My daughter and I picked up our passes for Wintergreen on December 11th and took advantage of great early season conditions getting in 8 days of skiing in a little under 2 weeks. Here is what we observed:
Early season crowds seemed heavier than they had been in the last few years resulting in some wait times on the Blue Ridge Express and even on the Big Acorn quad, but they were easily avoided with all 3 areas of the resort open.
With the cold weather, the snow conditions were excellent. On Christmas Eve, the guns at the intersection of Lower Wild Turkey and Outer Limits were putting out a powder that had the consistency of talc...the first time I hit it, I waited for it to grab my skis but instead, it was like turning on the afterburners. The snow held up well for the most part on all days though Upper Cliffhanger, Devils Elbow and Lower Sunrise tended to ice up a little in late afternoon. Intermediate favorite Eagles Swoop held up well into the evening hours each night.
Everything so far is groomed out, no evidence of where they might let moguls form.
The new snow gun heads were in evidence all up and down Dobie and the resort staff I spoke to all declared them a roaring success. Other improvements included a conveyor lift in the learning area by Potato Patch, an Ice Skating Rink, and the most welcome addition of cushions on the Big Acorn quad.
At times it would have been nice to have the Loggers Alley triple running, but all things considered, that is a minor gripe.
Here are some photos from the last 2 weeks:
Obligatory shot from the Highlands (about halfway down Wild Turkey):
A shot on a moonlit night from the top of Sunrise:
The popular Tyro opened early:
Outer Limits is usually the last to open...here is a shot about halfway down looking towards the intersection with Wild Turkey and Hydraulic. You can see Cliffhanger through the trees.
Working on the Terrain Park:
End of a great day:
The new Ice Skating rink:
