By all accounts it was one BUSY weekend. Several people emailed about crowds around the region and one On-Snow Reporter said that the red and green lift lines at Sugar on Saturday MET each other back to back at the bottom. Another reported that people were parking by Alpine Ski Center and WALKING. Now THAT is a huge crowd! That’s what great conditions and natural snow will do! We’re going to dive right in to the notes from around the state…and you guys have a great day out on the slopes!
Anywhere from a TRACE to 2” of snow fell on the Southeast’s Ski Resorts last night and that will make for a great day to experience a President’s Day Monday. Here’s the HIGHLIGHTS!
IN VIRGINIA:
MASSANUTTEN: They only saw a few flakes falling…but they made snow and they are skiing and riding on 13 trails today with Packed Powder Conditions and they also have 12 tubing lanes open for your enjoyment!
WINTERGREEN: We want to be among the FIRST to welcome Sara Lovejoy to Wintergreen Resort. She takes over the duties that Frankee Love was handling. She has some very nice shoes to fill, but we’re sure she’ll do a great job! Welcome Sara!
Wintergreen wrote us, “It is 20 degrees at 6am and that is allowing us to make lots of great snow. A couple of inches of natural snow are forecasted for our resort today, Snow conditions are going to be great. We are making piles and piles of snow because we plan to ski and ride all the way into April and finish out the season with our April 1st and 2nd Wicked Huge Park Party and more. All of our trails are open, they have been groomed overnight and are in great condition for some mid-winter fun. The bumps on Upper Wild Turkey keep getting better and better, come check them out! The Plunge and The Slide are open today with 2 hour sessions starting at 10am for some thrilling tubing.
IN
TIMBERLINE: We want to also comment and thank Pam Long who has really taken things up a peg in getting reports out and early these days. Timberline is reporting about an inch of new snow overnight and 90% groomed conditions on 30 trails today. Great conditions will be found on 90% of the mountain and she wrote that there are some thin cover areas on “Bear Stroll” and “Little Pearl”. Now THAT’S how it’s done! Great job Pam!
WINTERPLACE: They have also taken to only making snow in the PM and conditions are simply just that good enough that they can allows skiers and riders to enjoy the slopes without the guns during the day! Winterplace also received another 1” of snow overnight and they have 27 trails open today!
WISP RESORT IN
OBER GATLINBURG IN
IN NORTH CAROLINA:
APPALACHIAN: We have to take our hats off to Brad Moretz and his mountain ops as they have done the usual great job this season of keeping their slopes in primo shape even during some of the testier times of this season. Also, they have kept the maximum base depths real this year. There’s definitely a number of areas across all nine trails where they have some 5+ feet of snow! They picked up a little more natural snow overnight last night and made snow as well and are skiing on Packed Powder again today. Great conditions for President’s Day Monday!
CATALOOCHEE: Great conditions at The Cat on Monday as they too picked up a little more snow and made snow as well. Cat is 100% open and they will DAY SKI ONLY today and their tubing park is open until 6pm. Also as is the norm with Cataloochee, they will begin their late season operating schedule on March 5th. Tammy Brown wrote, “
As many of you know, we were the first ski area inCataloochee will operate on a regular operating schedule until March 5th and then they will be closed on Mondays. Tuesday’s through Fridays they will ski from 1pm to 10pm each day. They will open on Saturdays and Sunday for day skiing only from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
More on Cataloochee –
In conjunction with Oldies Radio 96.5, Cataloochee brings back the ever-popular, best deal of the year $96.50 Midweek Season Pass Sale on Sunday, March 5 for one day only from 8:30am-4:30pm.HAWKSNEST – Ski Hawksnest picked up another 2” of snow overnight and they will be skiing and riding 11 of 12 slopes and trails and they have their sweet tubing hill open as well. Hawksnest has a great base of 25-58” and conditions should be sweet today!
SAPPHIRE VALLEY: Both trails and the Frozen Falls Tubing area are open and RJ Grady describes their conditions as “quite good” with a Manmade / Groomed surface and a base of 32-42”.
SKI BEECH: They too received more snow overnight. Gil Adams who handles the ski patrol and marketing duties up there always does a conservation measuring of snow reported 1” or so of snow and three On-Snow Reporters who live on Beech reported closer to 2” so that’s what we’re going to report. That 2” put Ski Beech over the 60” mark on natural snow this season and 5” of snow over the weekend. They still had a fair amount laying around from the 16” of last week, so conditions are in very nice shape up there. Beech is 100% open and they have been making snow in selected areas as well.
WOLF LAUREL: Orville English and Rick Bussey have it going on up at Wolf Laurel this season. Conditions are in great shape right now with 12 trails operating on a groomed base and they also received a little more snow overnight which will certainly delight the President’s Day crowd.
One more crowded day on the slopes today guys and gals and then we’ll have the slopes to ourselves for the week. Okay…not REALLY, but things will certainly SEEM that way after a HUGE weekend. I’m STAYING pat with my prediction that SEVERAL ski areas across the state and the Southeast will break single season attendance records this year.
Have fun out there people!
Until Next Time! Be sure to email photos, snow reports and comments to: [email protected]