swain ski center

I had never been snow tubing but always wanted to go. Well the oportunity came up, talked my grandaughter in to going and off we went to Swain ski resort. For $15 for 2 hours it was fantastic. Three paths to go down, and the best part, you don't have to walk to the top. A pulley system pulls you and your tube up to the top. Easy to get to, great exercise, and loads of fun.

I love skiing at Swain. I'm a beginner skier, and have visited Swain a couple times, and am going next week! The whole resort just has a relaxed feel to it. The people are friendly, and the prices are quite reasonable too. They offer some great beginner packages. Food is kind of expensive. When I have been it wasn't too crowded, which was nice. I went on a weekday and bought a group lesson. There wasn't anybody else for my group, so I got a private lesson for the price of a group lesson! The view from on the slopes is gorgeous, even better if there is snow falling. I will continue to ski at Swain! :) I never want to leave!

It's July, and here I am, dreaming of hitting the slopes at Swain once again. My kids began going to Swain years ago with their school club. Two winters ago they pulled my husband and myself into the sport, and now we are a family of snowboard addicts. We have season passes. I learned to board the year we didn't have much of a winter, yet Swain made snow, and we averaged going there five times a week. This past year had more natural snow (and even more snow making machines), and we had a fabulous time. I'm chomping at the bit to get back on the slopes. The ambiance of the resort is very inviting and family-friendly. I spent many hours in the coffee shop my first year, waiting for my kids after I exhausted myself learning. During the time there I was able to work thanks to the free Internet access. The staff was friendly and the food and coffee prices were fair (especially since the food is very tasty). Everyone was so kind -- even the lift operators were cheering me on as I practiced staying on my feet. It's fun to watch the people on the rails and to participate in the excitement of the races. Our family favorite days are the carnival and the slush pond at the end of the season. I also appreciate the modified equipment such as sit-skis that allow people with handicaps to enjoy the slopes. As we all know, skiing and snowboarding can be tough on the body. From head knocks and hospital runs to bandaids for blisters, the first aid staff knows what to do, and they do it in a friendly yet professional manner. We have brought family members and numerous friends in to learn to snowboard and to enjoy skiing at Swain, and every single person has asked to come back again. Season passes are affordable, lines are short to non-existent, and everyone is so friendly that going to Swain feels like we're coming home.

I wouldn’t recommend this mountain for beginners. The size and steepness of the mountain is favorable to beginners, however the conditions of the terrain are not. I’ve visited swain multiple times in hopes that they would redeem themselves. Every time I have been there the conditions were very icy, not to mention there were spots that weren’t even fully covered— undergrowth was visible and sticking out at least a foot from the ground. I am an experienced rider. I have been to various mountains, and these conditions were in my opinion unacceptable, especially for someone learning. After expressing my disappointment to the management after only 20 minutes of being there, my feelings were dismissed in a very rude manner. The manager said that they weren’t going to do anything about it because people were so-called ‘raving’ about how great the conditions were, and were supposedly raving all over Facebook. The management didn’t even express any sort of apology at the very least. They continued to lie about what people were saying. I even went as far to check their Facebook page to see the fan’s raving. There wasn’t a post in sight about these so-called excellent conditions… Its one thing to have sub-par conditions, but to lie and be rude to a customer is another. I will never go here again. I will continue to go to the other mountains in the area which have better conditions, not to mention a pleasant staff.

It was worth the trip because its cheaper, less crowded (i.e. no lines) and has a decent mom & pop kind of feel to it (i.e. fairly hospitable) as compared to other ski areas around Rochester. But the lodge was only 10 degrees warmer than the outside temp, the slopes were well above their rated levels (a steep green run with a giant jump at the end? I'm talking to you Lower Mile Sweep) and the quad chairs have a giant butt whacking vertical bar in the middle that causes the whole seat to lean to one side.....its so 1970's.We'll return if the snow is decent and we get sick of Bristol again.

I went to the bar on a Saturday night. For such a rural area, I wasn't sure to expect. However, there was a pretty good cover band there, which seemed to bring out the people, too. There was a very small charge ($5) to get in, though it was definitely worth it. I ended up staying until closing because my friends and I were having such a good time dancing and conversing with everyone. The bar itself was visually impressive with much more space than what many bars have. I didn't order anything complicated, so I can't speak on behalf of the staff's competency in that regard, but they were friendly and pretty attentive considering how busy it was that night. The dance floor was spacious and there were plenty of tables to sit at. They had a round fireplace out on the patio that was very inviting. Also a plus, the women's room was kept neat and tidy. All in all, it was a great experience.

My 3 children asked for a "Tubing Day" for their Christmas gift from their Aunt & Uncle who were in town from NC. After browsing the web, we decided Swain was the shortest drive in the car for the kiddo's, so we looked at the "Tubing" info page- it said the hours of operation for 12/27-12/30 were 10am-5pm. Since we got 8-10 inches of fresh snow in the last 2 days, there was no doubt it would be open. When we got there, we were told it wasn't open because there wasn't enough snow (are you kidding?!?!?!?) then when we asked about snow machines, the reply was that they were using them for the slopes. 3 very dissappointed children and 2 very angry parents (>_<)

I'm not an avid skier-I can say this for anyone who wants to enjoy a long graceful slope-this is the place. I will return to Swain and Ski my favorite trail-oh the memories.

I have skiied here for years. Sawin recently changed hands and for the better. So far they are getting it. They opened up the upstairs bar and it is EXCELLENT! no more trying to make a silk purse out of a cool bar. It is just that a cool bar and place to hang out. The downstairs bar has been reassigned to a coffee bar (Great idea) Always were alot of families with kids trying to get food and things and seemed to clash with the bar. This works much better. Family oriented space was needed and this is the perfect spot. Now if they just add more and keep those good ideas coming. Swain just might make it and be the sucuess it should be. Good job to the new management.

A great ski slope that is always trying their best.

As a snowboarder, this place is okay. I think it is more geared towards skiiers. The slopes have always been icy when I went. It's a good hill, just not my favorite.

We decided to introduce our 11 year old son to skiing. It was an anxiety producing situation! We didn't want him to be overwhelmed by an insanely busy slope. We decided to go to Swain and signed him up for a lesson. We dropped him at the bunny hill and my husband and I headed up the mountain to ski. The slopes were outstanding in every way. The conditions were perfect and we had a truly memorable and great time. When we retrieved our son, an hour and a half later, he was safely skiing down a main hill. He had not wanted to go skiing, but after one lesson he couldn't get enough. At the end of the evening he did not want to leave. He is completely in love with skiing. Can't say enough about how positive this experience was! The staff at Swain was incredibly friendly, welcoming and good to us. My son's instructor, Kelly, was EXCEEDINGLY awesome!! We can't wait to go back!!