Massanutten is going to celebrate 50 years of sliding on snow this year with some pretty major upgrades.  I certainly didn't expect RFID for lift access.  Sounds like Paradice might open earlier because of the new snowguns on the upper mountain.  The terrain next to the J-bar that was removed will go back to being beginner terrain, as it was back in 1971.  Ski Patrol is getting better space.

NEW for the 2021-2022 Winter Season:

RFID Gates  

• We have partnered with Axess to provide direct to lift access for our ski guests this season. Season passes and reloadable day pass cards will be used to eliminate the need to go to the ticket window. 
• Electronic gates will be placed at each lift to allow access to the lift based on ticket type and time of day.

Snowmaking Improvements

• 50 new semi-automatic HKD low energy air water snowmakers will be placed primarily on Diamond Jim and Paradice ski trails. These new snowmakers will allow us to simultaneously  cover more of the mountain than ever before and use less energy at the same time.
• 4 automated new tower mounted Techno Alpin fan style snowmakers will also be added to the arsenal this winter. These snowmakers will be placed on the Southern Comfort trail.
• 2 new snowmaking pumps will be added to the heart of the snowmaking system to increase water pressure and give us more flexibility on where we can make snow.           

Expanded Beginner Terrain

• New 650’ SunKid conveyor lift will be replacing the J-Bar (last original lift). The new lift will service newly created beginner terrain for skiers and riders to enjoy. 
• This area will be regraded for the new lift along with snowmaking improvements.
• New LED lighting in this area and others will improve the nighttime experience and help reduce our carbon footprint.                

Mid Mountain Grill

• Adding 3 permanent rest rooms to Mid Mountain Grill.
• Expanded menu options

wgo wrote:

Great to hear about these improvements. Changes to the Mid-mountain grill and not needing to head back to the base area during the day = a much better experience. Would also love to see some terrain expansion on the upper mountain but from a business perspective M'nut is smart to focus on the beginner terrain.

 I assume that adding plumbing to the Mid-Mountain Grill also means that there will be actual kitchen facilities built too.

It was really nice to be able to count on having lunch at mid-mountain on weekends.  Clearly the idea had been planned but was pushed by the pandemic restrictions on indoor dining.  I liked doing getting lunch there when the team parents brought their grills but it was inconsistent as to whether or not they would be there.

I figured something would change on the J-bar slope when they built the features on the Lower Mass Transit last season.

As part of the 50th celebration, Massanutten is doing a daily drawing in Dec and the first half of January.  Sign up is online until Nov. 26, 2021.  I think it's possible to register once a day.  There will be 50 lift tickets given away, one each day.  Winners will be notified via email and posted on Mnut's Facebook Page.

https://www.massresort.com/about/big50giveaway/the-big-50-giveaway/

Here's a write up by Joe Stevens of his evening at the Massanutten first annual Hall of Fame dinner last Saturday.  He was the MC.  Turns out his association with Mnut goes way back because he learned to ski there as an adult.  I was among the people who enjoyed a great dinner, lots of well-produced videos, and a silent auction to benefit the ski/snowboard teams.  The combined teams include about 100 kids.

All In The Family - SkiSE Nov. 21, 2021, by Joe Stevens

Joe made the point early in his remarks that "the community makes the resort."  I appreciate the fact that there are so many people who have been working in various snowsports roles during the 15+ years that I've been skiing there.  Snowsports at Mnut has only had two leaders, Steve Showalter and Kenny Hess.  Steve hired Kenny in the 1980s.  Steve is the first to be be honored by the Massanutten Champion Award.