actually keeps me young.

You can catch Chairlift Chats in its entirety on Pocono Mountains Podcast and Pocono Television Network.