According to the Roundtop Mountain Resort’s updated trail map for the 2021/22 season, the main terrain park is being moved from Fife and Drum to Susquehanna. Many of us skiers and boarders who ride at Roundtop believe this is a poor decision for the following reasons:

-The park being located on Fife and Drum allows the park to be serviced by it’s own lift. If the park is moved to Susquehanna, it forces anyone riding park to use either the Ramrod or Exhibition lift. The lines for these lifts are frequently long to begin with because of racers and people skiing the trails on the eastern side of the mountain. So by adding a whole other demographic of skiers and boarders using those lifts will only make those lines longer. Often times only one of those two lifts are open at one time, so problem of longer lines would only become worse.

- Susquehanna, unlike Fife and Drum, lacks a suitable spot for park riders to gather before dropping in. Good park etiquette involves waiting your turn to drop into a feature. Since the entrance to Susquehanna is steep and and to stop on, riders may be less likely to stop and wait. This could lead to conflicts, collisions, and an overall unsafe environment.

-Susquehanna is already a high traffic area used to get to the east side of the mountain. It is the easiest option to get to that side. By adding a park there, this would again create an unsafe environment for those just traveling through at high speed. Many non park skiers enjoy Susquehanna very much, so putting a park there may make their experience worse. In contrast, Fife and Drum is not as fun of a trail for non park skiers. Susquehanna is also one of the easier blues on the mountain, and is good for beginners making the transition to intermediate skiers. By moving the park to Susquehanna, it may deter these two demographics of skiers.

Fife and Drum Park has been a staple of Roundtop Mountain Resort for many years. It has been a gathering place for park skiiers all across central Pennsylvania. I personally have made so many friends by lapping Fife and Drum Park all day. I also love the fact that you can see the whole park from the lift, and be able to watch your friends go through it. If the park is moved to Susquehanna, nobody benefits. Fife and Drum Park is what keeps me and many others coming back to the mountain, and it would be a shame to see it go.