If the temps would just get a little colder, the slopes at Massanutten could open by early December with all the improvements made to the snowmaking infrastructure in the last couple years. With the pipeline from the valley complete and many more automated snowguns, 2-3 days of cold days that allow 24-hr snowmaking can be enough. There was a trace of snow yesterday before changing to rain.
Per usual the Special Value Pass is the best deal for $235 and the only time not included is Saturdays 9:00-4:00. Sundays and every night session is included. Until Dec. 1, the Full Season Pass that is usually $450 for adults and $375 for children is on sale for 10% off. That's a first for folks who aren't timeshare owners as far as I know. Break even is around 7 days assuming go at least a weekend or two.
Demo Weekend with a demo tent by the Freestyle ski shop in Charlottesville is Jan. 12-13. I plan to be there with a few friends.
http://www.dcski.com/forum/90915 - Massanutten 2017-18, including a few photos
As of Nov. 30, Massanutten is thinking that the slopes can be open on Dec. 8. Already had snow tubing open for Thanksgiving weekend.
Thanks for the information, I was hoping they would open Friday. Any word on Wintergreen yet?
kemperski wrote:
Thanks for the information, I was hoping they would open Friday. Any word on Wintergreen yet?
I know Wintergreen did a little snowmaking but haven't heard a peep about their target date to open. I would guess Wintergreen would also try to open before Dec. 14.
Massanutten is pushing harder this season. Even had a Black Friday sale for discounted lift tickets. That's a first. Also new that lift tickets can be purchased online. Still have to go to a ticket window though.
I have Monday off and am thinking of taking a snow day if they have the black diamonds open. I've only been once, but I really liked it.
Massanutten is running a couple lifts for season passholders on Fri, Dec. 7. Based on the email I got yesterday, DJ and Southern Comfort will be open starting Dec. 8. They are hoping for Lower Showtime too.
The big fan guns at the base were blowing full blast last night. With all the automation, a lot more snowmaking going on with the lights off at night.
wfyurasko wrote:
I have Monday off and am thinking of taking a snow day if they have the black diamonds open. I've only been once, but I really liked it.
Nice trip report!
FYI, the Mid-Mountain Grill is run by parents of the ski/snowboard teams for fundraising. So only open on weekends mid-season. Really nice when it's warm and can enjoy sitting on the deck. Makes staying on the upper mountain and using the porta-potties worthwhile to avoid the lodge and waiting in line for a base lift after a break.
marzNC wrote:
FYI, the Mid-Mountain Grill is run by parents of the ski/snowboard teams for fundraising. So only open on weekends mid-season. Really nice when it's warm and can enjoy sitting on the deck. Makes staying on the upper mountain and using the porta-potties worthwhile to avoid the lodge and waiting in line for a base lift after a break.
That made a big difference the day I was there -- didn't even go in the lodge at all because of the Mid-Mountain Grill.
Glad that you liked my recap. Putting those together are almost as fun as skiing.
wfyurasko wrote:
marzNC wrote:
FYI, the Mid-Mountain Grill is run by parents of the ski/snowboard teams for fundraising. So only open on weekends mid-season. Really nice when it's warm and can enjoy sitting on the deck. Makes staying on the upper mountain and using the porta-potties worthwhile to avoid the lodge and waiting in line for a base lift after a break.
That made a big difference the day I was there -- didn't even go in the lodge at all because of the Mid-Mountain Grill.
Glad that you liked my recap. Putting those together are almost as fun as skiing.
Now that the ski school is no longer using the lower floor of the main lodge, it doesn't get quite as crazy. Consider that is was built in the 1970s, it's done pretty well. The umbrella bar on the expanded deck is really nice. The food has also improved in recent years. Still resort food but having the smoker for BBQ pork is a nice addition.
I've been skiing at Massanutten since 2004. The major capital improvements started around 2006, with the big money being spent after 2012. Has made it that much more fun to be able to ski MidA black trails with no lift line on weekends off Lift 6.
Snowed at Massanutten! Definitely going to be open daily after Dec. 8.
December 6, 2018 - Mother nature helped the snowmakers out yesterday by dropping 2" of snow on the mountain. The forecast throughout the rest of the week looks to be productive for continued snow making!
We will open the Ski Slopes and Snow Tubing for the 2018-2019 season on Saturday, December 8 from 9 am - 5 pm. The Ski Slopes will be open December 8 - 13 from 9 am - 5 pm. Early season rates are in effect through Friday, December 14. Regular Season rates begin Saturday, December 15.
As an added bonus, Massanutten Ski Season Pass holders can get a jump start on the season with our special Pass Holder appreciation day on Friday, December 7 from 12 - 4 pm. The ticket windows, rental shop, and lessons will not be available.
Are they getting bombed Sunday like Boone is? Forecast 14"-20" Sunday in to Monday. I'll be home making chili and playing around in the few inches we get here. But, if I were motivated more I'd be heading up mid day Sunday shooting for first chair Monday. Post some photos if you get it up there..
crgildart wrote:
Are they getting bombed Sunday like Boone is? Forecast 14"-20" Sunday in to Monday. I'll be home making chili and playing around in the few inches we get here. But, if I were motivated more I'd be heading up mid day Sunday shooting for first chair Monday. Post some photos if you get it up there..
Not according to the forecast as of today. Some chance of snow starting on Sunday but not expecting a blizzard.
I'm actually driving much farther north and east this weekend. Have a dinner date with my daughter near Boston on Sunday before I do some skiing in NH/ME. Will be driving her home for winter break the following week. Taking advantage of her last year in school in New England to check out some more northeast skiing.
If anyone is going to ski Massanutten on opening day, 12/8, I'm planning on stopping by for a look on my way north. Hoping to get to Mnut around lunch time. I have a couple friends who are locals who will definitely be out enjoying DJ.
marzNC wrote:
If anyone is going to ski Massanutten on opening day, 12/8, I'm planning on stopping by for a look on my way north. Hoping to get to Mnut around lunch time. I have a couple friends who are locals who will definitely be out enjoying DJ.
I may be there is I can't get to snowshoe this weekend. But I will probably be leaving around lunch time.
As of 8pm on 12/7, all the snowguns near the base of Massanutten are going full blast. They were blowing snow tubing by 7pm. I assume plenty of snowmaking in progress on DJ and Lower Showtime too. The dewpoint mid-mountain is in the 20s. :-)
Are they going to get Paradice and the blues open? I'm all ready to take a snow day on Monday, but I'm not making the trip if they can't get more open...
wfyurasko wrote:
Are they going to get Paradice and the blues open? I'm all ready to take a snow day on Monday, but I'm not making the trip if they can't get more open...
The standard sequence is to get DJ and Southern Comfort open first, then Lower Showtime. Next comes Upper Showtime and Geronimo. Geronimo gets a lot of sun, but it's important for the holidays for beginners, especially snowboarders. Southern Comfort doesn't have enough pitch for teaching snowboarding to beginners who have mastered the basics in the teaching area off the magic carpet. Paradice has to come later because it takes a lot of snow given that it's a long and wide trail. What's different after the water pipe was built in 2017 is that there are no worries about running out of water. So if there is a longer cold spell, snowmaking can just keep cranking.
Only need a base of about 10-15 inches, but think about how much snow is needed to get that depth over an entire trail as wide as Showtime. What's harder to know is how many extra hours of snowmaking has been possible on the upper mountain when it was a little too warm at the base. The webcams are all at the base.
Daily updates for snow conditions and trail openings are usually posted by 8am or so on the Mnut website. Being open before mid-Dec is an exception looking back at the last few years.
Blowing snow at 8am on 12/8. Only DJ and Paradice. Probably because then can keep full blast snowmaking on Showtime without getting any complaints from intermediates about having to ski with snow guns on. They can go snow tubing instead today and hopefully ski on Lower Showtime tomorrow with guns off of only on along the side. It's 20 degrees right now. :-)
Lower Showtime should be open on Sun. Hard to say about Upper Showtime before the middle of next week.
I stopped by and had lunch with a friend at Mnut on my way north today. She and a couple of my friends who have season passes skied Mnut for a few hours this morning. Overall good for early, early season. A few icy spots on DJ, but that's pretty normal when Paradice isn't open yet.
The only food options were the bar and Base Camp (umbrella bar). The cafeteria wasn't open. Thinned out a lot after about 1pm in any case.
Update say Lower Showtime is open. It's going to snow a bit today at Massanutten. Although more snow at my house. One reason I drove north into PA yesterday instead my original plan that called for leaving on Monday. :-)
December 9, 2018 - Winter Weather Advisory today, forecasted snow totals are in the 1-3" or 2-4" range. Lift #5 and Lower Showtime open today, snowmaking will be in progress today as temperatures permit. Snow Tubing will be open today from 9:00am - 5:00pm.
The Ski Slopes will be open December 9 - 13 from 9 am - 5 pm. Early season rates are in effect through Friday, December 14. Regular Season rates begin Saturday, December 15.
Any hope for Paradice being open tomorrow? It isn't open as of right now (Sunday morning). I just can't see making the trip tomorrow if I can't ski both DJ and Paradice.
wfyurasko wrote:
Any hope for Paradice being open tomorrow? It isn't open as of right now (Sunday morning). I just can't see making the trip tomorrow if I can't ski both DJ and Paradice.
Nope, Paradice won't be open. Just can't be done in essentially the first week of snowmaking. Agree that it's probably not worth the drive from DC for a day trip. My friends who are locals and have season passes only skied for 2-3 hours before calling it a day. Not that unusual for those who live <1 hour away. But also true for a friend who drives almost 90 min one-way.
Started snowing steadily at Massanutten on Sunday afternoon. I bet people are hoping that Upper Showtime can get open.
December 9, 2018 - 4:20 Update: We've recieved 3"+ at base and Patrol is reporting 5" new snow at the top of the hill. Looking at the radar it doesn't look it's going to quit anytime soon! We'll be open tomorrow with fantastic early season conditions from 9:00am - 5:00pm for skiing and riding and 12:00pm - 8:00pm for snow tubing.
We definittely received more in central virginia than expected. I guess the ridge that was supposed to keep the storm south of us was actually further north than expected. Based on driving around Charlottesville early afternoon I think people were caught off guard, lots of non-AWD cars struggling to make it up hills.
wgo wrote:
We definittely received more in central virginia than expected. I guess the ridge that was supposed to keep the storm south of us was actually further north than expected. Based on driving around Charlottesville early afternoon I think people were caught off guard, lots of non-AWD cars struggling to make it up hills.
I noticed that US29 was treated on Friday as I drove up to Mnut on Saturday morning. But didn't noticed anything on I-81 north of I-64. The VA511 map had a lot of yellow and red earlier this evening. Saw that Whitetop Mountain got almost 2 feet.
Massanutten managed to stay open throught the holiday weeks in spite of the warm weather and rain. Hopefully will be able to get in a few nights of snowmaking by midweek. I'm headed to Mnut on Wednesday to meet up with friends for a long weekend.
I live in Richmond and hope to get my seven year old on skis for the first time this year. I've been thinking a trip to Massanutten might be a good way to start. We could just do a day trip or stay a night or two and take advantage of the other activities available there.
Marz (or anyone else willing to chime in), do you perhaps have any advice for lessons at Massanuten for a kid just starting out?
It's too many days out to get excited yet but the 18z gfs model is showing some remarkable snow totals for a storm next weekend. Again, this is likely to disappear in the next model runs, but Massanutten is in a sweet spot with predictions of 2+ feet.
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2019010618&fh=192&r=us_ma&dpdt=
skimunky wrote:
I live in Richmond and hope to get my seven year old on skis for the first time this year. I've been thinking a trip to Massanutten might be a good way to start. We could just do a day trip or stay a night or two and take advantage of the other activities available there.
Marz (or anyone else willing to chime in), do you perhaps have any advice for lessons at Massanuten for a kid just starting out?
Advice for a kid starting out . . . how long do you have to read? :-) Not only did my daughter learn to ski at Massanutten, I've introduced several kids of my friends to skiing there. The full-day ski school is very well run. In general, the Massanutten ski school has very good instructors for all levels.
For a 7yo there is a lot to be said for spending a night at least. That way there can be at least one morning that doesn't start out with a long drive. Plenty of lodging options in Harrisonburg, which is about 20 min away. The waterpark was a draw for my daughter. Made the 4-hour drive from Raleigh for weekend more worth while from her viewpoint. We would go one evening, planning to arrive right when the night session started before it got as crowded.
For ski school, it's better to make a reservation for weekends. Holiday weekends may already be full for Sat and Sun, but holiday Mondays are actually not that busy. People who stay on resort tend not to ski on Mondays. They go snow tubing or swimming in the morning and then head home in the afternoon.
Always better to arrive early. Parking is easy before 8:15am. Need to allow time to get set up with rental gear.
Full-day ski school is 9:30am-2:00pm. Get an 8-hr lift ticket so plenty of time for a few runs after pick up. Usually 7yo are up for more after a brief rest. The ski school is in a separate building from the main lodge. Has everything, including the rental gear for kids in ski school.
Later on, can consider 2-hr clinics for adv. beginners or intermediates for ages 7+. I found those useful when my daughter was skiing blues and wasn't as interested in full-day ski school. Or I wanted to spend more time skiing with her. But I made her do at least one clinic at the beginning of the season. They try to separate adults from kids.
If you buy a multi-day lift ticket, the night sessions for all days are included. On a busy weekend, when not doing ski school we would ski 9:00-11:30, take a long lunch away from the lodge, and then ski into the lights starting around 3:00 or 3:30. Would just leave the skis at on a rack.
Are you set for stuff like gloves, ski socks, etc? A helmet is included with the ski school package. If renting separately, then helmet rental is extra. A helmet is required for kid lessons.
skimunky wrote:
It's too many days out to get excited yet but the 18z gfs model is showing some remarkable snow totals for a storm next weekend. Again, this is likely to disappear in the next model runs, but Massanutten is in a sweet spot with predictions of 2+ feet.
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2019010618&fh=192&r=us_ma&dpdt=
Oh my! I'll be at Mnut Jan. 9-13. Have friends who are joining me at my timeshare unit for the weekend. Having been at Mnut a couple times during blizzards, a storm of 4-5 inches would be just fine. I can hang around for an extra day, but I think they will want to get home on Sunday since they are still working. I need to get home to get ready for a trip to Taos.
Noticed that Massanutten tweaked their hours for 2018-19. No night skiing on Tuesdays. Still have Monday night Madness for cheap. Night skiing ends at 9pm even on weekends.
My experience night skiing on weekends is that the slopes are pretty deserted by 9pm even when the snow conditions are good and the mountain is 100% open so not staying open late makes sense to me. Even the local college students don't seem to stay late.
Have managed to keep a WROD open on Geronimo. Can see children's ski lesson groups this morning.
Just got confirmation that the Demo Weekend Jan. 12-13, 9am-2pm, at Massanutten is on for sure. Brands that Freestyle are bringing include Stöckli, Nordica, Blizzard, Head, and a few Volkl models if they get shipped to the shop in time to be mounted.
marzNC wrote:
Have managed to keep a WROD open on Geronimo. Can see children's ski lesson groups this morning.
Was up there on Friday. Coverage on DJ was still very good - how does it look now?
wgo wrote:
marzNC wrote:
Have managed to keep a WROD open on Geronimo. Can see children's ski lesson groups this morning.
Was up there on Friday. Coverage on DJ was still very good - how does it look now?
Was DJ relatively flat or did it still have some contours from snow whales?
Can't see DJ much on the webcam. I won't be skiing Mnut until Thursday, 10Jan.
At least there won't be too much more melt today and Tuesday. Apparently they flattened out the terrain features.
skimunky wrote:
It's too many days out to get excited yet but the 18z gfs model is showing some remarkable snow totals for a storm next weekend. Again, this is likely to disappear in the next model runs, but Massanutten is in a sweet spot with predictions of 2+ feet.
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2019010618&fh=192&r=us_ma&dpdt=
WOW! great link
And of course I am going to Colorado at that time
kemperski wrote:
skimunky wrote:
It's too many days out to get excited yet but the 18z gfs model is showing some remarkable snow totals for a storm next weekend. Again, this is likely to disappear in the next model runs, but Massanutten is in a sweet spot with predictions of 2+ feet.
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2019010618&fh=192&r=us_ma&dpdt=
WOW! great link
And of course I am going to Colorado at that time
The bullseye was short-lived for Mnut, now a band stretching from Snowshoe to NY. Still early.
Bonzski wrote:
The bullseye was short-lived for Mnut, now a band stretching from Snowshoe to NY. Still early.
At this point, all I'm watching is the temperature forecasts. Looking good for extended snowmaking starting Wed night. Would like my friend to have a good time skiing Mnut for the first time on Fri when the slopes will be empty.
Too much snow this weekend would make it hard for my friends who are driving home on Sunday. They have to go north and east along the storm track. I get to go south. Have driven right after a mega-snowstorm in VA and it's not fun.
Arrived at Massanutten around 6pm, Jan. 9. 28 degrees at the base. Snowguns are on!
Both Upper and Lower Showtime were closed today when snowmaking was possible. Full blast. Looking forward to seeing how the open trails ski tomorrow.
The Massanutten conditions report for this morning mentions 4-8 inches of snow for this weekend, Jan. 12-13! DJ, Upper and Lower Showtime all open today. Should be snowmaking temps most of the day. Pacesetter should look white today. It was still grass with all guns on yesterday.
Winter Storm Watch in effect for Saturday and Sunday with 4"- 8" snow expected. We'll be skiing and riding on all 1,110' of vertical drop with 6 trails for all levels of ability. Upper Showtime re-opens today and Pacesetter park will be next on the list. Shaping up to be one of the better weekends of the season to date. We'll be open today from 9:00 am - 9:00 pm. SNOWMAKING IS IN PROGRESS!
If/when there is enough snow are you allowed to ski under lift 6? And has expansion ever been considered off of lift 6? Looks like it would be pretty straightforward to cut a trail back down skiers left of that chair.
RodneyBD wrote:
If/when there is enough snow are you allowed to ski under lift 6? And has expansion ever been considered off of lift 6? Looks like it would be pretty straightforward to cut a trail back down skiers left of that chair.
No. Yes.
I've been at Mnut after a massive snowstorm more than once. Had seen tracks undert Lift 6 but it's definitely out of bounds. Did see a Freestyle team coach having his tween/teen kids huck off a large boulder at the lower end of the lift line. The boys all went. Some did well, some didn't. Then the coach had to talk the one girl in the group into giving it a shot. She nailed it. :-)
The trees between Pacesetter and Lower Showtime are good fun when there is enough natural snow. See plenty of tracks and instructors in there. More of a glade now that there is disc golf in those trees. May also have some bike trails but I'm not sure about that.
My sense is that there has been talk of another trail on the other side of Lift 6. Until the pipeline was completed in 2017, wasn't enough water for the added snowmaking that would be necessary. Very hard to say what type of priority such a project would have at this point.
Another trail off of Lift 6 would make me more likely to go to Massanutten. It's probably a 60-90 minutes farther than Whitetail roundtrip from Alexandria, but I think it'd be worth it. I loved the two black diamonds there 5 years ago.
Snowmaking went on all day, 1/11. Started on Main Street in the afternoon. Guns were turned off on the top of DJ and Upper Showtime. Hard to say if Paradice or MakAttack will come next once a base is built on Main Street and Yee Ha (connector to Lift 6).
Forecast for this weekend is 4-8 inches. Some staff are thinking they made end up staying on resort for Sat night, which is normal when the roads are bad. I may well stay Sun night and drive home on Mon morning.
Storm forecast has gone to 6-10 inches "at elevation" according to the 1/12 Massanutten Snow Conditions report.
Demo days Jan. 12-13. :-)
Snow started right on schedule around 1pm. A few inches by the time my friend and I left the slopes around 6pm. Conditions on Upper and Lower Showtime were really good in the afternoon. There were icy patches on DJ in the late afternoon.
Pretty empty slopes after the snow started.
The glitch today was the conveyor for Lift 4 (Southern Comfort). After trying to get it going a few times, the lift was run without conveyor loading for the rest of the day. Meant it slowed more often for beginners, but at least it could keep running.
How was the snow? It's fairly wet snow here in Alexandria. Packed down really quickly on the sledding hill.
wfyurasko wrote:
How was the snow? It's fairly wet snow here in Alexandria. Packed down really quickly on the sledding hill.
Snow was very good on Sat. Was only wet snow for a short burst. The 3-4 inches on my car in the parking lot when we left aroun 6pm was all dry snow and easy to clear off. Another 3-4 inches on the car first thing in the morning.
Conditions were great all morning on Sunday. And relatively few people on the slopes. There were clearly people who cancelled or delayed their resort lodging. Relatively few beginners for a Sunday. So a much higher percentage of people who know how to enjoy fresh snow. DJ had variable conditions because there were still a few icy patches that got exposed by mid-morning. Showtime was great from top to bottom. Pacesetter was open with frozen groomed conditions. The rope was dropped for Mass Transit and Yee Ha around noon. Mass Transit was pretty slick given that it was mostly recent snow gun base. But at least that means the connector to Lift 6 is open, which is really good for advanced skiers who want to stay on the upper mountain.
Conveyor loading for Lift 4 seemed to be working fine.
The Freestyle Demo tent seemed to be busy all morning. They brought a few snowboards along with the demo skis. Had several Stöckli models, including the Stormrider 85, Stormrider 96, Laser AX, and Laser SC.
My friends and I left around 2:00 to drive home. Easy for me going south. Probably slow going on I-66 getting closer to DC for my friend who lives there.
Will be another day with snowmaking all day long at Mnut. Blowing the CBT terrain park in addition to some of the open trails. The trail depth on the the snow conditions report is back up to 32 inches. I think that got as low as 15 inches before the cold weather blew in last Wed night.
Got one more inch from the clouds on Sunday.
My friend driving into DC on Sun afternoon didn't have any trouble, just took a little longer than usual because traffic was moving slower.
I couldn't stay to enjoy empty slopes this morning because I'm headed to Taos in a few days.
According to this morning's Snow Conditions, Massanutten is ready to start blowing Paradice when it's cold enough this week. Be really nice if they managed to get it open before MLK weekend. Hopefully enough cold nights.
Here's the Snow Conditions update for the start of MLK Weekend:
"All the precip has moved out of the area. Don't let the morning temps fool you, grab an extra layer today as the temps will be rapidly dropping throughout the day. Mostly sunny and breezy with the temperature falling into the mid 20's by noon. Snowmaking will resume as temperatures allow. The plan is to do a bit of resurfacing before turning the snow guns on Paradice and Lower Mak Attack. "
Paradice and Lower MakAttack opened earlier this week, just before the warm up. The CMB terrain park opened too. Snowmaking on Upper MakAttack will start during the next cold spell, which should start tonight and into the weekend of Jan. 26-27.
I saw that. Will try to get out to either Massanutten or Wintergreen on Monday..
I think I will be at Massanutten this sunday, the 27th, Marzski and any others will you be there? I will be at Wintergreen on Saturday
kemperski wrote:
I think I will be at Massanutten this sunday, the 27th, Marzski and any others will you be there? I will be at Wintergreen on Saturday
Although I'll continue to pay attention to Mnut this season, I won't be back. Too many trips out west. :-)
I'm finishing up a week in Taos tomorrow. Will be back the first week of Feb, and then headed to Big Sky in late Feb.
Have fun in VA!
Windy with daytime snowmaking at Massanutten today. Snow depth listed as 40 inches. Great way to end January 2019.
Should be 100% open for Pres. Day weekend. :-)
would others agree that Massanutten generally does not run their snow blowers on weekends and holidays or have I been lucky
kemperski wrote:
would others agree that Massanutten generally does not run their snow blowers on weekends and holidays or have I been lucky
After there is enough base, usually by MLK Day, Mnut avoids blowing snow on green/blue trails when it's busy on weekends. During early season, if it's cold enough then the guns will be on 24 hours wherever needed, including on the greens. But they will be aimed high just to top things off. But still more likely midweek than Sat-Sun.
This coming weekend, Feb. 2-3, is a moot point because it will be too warm for snowmaking. I understand northern VA school administrators are nervous about today's snow forecast.
The 2/1 Mnut Snow Conditions:
Cloudy with light snow possible, highs in the lower 30s. After an awesome snowmaking run the snow guns will be silent later today as the temps climb. Schools Out Special, $40 Slope-Use ticket if your school is closed for inclement weather. College Days today - $40 Slope-Use with a valid ID.
CMB will be delayed until 11:00am this morning for a park makeover.
From what I can see on the Mnut webcams now on a Friday, 11am, it's still cold enough for snowmaking at the base. They are blowing the big terrain park for the makeover. Looks like the gun that helps to make sure the base stays deep around the base of Lift 5 may be on, pointing high. I would guess that no snowmaking is happening on Lower Showtime or Pacesetter since those are the easier blues.
Now that they have more than enough water, Mnut is going to make as much snow as possible before a warm spell that happens before Pres. Day weekend. After late Feb, very hard to predict. Although last year snowmaking went well into mid-March.
marzNC wrote:
From what I can see on the Mnut webcams now on a Friday, 11am, it's still cold enough for snowmaking at the base. They are blowing the big terrain park for the makeover. Looks like the gun that helps to make sure the base stays deep around the base of Lift 5 may be on, pointing high. I would guess that no snowmaking is happening on Lower Showtime or Pacesetter since those are the easier blues.
Now that they have more than enough water, Mnut is going to make as much snow as possible before a warm spell that happens before Pres. Day weekend. After late Feb, very hard to predict. Although last year snowmaking went well into mid-March.
Fully open today, great weather. Spent the day doing laps on Paradise, Diamond Jim and the Blues off of chair 5 at high speed. The rolling features on Paradise and Diamond Jim make these very exciting runs in the mid Atlantic. Could not have asked for anything more. Got some nice air and zero G runs off of the whales and swales. Woo Hoo . . .
Snow conditions and temperatures were the best (until we dropped below chair 5 in the afternoon, then it got heavy and sticky, needed a bit more wax than I had). I used some MarzNC hints from other threads to work over to six using Yee Ha and dining for cheap by eating food prepared by "the parents of the Ski/snowboard teams at the base of Lift 6". Another EPIC day on the hill.
wojo wrote:
Fully open today, great weather. Spent the day doing laps on Paradise, Diamond Jim and the Blues off of chair 5 at high speed. The rolling features on Paradise and Diamond Jim make these very exciting runs in the mid Atlantic. Could not have asked for anything more. Got some nice air and zero G runs off of the whales and swales. Woo Hoo . . .
Snow conditions and temperatures were the best (until we dropped below chair 5 in the afternoon, then it got heavy and sticky, needed a bit more wax than I had). I used some MarzNC hints from other threads to work over to six using Yee Ha and dining for cheap by eating food prepared by "the parents of the Ski/snowboard teams at the base of Lift 6". Another EPIC day on the hill.
Sounds like a really fun day! With the cooperation of Mother Nature, the whales on Paradice and DJ definitely makes those trails far more entertaining. Lift 6 provides just over 800 ft vertical by itself. Pretty unusual for the mid-Atlantic.
Were there any bumps on skier's left on Paradice?
Changing snow conditions like you experienced is one of the reason I'm enjoying my Phantom-treated skis. No need to worry about wax and far less sticky when temps warm up.
marzNC wrote:
Were there any bumps on skier's left on Paradice?
Changing snow conditions like you experienced is one of the reason I'm enjoying my Phantom-treated skis. No need to worry about wax and far less sticky when temps warm up.
Not a bump in the place! Love the zero g speed skiing on the whales (I just think of them as extra large-widely spaced moguls. I am not a mogul guy on my skis. Sometimes on by board. Hurts my knees too much.
This thread is just making me determined to go to Massnutten next year; I would this year, but my kid skies free in Pennsylvania...
Massanutten is hosting racing and boarder cross this weekend. Plenty of snowmaking in the last few days after temps cooled off. Should be pretty good for Pres. Day weekend with snowmaking opportunities overnight for most of the next week.
wfyurasko wrote:
This thread is just making me determined to go to Massnutten next year; I would this year, but my kid skies free in Pennsylvania...
Maybe a weekend in March? First weekend with late season rates will be March 9-10. Pretty clear that whenever there is a chance to add to the base on Paradice and DJ, the snowguns are on.
Have heard that Freestyle will have a demo tent for the Snow Moon Festival on March 2-3.
That's good to know marzNC - that's my birthday weekend and the late rates could make it more enticing.
wfyurasko wrote:
That's good to know marzNC - that's my birthday weekend and the late rates could make it more enticing.
A while back when my daughter was still in elementary school, crgildart and I planned a late season day trip to Mnut. But with a snowstorm providing incentive, I found a cabin we could share to stay for Sat night. There was so much snow even in the valley that we went sledding and built a snowman. Met up with another father and daughter who made the drive from Pittsburgh on Friday. He took the kids to the waterpark on Sat evening. So you never know what might happen during late season.
You won't be able to see the pics full size, but here's the trip report from 2013. I and my daughter had season passes.
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/massanutten-va-march-9-10.16061/
Looking pretty good for Mnut for Pres. Day weekend. Might even have a little snow on Sat. The base is over 35 inches after the recent cold nights.
https://www.massresort.com/play/snow-sports/snow-conditions/
Sounds like great conditions - any moguls anywhere on the mountain?
RodneyBD wrote:
Sounds like great conditions - any moguls anywhere on the mountain?
Upper MakAttack has a short section of bumps that can be pretty big, maybe 12 bumps long and 3 bumps wide. They are the long type given all the snowboarders, including pretty good ones that go into those bumps.
wgo said there weren't any bumps on the side of Paradice a few weeks ago. Not enough snow this season I guess. In good winters, they were putting in a seeded bump line in recent years. It's where I started learning how to "flow like water" on bumps from Walter, one of the Level 3 instructors at Mnut who also does instructor training.
Wasn't following how the weather was for Pres. Day weekend, but seems as if it's still winter at Massanutten this week.
Massanutten Update 07:46am 02/18/2019
Mostly sunny with highs in the lower 40s. Snowmaking will resume tonight as temperatures allow. Winter Storm Watch for Tue night - Wed night with sginificant snow likely.
On my, Massanutten looking at 4+ inches of snow! Now I know why Southwest has a winter storm warning for flights out of BWI.
Massanutten Update 08:01am 02/19/2019
Winter Storm Warning for Tue night - Wed night with 4-6"+ likley. Wednesday is looking like a snow day! Highs today in the mid 30s, snowmaking in progress as temperatures allow.
Nice time at Massanutten today. School was out, but my son and I didn't get there until around 3 PM. Snow started firming up a bit around 4 PM as temps cooled off a bit and made for a nice surface. The usual oddly-shaped moguls on Mak Attack, still fun to ski. No moguls anywhere else. Coverage was good, hopefully we can get to the normal closing date without too much trouble.
Massanutten has special events planned for the first two weekends in March. Freestyle of Charlottesville will have their demo tent set up March 2-3. Scout Day is March 3. Heroes On The Hill is March 10.
Massanutten Heroes on the Hill Ski Day
March 10, 2019 | FREE slope-use ticket with any valid military, police, firefighter, or EMT ID! Police, Firefighters, EMTs, Active Military, Non-Active Military, Veterans, and their dependents receive a slope-use ticket (up to 4 passes total). Must present valid military, police, firefighter, or EMT ID for discount.
I can see from the Massanutten webcams that it's pretty foggy this morning. But that means the slopes are empty even though it's a Saturday. There are special events planned for the afternoon/evening so I hope it clears up.
"Clearing with highs in the upper 40s, Winter Storm Watch for Sunday! Fireworks and a full slate of activites are scheduled all weekend long for our second annual Snow Moon Fest weekend! Scout Days on Sunday. Torchlight parade and fireworks starting tonight at 9:15. Lift #5 and #6 will close at 8:45pm."
Looking at the webcams, it's snowing at Mnut. Could be a few inches before the snow ends.
The real news is that Mnut is selling 2019-20 season passes until March 17. 10% off a Full Season pass. For new passholders, it's good all of March. For renewing passholders, offering an 8-hour Buddy Pass good next season. For someone who is within a couple hours drive who wants to get in another weekend ski day or two, a Special Value Pass could be a good deal since it's good on Sundays, as well as Mon-Fri and Sat after 4pm. As far as I know, this is a first.
Looks like there was good snowmaking weather at Mnut last night. Got down into the mid-20s. Only 30 at 2pm today. Day time skiing only Sun-Thu at the late season rate. Still have night sessions on the weekend.
Late Season | March 4, 2019 through Closing day
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday | 9 am - 5 pm
Friday & Saturday | 9 am - 9 pm
Thinking of driving down to Massanutten tomorrow... how are the slopes?
HVdad wrote:
Thinking of driving down to Massanutten tomorrow... how are the slopes?
Have you ever been? Based on the experience of a father and daughter who drove from Pittsburgh for a late season weekend at Mnut several years ago when I was there with my daughter, it will be worth the drive. I've skied Mnut in March before the 2-mile pipeline from the valley was built. Even then the coverage would be quite good on the upper mountain. Since the snow conditions report is showing bumps on MakAttack, I would expect all the blacks to have side-to-side coverage.
Apparently Wintergreen got 8 inches from the storm on March 21. Going to be open this weekend. Can see that it's snowing at Mnut as of 4pm. There is a winter storm watch for the rest of the day.
Mnut planned to be open March 22-24 as of a couple weeks ago.
| Effective: Thu, Mar 21, 2019 12:26pm EDT | Severity: Moderate |
| Updated: Thu, Mar 21, 2019 12:26pm EDT | Urgency: Expected |
| Expires: Thu, Mar 21, 2019 10:00pm EDT | Certainty: Likely |
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| Areas Affected: Central Virginia Blue Ridge; Northern Virginia Blue Ridge | |
Alert:
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of up to six inches. * WHERE...Northern Virginia Blue Ridge and Central Virginia Blue Ridge. * WHEN...Until 10 PM EDT this evening. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute. |
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Hadn't noticed that Massanutten was offering 50% off lift tickets during late season for anyone who had a season pass from another mountain. There is a new webpage for Spring Skiing on the website.
Very interesting. Sure it is a coincidence with WT closing early. I live in Manassas VA and plan to become aquantied with Massanutten and wintergreen as my day trip destinations since Peak has taken over WT.
Bdw611 wrote:
Very interesting. Sure it is a coincidence with WT closing early. I live in Manassas VA and plan to become aquantied with Massanutten and wintergreen as my day trip destinations since Peak has taken over WT.
From Manassas, taking the direct route to US29 to US33 to Massanutten seems like an easier drive than any route to Whitetail.
Would take another 30 min to get to Wintergreen, with whatever traffic is around Charlottesville. Note that Wintergreen is an upside-down resort, so must drive up to the summit where the main village is located. That can be a little tricky after a snowstorm, although US29 seems to have a high priority for the snowplows.
marzNC wrote:
From Manassas, taking the direct route to US29 to US33 to Massanutten seems like an easier drive than any route to Whitetail.
I don't even think you would need to take 29 all the way to 33 - I think you can cut off some time by heading west from Madison. Under 2 hours from Manassas to Massanutten according to google maps, very doable as a day trip. Seems like Massanutten has the chance to be one of the beneficiaries if some people decide to stop visiting WT/Liberty/RT.
wgo wrote:
marzNC wrote:
From Manassas, taking the direct route to US29 to US33 to Massanutten seems like an easier drive than any route to Whitetail.
I don't even think you would need to take 29 all the way to 33 - I think you can cut off some time by heading west from Madison. Under 2 hours from Manassas to Massanutten according to google maps, very doable as a day trip. Seems like Massanutten has the chance to be one of the beneficiaries if some people decide to stop visiting WT/Liberty/RT.
Only thing keeping me going to Whitetail was the PA Snow Pass, but my kid has aged out of it, so I'm making Massanutten my first choice next season.
wfyurasko wrote:
Only thing keeping me going to Whitetail was the PA Snow Pass, but my kid has aged out of it, so I'm making Massanutten my first choice next season.
My timeshare week is the first non-holiday week of January. Usually that includes the demo weekend put on by Freestyle of Charlottesville. Hope to meet you then!
wgo wrote:
Sounds like we should all meet up there next season. Looking forward to it already!
Be happy to start a Massanutten thread for 2019-20 in the fall. :-)
Mnut is committed to running lifts next Saturday, 3/30. If so, they will win the unofficial contest with WIntergreen for closing day. Note that nearby Bryce plans to be open March 30-31, 9am-4pm.
UPDATED 08:56am 03/25/2019
Bonus Day! We will be closed Monday - Friday this week with the plan to open for one more Bonus Day on Saturday, March 30 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. As always, check back here for the most current information. Snow Tubing will be open Saturday - Tuesday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm until the snow melts!
Show your season pass from any other ski area and receive 50% off on slope-use ticket on March 30.
I love the fact they are giving 50% off to season pass holders at “other” resorts. Great marketing plan. If I had the weekend off I’d be there with my useless WT season pass.
as for the thread, you post it and imin. Looking forward to checking out Massanutten next season.
For a look at the coverage on the upper mountain at Mnut just before the final bonus day on 3/30, check out the pictures on SkiSE that was provided by Kenny Hess. Side-to-side on Showtime, Paradice, and DJ. Probably MakAttack too. The base depth is listed as 20 inches on the Mnut website. During early season, I've skied there on the core trails when the depth was only 10 inches.
http://www.skisoutheast.com/things-looking-bit-like-spring-skiing-last-weekend-season/
Last day for Massanutten for 2018-19. Upper Showtime, Paradice, and DJ all open. MakAttack and Main Street/YeeHa won't be open first thing, but might open later. Snow depth is noted as 16 inches. The type of day when the umbrella bar on the lodge deck will undoubtedly be open all the way (doors and roof).
UPDATED 07:20am 03/30/2019
Come join us for the last day of the 2018-2019 ski season. Mt Ops has given us the green light for 8 trails and we may add a couple of more once patrol gets out there and checks things out. Partly cloudy with highs in the upper 60s. For the most part coverage is pretty good but there are some thin and narrow spots out there, spring conditions!
Show your season pass from any other ski area and receive 50% off on slope-use ticket on March 30.
Late Season Rates will be in effect.
