According to Whitetail's snow report, Exhibition at Whitetail is "open" today. I... guess you can sort of ski down it? They left it ungroomed to leave natural terrain features, such as rocks, mud, and pieces of skis left behind by previous skiers attempting to ski it.
Local resorts have done a valiant job pushing their snow bases through a warm, snowless February, but I'm not sure there's going to be much skiing past this weekend.
The top of Laurel Mountain. Say it ain't so, Joe! We got to hold on for that one big spring blizzard.
Scott wrote:
According to Whitetail's snow report, Exhibition at Whitetail is "open" today.
I took one run down that yesterday.
I was desperate to ski late afternoon after doing nothing but eating/drinking all weekend. Got out late as the mid-day slush started to harden up. It was like choppy waves, not to mention the narrow and thin snowpack. It was not what I was seeking really. Left after 3 runs, possibly my shortest session ever.
Way down here, Beech Mountani looks surprisingly good today - from their webcam a few minutes ago....
Massanutten closed for March 1 and March 2. I'd guess they plan to make snow in order to get in the last weekend that were originally scheduled for regular season rates. They reduced the rates to late season rates as of 26Feb. Sunday, March 5 is Scout Day with a $55 package for lift ticket, rental, and lesson. Night sessions ended soon after Pres. Day.
Wintergreen opened on March 1 for the morning only. Expected to have to shut down when the thunderstorms start rolling through. Planning "limited snowmaking" later this week. Done with tubing for the season. No night sessions.
Temps in the 20s predicted for Thu, Fri, and Sat nights. With the possibility of a little snow as the front pushes through!
Laurel, HV, and 7S still running. The Springs stayed open midweek. How much more after this weekend is anybody's guess.
Whitetail just announced the closure. Liberty closed couple days back.
Interesting times. These are the same conversations we would be having later except there seems to be a time warp, it's april in march.
I will be at Snowshoe this weekend, enjoying the raised platform of carefully formed continuous snow cone. What happens if you fall off the four foot edge of ball hooter to the early spring grass below?... I may find out
Anyway it's all good. It's a brave new world with so much fun to be had.
Scott, this amused me so much... ascerbic, funny and thanks for the smile:
They left it ungroomed to leave natural terrain features, such as rocks, mud, and pieces of skis left behind by previous skiers attempting to ski it.
This is the saddest year I can remember for east coast skiing. I hope some of our local slopes don't end up in the "Lost Ski Areas" on this site in the near future.
Betting Appalachian is the last to close. I will probably make a day trip there on the 11th if they are still open.
Laurel Hill Crazie wrote:
Laurel, HV, and 7S still running. The Springs stayed open midweek. How much more after this weekend is anybody's guess.
Seven Springs has a Pennsylvania Alpine Racing Association event this weekend (U14 State Championships), though the program so said event is modified as the backside of the mountain doesn't have sufficient snow to run their speed event training. Avalanche is apparently in decent enough shape to run GS and slalom.
songfta wrote:
Laurel Hill Crazie wrote:
Laurel, HV, and 7S still running. The Springs stayed open midweek. How much more after this weekend is anybody's guess.
Seven Springs has a Pennsylvania Alpine Racing Association event this weekend (U14 State Championships), though the program so said event is modified as the backside of the mountain doesn't have sufficient snow to run their speed event training. Avalanche is apparently in decent enough shape to run GS and slalom.
This last Monday the North Face was in good shape, Avalanche too. Avalanche is where races are usually held.
I checked the Applachain website last night. They have the USSA Boarder/Skier X championships scheduled there on the 11th. I'll try to go catch some of that if it goes down..
Whitetail closing Sunday. I called Roundtop and they said they were taking it day by day and may try to stay open another week.
RodneyBD wrote:
Whitetail closing Sunday. I called Roundtop and they said they were taking it day by day and may try to stay open another week.
No, go on Whitetail for Sunday. They closed down shop yesterday after the rain storm.
Yikes! Thanks for update. I just checked Roundtop's website and it says they will blow snow Friday and Sat night, so a sliver of good news...
10:00 PM and the guns are a blazing at 7S/HV/LM along with a serious snow squal. Looks like there could be some decent local skiing this weekend.
Timberline has been making snow since I got here Thursday eve.
at least it will end with some fresh powder! Tline will probably make it another week. Canaan ski area's last day is this Sunday I hear.
That is disappionting to hear. I hope they decide to stay open through the 12th.
chaga wrote:
Canaan ski area's last day is this Sunday I hear.
Big Kudos to Roundtop. Really good conditions all weekend, and they're blowing again this morning. Roundtop was not high on our radar last week as I thought we'd go further afield to Canaan or the Laurels. The guns were on each day over the weekend until afternoon and the snow was excellent.
Really long rental line even after lunch and pretty crowded overall - hope mgmt thinks it was worth it. People certainly did their part and showed up
I went both days. Best condition I've had in two years. Lift line wait was minimal before lunch. And crowded after 1PM. Saturday a guy next to me on the lift told me he waited 2.5 hours for rental.
Agreed. The snow was really good all day. Funny what you were saying about the crowd being big. A snowboarder that I was talking to on the lift said that he was there all of the time and yesterday was the busiest that he had seen it all year. I kind of laughed because the longest lift line that we were in all day was maybe 5 minutes, and that was for the Minuteman lift. The other 2 lifts you could ski right up to most of the day.
I'm not sure how much money they made, though. It seemed to me that a bunch of folks were usual Whitetail/Liberty customers, so Roundtop wasn't making any money on selling lift tickets to them.
ksampson3 wrote:
I'm not sure how much money they made, though. It seemed to me that a bunch of folks were usual Whitetail/Liberty customers, so Roundtop wasn't making any money on selling lift tickets to them.
Did you mean a lot of folks were pass holders? Even then there would be some kind of reciprocal internal accounting to credit Roundtop?
skijw wrote:
ksampson3 wrote:
I'm not sure how much money they made, though. It seemed to me that a bunch of folks were usual Whitetail/Liberty customers, so Roundtop wasn't making any money on selling lift tickets to them.
Did you mean a lot of folks were pass holders? Even then there would be some kind of reciprocal internal accounting to credit Roundtop?
Also, if the rental waiting line was that long, there must have been a lot of paying beginner customers as well.
interestingly was talking with some folks about the same thing at Timberline this weekend....possibly best weekend of the year there. they blew snow all day fri/sat along with a little natty snow, and soft mini bumps all weekend! Sounds like Tline and Roundtop for the win!
white lightning no poler paradise:
:)
camp wrote:
Big Kudos to Roundtop. Really good conditions all weekend, and they're blowing again this morning. Roundtop was not high on our radar last week as I thought we'd go further afield to Canaan or the Laurels. The guns were on each day over the weekend until afternoon and the snow was excellent.
Really long rental line even after lunch and pretty crowded overall - hope mgmt thinks it was worth it. People certainly did their part and showed up
Looks like there is a new sheriff in town - Roundtop's new GM (who worked at Alyeska at one point!) is pretty committed to staying open, he posted this letter back a week and a half ago and has stayed the course, bravo!
https://www.facebook.com/roundtopmtn/posts/10155121464895337:0
camp wrote:
Big Kudos to Roundtop. Really good conditions all weekend, and they're blowing again this morning. Roundtop was not high on our radar last week as I thought we'd go further afield to Canaan or the Laurels. The guns were on each day over the weekend until afternoon and the snow was excellent.
Really long rental line even after lunch and pretty crowded overall - hope mgmt thinks it was worth it. People certainly did their part and showed up
Went Sunday afternoon, really pretty nice until about 5pm and then the top layer of snow was scraped down to sheet ice in the steeper areas at the top, as to be expected. I saw lots of rental skis in the lift line too. Love the vibe in the parking lot at roundtop.
Looks like they can make it to this next weekend.
Driving south thru VA next weekend and was checking the weather. There is snow predicted for Massanutten! 1-3 inches possible on Sat-Sun. With snowmaking temps possible by Friday night. Now it makes sense that Mnut plans to be open March 10-12.
fishnski wrote:
The friday storm still looks good for northern areas..the Sat nite/Sun storm keeps getting shunted down further south on each wx model run (Gfs)..gonna be a whole lot of wasted snow in southern Va And northern NC lowlands if it stays further south...come on back to ski country Lowski!
It might not be "wasted" tis far south if things shape up to deliver more than dusting around Blowing Rock. I'm looking at a day trip this weekend. Was leaning Saturday for the USSA Skier/Boarder-X event at Appalachain.. If things are looking beyond ankle deep for Sunday I might go then instead of Saturday.
