I was going to wait until after the holidays to start a Massanutten thread since I won't be there until Jan. 5, but they got Mass Transit and Yee Ha open already!  Diamond Jim (DJ) is the only black open so far.  Snowmaking has apparently started on Lower Paradice.

It's going to be quite a fun week for folks who are at Mnut this week or next week.

Lift and Trails as of Dec. 22, 2024:

From the web cam this morning. I should have taken a picture yesterday from Mueller's mile, you could see even more of the snowmaking:

Timothy.grasso wrote:

The best approach for a long weekend is to get a multi-day ticket.  Double-check beforehand that the night sessions for all days are included in that case.  That went away for a year or two after RFID was installed but came back.  What I used to do with my daughter and her friend(s) is get to the lodge by 8:30am, ski from 9:00 to 11:30 or so, then head back to the condo for a leisurely lunch.  We'd go back after 2:30 or 3:00 and ski into the lights.  When they were older, that could mean 7:00pm or so.

Saturday morning can be less crowded as Sunday morning.  Monday will feel very empty.  People who are timeshare owners and only ski a few days a year typically get a 4-hour ticket on Saturday, sleep in on Sunday, and do something else on Monday morning after they check out.  Snow tubing is probably already sold out for MLK weekend.  Perhaps water park tickets as well.

Do you need to rent gear?  Do you know where the free cubbies are at the Mnut lodge?

FYI, I'll be a Mnut with friends for MLK weekend.

We just finished a great weekend of skiing at Bryce. My brother in-law just planned a MLK weekend (Friday - Monday) trip to Massanutten. 

Not too worried about crowds on Friday. What’s a good game plan for Saturday and Sunday? 

My 7 year old son can ski anything at this point (he can handle the blacks at Timberline, skiing properly) so I think heading up to the harder stuff will be less crowded. However, I always like to see the whole mountains, which we should be able to do on Friday. I dislike crowds so any advice for Saturday and Sunday is welcome. 

And does the 8 hour lift ticket include night skiing or is that separate cost? I know I will need some quiet to myself as my in-laws family is a lot!🤣

Thank you in advance.

The weather conditions at Massanutten leading up to Christmas week have included more than one period good for daytime snowmaking. :-)

From wunderground:

Massanutten will have a recreational 2024-25 race league on Thursday evenings for pass holders and employees.

The Creekside (Southern Comfort) quad isn't running today, Dec. 30.  From the webcam, the folks riding Peak to the summit are having a good time with spring skiing conditions.  The base is plenty deep on the top of DJ to weather a few warm days before snowmaking temps return later in the week.

A side effect of not having Creekside for beginners is that a lot more people are on the long magic carpet since Meadow got enough snow coverage to stay open.  Meadow is actually better for beginners because there isn't a double fall line.  Also steep enough for beginner boarders, which isn't the case with Southern Comfort.  Meadow is hard to see from the ski lodge, so many people who skied Mnut in the past aren't aware that the former terrain park was completely redone several years ago.  It was the original beginner trail back in the 1970s, with a J-bar.

Creekside is running as of Jan. 1.

Still warm but good spring skiing for those who are out and about this morning.

Might get cold enough for snowmaking for a few hours overnight.  Definitely expect snowmaking on Thursday night.

Snowmaking still in progress as of 10am on Jan. 2 at Massanutten. :-)

Snowguns on for the first time on No Hessitation under the Peak Express to the summit.

Got to Massanutten at lunch time on Sunday, Jan. 5.  Staying on the mountain.  Didn't start snowing until 9pm or so.  Steady snow in the middle of the night.  Fluffy enough under a layer of ice this morning on top of my car so that it was easy to clear off.  At least 5 inches outside the Mountainside Villa unit.  Good thing there was a big snow shovel with a metal edge in the unit.

Resort road is clear.  The pickup truck with a snow blade was running all during the snowstorm so nothing ever built up on the roadway.  Of course that mean clearing behind my car this morning.

We decided that the snowfall total at Mnut was probably 7-8 inches.  It was relative dense snow that had a thin ice layer on top.  There were signs at the base of the lifts warning people to stay off areas that weren't groomed.  Skiing breakable crust is not generally going to work out well.  But on the sides of trails enough boarders were cutting up the ice that it could be fun.

It was College Day ($45 for an 8-hr lift ticket).  It seemed as if the line for Peak was 5+ minutes for most of the day.  They were blasting music at the Mid-Mountain Grill.

Not a picture taking day since the upper mountain stayed in the clouds all day.  After lunch I opted to stay on the Ridge Triple after riding up Peak once.  Really no visibility at the top.

Winter scene, taken from Ridge Triple looking at Lower Showtime:

Slot was the only trail with no grooming at all

Riding up the Peak quad:

wgo wrote:

I was there with my kids yesterday. Like you say it was dense snow but still fun. Visibility from the peak was generally fine in the afternoon when we were there (we started at 2:30).

 Glad you made it to enjoy the fresh snow.

Today it was sunny and cold.  The snow surfaces were very good all over.  Slot is building bumps and had a few icy spots worth avoiding.  Showtime was the best per usual.  I enjoyed Mueller's since it softened in the sun.

Based on the skis I saw on the boardwalk around 2pm, it was clear that locals with kids out of school for a snow day were happy to get in some unexpected skiing.  There was a short line for Peak Express and Ridge Triple after lunch.

Snowmaking resumed in a few areas in the early afternoon.  This evening we could see snowguns on for Pacemaker, Upper Showtime, and Easy Street when we headed back to Mountainside Village after an early dinner at Ciro's.

A few pics from Jan. 7.  It was sunny and cold, with the wind picking up after lunch.  With local schools out, it got crowded in the afternoon.  We quit early.  There were very few people on rental gear today.

Snow surfaces were in great shape everywhere.  Bumps on Slot are forming.  Had to be careful of a few icy spots.  Snowmaking started up again.  In the early evening could see snowguns on for Pacesetter, Upper Showtime, and Easy Street from an upper parking lot.

The snowmaking yesterday during the day and last night meant every trail was re-surfaced at Massanutten.  The snowguns were on in different areas as the day went on.  Overnight the emphasis started on the lower mountain in the evening.  Must have blown the upper mountain afterwards.  Made for great conditions today, Jan. 9.  Mid-afternoon, there was actually a longer line for Peak than the base lifts.  Can tell that college classes haven't started yet.  Plus local schools were out again.  Not that many people taking lessons so the teaching area was open all day if beginners wanted to use the short magic carpets.  Don't remember seeing that before.

This evening was the first weekly Passholder hours, 5-7pm.  The Southern Comfort lift and Peak are the only lifts running.  After getting to Peak, I had a ball lapping the trails.  All were open until 6:00 when ski patrol closed off Upper Paradice.  That included No Hessitation and Slot.  With the lights, better visibility than on a cloudy day or in the late afternoon when the sun is behind the mountain.  A few bumps are growing at the top of Slot.  No Hessitation needs more snow before bumps can grow.

In general, conditions felt like good New England snow.  Not icy and only a few small slick spots on the steeper sections in the usual places.

Had a nice day up there today.  There were a few bumps on Slot, though very irregular right in the middle.  The sun sets very early on that slope which is good for snow preservation, but the light was so flat it became not terribly fun, because I couldn't see the bumps.  I was just about to call it a day when they turned the lights on, and it came alive again.

I was trying out my new skis for the second day (IDone).  It felt not that great.  If I didn't know they were some of the best skis, I would have thrown them in the trash, but I figured it had to be me.  I changed out with my old skis (Twister), and to my surprise I couldn't get back on my new skis fast enough, because they have so much more grip, and cold midatlantic days always have lots of slick spots.  It seems I just needed to get used to them.  They are far better probably than any ski I've been on, but they were so different it took a while to adjust.  I still need more time, but I see the potential.  Anyone else ever have that much trouble with new equipment?

Turns out that Jan. 9 was another College Special day.  That explains the line on Peak in the afternoon.  I have a feeling that college students who are beginners didn't show up because of the cold.  Didn't see much in the way of rental gear on the upper mountain.

That makes sense.  You were there?  I didn't see you.  Did you see me?  I was wearing a reddish orange jacket.  I imagine I'm easy to spot since I'm the only one practicing mogul type short turns, even if I'm wearing a different jacket.  I was mostly skiing down Slot with an occasional run down No Hessitation, so often visible from the lift. 

I saw a bunch of people without adequate gear for the cold.  I couldn't have lasted long if I were them, though it might explain why there were lines only during the peak afternoon temps.  Still though the line went quick, and it didn't bother me.

One lady told me the Peak Quad was going to be for passholders from 5-7, and I expected it to deny my day pass after 5, but it kept working.

marzNC wrote:

Turns out that Jan. 9 was another College Special day.  That explains the line on Peak in the afternoon.  I have a feeling that college students who are beginners didn't show up because of the cold.  Didn't see much in the way of rental gear on the upper mountain.

Does anyone know what happened to the expansion plans to build a new blue trail off the top of Lift 5? It was going to be called "Cruisin'". 

Link to map: massresort.com 

albinotuba wrote:

Does anyone know what happened to the expansion plans to build a new blue trail off the top of Lift 5? It was going to be called "Cruisin'". 

Link to map: massresort.com 

 Got an answer in the Ski Office today.  Essentially on the back burner given other priorities at the resort.  I think people who are skiing Mnut regularly would much rather have some sort of replacement lift for Creekside (above Southern Comfort).  It's running but pretty slowly these days.

With two blue trails off Peak, there isn't much reason for another blue off the Ridge Triple.  When I first saw the plan, I wondered if intermediates would get sucked into thinking MAKAttack was easy since the first section is relatively flat.

I skied the Nut years ago and went last year, and they were basically 100% open.  It really seemed like a different resort to me with the new lifts and terrain.  It was good to ski some new runs and Massanutten's great views.

I would rather see them focus on wall to wall coverage of the existing terrain, even with limited snowmaking windows, than adding to the trail count.

MarzNC, thanks for all the updates.  I appreciate them.  Perhaps I will get back down there this season and I will let you know.  

Lastrun wrote:

I skied the Nut years ago and went last year, and they were basically 100% open.  It really seemed like a different resort to me with the new lifts and terrain.  It was good to ski some new runs and Massanutten's great views.

I would rather see them focus on wall to wall coverage of the existing terrain, even with limited snowmaking windows, than adding to the trail count.

MarzNC, thanks for all the updates.  I appreciate them.  Perhaps I will get back down there this season and I will let you know.  

 You're most welcome!  I've been skiing Mnut for 20 years.  Agree that the mountain feels very different.  In the last decade, the combination of snowmaking upgrades, installing a pipeline from the valley, and installing a high-speed lift to the top that now serves 4-5 ways down made a huge difference.

I haven't stayed at Mnut for a full week for a while.  This is my annual timeshare week staying at Mountainside Villas, so I got lucky in terms of weather and snow conditions.  It's the first time I've seen a line to the summit longer than the lines at the base.  Happened in the middle of the afternoon yesterday, partially because of College Day.  The rental line was starting to get long at lunch time.  It's a Friday, and another College Day.  A College Night Ticket for 4-9pm was $35, with $25 rentals.  I left about 4:00 and it was getting busier for the night session.

By last weekend, all the trails were open, one way or another.  Only trail that's been closed the last couple days is Pacesetter as they built up huge snow piles for the terrain park jumps.  Probably trying to be open on Saturday.  This weekend is WinterFest at Mnut.  Ironically they had a walking tour scheduled for this morning at the golf course . . . just in case it was warm and not that snowy.  I have a feeling no one showed up. ;-)

The number of snow piles and snow whales is unlike what I've ever seen.  Rode up today with a gentleman who has skied Mnut 51 years.  Only missed the very first (and very short) season.  He worked in the rental shop in the 1970s.  He and his ski buddy skied from 9:00-1:30 non-stop off Peak.

Stephen wrote:

That makes sense.  You were there?  I didn't see you.  Did you see me?  I was wearing a reddish orange jacket.  I imagine I'm easy to spot since I'm the only one practicing mogul type short turns, even if I'm wearing a different jacket.  I was mostly skiing down Slot with an occasional run down No Hessitation, so often visible from the lift. 

Yesterday, I was skiing with a woman I met in the Summit Club (timeshare owner's lounge on the top floor of the lodge).  We only rode Peak once after lunch because she was getting tired.  We quit relatively early.  Plus I had something to do in the afternoon and knew I was going back in the evening.

There were a few snowmakers working on one of the stick guns.  I asked how deep the snow was on Paradice.  The answer was "Paradice is a little thin" but there is 18-30 inches.  Compared to the past before the pipeline was put in, that sounds pretty deep to me for early January.  I remember seasons when snowmaking for Paradice didn't start until after MLK weekend.

There are a couple of big snow whales where there was a big ice patch near the top of Lower Paradice.  Obviously that's where the sun melts snow during warm days.

Upper Paradice had little piles in front of every snowgun.  Hard to capture in a picture.

The extra rollers and snow whales were groomed out before lifts opened this morning.  Upper Paradice is back to being flat.

Great snow and relatively few people until 11:00 today.  The lift lines started building up around 1:00.  Left early because my friend preferred to take it easy for her first day of the season.

Drove up to the viewpoint on the ridge overlooking the entire Kettle.

We're really looking forward to our first trip to Massanutten and plan to arrive by 9am on Friday!

1. Is there anything specific we need to know about parking? My wife and son will get ready at my in-laws' rental house. I'll drop them off with their skis near the lodge before I go park the car.

2. Are there many flat spots to traverse at Massanutten mostly? My son just turned 8, and he's rated as a Blue skier (level 6) by the VAIL system. We spent some days at Okemo this winter, where he attended ski school, and that's what his report card shows. He also takes weekly lessons at Whitetail and is in the blue group and a strong skier in the group. He's skied black runs at Okemo, Tline, and Whitetail, doing parallel skiing and turns well. He enjoys blue/black runs, so we'll likely ski off the Peak Quad and Ridge Triple. He doesn't like using poles much; his instructor at Bryce says he skis more upright with them. We think he doesn't need poles on small hills but needed them at Okemo for some long flat and uphill sections. If Massanutten doesn't have many flat or uphill parts, he'd prefer to ski without poles. Just wanted to check!

3. Do you have any recommendations for takeout food? We're considering Romano's and Circo. How about pizza?

4. MarzNC - if you're around, I'd like to say thank you! My son wears a red and black Spyder ski jacket with a hedgehog helmet cover, so he's easy to spot. I have a gray Helly Henson jacket. If you see us, please say hi. We will be skiing Friday, Saturday and Sunday I really appreciate all your helpful knowledge.

Parking at the Massanutten slopes is pretty simple.  The lots are all paved.  They are labeled Lot 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  If a lot is full, there is a sign at the entrance.  But can drive in to look in case someone left.  Lot 1 will be full by 8:30, if not 8:15.  I plan to be parked by 8:00.  Overflow parking exists near the hotel buildings.

Even if Lot 1 is full, can drive in and drop off people and gear at the end of the boardwalk.  The people who rent gear are better off using the official Drop Off/Pick Up zone that's in the 15-min parking lot.  That lot is also for a quick stop in the General Store.

I boot up in the ski lodge.  Timeshare owners has access to the top floor, called the Summit Club.  There are a few free cubbies on the ground floor.  Most locals boot up at the car.  If parked in Lot 2 or higher, can walk onto Southern Comfort and ski down to the ski lodge or right onto a lift line.

Your son will have plenty of company when not using poles.  Mostly younger skiers who like to do the terrain park or just jump off stuff on the sides of trails.  Although I've seen some intermediate adults without poles too.

For a holiday weekend, even for take-out food be sure to go early.  Meaning before 4:30 if possible.  The Virginia BBQ inside the Woodstone Welcome Center (big green roof with lights on the edges) in the valley has good pizza.  But the wait can get long.  Ciro's by the Food Lion has great food, whether pasta or pizza.  I haven't been to Romano's since they moved into the current building.  It's more upscale.  Good for people who like good wine as I remember.

I'm also arriving on Friday evening for the holiday weekend.  Came home yesterday so I could give my friend's teen a ride because my friend is busy.  She's in 9th grade and learned to ski at Mnut starting at age 8.  We'll be skiing all day Sat and Sun since we have season passes.  On Sat and Sun, I expect to be skiing under the lights after 4:00.  The new lights that were installed last year are amazing.  Better visibility on some trails after 4:00 than in the late afternoon after the sun goes behind the mountain.

I'll send a PM with my phone number.  A random meeting is not likely to work on the weekend.  Last Sunday I skied the upper mountain for a couple hours before driving to WV.  My friends who took longer to boot up in the morning never found me even though it wasn't busy at all.  When all the connector trails are open between Peak and the Ridge Triple, too many options for which way to go.  Nice problem to have though!

I will have my red helmet, blue jacket, teal pants.  In the mornings, likely to be with a tall man who wears red and yellow.  Along with the teen, who is much taller than I am.

Timothy.grasso wrote:

We're really looking forward to our first trip to Massanutten and plan to arrive by 9am on Friday!

1. Is there anything specific we need to know about parking? My wife and son will get ready at my in-laws' rental house. I'll drop them off with their skis near the lodge before I go park the car.

2. Are there many flat spots to traverse at Massanutten mostly? My son just turned 8, and he's rated as a Blue skier (level 6) by the VAIL system. We spent some days at Okemo this winter, where he attended ski school, and that's what his report card shows. He also takes weekly lessons at Whitetail and is in the blue group and a strong skier in the group. He's skied black runs at Okemo, Tline, and Whitetail, doing parallel skiing and turns well. He enjoys blue/black runs, so we'll likely ski off the Peak Quad and Ridge Triple. He doesn't like using poles much; his instructor at Bryce says he skis more upright with them. We think he doesn't need poles on small hills but needed them at Okemo for some long flat and uphill sections. If Massanutten doesn't have many flat or uphill parts, he'd prefer to ski without poles. Just wanted to check!

3. Do you have any recommendations for takeout food? We're considering Romano's and Circo. How about pizza?

4. MarzNC - if you're around, I'd like to say thank you! My son wears a red and black Spyder ski jacket with a hedgehog helmet cover, so he's easy to spot. I have a gray Helly Henson jacket. If you see us, please say hi. We will be skiing Friday, Saturday and Sunday I really appreciate all your helpful knowledge.

There are two ways to get up to the Peak lift.  Can ride the long . . . and slow . . . Creekside lift over Southern Comfort to get there directly.  That works for any intermediate interested in skiing the blues from the summit: Mueller's Mile, Ridgecrest. The other way is to take the lower base lift, Easy Rider, then ski to the right and take the Ridge Triple.  Unload Ridge to the right.  Head left to Mass Transit.  Then turn left midway onto Yee Ha.  Note that the top of Showtime and Upper Mass Transit are not for lower intermediates as a first run.

The advantage of riding the Ridge Triple before heading to Peak is being able to see Showtime and Lower MAKAttack.  Also can take a look at the status of the terrain parks.

Creekside is running slower than usual.  Had to replace a gear box during the New Year's week.  Plus since Southern Comfort is a green, there are plenty of beginners loading Creekside so it stops now and again.

Saturday will be relatively warm.  Possible to stay on the upper mountain if take a lunch break at the Mid-Mountain Grill.  All the seating is outdoors.  The restrooms are indoors.

The only flat or uphill spot is going from the top of the Creekside lift to the bottom of the Peak Quad.  Though, you can bypass that by taking Easy Rider, then ski down to the Ridge Triple, then ski down to the Peak Quad. 

Timothy.grasso wrote:

1. Are there many flat spots to traverse at Massanutten mostly? 

wfyurasko wrote:

How have Sunday crowds been @marzNC? I'm thinking of taking my sons (16 and 10) next week. 10 would need a lesson, 16 might too. I really want to check out the new trails.

 How early could you arrive?  It's a bit hard to predict because Mnut of 2025 is very different from even 2024.  Word is out about the Peak high-speed lift and the upper mountain trails.  Add two snowstorms in January that mean there are skiable trees, and people are showing up who didn't know much about Mnut before.  It's clear many will be back.  Talked to a few people from DC/NoVA that like it better than Snowshoe in some ways, especially given the shorter drive.  Clearly beating out Wintergreen and Bryce.

Even on this holiday weekend, the longest wait we had on Peak was 6 minutes.  Today in the snowstorm we were in line 3-4 minutes most of the time after lunch.  The line didn't build up beyond a minute until about 11:00, per usual.

Similar story for the Ridge Triple, although there was period in the morning when that lift was stopping enough that it took my friends 20 minutes to get to the top.  Issue was probably intermediates who had trouble loading the lift.

Night skiing starts at 4pm.  There is a noticeable increase around then.

Yesterday I saw on the website that No Hessitation, Slot, and Makattack were ungroomed.  I was going to wait until it warmed up, but I was afraid they'd groom it out, so I went up today.  Also, I thought they might blow snow on it last night.  They didn't.  Still though, it was fun and super cold.  As a bonus, the right side of Showtime was ungroomed.  (tear running down my cheek (not because of the cold wind), four ungroomed trails in Virginia).  Here is some POV, Slot, No Hessitation, Showtime, Makattack, and then Slot again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlqfKYHE12Q

wgo wrote:

Nice - hoping to get out this Sunday. Hopefully these trails will stay ungroomed

 My sense is that Upper MAKAttack, No Hessitation, and Slot won't be groomed again any time soon.  The base is deep enough on all those trails that just adding snow on top every now and then to resurface will be enough for the next month at least.

Have fun!

Sunday afternoon could be a nice mogul day.  Sunday morning ungroomed will be unpleasant, unless they blow snow on the bumps Saturday night.  Might be morning groomed, afternoon ungroomed.  It's a race for the bumps to soften up before the sun sets and the visibility becomes terrible for Slot and No Hessitation.

wgo wrote:

Nice - hoping to get out this Sunday. Hopefully these trails will stay ungroomed