Massanuten vs Wintergreen for this Sunday 01/30?
January 29, 2010
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I am thinking about visiting either one of the two resorts this weekend for a day trip this Sunday -- hopefully after a substantial dump of snow on Fri/Sat. I have never been to either of the two and I am really bored with Whitetail right now. I wonder how are the trails at the two resorts comparing to Whitetail? Is it worth the drive from NOVA? How are the roads going up there after a snowstorm?
Seeing that lift ticket rates are about the same between the two resorts - I think the drive to Wintergreen might be more worth it since they have the high-speed lift... not to mention it's looking like the snow may slide a little further to our south... grrr....
I drove the road going up to Massanutten after the December blizzard and it was plowed pretty well - but they were only allowing 4wd vehicles up it. I'm not sure how the road to Wintergreen would compare.
There is no place in the mid Atlantic more beautiful than Wintergreen! But check the snow conditions and the crowd expectations for both. Let me know. Yours, Connie Lawn
Dec. 19 was only the second time in the last 10 years or so that 4WD was required. At least that's what one longtime employee told me on Dec. 21. By then US 33 and the Mnut road were no problem.
Getting to WTG involves more mountain road. For the last ice storm threat, they closed completely at 5pm. After the Dec. 19 storm, I ran into a ski rep who was supposed to demo at WTG that weekend. He was skiing at Mnut because he couldn't make it to WTG. Tried and got his 4WD stuck. Luckily got out with the help of a couple WTG employees coming down off the mountain and decided to give it up.
I'm hoping to get up to WTG on Sunday to ski the Highlands. If all those runs are open, it's more interesting than the two black runs off the top of Mnut. But if the roads are an issue, I wouldn't mind going on up to Mnut. Never any line on Lift 6.
Some stats for comparison. Note that the black runs from the top of Mnut (Diamond Jim 3300', ParaDice 4400') are at least 900' vert. The ride up Lift 6 takes about 6 minutes. Mnut has a new interactive trail mail that shows a lot more detail than before about stats for each run.
Massanutten: 70 acres, 1155' vert, longest run 0.77 mile
Wintergreen: 129 acres, 1003' vert, longest run 1.4 mile
Whitetail: 120 acres, 935' vert, longest run ?
While 1155ft for the Nut is technically correct, you won't ski that----more like 800-825ft on their two black runs based on topos, Google Earth and skilifts.org. You will ski 1,000 feet of vertical at the Highlands at WTG. The Nut's intermediate area is very comparable to WTG's, but I swear that lift is as old as I am---47. But don't get too excited about WTG's interemdiate lift as I have had to walk out of that area on 2 occasions when that lift went down.
If you live in Falls Church you should visit both, if for no other reason than to check them off the list. The are roughly the same driving effort and both are exceptionally pretty ski areas.
also... wintergreen is much better positioned for snow on sat. Likely that they will receive a foot or so.
Thanks everyone, it seem like WTG is a better option for us. Hopefully, they will get a lot of snow from this storm!
While 1155ft for the Nut is technically correct, you won't ski that----more like 800-825ft on their two black runs based on topos, Google Earth and skilifts.org. You will ski 1,000 feet of vertical at the Highlands at WTG.
Good to know. I wondered how much vert there was from the lodge to the end of Lift 4 for Southern Comfort.
How long do you think the Highlands run? Certainly seems longer than ParaDice. But I haven't had as much chance to ski down without stopping.
I remember reading somewhere the Highlands liftline was in the neighborhood of 4500 feet. You know the trails well enough to extrapolate from there I think.
By the way, Acorn has been in good shape all season so far even on a couple of not so great days otherwise. Probably worth a trip to that side to check that out. Upper Sunrise has been fun as well but get there early as lower sunrise has tended to ice up later in the day.
What do you think the crowds will be like this weekend at WG? You think the snow will keep people away or make it more crowded?
its the southeast, snow always keeps people away
of course too little also keeps them away. it's kind of like goldilocks or the laffer curve.
Yeah.. snow usually keep people away here! Also better stock up bread and milk soon!
It was reading from somewhere that Wintergreen only receives about 40 inches of snow annually?? That 's surprisingly low, this must have been a great year for them, I guess..
Oh by the way, I was looking at Wintergreen website and it seem like they recommends coming down Rt 29 from DC area instead of using I-81. I wonder how will Rt 29 be after the storm this Fri/Sat? Is it wiser to take I-81?
You wouldn't want to do I 81 from DC. You would be taking the "back" way into W-green which, if snowy, may be impassable. It'll be bad enough to navigate their access road up the mountain if snowing (if it's open). I've done the trip on 29 in snowy conditions before and it's no worse than any other road. You would go 29 to I-64 to the exit which says "ski resort." ( I forget the name and number) Then you are on 250 for a short time before turning south to Nellysford.
Personally, I wouldn't do this trip in heavy snow. Your 3 hour trip will take 5 + hours from Northern VA in bad conditions considering the other fools on the roads.
Take exit 107 (ski resort exit) to 250. Everything else Kwillg6 wrote is correct. 29 is a little faster and easier, despite the newly added traffic lights in recent years. All in all, it's a 2hr & 45 min. drive from western Fairfax County (without snow, of course). Furthermore, if you take 29 and DO have trouble in the snow, Charlottesville is just 50 min. east of Wintergreen, and will provide you with a wealth of big college town food and sleep accommodations. When driving to Wintergreen, I always make it a priority to stop usually at Five Guys (just before C-ville) or Qdoba (on campus).
With regards to the snow keeping people away, I would do almost anything to ski Wintergreen this Saturday. However, I won't be able to leave NOVA until 5pm or so, and if the snow has already started coming down at WTG by then, I think I'll have to throw in the towel. Not worried about the drive down there during the early-mid eve., but the trek up the mountain in just a thin layer of snow on the road will prove to be impassable. Heard that people with 4WD have even been turned away during big storms. I suppose this is one of the drawbacks of a top-down resort, but hey, the rewards are worth it.
In the end, it will be the timing of the storm that will determine whether I'm going or staying.
In the end, it will be the timing of the storm that will determine whether I'm going or staying.
It'll be close but you should be ok if you leave at 5pm. The storms not scheduled to hit SW Va until tomorrow afternoon and each model run is delaying it even longer. We're thinking about going tomorrow afternoon as well but we have the benefit of traveling away from the storm, not into it, so we shouldn't run into any surprises.
GRK from Skilifts
Acorn 1999, 1672 length, 530 vert
BRE 2001, 2371 length, 402 vert
HE 2004, 3612 length, 991 vert
Man... that'd be a real bummer if they closed the access road Saturday morning. I was hoping to make the drive from Harrisonburg. Maybe I'll just have to opt for Massanutten...
hey Abe, don't forget to come ski the other WG sometime!
GRK from Skilifts
Acorn 1999, 1672 length, 530 vert
BRE 2001, 2371 length, 402 vert
HE 2004, 3612 length, 991 vert
Thanks. Adding to my collection of SE stats.
I don't think you are going to much trouble with that access road given this forecast. I would go.
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Friday: A chance of snow showers after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 24. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday Night: Snow, mainly after 10pm. Low around 18. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Saturday: Snow. High near 21. East wind between 6 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday Night: Snow likely before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. North wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28.
oh yeah, I will be at snowshoe this weekend with BSA troop 451. Look for the tall goofy guy in green jacket on Scott Punishers, pretending that he knows what he is doing.
