Closing time. You don’t have to go home but you can’t ski here.
It’s closing day at Ski Sapphire and The Omni Homestead today. If you’re debating whether or not to head to the mountain today, go ahead and get over there. You’ll have to wait until November if you don’t go now.
The Omni Homestead is open to the top with four trails and an average base of 10-inches. One lane of tubing is open.
“As we transition into our spring activities, we’re looking forward to the opening of The Cascades on March 29,” Lynn Swann said. “Looking ahead to August, we are excited for the return of our golf and sporting clays event.”
Winterplace will end tubing after today as well. The ski area is suspending operations from Monday through Thursday, and opening back up on Friday and Saturday March 8 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be skiing and snowboarding only, and tickets and lessons will be available at the walkup ticket window only.
Lift tickets will be discounted to $60, and junior and seniors will be able to get a ticket for $45. Rentals will be just $5 on Friday.
The Park Rat Classic went off yesterday at Beech, and it seemed like a hit.
So did the Trundy Memorial Sugar Cup. More than $7,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society.
Yesterday was my last on the mountain at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec.
And while the snow loosened up as the temperatures rose, it was obviously much busier than our first two days, because it was a Saturday, but from noon until closing was great. The lift lines moved quickly enough, and it was easy to get away from the crowds.
The real star of the show was the Apres scene, however. There was a DJ in the center of the village at the base of the mountain. There was a man with a mustache playing the bongos over Shakira songs. There was a game of limbo played with my snowboard. It was amazing. I can’t recommend a trip to the resort enough.
Here’s what else you need to know to ski and ride in the southeast today:
Snowshoe
It’s day 2 of the Darn Tough Banked Slalom today. Here’s what the snow report says:
We’ve got some classic spring skiing weather on tap for the next few days, and we plan to shed a layer or two and enjoy it! Mild temperatures, soft snow, and clear skies? Sign us up. Just don’t forget the sunblock! Choker, Knotbumper, Lower Shay’s and Flying Eagle are all ungroomed and sporting some rowdy moguls, especially Lower Shay’s!”
Timberline
From the snow report:
We are 100% open today after 24 hours on continuous snowmaking on Thursday. Snowmaking was widespread throughout the mountain, refreshing conditions for the weekend. Surface conditions are a soft machine groomed surface. All open terrain has been groomed except for Off the Wall, the Drop, and Upper Almost Heaven.”
Massanutten
Snow Moon Festival ends today. It will be mostly cloudy today with high temperatures in the mid-50s. There will be a DJ at the mid-mountain, and the conditions are springlike.
Night skiing and riding is closed for the season.
Ober Mountain
There are four trails and three lifts open today at Ober.
Cataloochee
The Big Sale ends today. If you’re buying a season pass for next season, make sure to pull the trigger on it today and save yourself some money.
Video Of The Day
Not many films can set freeskiing clips to opera music make it work. The folks over at Holocene Studios make it work.
“A decade after freeskiing became an Olympic discipline, many riders are longing for an alternative to the current trajectory of the sport. Instead of rigid contest structures and national teams, they dream of a new kind of freeski event, something more true to the sport’s unruly origins. And so, in the fall of 2022, an idea begins to take form,” the vilm synopsis says. “THE LEAGUE is the untold story of how the Jib League came to be. It’s an intimate documentary following Ferdinand Dahl, James “Woodsy” Woods and Øystein Bråten on their path to creating one of the most instantly beloved events in freeskiing. “
The Rest
Thanks to everyone that has already joined us on Discord.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Click here to join us on our SkiSoutheast Discord channel. It is a great way to meet new snow loving friends and shares experiences, ask questions, and more!
And as always, email me at [email protected] with your thoughts and photos.