There were some raindrops on my windshield this morning, as I drove to Watauga County this morning, and when it became light enough to see what was on the ResortCams this morning, I was greeted with quite a bit more green grass than I’ve seen all week.
But that’s OK. I am ready for my first day of the season, anyway.
I am less than 12 hours removed from watching Donny Pelletier and Jonny Moseley “point ‘em downhill, bub” on the silver screen in downtown Raleigh, and I am fired up to do the same.
For those of you on the fence whether or not to pop over to a showing of the latest Warren Miller film “ALL TIME” near you, give it a go! It’s a little different from your typical WME movie, with a focus on taking the viewer through the progression of the sport from the 1950s to today, using mainly archival footage. But it’s fun, and it was the perfect thing to watch to get amped up to hit the slopes.
Speaking of hitting the slopes, let’s get into what’s going on at the mountains today.
Beech Mountain
It looks like the crew that got first chair at Beech Mountain was determined to be first. So determined, they showed up at 4:30 a.m.
Discord user Blake Stone aka SkiorDie was there yesterday, and blessed us with a pretty comprehensive report on the day. The biggest takeaway: be patient if you’re there picking up a season’s pass or lift ticket. That line took a while to clear, but the lift line cleared quickly. Here’s what he had to say.
“All the employees were energetic and in a great mood. Everyone was super friendly. The days of the attendants manually scanning have been replaced with an RFID skier corral. Keep in mind, you will need to put your lift card in your jacket pocket. The scanner will not pick it up in your pants pocket. As expected, there were some thin and bare spots. No biggie…remember to keep your expectations low. The conditions were wet granular and I expect later today and tomorrow to be more slush. Veterans of Beech Mountain will know to expect fog. Today was very pleasant as the fog settled lower in the valleys and provided a nice clear morning. Any day on the slopes is a fun one. So, although the conditions are not ideal, there is still fun to be had!”
Another friendly reminder about those RFID cards. Do your best not to stash them in the same pocket as your phone! That can cause them to become demagnetized. I don’t know the science behind it, but I do know that you don’t want to be the person holding up the entire line as you protest to the liftie “I’m not sure what happened! I paid for my ticket just an hour ago!”
(I’ve been that guy. Don’t worry, almost everyone is at some point.)
Snowshoe
There will be 12 trails, one terrain park, and three chairlifts open today, as Snowshoe is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The mountain has installed a brand new chairlift for the first time since 2006. Powder Monkey has been upgraded from triple to a quad lift, and is expected to ease congestion in the basin area and improve access to the Western Territory.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
Don’t forget that today is the second and final day of App Ski’s anniversary weekend. Tickets are only $10 when purchased in advance.
It’s a warm one out there today, so you can probably leave that midlayer at home. Nine runs are open, including terrain parks Appaljack and Appal Jam. There are five lifts running.
Massanutten
If you’re heading to Massanutten today, just a reminder that the James Madison University Ski and Board Club is having its rail jam today. The freestyle features will be closed to the public during the event.
There are three lifts and four trails open today. There is a rail garden on Paul’s Way for the JMU rail jam
The mountain will close Monday, as snowmaking temperatures are set to return midweek.
Cataloochee
While the top of Omigosh is looking pretty thin this morning, there are still three lifts running and six open trails today. Upper Omigosh is closed, but lower Omigosh is open.
Cataloochee is also running its Cat Yard Sale today from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tubing kicked off yesterday, and starts today at 10 a.m.
Be sure to check out the chatter about resort openings happening over on our new SkiSoutheast Discord channel.
Think snow!
Think cold!
Also 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.
Keep skiing the southeast.