In my opinion Montage compares very favorably with other PA ski areas. You cannot beat the weekday prices, which even include rentals if you need them. It was not crowded which was very nice. College day was a interesting time with quite the entertaining crowd. The vibe was very laid-back, unlike Blue Mountain and Camelback. The staff were friendly. There is a good layout of trails and a very nice variety, ranging from some nice and easy greens and blues, including some cool runs looping through the trees, to White Lightning, which I do believe them that it is legitimately one of the steepest slops in the east, as advertised. Now on the downside the lifts are truly by no means speedy but I think the lack of lines helps make up for it, and I don't think you really need to be in too big a hurry at Montage Mountain. If you go all the way from the top to the bottom there is a pretty long run and respectable vertical drop, but it does take a hot minute to get back up all the way to the top if you do that. Unless you are from the Scranton area it is probably a half hour or so farther than some larger ski areas but in my opinion it was worth the extra drive for a nice change of pace. Being a little farther north than some other PA areas you also may have somewhat more favorable skiing weather.