All this talk about the El Ninõ winter has left us feeling a little bit like this:
I’m not sure how much longer this will last, but several readers have reported bigger-than-typical lift lines and crowds at the ski areas in North Carolina’s high country.
A few Discord users have dropped photos of their children learning how to ski and snowboard in the channel over the past few days, and that makes me so happy to see. It’s also taken me back to thinking a little bit about my earliest days on the mountain.
I don’t really remember learning how to ski. I was young – like 3 or 4 years old – when my parents first brought me to Sunday River in Maine. My only memory is watching my parents, aunts and uncles riding the chairlift above me while I took a lesson down below.
But I remember learning how to snowboard really well. And mostly, I remember how bad I was at it during my first few days. I was at Waterville Valley for a week with my family and some close family friends, and while everyone else stuck with skiing, I was struggling all morning to link turns without absolutely eating it. The year was 2006, Shaun White, Danny Kass, and Hannah Teter were on the cover of every magazine at the grocery store checkout, and I couldn’t even make a toe-edge turn.
Then, one run, it just happened. I don’t know what I did differently. All I know is that I sucked a little bit less. And to this day, I’ve been trying to suck a little bit less every time I step onto the mountain.
Alright. Enough about the glory days. We’ve got a storm coming. Here’s what to know around the southeast today:
Massanutten
Snowmaking is back on at Massanutten, just ahead of the highly anticipated massive storm that’s set to sweep through.
Massanutten is working with a base of 20 inches and eight open trails with six open lifts.
The first ever HeArt and SOUL Winter Fest starts today. That will run through Sunday, and feature a wine tasting event, group yoga and hiking, a snow tubing party, and more.
The wine tasting welcome event kicks things off today. If you’re trying to get nice and limber before first tracks, there will be a 7:30 a.m. yoga class led by the Well Collective tomorrow morning.
Omni Homestead
After a hiatus, due to the rain and warm weather, Omni Homestead is back open today for snow sports.
The resort as a 7 inch base of groomed, packed powder, one open trail and two spinning lifts. The mini snowmobiles will be open soon.
Homestead’s Lynn Swann said:
Our team has been busy making snow whenever possible to make up for the warm temps and rain from last week. We will continue to make snow at every opportunity and are hopeful that Mother Nature will bring us some natural snow on Saturday. Today, we are open to mid-station with 1 trail and a base of 7”. One lane of tubing is also open.
Purchase a long winter weekend lift ticket for either next weekend or February 16 through 19 for just $199.
Snowshoe
It is cold in West Virginia this morning. Temperatures are around 19 degrees at the time of me writing this report. Here’s what the team at Snowshoe has to say for today:
It’s a chilly Thursday morning atop the Island in the Sky so be sure to layer up today. The National Weather Service is calling for some snow showers today that look to continue into the weekend so expect more open terrain to start popping up. Warm up after your day on the slopes with some cozy Italian favorites at Al Dente, located in the conference level of Mountain Lodge. Reserve your table now on our website.”
Timberline
Snowmaking has been going on all week at Timberline, and it will continue today on just the closed terrain. Upper Almost Heaven and The Drop will be closed for snowmaking, as well as Easy Does It. The low temperature at Timberline will be 9 degrees today! So buy some handwarmers.
There is also a possibility of 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation throughout the day.
Wisp
There’s a 70% chance of a frozen mix coming down at Wisp today.
Snowmaking is in full effect, and a new park is up and running that consists of two jumps, a snow pyramid and a quarter pipe at the bottom. If this setup is enticing, hurry over to Wisp, because it will be gone after this weekend.
Beech
There’s snow in today’s forecast.
Just a 20% chance for today, but that will improve as the weekend goes on. There are five lifts spinning and 11 open trails today.
The marketing team at Beech posted a heartfelt thank you on Instagram:
2023 brought a year of transformative change, cherished fellowship, and fond memories. December gifted us with snow, marking a fantastic start to the season.
Our gratitude extends to our valued customers. Your unwavering support, kindness, and dedication to our mountain make us more than a community – we’re family, and we are genuinely thankful. The year concluded with a bluebird day, adding a special touch to our shared journey.
Thank you for being an integral part of Beech Mountain Resort’s story. Here’s to more moments, memories, and mountain adventures in the coming year.
Don’t forget: Massanutten Resort Summit. February 9-11. Be there. Sign up here.
Thanks to everyone that has already joined us on Discord.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Click here to join us on our new 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.