The middle of winter may be a gloomy time for some people, with the bad weather bothering everyone, snow blocking the roads, and post-Christmas sadness. Things can really start looking down. However, heading to a local ski resort is one way to take the bad weather and make a good time out of it.

The drive to Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, PA, takes only one and a half hours from the Bel Air area using I-83. The road crews in Pennsylvania do a good job of keeping the roads clear so the roads stay safe to drive when winter weather hits. Therefore you can reach the resort safely.

Getting on the actual mountain is convenient as well. There is a premium parking lot near the lodge that you can pay five dollars for, though it’s free if you are a season pass holder. This allows a short walk to the lodge and slopes.

There is also an upper parking lot with free parking. While the walk is not too long, taking only two minutes, it can be a pain to try and find a spot to park on busier days.

The prices for renting and getting lift tickets are not cheap, but it is similar to other skiing activities. An all-day lift ticket on weekends and holidays will cost you 64 dollars. Getting a lift ticket and a ski or snowboard rental will cost 122 dollars total.

If you plan on going to Roundtop Mountain Resort more than a few times, you can purchase an advantage card, which will give you a 40 percent discount on all lift tickets or get a season pass. Also, bringing your own equipment helps to cut down on costs. With an advantage card and my own snowboarding gear, I paid $38.40 for an all day lift ticket.

Roundtop Mountain Resort has 17 different trails, although many of them merge into each other, and some are very short. There are four green slopes, five blue slopes, six black trails, and two double black trails, the most difficult. There is a variety for everyone, from advanced skiers and snowboarders to beginners. The trails themselves are short, so don’t expect trips downhill to last too long.

Trail conditions are obviously dependent on the weather, but the resort does a good job of keeping them groomed and in as good condition as possible.

For those looking for a fun time in the terrain park, Roundtop certainly delivers. The main terrain park has a lot of features to explore, weather permitting. When I went the day after it snowed, they had a kicker and multiple rails, boxes, and tubes set up. The lift feeding into the park can get over crowded at times, which is the only issue.

There is also a J-Bar park next to the main terrain park. It is smaller but still has a few rails and boxes in it. As an added plus, it is almost never crowded. There is a third terrain park, the bunker hill terrain park, but I have not seen any features in it this season.

As far as the lifts go, they can get crowded during busier times of the season. The largest lift, the minuteman lift, and the terrain park lift usually get the most traffic. However, the lifts that deliver riders to the black slopes are usually much less busy.

When you are done skiing, you can hang out in the lodge, get some food, and warm up for a bit. However, there is not much else to do in the lodge. The food is relatively expensive, but not outrageous. If you are not into skiing, then you can also go snow tubing, and there is even paintball in the winter.

Overall, Roundtop Mountain Resort is a great resort to visit to take advantage of the winter weather and is a good fit for the experienced skier or someone new to the sport. The lifts get a bit crowded, and the terrain parks can be empty at times but these are far from deal-breaking issues, and they will not detract from an otherwise great experience.

Cole Alban is the Online Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.